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About to start a campaign of Tales+Darkening, and looking for a few easy to use house rules.

For example: Swap the effects of Deadly Archery and Bow of the North Downs.
This is very easy to handle, and remember.

Saw somewhere else that: Forward stance +1 dice for player and opponent.
Also easy to handle, and remember.

Not looking for combat stuff only, very important for me that totally non-combat characters are fully viable and fun.

Have you run the game as per the RAW?

Rich H wrote:Have you run the game as per the RAW?

This is really important. TOR isn't exactly a super complex system, but it is a very carefully balanced one. Particularly on the PC end. House Ruling things like PC abilities, Virtues, and the like, before trying them in play is thus usually a bad idea.

For example, my current group has a Hobbit with a Bow of the North Downs, Fair Shot, and indeed as much tricked out archery as physically possible (okay, not quite since his Bow skill is only 5). He is...not precisely unimpressive in combat (he's decent, though not truly spectacular as compared to equivalent xp comrades), but certainly not in need of the rather large downgrade that first House Rule would make to him (and it is a downgrade) as compared to the other PCs.

That doesn't mean that House Ruling is inherently a bad idea or anything (Deadly Archery probably is too weak, for example), but it does mean it should mostly only be done very carefully and after seeing at least a fair percentage of the rules during play.

Some of it depends on the player, as well as the character. Does your Hobbit use a Fell bow and regularly take advantage of called or prepared shots? Does he take advantage of his turn order to eliminate weakened foes? The rules as written are quite tightly wound, but nothing exists in a vacuum. Knowing your players is at least as important as knowing the system for House Rules, even if ToR is no D&D

Much appreciated

I have decided, that I will make adjustments, if necessary, as we go.
No point in changing Deadly Archery, if no one plays an elf!

spivo wrote:Much appreciated

I have decided, that I will make adjustments, if necessary, as we go.
No point in changing Deadly Archery, if no one plays an elf!

Or even if they do. Elves have other virtues besides Deadly Archery.

Frankly I think Deadly Archery was fine back before they errata'd Folk of the Dusk not to work with combat skills. If you decide to upgrade Deadly Archery, you could say that Folk of the Dusk applies to to archery skills for those with Deadly Archery.