We will be playing D&D 3.5. This site hosts two sources for the rules.
Ability Scores
To put all players on an even footing, we will use the nonstandard point buy method for ability scores (page 169 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide v.3.5.) Players have 32 points to spend. Apply racial adjustments to ability adjustments after the base scores are determined. Thus, ability scores range from 8—18 for humans, and 6—20 for nonhumans.
Point Buy Calculator
Age
Age adjustments to ability scores will not used.
Races
Permitted races:
- Humans
- Dwarves
- Elves
- Gnomes
- Half-Elves
- Half-Orcs
- Halflings
- Changelings
- Changelings are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. They evolved through the union of doppelgangers and humans, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree. They do not possess the full shapechanging ability of a doppelganger, but they can create effective disguises at will. This ability makes them consummate spies and criminals, and many changelings live up to that potential.
- Kalashtar
- The kalashtar are a compound race: incorporeal entities from the alien plane of Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams, merged with human bodies and spirits to form a distinct species. They were once a minority among the quori, the native race of Dal Quor, hunted and persecuted for their religious beliefs. Thousands of years after the quori invaded Eberron and the connection between their plane and the Material Plane was severed, the kalashtar were the first of the quori to discover a means to reach the Material Plane once more. Fleeing persecution, they transformed their physical forms into psychic projections that allowed them to enter the Material Plane and possess willing humans. Today, new kalashtar are born, not possessed; neither spirit nor human, they are a new race that breeds true.
- Shifters
- Shifters, sometimes called "the weretouched," are descended from humans and natural lycanthropes, now nearly extinct on Khorvaire. Shifters cannot fully change shape but can take on animalistic features - a state they call shifting. Shifters have evolved into a unique race that breeds true. They have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity.
Warforged are not permitted. Their immunities are too numerous. (Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, dis- ease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.)
Classes
- 7th level, single-class character.
- No classes from the Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, Dragon Compendium, and any class from a Campaign Setting book (e.g. Dragonlance, Oriental Adventures).
Class-related stuff
- If you're playing a Druid, there is a list of all the Wild Shape forms for easier play.
- The Spell Compendium missed an opportunity to expand the spell lists of non-core classes, so there are a few attempts to fix that.
Hit Points
Maximum hit points possible for the first level of the chosen class. For each additional character level, use the following: d4=3, d6=4, d8=5, d10=7, and d12=8.
Languages
Skip 'em.
Skills
Ability bonuses to Intelligence are applied before skill points are calculated. For example a 4th lvl wizard applies their stat boost to Intelligence. The new Int score is then used to calculate skill points for the wizard’s 4th lvl.
Feats
Effective feat choices are good but min/maxing your choices is bad. When in doubt make the fun choice.
- Crafting feats are fine to take and use.
House Rules
- Dual Skills: Gain +2 to two different skill checks. Come up with a catchy name for it, e.g. Saddle Caster: Born to ride, bred to cast. Gain +2 to Spellcraft and Ride. This replaces all of the premade dual skill feats.
- A prerequisite of Combat Casting may be replaced by Skill Focus (Concentration).
- A prerequisite of Toughness may be replaced by Improved Toughness.
- Leadership is not permitted.
Wealth, Equipment, and Magic Items
All wealth is tracked in Gold, so 1 Silver piece is 0.1gp and 1 Copper piece is 0.01gp.
When purchasing magic items, please keep it reasonable to your level. Avoid problematic items.
- 11,400gp to spend on general magic items that aren't consumables.
- 3,800gp to spend on full-price consumables. Consumables are defined as potions, oils, wands, scrolls, and single use magic items.
- If you have the right feats, you may craft items. Spend 5gp for each 1xp spent from your 11,400 amount. The consumable amount above assumes that they are items that you've found while adventuring.
Carrying Capacity
Ignore it.
Action Points
Each PC starts with four (4) Action Points.
- Action Points
- When you spend an action point, you add the result of a roll of 1d6 to your d20 roll to help you meet or exceed the target number for the roll. You can declare that you are spending an action point after you have already rolled the d20, but you must do so before the Dungeon Master reveals the result of your roll (whether the attack roll or check or saving throw succeeded or failed). You can’t use an action point on a skill check or ability check when you are taking 10 or taking 20. You can only use action points once in a round.
Special Actions
Activate Class Feature: You can spend 2 action points to gain another use of one of the following class features that has a limited number of uses per day: bardic music, rage, smite evil, Stunning Fist, turn or rebuke undead, or wild shape.
Hasten Infusion: On his turn, an artificer can spend 1 action point to imbue an infusion in 1 round, even if the infusion’s casting time is normally longer than
1 round.
Stabilize: When your character is dying, you can spend 1 action point to stabilize at your current hit point total. Spending an action point does nothing for you if you’re
already dead.