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DougRed4 Rear Admiral
Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Posts: 2286 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:50 pm Post subject: Do You Actually Put All Your House Rules in Writing? |
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As the question says: do you spell out your house rules in writing? Or do you just continually tweak and adjust rules, so that everybody in your games just knows how things are done over time?
For house rules in this (and other RPGs), I like to have them written and also printed out, so they're in actual black and white, for anyone who wants to look at them during a session. Not to mention that it makes it easier for me to double-check them if I need to when I run the game. I believe it helps especially with consistency. _________________ Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green |
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CRMcNeill Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 16320 Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Even when tweaking, having them in writing becomes more and more important as the rule set becomes more and more complex. _________________ "No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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garhkal Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 14212 Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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YES. I even send an email to the players, OF all my house rules.. Especially for adnd! _________________ Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk! |
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Dr. Bidlo Commander
Joined: 24 Nov 2021 Posts: 440 Location: Arizona, USA
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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I write out my house rules for my sake only, and verbally teach them the rules as needed. Only one of my players has ever read the rules and he is more often a GM than a player. I have found players tend to play much more authentically when they don't fully understand the mechanics, so they aren't aware of the ways to cheat the rules legally and know exactly what every result means. It's like the Wizard of Oz is still safely behind his curtain that way. |
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ThrorII Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 12 Jul 2019 Posts: 203
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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When an issue comes up in play that requires a house rule, we will implement it as a test, then after the game discuss the patch. If we agree it is a good house rule, it gets listed in the house rule document.
Sometimes the game starts ("session 0") with house rules.
We keep house rules documented so we know what we decided, and everyone knows what to expect. _________________ "The internet is a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural." - Sheev Zuckerberg |
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Whill Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 10434 Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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Darklighter79 Captain
Joined: 27 May 2018 Posts: 529
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2022 5:05 am Post subject: |
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Written and printed. If they are crucial and often used, they get incorporated go "GM screen 2.0 supplement".
But the "draft house rules" must pass the implementation period = must be tested in game first. _________________ Don’t Let the Rules Get in the Way of a Good Story. |
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DougRed4 Rear Admiral
Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Posts: 2286 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2022 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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That's a good point. There's times that stuff comes up during play, or even something that I come across here (like the various changes to Scale) that will be 'temporary' house rules for us. We try them out (sort of like when the NFL introduces a new rule that is provisional for just a year), and if we agree after some play that it is working, then it gets documented and written down. _________________ Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green |
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pakman Commander
Joined: 20 Jul 2021 Posts: 441
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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Whill wrote: | Having them in writing is important. I'm in the process of getting them all down. It's a long, slow process. |
Yes, yes it is indeed.
DougRed4 wrote: |
For house rules in this (and other RPGs), I like to have them written and also printed out, so they're in actual black and white, for anyone who wants to look at them during a session. Not to mention that it makes it easier for me to double-check them if I need to when I run the game. I believe it helps especially with consistency. |
Totally agree - absolutely 100% in writing.
Otherwise, we forget - and that can lead to everything from disappointment "man, that was a cool rule - how did we do it" to "I don't remember it that way" type disagreements.
Now, sometimes house rules can get a bit....much.
In the case of our new game, I found myself going from a massive house rules spreadsheet, to just making a new rules set - especially when there were so many changes and clarifications I wanted (love my old school d6, but lots of typos, convoluted things and tons of inconsistencies - as evidenced by all the house rules here and other places).
my new project, which is a hybrid version of weg starwars r&e + open d6 + tons of house rules inspired by the content here and other sources, is now at 162 pages. I am fairly confident it will top out at 200+, even without a ton of fluff in it.
in fact, soon I will be ready to ask for folks to help with proof reading or other feedback (I have shared a lot on individual mechanics already). _________________ SW Fan, Gamer, Comic, Corporate nerd.
Working on massive House Rules document - pretty much a new book. Will post soon.... |
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garhkal Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 14212 Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2022 12:48 am Post subject: |
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Agreed. One of the guys i gamed with for 4 years down in norfolk, had like 8 house rules.. COULD all fit on one page.
THEN Another group entirely, had almost a full DOZEN PAGES of house rules... _________________ Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk! |
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schnarre Commander
Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 333
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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...I keep House Rules written down--both for my players' sake, & my own as well! _________________ The man who thinks he knows everything is most annoying for those of us that do. |
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KageRyu Commodore
Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 1391 Location: Lost in the cracks
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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I have not gamed in a very long time, though when I was gaming prolificly I always tried to keep written logs of house rules and modifications. I generally preferred 3 ring binders or spiral notebooks initially, but at one point started using Mead Pocket Notebooks to keep rules notes during a game, and then transition more polished drafts to spiral notebooks or 3-ring binders. I have a lot of notebooks with lots of rules, notes, campaign ideas, source material, and backdrops for a large variety of games ranging from AD&D 2E, to Call of Cthulhu, to DC Heros, to Cyberpunk, even to Palladium. I had wanted to someday type it all up... but never seem to get it done. _________________ "There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra |
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garhkal Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 14212 Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2022 2:08 am Post subject: |
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I keep mine in word doc format, so if i need to, i can email them to my players. _________________ Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk! |
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DougRed4 Rear Admiral
Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Posts: 2286 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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I do mine in a Word doc as well, so I can easily add, delete, change or modify as needed. _________________ Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green |
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Mamatried Commodore
Joined: 16 Dec 2017 Posts: 1861 Location: Norway
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2022 12:12 am Post subject: |
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I do some notes on the most |
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