House Rules
Pages in this section are:
+++house rules main+++
+++optional rule changes+++
+++faith points+++
+++armoury+++
+++experience+++
+++equipment faults+++
+++new talents+++
+++non-character rules+++
THIS IS the Short Version of the extra rules, with just the rules and no explanations. It seems to make less sense, but is less likely to give you a headache.
Back to the Long Version
Semi-auto shooting
Rather than -10% per shot, the penalty for firing on semi auto is the weapon’s weight (e.g. -15% for a stubber, -25% for a shuriken catapult etc.). Each shot fired below the maximum reduces the penalty by 10, to a minimum of -10.
Heavy weapons are very stable, and so halve any penalties after modifiers.
All bolters (though not bolt pistols, storm bolters or heavy bolters) count as the same weapon for this rule; in other words all models of bolter work out their penalty from maximum of four shots, even if that type can only fire two.
Shotguns, sawn off shotguns and pump action combat shotguns do 2D6+4 damage rather than 2D6+2. In addition, shotguns firing normal or manstopper rounds count double damage for knockback. However, they inflict half damage at ranges above 20 yards, and the pump action shotgun loses its semi (3) mode.
Stubbers have range E, not F.
Basic weapons fired in one hand
Characters firing a basic weapon in one hand suffer an extra -20 to hit penalty, unless their strength in that arm is double the weapon's weight.
Dodging
Try using Initiative instead of Weapon Skill for dodging. Do not add the +20 from the rulebook; instead add +1 per point of WS over 50, up to a maximum of +20. This reflects the way better fighters will be more able to predict attacks.
Weapon Reach does not count when parrying - only when rolling to hit.
If you have two weapons and manage to counter attack after parrying with only one of them, you can use the other to make the counter. If you do this your opponent suffers -20 to parry or dodge. If they have two weapons as well they can parry the counter with the one they didn’t use for the initial attack, in which case they do not suffer the penalty.
Hit location
Only add or decuct 10% for a placed shot, not 20%. HOWEVER! You can go off one end of the chart and back on the other, Pac-Man-style. For example: if you roll 07, you can subract 10 to get 97, making it a head shot.
Only add +10 to location rolls in hand to hand combat.
The penalty for a Serious leg wound is -1 to movement rates and -10 to Dodge in Close Combat, rather than -1 Speed.
If a hit inflicts an amount of damage (after armour deductions) equal to half a character's Toughness, that's Fatal Damage.
If it's the head you're dead anyway so it doesn't matter (although you can imagine the the head is severed and sent flying somewhere); if it's the groin, you're bleeding VERY badly and so add 2D6 to your injury total per recovery phase istead of D3; if it's the chest or abdomen; you're dead; and if if it's a limb, the limb is torn off. Also, because you're injury total is now equal to half your Toughness, you'll aways suffer system shock too.
When testing to recover injury at the end of a turn, do not count the bonus for having a Toughness of over 50. If a character uses an action to heal themselves, count the bonus as normal.
The Psi-Track power
We've found that it's too tempting to just use characters with this ability as infallible long-range scanners, which ruins the game a bit. For this reason we say that the psyker can only initiate a Track on someone they have detected by some means (including the Detection psychic power).
Knives, bayonets and throwing knives do D10 damage instead of D6.
Where the primitive weapon chart lists a D3 for damage, call it a D6; however, armour counts double against them (heavy clothing = 4, flak = 6, mesh = 8 etc.).
Hits to the arms count half damage for knockback.
