Houserule balance modifications

[Le gob]

Balancing the rules

These house rules make the game harder and in my opinion more balanced. It prevents a lot of possible abuses and we feel makes the game more enjoyable overall, removing most of the batshit broken stuff. In our gaming circle, we prefer an approch closer the the wargame rules, in terms of what a player can do, and like to give clear limitations to stop the overpowered characters, so the experience is more relaistic. I know I don't always share @Mason's approch on this, so depending on what kind of playstyle you want, there's a few rules modification you can use. Pick up what you like and ignore the rest.

There might be a lot more that needs to be adressed, but I list here what we encountered so far.

FMCs are Fatemaster's characters.

FM's approval
Whatever you choose as a Talent/Carrere/Manifested power/Skill, you need your FM's approval and if it's too strong compared to what the other players do, and the game setting is, he needs to forbid it to keep the game interesting, even if it can be frustrating for the player.

Mecanical limbs
- Lifelike's +1Wd, replaced by "protected" on the location and it takes 1 upgrade slot.
- From the 3rd mecanical limb,unless you're an invested, you're considered a living/construct, gain a on all social duels except Intimidate wich gains a , and are hunted down by the guild as an aberration.

Healing
- If you are healed/stitched/repaired or magically healed, in addition to other healing rules, any following healing attemps during the next hour gains a cumulative +3 TN, no matter the source of the healing.
- Heals don't works on a character on negative wounds until surgery (or equivalent) has been sucessful.
- Stopping a bleeding is TN10 or TN15 on yourself.

Magic
- You can only add up to 3 immutos or instances of an immuto on a spell, plus the free ones if you have any from Talents or Magical Theory.
- Elemental weapon. You can only be affected by one instance of this spell.
- Mental Enhancement. You only apply the boost to one mental attribute. You can only be affected by one instance of this spell. If this spell is already active, you can cast it on another character with a cumulative +5TN.
- Physical Enhancement. You only apply the boost to one physical attribute. You can only be affected by one instance of this spell. If this spell is already active, you can cast it on another character with a cumulative +5TN.
- Invisibility. Any attack or obvious interaction cancels the flip until the character's next activation.
- Swirling illusion. Only the attacks with the named suit automaticaly fail if the suit is flipped or cheated.

Magical theories
- Oxford Method's AP increase affects spell like Manifested powers as well.
- Darlin theories. The Focus is maximum a +2 bonus.
- The Wisper. The Crazy condition is lowered by 1 at the end of each scene.
- Court procedure. The cost of all immutos is increased by +1.
- Phenomenological reflection. The character benefits from one instance of the duration immuto for free with illusions instead of +1 minute.

Manifested powers
- The TN of a spell like manifested power can't exceed 7+the number of steps in the players's carrers.

Damages
- You can't have a attack action with 4 minimum damage or more, unless it's a Heavy weapon, or the damage is a bonus damage from a trigger, like critical strike. Heavy weapons are prohibited from the civilized parts of Malifaux city. 

General rules
- Any free action generated by a trigger or otherwise, can't trigger.
- You can only cheat if you have 1 rank in the skill. You can cheat chalenges not targeting a skill.
- FMCs against FMCs interactions are managed by the FM, in order to go in the direction it's supposed to. Some might succeed or fail even if they shouldn't.
- When all players draw a card, a player can insted discard all his hand and reshuffle his discarded cards into his deck to draw the same amount of cards.
- Concerning fated characters a size 1 is less than 1,50 meters tall, 3 character is between 2 and 2.50 meters tall.

Crafting
- The price of crafting stuff is divided by 2 and not 4.

Combat
- You can target an empty space with a weapon to try to get damages with a TN 10 attack challenge. 
- Players and FMCs can avoid damage from an attack with an Evade challenge opposed to the attacker's result.
- You can discard a card to take a friend's initiative, if lower.
- Pugilisme only gives out Slow on moderate or severe damages.

Fixed TN tests vs FMCs
- All static TN tests against FMCs generated by player's actions are treated as described in the horror duel against FMCs rules, the effect of the action replacing the paralyzed condition, and the approptiated stat the Wp.
"The Fated character uses half the TN of the Horror Duel (rounded up) as her Acting Value for this duel, and the target makes a Willpower duel to resist. If the Fated character succeeds, the target becomes Paralyzed. If not, the target is considered to have succeeded at the Horror Duel."

Weapon modifications & attributes
- Brutal don't give + flip to damages, instead it adds + flip to the critical fips made when it inflics a critical. Note that for the weapons wich are already Brutal from their base stats, I stick with the +flip on damage.
- Custom grip don't give Accurate. Instead it can be readied with a (0) action.
- Enlarged weapon become two handed weapons and Heavy. If it was a two handed weapon already, it requires at least a score of 3 might to be used. You can use a (2) action to attack with it when you charge.
- Extended 1 handed weapons become two handed. Extended weapons can't be Precise.
- Folded steel weapons are 20$.
- Barbed arrows can also be removed with the (1) Use action that inflicts the damage of the arrow. On a failed Doctor test, the arrows is removed and inflicts it's damages in the same way. The challenge to remove the arrow is TN12 or TN15 if it is on yourself.
- Crushers are +1 damage instead of +2, but gain Brutal. An arm with a Crusher imposes a for any task wich requires to be precise.

Talents
- Armor training can only be taken once.
- Specialized skill. You can't take it on a skill to auto trigger a free attack or a damage reduction.


I hope you found some interresting rules.