User:Mkill/Clean D&D

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Clean D&D

Clean D&D is an attempt to create a set of house rules. Actually, I do think that the D&D designers made a pretty good job, and D&D works as written. What I try here is fine-tuning. Instead of usual houserules, that end up in a heap of complicated details that only come up once in 10 years, what I try here is to come up with the opposite:

Clear D&D of superfluous weight that is left over from old editions, or that was though necessary when the current edition was written but after all wasn't. The result is (hopefully) a faster game that's more fun to play.

Player's Handbook Simplifications

Abilities

• Hit points are fixed as per LG rules

Races

• Elves lose their ability to detect secret doors.
• Races no longer have a favored class (unnecessary since there is no multiclassing XP penalty anymore)

Classes

• No XP penalty for multiclassing.
• Monks and Paladins can multiclass freely.

• There is no more alignment restriction for choosing classes, except for the Paladin.
• No unnecessary class niche protection: Trapfinding is no longer a class ability. Any character that can beat the DC can disarm a trap.

• Cantrips / Orisons do not need to be prepared in slots. Paladins and Rangers cast their spells spontaneously from the full list. Reason: Speed up the game by reducing the time players spend choosing memorized spells.

Skills

• No more class skills. Always buy 1 rank for 1 skill point.
• Fixed skill points per level (as if everyone had a +4 Int bonus)

6	Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard
8	Barbarian, Druid, Monk
10	Bard, Ranger
12	Rogue

At first level, your gain double skill points, plus a number of bonus skill points equal to your Intelligence or Wisdom score (whichever is higher)

• Hide and Move Silently are merged into one skill: Stealth
• Open Locks is removed, Locks can be opened with Disable Device
• Spellcraft is removed, all relevant checks are made on Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (artifice)
• Psicraft is merged into Knowledge (psionics)

• No synergy bonuses

Feats

• Dodge grants a flat +1 dodge bonus to AC. As does any ability that works like Dodge (Psionic Dodge etc.). For any effect that is based on dodge but not a +1 AC bonus, you still have to select an opponent that it applies to (namely Elusive Target and Epic Dodge)
• Toughness grants either 3 hp flat or 1 per character level, whichever is higher.
• Weapon Finesse has no prerequisite

Metamagic

If you apply a metamagic feat, that feat changes the actual spell level, not just the spell slot used, with all consequences such as a higher saving throw DC. This makes the Heighten Spell feat superfluous and cleans up some confusion.

Combat

• Death from massive damage is removed

Magic

• All material components with a cost of less than 100 gp are ignored. The Identify spell has no material component.