House Rules. Do you have them and what are they?

[tesral]

I use a percentage of level per session. What ever works for the game.

[Tony Misfeldt]

I know I've already posted this rule several pages back, but I've made some changes to it so I thought I'd post it again. I was inspired some time ago to create the Seduction Skill, due to reading Frank Dux's autobiography where he describes how he studied the art of seduction as part of his CIA training, then goes on to describe how it actually saved his life in the field. Now, I've been playing Pathfinder for nearly a year now, so I have tweaked the rules for use in the Pathfinder Game.

Skill: Seduction
Ability Score Adjustment: Charisma
Class Skill: Bards & Rogues get Seduction as a Class Skill
Racial Adjustment: Elves get a +4 bonus to the Seduction Skill. Half-Elves get a +2 bonus.
Feats: The Persuasive feat grants a +2 bonus to the Seduction Skill (increases to +4 when there are 10 or more ranks on the skill). The Skill Focus feat grants a +3 bonus to the skill (+6 if there's 10 or more ranks on the skill).
Skill Synergy: Having 5 or more ranks in the Diplomacy skill grants a +2 synergy bonus to Seduction.
Traits: The Charming trait grants a +1 bonus to the Seduction Skill.
Untrained Use?: Yes
NPC Races: Alu-Fiends, Dryads, Erinyes, Incubi, Succubi, and Wood Nymphs all get a +4 racial bonus to the Seduction skill (all except the Alu-Fiend, who only gets +2 due to being half human). Furthermore, they also get the Seduction skill as a Class Skill, regardless of their actual character class (thus a Wood Nymph Druid would get a +3 bonus to Seduction as a Class Skill, in addition to her +4 racial bonus).
NPC Classes: Bar Wench, Belly Dancer, Courtesan, Harem Girl, and Prostitute all get Seduction as a Class Skill.
Mechanics: The seductress must make a Skill Check on a d20, adjusted for CHA, Ranks, Class, Feats, Race, and Traits, etc. The intended target then makes a Will Save, adjusted for WIS and Misc Modifiers, using the seductress' Skill Check as the DC. If his Will save is equal to or greater than the seductress' Skill Check total, he had successfully avoided being seduced. If not, then he has fallen victim to her charms.

Modifiers: Because the Seduction skill can gain modifiers far more quickly than the Willpower Save, there are several Misc Situational Modifiers to balance things out. Most provide a bonus to the Saving Throw, some give a penalty. The following are the modifiers I came up with. Feel free to add some of your own to the list, or adjust the numbers to your taste.

Has taken a Vow Of Chastity: +10
Heterosexual member of the same sex: +10
Homosexual member of the opposite sex: +10
Is a heterophobe/homophobe: +5*
Happily committed to a long term monogomous relationship: +10
Committed to a long term monogomous relationship: +5
Morally against premarital/extramarital sex: +5
Strong work ethic: +5
Member of a different race than the seductress': +1 to +5**
Member of a race hostile towards the seductress' race: +10
From a different culture than the seductress': +5***
Has ranks in Seduction: +1/rank****

Under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol: -1/drink and/or dose of narcotics#
Is from a culture which practices polygamy: -5##
Is part of a hedonistic religion/society: -10
Has not had intimate contact for several weeks and is very . . . lonely: -5
Has not had intimate contact for several months and is very, VERY . . . lonely: -10

*This can only be chosen as a modifier if the DM chooses homosexual of opposite sex or heterosexual of same sex as a modifier.

**This is up to the DM's discretion. A hobbit seducing a human might not require an adjustment, but a female dwarf trying to seduce a male human might (most heterosexual men don't want to make it with someone with thicker facial hair than they have).

***DM's discretion. What's considered seductive and alluring in one culture might be considered rude and vulgar in another.

****This is due to them being able to recognize their seduction techniques, as they use them themselves.

#This number can go up at the DM's discretion, especially if the specific narcotics being consumed are known to increase one's libido.

##Alternatively, this could be changed to "No Modifier" at the DM's discretion. It was added to try and maintain a balance between positive and negative conditional modifiers.

Using some of the suggestions posted, I have adjusted the skill yet again. I hope it makes more sense now.

[Tony Misfeldt]

Here's a house rule I've been thinking about for a while now. I've always had a problem with the logic behind the "Point Blank Shot" feat. Shooting someone at point blank range is what people with lousy aim do to make up for their lack of skill/hand-eye coordination. Now you need special training to be able to benefit from waiting until someone's only 10' away to shoot them. WTF? That makes no sense to me. So here's my solution:

Rule: All characters who are proficient in a ranged weapon (which is pretty much ALL of them, unless somehow they're too stupid to know how to point a crossbow and pull the trigger or throw a damn rock) gets "Point Blank Shot" as a free feat. This way, "Point Blank Shot" is still the first prerequisite for all of the other feats ("Precise Shot", "Rapid Shot", "Far Shot", etc), you just don't have to waste a perfectly good feat taking it.

This is pretty easy to retcon into a game. Anyone who doesn't have it can just write it in. Anyone who has wasted a feat taking it so that they can take "Precise Shot" later can just take an additional feat.

I suggested this rule to my GM. I'm waiting to hear back to find out what his thoughts are.

[tesral]

Here's a house rule I've been thinking about for a while now. I've always had a problem with the logic behind the "Point Blank Shot" feat. Shooting someone at point blank range is what people with lousy aim do to make up for their lack of skill/hand-eye coordination. Now you need special training to be able to benefit from waiting until someone's only 10' away to shoot them. WTF? That makes no sense to me. So here's my solution:

Being a real archer I can tell yopu that shooting at "point blank range" is not easy. For guns, I agree, it doesn';t make much sense. But the average guy with a bow that has not shot at 5 yards will tend to miss. The reason is the archer's paradox. Whe nthe arrow first comes off the bow it wobbles around like hell, and lifts a great deal higher than you might think. The trick I was taught was aim like it was 30 yards and that works. But before you know that....

[Tony Misfeldt]

I never knew that about firing a bow. Interesting. I have shot a crossbow a few times at the carnival. Never won the teddy bear, but I always come really damn close (I tend to hit the star right on the edge). Those targets were only about 10 feet away from the counter too, which puts them well within the Point Blank Range.

So my aim with the crossbow might not have been good enough to win a teddy bear, but if I were shooting at a person he'd be dead. And it wouldn't matter if I shot him through his heart's left ventrical or right ventrical, he'd be just as dead either way.

So what do you think would be a better way to handle point blank range shots? I maintain that requiring a feat to perform such an action is completely unnecessary.

[tesral]

I'm no fan of feats period. Too many are things you should simply know, others are better as skills, and a whole bunch are either broken good or a complete waste of space.

I would just give it to anyone with a proficiency in bow and a +3 to hit in same. The result of that learning curve.

[rabkala]

Firstly, I have used the Book of Erotic Fantasy in a few games. It generally went bad. I would rather leave it to a wink and a nod with the DM's understanding than go into details or real skill stats and such.

I like that feats are a way to break the rules, without really breaking them. Many feats are unbalanced one way or the other... which is a big problem. I do like the idea of rewarding certain builds with talents that are the result of the learning curve. Maybe you could fit such things into the dreaded 'dead' levels that really offer no decent adjustments for game play.

[tesral]

I have that book, mainly becauise it got Lizards' panties in a bunch. I don't use it.

[RakshaGC]

A rule or two I always use in my games.

Using Bluff to feint in combat: The Bluffing character may also add his/her BAB to the opposed check. The logic is if the target can use his combat prowess to better recognize a feint when it's seen (add BAB to check), shouldn't the character be able to use his combat prowess to better pull off a feint?

Swim is a "trained only" skill. Just because I can dead-lift your mom doesn't mean I've ever even seen a body of water, much less that I can decently perform in one I randomly encounter. Which brings me to...

There are no "trained only" skills. Any such skill takes a -10 to the roll if attempted untrained. Just because you're a big dumb oaf in full-plate that's never seen a body of water, a wild animal, or the inside of a padlock doesn't mean you can't try to tumble/spout off about some obscure arcane lore/swim/tame a lion. You will probably end up failing horribly (after all, these are things you sort of need a knack for to really do regularly), but to flat out say you cannot try is ludicrous.

[Malruhn]

I LIKE those!

[Tony Misfeldt]

@Tesral: I don't like feats either. As you say, they're either broken or they would work better as skills. But since no one seems to want to play in a game that doesn't use them, I'm pretty much stuck with the damn things. I will say I do prefer Paizo's streamlined approach to Lizards' 3.5 "make a feat for everything" approach.

I've never heard of The Book Of Erotic Fantasy before. Is there a website where I can download the PDF? Can you send me the link?

[tesral]

Not a clue it is a print book, dead tree on the shelf here. It was published by Valar Project Inc. I don't know if a PDF was made. The Book is neither great gaming material nor great erotic contents (The book of thirteen boobs)

The book has "Compliant with the OGL" splashed on the cover it three places, doesn't even mention D&D on the cover. Lizards tossed a snit fit over the thing. Being the iconoclast I am I had to have one.

Amazon Marketplace has three new, $350 to $1800. (Someone has an inflated idea what the thing is worth.) Even used low price is $55. It's not really worth more than the cover price if that.

[Skunkape]

Amazon Marketplace has three new, $350 to $1800. (Someone has an inflated idea what the thing is worth.) Even used low price is $55. It's not really worth more than the cover price if that.

Yikes that's high!

[Tony Misfeldt]

I think whoever posted those prices on Amazon was high. I understand the cover price is only $40 or so. The rule of thumb on selling previously owned anything is half the standard market price if it's in mint condition, less if it's got wear & tear. Sometimes if it's mint condition, maybe never opened/used (still in shrink wrap), you can sell it for the listed price, but NEVER more.

I looked the book up on line. I found some mixed reviews about its content (I read 4 of them, two thought it was great, two thought it was crap). And I have found a couple of sites offering it on PDF. I'll look into downloading it once I get my laptop fixed (again).

I have no problems with DMs adding a little erotica to a gaming session. It's been that way since the game's inception. Like the poster says, "Dungeons: Home to porny slave girls since 1974". You think all those warrior babes wear chainmail bikinis because they offer great protection in battle? Why do you think the dryad, succubus, incubus, erinyes, alu-fiend, satyr, and wood nymph are in every Monster Mannual since 1st Edition? The 1st Edition Unearthed Arcana had Comeliness as a 7th Ability Score (called "Appearance" in this new book). In the 2nd Edition book Roman Campaign Source Guide they have a Love Spell listed in their magic section. In the 2nd Ed Forgotten Realms book Powers & Pantheons there are several religion specific spells which are very sexual in nature. Shialia's Fertility spell for example, or it's reversed form Infertility, either which can be cast on plants, animals, or people. Then there's Sharess' spells Compulsive Indulgance (which causes its recipient to comulsively indulge in whatever pleasurable thing he's doing for the duration of the spell while being oblivious to everything else) and Heighten Sensation (which makes the recipient twice as sensitive to both pleasure and pain). The latter spell is reversable, Deaden Sensation, and can be used to reduce pain, or prevent premature ejaculation. And let's not forget magic items like Philters Of Love and Rings Of Human Influence.

From what I've read about the contents, some of it is interesting, some of it is useful, and some of it is just . . . there. Like different cultural takes on love and marriage for example can add some interesting flavor to some campaigns. The charts on inter-ratial cross breeding between humans, demihumans, and humanoids could also be useful. Some of the new skills, spells & feats might come in handy in some adventures. And some of the new Prestige Classes do have some merrit, as well as historical precident. The cleric who casts healing spells by having sex with the spell recipient (I think that was the Holy Prostitute or something). I could totally see that as a prestige class for clerics of Sharess, Liira, and Sune in The Forgotten Realms, as well as for clerics of the demon lords Nocticula and her brother Socothbenoth in the Pathfinder game. I happen to know that some modern witches use "sex rituals" to enhance their spell casting, although this is usually done between witches who are already romantically involved with one another. Back in the day, before the Spanish Inquesition, it was not uncommon for entire covens to practice such rituals. So "spicing up" a campaign with such things isn't necessarily a bad thing.

But like all house rules and supplimentary materials, the new rules found in books like The Book Of Erotic Fantasy or on threads like this one are all optional and are to be used at the DMs discression. Take what you like and throw the rest away. There are plenty of rules listed on this thread that I'll probably never use should I ever decide to DM again. Then there's several that I might slip into my campaign. The same with the various published supplimentary materials. If I don't want to use The Quintessential Fighter then I won't. If I don't want to use Swords & Fists then I won't. And if I decide I want to use The Book Of Erotic Fantasy in my games, then I will.

[tesral]

No one is stopping you, except the guy that thinks someone will pay 1800 bucks for a 30 dollar book. It's not going to rock your world. As supplements go I would rate it as slightly below average. I've read a lot of supplements over the years. Worthless? No. Worth 55 bucks? Not really. Worth 1800 bucks? Oh HELL no.

The overly high prices are based on presumed rarity and presumed demand. Not the actual value of the item. Frankly, if anyone pays that price I want to know who they are. I have a lot of things I can over price and I need someone to sell them to.