The Campaign Builder's Guild

Hey all, I'm curious how much custom work most world-builders are putting into their homebrews. Do you leave everything pretty much "standard" (e.g. Core Rules) and rearrange it to your own liking or are you building everything from scratch? Somewhere in the middle?

I'm going to try this poll doohickey for the first time...if you notice anything I missed, please mention it. Thanks!

Hmmm...when creating the poll I chose "Allow Multiple Choices", and in the preview the poll had multiple boxes that could be checked, but in the final analysis it appears to only allow one answer to be chosen. I also can't find a way to modify the poll. Any ideas?

There have been issues before with the in thread polls not working. One of the head honchos can probably answer for sure, but I don't think they are working correctly yet.

Sorry the polling features are having issues, but I can answer without the poll.  There ain't one bloody thing mentioned above that I took from a rulebook.  Own combat system, own spellbook (467 spells by now-I really don't know what I'd do without Access), etc.  No classes, deities are all my won (just posted a bit on them), etc.  
Thre is an incredibly functional framework in using a common set of rules, in that someone can say 'roll up a character, and someone else can.  And I appreciate that.  I also appreciate that more time can get spent in mileau desgn and personalization if the rules are left somewhat intact.
I just can't leave well enough alone.

I usually do a bit of everything, though i specialize in item creation. Oh, and welcome to the guild!

So, spells, deities, and items seem to be the most popular things to mod so far. Heck, 467 spells is HUGE! In regards to your own combat system, is it a mod of an existing one or is it completely from scratch? If it's a mod, which system forms the foundation for it? d20?

Everything. Setting comes first. After that, I'd say that I tend to either houserule the hell out of an existing system or make up my own.

It's actually the specifics (weapons, armor, classes, levels, feats, templates) that I'm not as good at or as interested in. Especially considering that a departure from DnD/D20 makes alot of those things moot.

I checked "other" because basically I'm modding everything for my own setting. I seriously reworked abilities, feats, character creation, skills, magic, and combat. Also added new conditions, working on different monsters, etc.

However, my setting (the WCS) does not include divine entities, so no gawds or demigawds ( :P :D ). Magic originates from a "mystical" pattern on a different plane (can you say "superstring theory"? ;) ) and because of the laws of reality in my world, those trained in the proper techniques can access and modify this "weave".

Quote from: Ra-TielHowever, my setting (the WCS) does not include divine entities, so no gawds or demigawds ( :P :D ). Magic originates from a "mystical" pattern on a different plane (can you say "superstring theory"? ;) ) and because of the laws of reality in my world, those trained in the proper techniques can access and modify this "weave".

Kinda like Seven Princes in Amber meets Forgotten Realms. :P

I picked other, primarily because until recently I stuck staunchly to d20.That's my regular group wanted, so I supplied it.  However, I managed to convince them to try out some Vampire and some Exalted, and they have since been more ameliorated to non-d20 systems, which has given me more leeway. Right now, I'm trying to elimnate die altogether, and I might go to using cards or something...

I do not "brew" anything.  I distill.  :D

Anyway, I personally have dabbled in prestige class creation, feat creation, as well as magic item creation.

Typically, my main foci are cultures and ethnicities (as opposed to races) and deities and religion.

Maybe one of these days I'll get around to making one of those "setting" things, but I'm not too sure about it... :P

Like limetom I tend to 'distill' as well. In my case I spend time borrowing from books, films, other games, etc. I patch things together like a kind of DM Frankenstein so that my current game has elements from Conan D20, from traditional D&D, from the World of Greyhawk, from the writings of David Gemmell, George R. R. Martin, Robert E. Howard, E.R. Eddison and Stephen R. Donaldson.

[blockquote=Eru]So, spells, deities, and items seem to be the most popular things to mod so far. Heck, 467 spells is HUGE! In regards to your own combat system, is it a mod of an existing one or is it completely from scratch? If it's a mod, which system forms the foundation for it? d20? [/blockquote]

Ugg.  Complicated answer.

Basically, an answer in thre parts.  Much more complete answer in homebrew, celtricia thread.

1)[spoiler=differences in game mechanics include]
No classes.
Avoidance and protection seperate numbers (heavy armor makes you easy to hit, hard to hurt)
Protecton and damage done in wieghted, 1 tail frequency ditribution.  Not bellcurve...
experience goes directly to the ability/skill that is used.
Spells and spell point reclamation original system
Continuous intitiative, no rounds.
etc. [/spoiler]

2) how'd I get here?  
Most of the changes  felt I needed to make came as a reaction to the original d20 systems, and to exposure to other systems that also did not fit my ideals of a heroic, deadly, and thinking-heavy game.  And as an important disclaimer, I need to mention that many of the rules in the older game that made me NUTS also went through changes in later versions.  I went to a formula system back in 1982, predating the d20 DC systems by quite a bit, but for the same reasons.  I use a % system, but I still appreciate that they went similar places.  
I also appreciate the addition of feats and skills in the neweer systems, as I use a totally skill-based system, as opposed to a class based system.  I like systems that really allow characters to be 'works in progress', and when someone from a fighting school wants to pick up the 'Basic Trap' skill, i think that flexibility allows for intriguing variations.

3) I am noticing the 'big-picture' trend of people making changes in game mechanics based on the particulars of their own mileau.  That , in my opinions, is the mark of a competent GM.  Having professions that fit a guild, removing divine casters based on the lack of divinities, this kind of modification makes for the most consistent games, and the ones that more intelligent players stick with, long term.

Hopefully, I am making sense as I am multitaking right now.

Very cool. It's always bugged me that the ability to hit a target and the ability to damage that target were a single roll in the d20 combat system. Even moreso, that sometimes toughness is expressed as armor (especially "natural" armor) and sometimes as damage reduction - the concept underlying both seems pretty much the same to me.

Of course, the d20 designers chose speed of gameplay - as few dice rolls as possible - over realism, and I can understand why. Is an extra die roll worth the extra realism? It's up to the individual gamer....

Eru--that is always the way.  Playability vs realism...

I tend to brew entire games. But if modding D&D, classes and creatures tend to be the first priority.