By the Written Code - Keeping Everyone on the Same Page

By John Wommer

DM "Ok, I need you to make a skill check, use your Int mod."
Player1 "You mean Int & Cha mod, right?"
DM "Uhm, no. Just Int."
Player 1 "Last week, it was Int & Cha"
Player 2 "No, it was Int & Wis."
DM "Look guys, it was just Int."
Player 3 "Well, the PHB says...."
(all others) "Shut up!"

I played AD&D for 7 years before I decided to DM. One of the biggest problems I had was that I disagreed with a number of rules - many of which I was okay with playing under, but couldn't bring myself to run a game under. The groups I played with had house rules, but they were minor changes and we all just sort of knew them, there was nothing formal.

Until I started college. There I met my first roommate, John Garcia, who loved DMing and was the first person I met who had formally written house rules. When John transferred, I was volunteered to take over the game, and continued the tradition of written rule changes through today. They helped me work out which rules I wanted to use, and communicated at a glance to players what was different about this game. Of course, what started 20 years as a few pages now has taken on a presence of it's own, as I am still writing the PHB & DMG for my next (and final) campaign world.

So why a written set of house rules? The simple answer, as illustrated above, is that a written set of rules allows everyone to be "on the same page". They clearly define what rules are in play as presented in company produced rule books, what rules are modified, and which are replaced or discarded. And while the idea of written house rules sounds like a major project, there are some simple ways to start such a thing as a house rules book, until the day that you go goofy in the head and decide to start "from scratch".

First Steps
The quickest and most direct rules changes come from in-session rule discussions and interpretations made "on the fly" and recorded. When starting such a record, remember these steps :
1. Keep notes during your session. These don't have to be fancy, just something to remind you of the need for the ruling, and how you resolved it.
2. Discuss changes with players before committing to paper. Remember that the game is a group effort. You may think it's cool that villains can kill with one hit , your players may not be so hot on the idea. Also, your idea in game may have triggered additional or supplemental ideas in your players/
3. Use once or twice more before adopting permanently. There is nothing wrong with test driving rules. How many companies look for "beta testers" for their rule systems or worlds, so why not in your own game? Just remember note #2 above, and consult your players during the process to see what they think.

These loosely collected rule sets are the easiest to use for informal games (to help everyone remember the few house rules, and guide new players to the group), those using externally designed campaign world (which may require some tweaking, but not rule overhauls), or as a beginning for those interested in experimenting, but not wanting to commit a lot of time.

Increasing Changes
The next "step" in home rule sets are a mixture of the rules sets outlined above, and the addition of designed material that may have a significant impact on the game or campaign. Often new races, new classes, modifications to major rule systems (such as a spell point system), or significant (in game) cultural variances require more then just a few notes, meaning a detailed explanation of the change itself, plus any adjustments that are needed to keep the changes consistent within the game mechanics.

For these types of rule sets it's best to test and beta test the rules first - either outside of the established campaign, or within with the consent of all the players. How much, or in what way the test is run is up to you - a new race or class could be introduced as an NPC and be test run by the DM or a helpful player to be sure that they do not overbalance the game. If all goes well, then the class or race can be allowed as a PC - if some tweaking is required, then it can be accomplished prior to being available to the players, and since they've been in a party with the NPC, they can give constructive insights and suggestions.

Larger rules changes - home made or incorporated from a published source - should be run through the group or discussed to determine the full impact such rules will have in play. And remember that changes go beyond mechanics, and can affect the actual world environment your characters are living in - which in turn could change how your character acts, thinks, functions, and fits into their world.

As an example, I decided in my new campaign that I would do away with Clerical spells almost altogether. Clerics have expanded channeling abilities (based on the Rebuke Undead rules from the d20 system) and would be able to use ritual spells - these are potent but slow, requiring a series of successive skill rolls to complete. This would seem to weaken the Cleric, but the abilities they have are powerful, if of limited range, or are slow to create, but powerful when manifest. The political and cultural clout of Clerics in my world also offsets any perceived negatives the class may have - The Church of my world literally helps rule the Empire from which most of the player's characters come, and Clerics are the servants and officiators of that Church . While I wouldn't suggest this class to everyone, within my world it works well.

A Home (World) of Your Own
Lastly, when you've finally beaten your head with a rock for enough years, you become convinced that you want to "start from scratch". Perhaps you've had a vision, perhaps the rules you've used just don't seem to make your world live and breath, or perhaps it's the influence of that #@!! rock, but you're darned and determined to do it all from the bottom up. You're going to write your own Player's Handbook / Campaign Guide / Big Book O' Rulez. May god go with you - here's what the rock has told me to do so far......

Though a topic that can take an entire series of articles in and of itself, the first step of writing a home brew campaign guide or PHB is to decide on the scope and nature of your campaign world. While you work out the particulars of your world - from broad sweeping concepts to small details - make notes of your thoughts and what rules would need to be in place to make them work for others. Remember that just because you understand the context of a rule, race, or class yourself doesn't mean others will understand without clear, concise information and descriptions from you.

As you create, continue to look through various rule books, websites, and information written by others to get a feel for what it make take to bring your vision to life and - quite frankly - for rules you can rip off... uhm... emulate and use yourself. The d20 license is a god-send for this, and many rules you may find to use or modify may be open content.

And never forget to look to your own experiences or those of your group as a source of information or inspiration. The world I'm working on, Aramosa, is actually the synthesis of two previous worlds which never quite came alive enough for me. Races, classes, game mechanics, all of them have been reconsidered and have either been discarded, modified, or gone into this new world. I admit, I had a very strong view of this world and it's inhabitants before I started to create a PHB for it, and have used that vision as a litmus test for the use of all rules - from the Core rules to written works by D20 publishers and web site owners to what to write for myself.

Often I get a quick inspiration - off the cuff, not fully thought out, or with several options to use it. I have an open document called "Scratch Pad", where I write out these ideas, or notes on things I'm working on that aren't finalized or have no true chapter, they are just larger concepts I don't want to forget. I also have an "Idears" document where I make notes for things I might want to consider, but are not related to what I'm working on that minute. Often the quick notes I make here are the sources of my biggest mechanical changes.

Cover the major system elements first

When you get right down to it, there are some things that are essential to running the game. Certain mechanics that just have to be in place for a game to succeed, and often these rules are heavily interconnected. One of the lessons I learned early on was to consider the ramifications of changes as best I can, make notes in the appropriate chapter (or go write the rules out for reference) and then be ready to modify as needed. In constructing my PHB, I've found that this organizational model has been best for me, though each person should use whatever system works best for them.

As an example, I started to write my rule book in the same order as the D&D PHB, as I suspect that format and order is what most of my players will be used to. First I have a Chapter 1: Abilities that outlines rules changes and modifications - I use Wound Points (adapted from Star Wars D20), which of course changes the combat mechanic of Critical Hits (for which I made notes under Chapter 10: Combat) this also made me examine weapons damage just to be sure that none became unbalanced.

As I have worked through the Chapters "in order" I have found other chapters are getting written as well. I decided that there would be more then one system of magic in operation in my world, and had to decide which system would best represent each of the core classes I would be using. Then I needed to make sure that the systems would be as balanced against each other as I could make them until I could beta test them to be sure. Currently I have expanded Channeling abilities for Clerics, Monte Cook's Spell Song system for Bards, a spell point system for sorcerers, wizards, and druids (based on three different systems I found on the web, plus my own ideas) and a Ritual magic system for Clerics, sorcerers, wizards, and NPC class "hedge wizards". I have had to define and detail these systems before I wrote the classes, then had to reevaluate both class and system mechanics to balance the lot as I finalized the classes.

Like I said, interconnectivity. To get you started, let me give you an idea of order I followed when starting out on my PHB. You may find, depending on the depth of changes you are making, that a different order works best or that you want to use a more decentralized process to create your rulebook.

I use the following order:
· Character creation - I centered on the players, since they are the ones who will be using this the most. In considering character creation, you will have to decide on:
     o Races - I suggest races first, as they usual involve little in changes to the general mechanics of the game, though special or radically different races may require modified or addition information to be placed in other chapters. I have a race that are psionically endowed lemurs with a collective communal mind set. That took some explaining in their racial description, and a new sub type of psionics (Photokinesis) to be added to the Psionics chapter.
     o Core classes - The first place in which mechanical decisions may first need to be made. A new kind of spell caster may require the magic system to support them, a combat class that introduces new techniques needs to have those techniques and their impact on established mechanics spelled out in the combat chapter, etc..... At first I have just dealt with Core classes, to save time prestige classes can be fleshed out later when players gain experience - mine are a list of names & short notes right now.
· Combat - If you change how combat works, have revised feats, skills, spell casting, or any mechanic related to combat then the changes and how they impact the combat round need to be explained (adding wound points changed how critical hits work, including some Feats and weapon stats).
· Spell use - If you want to change a spell system, you have to spell out ( bad pun - sorry) those changes as well. While spell use may only impact spell users, remember that is also effects how other classes view those casters, how hey function in the party and their society. If arcane casters suddenly are much more powerful or versatile then divine casters, how would society view the latter? And would the gods grant the divine casters new abilities to compensate?
· Feats & Skills - In a weird way, feats and skills are the mop ups of this operation. If you've already decided on the changes of mechanics, classes, races and the like then it's with Feats and Skills that you can bring it all together for the players. These are the mechanics that allow the player to define how they want their character to fit in the world, so these are the items that help the player understand how the character does fit in the world. In many ways, Feats and Skills explain your ideas and concepts on your behalf, often better then you can verbally.

Obviously there is more, but I am starting now on Feats & Skills in my world and am amazed at how much I have had to write to get to this point, how much consideration of these basic points have helped me shape the rest. And, once you have this base foundation laid, the others bits should be easier as you can reference back to the main mechanics to guide you.

Don't forget a DMG for you

Lastly, don't forget to write down the rules and notes that are for yourself, that will help you to keep to your vision and to bring the world alive. A DMG helps to keep your own notes straight, gives you a consistency in what you do, and gives you a place to keep notes on what works and what doesn't. Just be ready to change and update, as later changes or additions may modify what's gone before. The DMG doesn't have to be as formal as the PHB - after all, it's just for you - but keeping track of it all can be a feat help when things get crazy.

This is a time consuming process, and - believe me - I have cursed the day the rock took over and inspired me to do it, but I know when I'm done I will have exactly what it takes to run my world, my way, and give (I hope ) my players the best world to play in that I can.

The best piece of advice I can think to leave you with is to never get discouraged, never give up. I have gone for a full month without writing a thing. So far, I have spent over 2 years on developing my world and the PHB. I have races, classes, magic systems, and am starting on feats now, and have written over a 100 pages so far (plus about 30 more of notes) . But I know that the day is coming, and my world is taking firmer shape every day. Give me another year, and I just may have the thing done.

Or so the rock says.......

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Sorry for the delay in getting this article out to you guys, sometimes life & family comes first.

In my next GMP I plan on taking on one of the biggest flame-war starters of RPGs - Real World Religion and Gaming... both in game and out. Featuring the views of a born again Baptist. Honest.

Until then, have fun!