House Rules, Lemmie Hear Them

[fantazero]

What are some of your Dresden House Rules?

[Ulfgeir]

We have that those that writes chronicles about what happens when gaming gets an extra refresh... And when you start at the lowest level (feet in the water), that makes a difference. Besides it is fun reading about the session from the viewpoint of the other characters.

[Deadmanwalking]

My House rules, such as they are:

1. My only real House Rule: Lawbreaker Stunts provide their bonus on actions that don't break the requisite Law...but should except for a technicality (like killing non-humans or raising animals with Necromancy) as well as those that actually break the Law. They also apply their bonus to predicting the behavior of those with the same Lawbreaker Stunt. This makes Lawbreaker actually useful, even if, like Harry, you're trying to avoid gaining more of it.

2. Some general magic rulings, on areas that are sometimes debated (and in which my opinions are apparently more controversial than I thought, given recent arguments), just to be clear, so nobody's confused or upset later:

Sponsored Magic can and does grant Lawbreaker Stunts if you break the Laws (though some varieties may let you dodge the Wardens).

You can use Tags acquired during spell preparation instead of FP to pay for temporary powers gained via Thaumaturgical Shapeshifting. Doing this to someone else breaks the 2nd Law.

Ritual time frames tend to increase almost exponentially as you pile on more and more tags. Even the shortest are usually at least 15 minutes (though really easy ones might be as little as 5 minutes).

Evocations target whatever skill you can justify (almost always Athletics, Might, or Endurance...evocation being a physical thing and all). Athletics targeting spells are by far the most common (certainly among NPCs). Rotes need to choose what skill they target as part of said Rote. Other skills can be used to avoid if the opponent can finagle it right (usually involving invoking some Aspect for effect). NPCs usually won't do that...but they might occasionally.

[Sanctaphrax]

http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,24744.0.html
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,33569.msg1575671.html#msg1575671

Another common house rule that I like: no Recovery for self-inflicted consequences.

[fantazero]

yeah but all those threads were long dead.
Anyone try any of those home rules?
What worked, what didn't?

[Sanctaphrax]

Summoning rules work well.

Spin works well.

No self-inflicted wound Recovery works well.

The minion rules are shaping up to be problematic.

Pretty much all of the custom Stunts/Powers/Sponsored Magic I've used have worked well.

That's my experience, anyway.

[Magicpockets]

1. Evocation (including Spirit) can only inflict physical stress and consequences upon the target.

2. Athletics is the go-to skill for defending vs Evocation, unless the target has a special stunt/power that allows them to defend with another skill. No amount of creative description by the practitioner will allow him to choose the target's defense skill.

Is there a loophole about self-inflicted consequences that I'm not aware of?

[Tedronai]

Is there a loophole about self-inflicted consequences that I'm not aware of?

Various individuals have concluded that the ability to use Recovery powers to hasten the healing of Consequences incurred as part of spellcasting renders the cost of such powerful options trivial, leading to game imbalance.

[Magicpockets]

Various individuals have concluded that the ability to use Recovery powers to hasten the healing of Consequences incurred as part of spellcasting renders the cost of such powerful options trivial, leading to game imbalance.

Wait a second... I thought Recovery affected only physical consequences, and spellcasting is mental? Or can you actually take physical consequences (instead of mental stress/consequences) to fuel spellcasting?

[ways and means]

Wait a second... I thought Recovery affected only physical consequences, and spellcasting is mental? Or can you actually take physical consequences (instead of mental stress/consequences) to fuel spellcasting?

Fallout.

[Tedronai]

Backlash can be physical or mental at the caster's option, as can consequences inflicted as part of ritual casting.  Ritual casting may even have the option of inflicting social consequences to power the spell, not that it's terribly relevant, here.

[Mr. Ghostbuster]

1. If you are late to game night, you forfeit your vote for what food we order.
2. Self-inflicted stress does not benefit from recovery powers or potions.
3. All potions must be cleared with the GM before the start of the scene or session.
4. The GM reserves the right to cancel or post-pone game night due to bad weather or dangerous road conditions.
5. Bring your own beverages.
5. Whether or not refusing a compel costs you a fate point is up to the GM. In most circumstances it does not.

[Magicpockets]

Fair point on the Recovery powers. I think I'm going to rule that self-inflicting consequences for the purpose of mechanical advantages will not benefit from Recovery powers in our game.

1. If you are late to game night, you forfeit your vote for what food we order.

Totally gonna steal that one 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

1. Weapon ratings on Attack evocations cost 2 shifts for every +1. +0 Weapon rating costs 1 shift. Evocation spray attacks divide by shifts rather than by Weapon rating and Weapon: 0 evocations are allowed. In my experience, evocation attacks are way too powerful; admittedly, the games I'm running are very high-powered.

2. I don't know if this is a house rule or not, but you get an extra stress box for every odd rank in a skill. An actual house rule is that you get an extra mild consequence at +4, and (theoretically) an extra moderate at +8. (Current PC skill cap is +6, but they're facing opponents with +7 skills.)

[fantazero]

1. Weapon ratings on Attack evocations cost 2 shifts for every +1. +0 Weapon rating costs 1 shift. Evocation spray attacks divide by shifts rather than by Weapon rating and Weapon: 0 evocations are allowed. In my experience, evocation attacks are way too powerful; admittedly, the games I'm running are very high-powered.

2. I don't know if this is a house rule or not, but you get an extra stress box for every odd rank in a skill. An actual house rule is that you get an extra mild consequence at +4, and (theoretically) an extra moderate at +8. (Current PC skill cap is +6, but they're facing opponents with +7 skills.)

+6 Skill cap!

I got stuck in a game like that. After awhile it's like "I'm a +6 Athletics that means I would win every event in the Olympics"