House Rule Bonanza!

[aegis]

One I thought up based on the question "What good is a high Prudence at a high starting level?":

Nice rule. I also had the same question regarding Legend. And so I devised a simple starting rule:

Your character begins to play with a number of Reputation points equal to (his Career Level + his Legend) * 10.

[Sletchman]

One I thought up based on the question "What good is a high Prudence at a high starting level?":

Nice rule. I also had the same question regarding Legend. And so I devised a simple starting rule:

Your character begins to play with a number of Reputation points equal to (his Career Level + his Legend) * 10.

I'm definately going to use that, probably both of them.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

One I thought up based on the question "What good is a high Prudence at a high starting level?":

Nice rule. I also had the same question regarding Legend. And so I devised a simple starting rule:

Your character begins to play with a number of Reputation points equal to (his Career Level + his Legend) * 10.

Good point.  People asked about starting silver on the Q&A thread, that's how I knew to focus on it, but not reputation so I haven't paid that much attention.

[Crafty_Alex]

For crossbows, I'm thinking of something like a goats foot - IRL I can load a fairly heavy hunting crossbow as a half action with a goats foot, so load 5-7 doesn't work for me, at all.  Also a very high strength character could probably just pull the string back with their hand.  I'm thinking that the draw strength of the crossbow might relate to the strength required to load it with a goats foot [maybe light requires over 10 and heavy over 14].

Heh, I just watched a video of a goatsfoot in action on a mideval xbow - 21 seconds for an archer to reload and fire using one, meaning in FC it would probably work like the bandolier (Load quality reduced by 2). I'll be tucking that into the old notes file for Gear for the Ages...

[Sletchman]

For crossbows, I'm thinking of something like a goats foot - IRL I can load a fairly heavy hunting crossbow as a half action with a goats foot, so load 5-7 doesn't work for me, at all.  Also a very high strength character could probably just pull the string back with their hand.  I'm thinking that the draw strength of the crossbow might relate to the strength required to load it with a goats foot [maybe light requires over 10 and heavy over 14].

Heh, I just watched a video of a goatsfoot in action on a mideval xbow - 21 seconds for an archer to reload and fire using one, meaning in FC it would probably work like the bandolier (Load quality reduced by 2). I'll be tucking that into the old notes file for Gear for the Ages...

That's a very elegant solution, and thanks for the video link.

[Charlie_X]

I converted my group from D&D 4E so I gave them not the 30 Reputation they'd have at 3rd level, but one level of relevant renown and 85 XP in contacts, as we'd played a 12 session season and I'd been playing XP-less, much like the Fantasycraft sidebar suggested.

I also gave the group a 'plot' magic item each with a benefit which is more custom than the magic item rules, a standard ongoing benefit and something I can spend an action dice for.

For instance, the soldier's shield has hurl, return, but it'll return wherever he is. Also he can make it combust, SAD times per session. His drawback is that I can spend an an action dice to make him go completely berserk. We're four sessions away from the end of the season and next that's when it'll level along with him.

[aegis]

For instance, the soldier's shield has hurl, return, but it'll return wherever he is. Also he can make it combust, SAD times per session. His drawback is that I can spend an an action dice to make him go completely berserk. We're four sessions away from the end of the season and next that's when it'll level along with him.

I love this kind of stuff! 

[Charlie_X]

The 'group item' I'm having issues with how it'll level is the floating lamp. It glows lighter with a touch and follows whoever tapped it last. If I spend an action dice, it wanders off on its' own.
At the moment I'm thinking of having it become blindingly light and two action dice for it to activate that of its' own accord once season one's done. It's based on a D&D floating lantern, but I like the idea of it being self-aware.

I also gave the burglar "Air Jesus" which allow her to walk up walls to a point, or spend action dice to gain the Wire Fu campaign quality from the start of a move to the end (like across a lake, or over a ceiling and down the other side, for instance). I can spend an action dice to have her distracted, magpie-like, by an object, suffering penalties to hit and to notice things other than that object. The shoes want what the shoes want.

The Mage's orb, the Dragon's tear, creates a certain amount of ice depending on the spell points he pumps into it, which he tends to use with magic missile to set people up for a slide off a ledge. He broke up a fight in their camp by freezing everyone's feet to the spot. I can spend an action dice to give him Corrupted I which is fun what with him being an Infernalist, then it's also got another terrible, terrible use which he knows is terrible, terrible, but he doesn't know what it does. Yet.

The cleric has a holy symbol of Nerthus (a staff with vines around it) which becomes a staff of light at will. He mainly uses it to trip and light the way, but he can use it SAD per day to blast light out of the end. I can spend an action dice to give him what is basically the Compassion limit break in Exalted, where he has to interfere on the side of life, against everything else, including the party.

[Black_Irish]

For crossbows, I'm thinking of something like a goats foot - IRL I can load a fairly heavy hunting crossbow as a half action with a goats foot, so load 5-7 doesn't work for me, at all.  Also a very high strength character could probably just pull the string back with their hand.  I'm thinking that the draw strength of the crossbow might relate to the strength required to load it with a goats foot [maybe light requires over 10 and heavy over 14].

Heh, I just watched a video of a goatsfoot in action on a mideval xbow - 21 seconds for an archer to reload and fire using one, meaning in FC it would probably work like the bandolier (Load quality reduced by 2). I'll be tucking that into the old notes file for Gear for the Ages...

Just remember to make a note that it only works for the Light Crossbow since the Heavy Crossbow, by the description and history, requires and includes a windlass (and you can't possibly use one on a Hand Crossbow due to both the size and the fact that historical designs included an internal gear for arming). You might also consider increasing the the load times of the crossbows since the 21 seconds it took the archer to ready and loose the crossbow with the use of the goatsfoot *is* 7 handle item actions (1 round = 6 seconds. A handle item action is a half action, or 3 seconds).

I am, personally, working on a completely new set of house rules for dealing with ranged combat...

[Deral]

For crossbows, I'm thinking of something like a goats foot - IRL I can load a fairly heavy hunting crossbow as a half action with a goats foot, so load 5-7 doesn't work for me, at all.  Also a very high strength character could probably just pull the string back with their hand.  I'm thinking that the draw strength of the crossbow might relate to the strength required to load it with a goats foot [maybe light requires over 10 and heavy over 14].

Heh, I just watched a video of a goatsfoot in action on a mideval xbow - 21 seconds for an archer to reload and fire using one, meaning in FC it would probably work like the bandolier (Load quality reduced by 2). I'll be tucking that into the old notes file for Gear for the Ages...

Just remember to make a note that it only works for the Light Crossbow since the Heavy Crossbow, by the description and history, requires and includes a windlass (and you can't possibly use one on a Hand Crossbow due to both the size and the fact that historical designs included an internal gear for arming). You might also consider increasing the the load times of the crossbows since the 21 seconds it took the archer to ready and loose the crossbow with the use of the goatsfoot *is* 7 handle item actions (1 round = 6 seconds. A handle item action is a half action, or 3 seconds).

I am, personally, working on a completely new set of house rules for dealing with ranged combat...

It was likely ready/reload/fire, plus the goats foot was on the ground, maybe another handle item, even without it that drops it to the usual 5 handle item actions (plus one to ready and another half action to fire).

[Crafty_Alex]

Just remember to make a note that it only works for the Light Crossbow since the Heavy Crossbow, by the description and history, requires and includes a windlass (and you can't possibly use one on a Hand Crossbow due to both the size and the fact that historical designs included an internal gear for arming).

I guess we could do that but it seems rather silly not to just call it a goatsfoot/windlass instead, especially if they work exactly the same. I guess if it makes people happy though...

You might also consider increasing the the load times of the crossbows since the 21 seconds it took the archer to ready and loose the crossbow with the use of the goatsfoot *is* 7 handle item actions (1 round = 6 seconds. A handle item action is a half action, or 3 seconds).

You're forgetting that he spent at least 1 half action to fire in those 21 seconds I daresay we'd be close enough with this simulation, especially since that dude didn't strike me as the pinnacle of "heroism"

I am, personally, working on a completely new set of house rules for dealing with ranged combat...

More power. We have to set the baseline somewhere.

[Black_Irish]

I guess we could do that but it seems rather silly not to just call it a goatsfoot/windlass instead, especially if they work exactly the same. I guess if it makes people happy though...

My point was that, as written, the Heavy Crossbow is already spec'd with the windlass included ("Heavy Crossbow: This weapon is cocked with a winch [a.k.a. a windlass] and drives bolts through plate armor.") which it would have to be since the draw-strength of such a weapon was generally around 700-800 lbs and could be much, much higher. Without the windlass included you could never arm the blasted thing.

You're forgetting that he spent at least 1 half action to fire in those 21 seconds I daresay we'd be close enough with this simulation, especially since that dude didn't strike me as the pinnacle of "heroism"

You do have me there: I forgot to mention the half action to fire as an independent action. That still puts the proper load time *with a goatsfoot* at 6. One would imagine it to be a bit higher without the device that is designed to make it easier. The draw-strength of the Light Crossbow does probably hover at around 300 lbs after all.

And the point of the crossbow was that you didn't have to be the pinnacle of heroism (or skill) to use it. The longbow could be quite a different beast (it took years of training to get the skill and strength required. Most had a draw-strength around 60 lbs, but there are historical examples with a draw-strength of 180 lbs)

More power. We have to set the baseline somewhere.

And the baseline really isn't that far off. I'm just being nit-picky. (BTW, the Hand Crossbow should probably have a Load of 7. They were made entirely of steel, string and all, as that was the only way to get the strength needed to produce any kind of useful velocity in such a small package and it took time to wind the screw both forwards and back to draw it at 250 lbs between each use. Just sayin')

[Sletchman]

I guess we could do that but it seems rather silly not to just call it a goatsfoot/windlass instead, especially if they work exactly the same. I guess if it makes people happy though...

My point was that, as written, the Heavy Crossbow is already spec'd with the windlass included ("Heavy Crossbow: This weapon is cocked with a winch [a.k.a. a windlass] and drives bolts through plate armor.") which it would have to be since the draw-strength of such a weapon was generally around 700-800 lbs and could be much, much higher. Without the windlass included you could never arm the blasted thing.

An Ogre could, 800lbs draw doesn't seem that hard.  He'd probably just need gloves to draw it with his fingers, let alone needing a lever.

[EloiseCartwright]

Of course an Ogre should really be using an upsized Crossbow, with an upscaled heavier draw.

[Sletchman]

Something I'm considering: turning Blend & Sneak into a single skill called Stealth and Search and Notice into Perception.

It might make them both a little to "must have" but the main reason for my thinking is to stop the arguments that my group has as to which one the player can use int he suitation [people will have one or the other for instance - notice but no search].  Thoughts?