House Rules: An Overview

By Chaoticus, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

So, I decided to write an overview of the different house rules I came across in this forum and since there is little order, I'll try to improve that. House rules seem to come up almost every week so I think this overview could help.

Specifically, I'd like to revive this thread a bit and add some of my house rules.

The Spirit of House Rules (in my opinion):
Generally, I'd be reluctant to apply house rules. The rules of Descent are generally not broken and don't require a lot of fixing. Plus FFG publishes errata and FAGs. This should be the first source to read before house-ruling. Of course, everyone can make up his own rules, but then, you may end up playing another game. There seem to be three categories of house-rules:
1) Rules that try to change the balance of the game.
A lot of people complain that the balance of Descent isn't good enough and some try to fix that with house rules. Statistics provided found on the campaign tracker generally don't support this claim. But I think that most people would agree that Descent campaigns are a little bit snowbally (the rich get richer).

2) Rules to fix unlogical/counter-intuitive/badly worded rules.
Nobody likes lengthy discussions about rules during a game session and applying a house-rule as a quick fix may be the obvious way to go. I'd recommend to read the FAQ and Errata to avoid such situations in the first place. House-ruling one issue might cause more discussions in your playgroup at later (similar) situations.

3) Small modifications for more excitement or convenience
These are normally harmless and if everyone is happy with them, go for it!

Mods, which add custom classes/heroes or an automated OL do not fall into the category of house rules.
So here is a list of interesting house rules I found. I do not claim to be the author; I just try to summarize and categorize. Also I shall edit this post once in a while to add new house-rules and add your votes. Of course, this list is not complete.

HR1 (Category 3) [up: 0, Down: 0, Net: 0]
Defense dice are rolled after the attacker spend surges.
More excitement! Spending surges is now a little bit of a gamble, but this applies for both sides.

HR2 (Category 2) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: +1]
Line of sight is not granted against a figure behind a thin wall to the corner of that thin wall if the line drawn creates an acute or perpendicular angle with the wall in between the attacking figure and the wall.
The well-known 'thin wall' issue illustrated in this picture .

HR3 (Category 3) [up: 0, Down: 1, Net: -1]
Remove some items from the Act I/II shop deck to avoid drawing garbage. (Mapstone, Archaic Scroll in the early stages). Allow heroes to buy them after the interlude.
Obviously, this favors the heroes, but shouldn't affect the balance if done only with 1 or 2 items.

HR4 (Category 3) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: +1]
Heroes may spend XP before or after the shopping step.
For convenience

HR5 (Category 1/3) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: 1]
Universal card = Joker
Universal OL cards are 'jokers' for the OL to get high level cards of a certain deck. Each universal card may act as a joker only once. Example: placebo + 2 web trap allow the OL to buy uthuk demon trap.

HR6 (Category 1) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: +1]
Remove a search token in side quests from Low, TTF, MoR
Side quests (rumor quests) from LoW, TTF and MoR have 4 search tokens, those from the H&M expansion only 3 (4 Hero game). Remove one search token at random to equalize that. Generally, rumor quests help the hero's anyway. Don't do this if the search tokens are critical for the mission.

HR7 (Category 1) [up: 2, Down: 0, Net: +2]
The side which lost a quest chooses the next one.
Some quests are easier to win for the OL, some easier for the heroes. If the winner chooses the next quest as well, this might get the snowball running.

HR8 (Category 3) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: +1]
Thematic adaptation
The Agent A-Valyndra gets surge: burn instead of Aura 1, just as the Lieutenant Valyndra.

HR9 (Category 1) [up: 0, Down: 1, Net: -1]
Redraw Shop Cards.

If the heroes are unhappy with the shopping cards they get, they may redraw for a price or after winning a talent test. This favors the heroes a lot though. The discussion of this topic is here .

HR10 (Category 1/3) [up: 1, Down: 0, Net: 0]
In a mini campaign, if a plot deck is used: The OL revives at the start of the campaign a number of threat tokens equal to 1 + the number of heroes.


So, this is it for now. You are invited to vote up or down and I shall keep track of it. Also, be invited to post your most successful/fun house rules and I shall add them to the list.

Edited by Chaoticus

HR1 (Category 3) [up: 0, Down: 0, Net: 0]

Defense dice are rolled after the attacker spend surges.

More excitement! Spending surges is now a little bit of a gamble, but this applies for both sides.

This basically changes everything :D

I mean, we read (by we I mean me, because group was too lazy) rules wrong and thought that this is how it´s played normally :D

Edited by JTSleep

Oh unintended rules-clarification. Cool :D

I'm already playing with HR5 and HR7

and in mini campaign, I give the OL at the start of the campaign a number of threat tokens equal to 1 + the number of heroes.

Finally, I think that some heroes, class cards, and monsters needs some balance.

Ok. I'll add that.

few items and cards needs balance

for example :

Items shop cards

Act 1

RUNE PLATE
Heavy armor - Rune* - e Grey - 175 gold - armor -
If you are a
Mage , apply + 2 to your health*. If you have a Rune weapon equipped, replace this Grey defense die with a Black defense die.

CLOAK OF MISTS
Cloak - Brown - 125 gold - armor -
When you suffer any amount of
hearts, you may choose to suffer some or all of that amount as f instead. You cannot suffer f excess of your stamina.


Act 2

WINGED BLADE
Blade, Exotic - 175 gold - Blue + Red + Yellow -
When you make an attack with this weapon, before rolling dice, you may replace 1 black defense die of the target by a grey defense die, or 1 grey defense die with a brown defense die, or remove 1 brown defense die*.
Surge : + 2 hearts

HEART SEEKER
Bow, Magic - 200 gold - p Blue + Yellow + Yellow - s
You do not need line of sight to perform an attack with that weapon, but you still need to trace a clear path through empty spaces to the target*.
surge : + 4 hearts

IRONBOUND RING
Ring - 150 gold - accessory -
Apply + 2 to your health. For each blank you roll on defense die, add 1 i to the defense results*.

OBSIDIAN SCALEMAIL
Heavy armor - e Black - 275 or - armor -
You cannot be cursed. Each time you are attacked and suffers no
h earts, recovers 2 fatigue .
You may only perform 1
action and only 1 attack per turn.