Prime's house rules

[Prime32]

So... things I'm likely to use if I run a game.

[Prime32]

Races
Characters treat any exotic weapons with the name of their race in them as martial weapons (eg. elves get elven courtblades).

Elves

• Medium Humanoid (elf)
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
  
• Weapon Familiarity (Ex): Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow (including composite versions) as bonus feats. If they are already proficient in those weapons, they may apply their Dex bonus in place of their Str bonus on attack rolls (longsword and rapier) or ignore the penalties inflicted by up to 2 range increments (longbow and shortbow).
  
• Magical Training: An elf can cast three 0-level spells per day (caster level 1). He learns, prepares and casts these spells as a wizard (including the use of a spellbook). If he takes levels in an arcane spellcasting class which prepares spells, he instead gains three additional 0-level spells per day.
  
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, Spot and Knowledge (history) checks. An elf may make Knowledge checks untrained. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
  
• Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
  
• Favored Class: Wizard
  

Half-Elves

• Medium Humanoid (elf, human)
• +2 Cha.
• Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks, 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level. A half-elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
  
• Mixed Blood: A half-elf is treated as both a human and an elf. For instance, he can enter prestige classes which have the elf race as a prerequisite, and rangers with Humanoid (human) as a favoured enemy get bonuses against him.
  
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
  
• Favored Class: Any.
  

Orcs

• Medium Humanoid (orc)
• +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
• Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
  
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks
  
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Undercommon.
  
• Favored Class: Barbarian.
  

Half-Orcs

• Medium Humanoid (human, orc)
• +2 Str
• Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
  
• Fast Movement (Ex): A half-orc's base land speed is increased by +10ft as long as he does not wear medium or heavy armor, or carry a medium or heavy load.
  
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks.
  
• Mixed Blood: A half-orc is treated as both a human and an orc. For instance, he can enter prestige classes which have the orc race as a prerequisite, and rangers with Humanoid (human) as a favoured enemy get bonuses against him.
  
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Undercommon.
  
• Favored Class: Fighter.
  

Drow

• Medium Humanoid (drow, elf)
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against all spells and spell-like abilities.
• Darkvision: Drow can see in the dark up to 120 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and drow can function just fine with no light at all.
  
• Weapon Familiarity (Ex): Drow receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the shortsword and rapier as bonus feats. If they are already proficient in those weapons, they may apply their Dex bonus in place of their Str bonus on attack rolls. In addition, a drow receives Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hand crossbow) as a bonus feat.
  
• Poison Use (Ex): A drow may apply poison to a weapon as a move action, and is never at risk of poisoning themselves while doing so.
  
• Spell-like abilities (Sp): As they gain levels, a drow gains a number of 3/day spell-like abilities with a caster level equal to their character level.
  1HD: dancing lights, detect surface elf (as detect good, but for non-drow elves)
  3HD: darkness, faerie fire
  5HD: detect magic (at will), levitate
  7HD: greater dispel magic, suggestion
  
• Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
  
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks. A drow may make Knowledge checks untrained. A drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
  
• Automatic Languages: Elven and Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Gnome, and Goblin.
  
• Favored Class: Cleric (female) or Wizard (male)
  
• Level Adjustment: +1
  

[Prime32]

Classes
See here

[Prime32]

Feats
Two-Weapon Fighting grants the same number of attacks with the off-hand as with the primary hand (ie. you receive Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, etc. for free).

The following additional feats are allowed:

• Feats that can count as other feats (DaTedinator)
  
• My additions to the above
  

"Required" feats

• Druids gain the benefits of the Natural Spell feat (but see Spells section below).
• Swordsages gain the benefits of Adaptive Style, for swordsage maneuvers only.
• Breath weapons gained as class features may be used as if the character possessed the Entangling Exhalation feat.

Vow of Poverty
Vow of Poverty is not a feat. You can take the vow without having to use up any slots of anything.

• The only restriction on equipment you can use is that it must be non-magical. Items which are only magical because of your class features (eg. the kensai's bonded weapon) count as non-magical for this purpose.
• Only the 1st-level bonus feat must be an exalted one, the others can be whatever you want, as long as you meet the prerequisites. This is a possible interpretation of the text - just clarifying it.
• At 5th level a character with VoP gains a fly speed equal to their land speed with good maneuverability.

[Prime32]

Spells
Astral Projection: If your projection dies, you die. Your projection's equipment cannot be used by others, and vanishes 1 round after being separated from you. Using up charges of a projected item causes the original to lose charges.
Embrace/Shun the Dark Chaos: Your final build must be possible without the use of these spells (ie. no trading out weapon proficiencies).
Gate: Cannot be used to call creatures

While under the effects of a non-instantaneous spell which you cast on yourself, you must make a Concentration check (DC = 10 + level of ongoing spell) to cast another spell. If you are already required to make a Concentration check to cast the spell, increase the DC by the level of the ongoing spell. If you are under the effects of multiple continuous spells, add the level of the highest-level spell to half the combined levels of the others.

Wild shape counts as a spell of a level equal to half the assumed form's HD for these purposes.

The Planes
The Ethereal Plane is folded into the Astral Plane. Since the Astral Plane is tied to every other plane, you can encounter ethereal creatures everywhere. Ghosts cannot take advantage of this to travel between planes, being stuck in a part of the Astral-Ethereal Plane "close" to the plane where they died.

[Prime32]

Items
Slots
You can benefit from a maximum of eight items at once. You can wear multiple items on the same slot and benefit from all of them, as long as they could conceivably fit on your body at once (ie. you could wear eight rings, but not two helms).

Armor
The penalties for armor are reversed - medium armor prevents you from running, while heavy armor reduces your speed.

Enhancement bonuses
Normal enhancement bonuses don't exist outside of spells like magic weapon - you can have a flaming sword without having to make it +1 first. Any weapon with an enchantment on it overcomes DR/magic. A weapon with combined enchantments equivalent to a +10 bonus or more overcomes DR/epic.

[cooperflood]

Races

Would like to see your Human so I could have a balance reference point.

Elves:
Weapon Familiarity: Love the secondary benefits if already proficent.
Magical Training: What spells do they know? All? One? Do they need a spellbook?
Skills: Untrained Knowledge checks is a nice benefit that really fits well.
Conclusion: You captured well the magical high elf trope.

Half-Orc:
Any reason why they don't get bonus skill points like the half-elf?

The remainder of the races are fine, but boring.  Compared to the Elf they don't really get any interesting bonuses.  As is the elf is probably the strongest race mechanically.  Although the other races will work better in certain class combinations.  Basically I would love to see the other races get some unique special abilities like you gave the elves.

[Prime32]

Clarified Magical Training. Humans will be left unchanged.

I see half-elves as "the beautiful people", artists and celebrities and mocha latte drinkers. Okay, this would mainly be in Eberron.

Orcs have strong genes, and half-orcs are basically smarter orcs who gravitate towards positions of leadership in their tribe (bonus skill points would take them too far away from orcish mental faculties). Wis penalties were removed because it weakens orcs' access to the "close to nature" classes, which doesn't seem right. Okay, that second one might be Eberron again.

[veekie]

The elf still blows, move the Con penalty elsewhere or give them something substantial.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Half orcs still seem a bit subpar.

Are you planning on addressing the stupid proliferation of darkvision?

[Prime32]

Half orcs still seem a bit subpar.

Are you planning on addressing the stupid proliferation of darkvision?

What if I gave scent to both orcs and half-orcs? Or threw in +1 natural armour?

EDIT: Maybe fast movement in light armour? Since all barbarians trade that in anyway.

[skydragonknight]

Half orcs still seem a bit subpar.

Are you planning on addressing the stupid proliferation of darkvision?

What if I gave scent to both orcs and half-orcs? Or threw in +1 natural armour?

They need deodorant more than scent.

[RobbyPants]

I'm glad you pulled the -2 Con from the elf from earlier.

Also, you have a copy-paste error:

Half-Orcs

• +2 Str
• Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
  
• Mixed Blood: A half-elf is treated as both a human and an orc. For instance, he can enter prestige classes which have the orc race as a prerequisite, and rangers with Humanoid (human) as a favoured enemy get bonuses against him.
  
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks
  
• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Undercommon.
  
• Favored Class: Fighter.
  

[Prime32]

Now with spider fetishists!

[PhaedrusXY]

Half orcs still seem a bit subpar.

Are you planning on addressing the stupid proliferation of darkvision?

What if I gave scent to both orcs and half-orcs? Or threw in +1 natural armour?

They need deodorant more than scent.

Dammit, I almost spit coffee out of my nose!