First post.

During the period where we had no internet for a week I introduced some of my flatmates to tabletop Roleplaying Games and 'broke' a new generation of players by doing so with Old School (third edition) Shadowrun. :)

It's always fascinated me that making a newbies first taste of the game be Shadowrun alters their perceptions of RPGs so much - later, when running the first session of a Pathfinder/D&D campaign their initial plan, upon finding a goblin-infested cave, was to aspyxiate the goblins with a fire at the cave's mouth... Compare this to my normal game group who have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for years before I ever met them, and  near a decade since. It has taken years to get them to 'think' in the game space Shadowrun runs in: killing everyone stealthily.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to use this blog to host a couple of campaign diaries for my two games:
Shadowrun, StrikeTeam (Shadowrun, 3e)
Belphegor's Quest (Paizo Pathfinder with alternate damage/combat system*)

 * Belphegor's Quest uses the following houserules, listed here to provide context:

• In addition to Armour Class, armour grants 'Armour Resistance' equal to 1/2 its AC bonus, rounded down (minimum 1). Armour Resistance reduces physical damage, as though it was Damage Reduction, except it stacks with Damage Reduction (but not itself).
• Druids and Clerics each receive Light Armour Proficiency only.
• When not wearing any Armour, characters gain a Class Defence Bonus per the rules from Unearthed Arcana or the SRD at http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/defenseBonus.htm (noting that Rangers use column C; Druids and Clerics use column B).
• Vitality and Wound Points rules are used, again per Unearthed Arcana.
• When calculating saves, use the highest of two attributes (stolen from 4e). Fortitude uses the best of Strength or Constitution; Reflex uses Dexterity or Intelligence; Willpower uses Wisdom or Charisma.
• The Cure and Inflict families of spells are added to the Sorcerer and Wizard spell lists, they use the same progression as a Druid (0/1/3/4/5/6/7/8/9)
• Shortbows and Longbows count as Exotic Weapons (except for Elves) (no longer in force)
• The setting has Flintlock firearms - an Arquebus does d10+1 piercing, a pistol does d4+1 piercing. A character with BAB+1 and Proficiency with Simple Weapons can reload a blackpowder weapon in 1 minute/10 rounds. This deserves a post all of its own.
• Quarterstaffs and Polearms, when wielded in two-hands, are 'Defensive' weapons and grant a +1 Shield bonus to AC. (Stolen from Iron Heroes, I think).
• <SNIP> http://takemynuyen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/houserules-revision-damage-types.html
• Characters don't get Bonus Languages per the rules, any character with Intelligence score 11 or higher may choose a language from their Bonus languages list - otherwise additional languages must be bought with the Linguistics skill.
• 'Magical' languages (Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Ignan, Sylvan and Terran) grant 'hedge magic' abilities. This deserves a post in its own right. The mundane languages (Imperial, Dwarven, Elven...), and Draconic, grant a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks when dealing with that culture.
• The Diplomacy Skill change from Giant In The Playground: http://www.giantitp.com/articles/jFppYwv7OUkegKhONNF.html
• Spell Resistance does not require an action to lower, the target can choose to apply or not apply it to any spell they wish even when unable to take actions.

Most of these house rules are based on those used in the 'Road to Ravensvale' forum game I ran a couple of years back; the special rules for losing Wound Points to the different types of damage is the main addition and I'd appreciate remarks or comments about it.

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Edit (30 March 2013): Removed the bit about Armour Resistance applying against Critical Hits.

Edit (4th April 2013): Added some stuff I didn't realise were House Rules or otherwise forgot.

Edit (18th July 2013): Removed rules for special effects from damage types. Revised version of such is here: http://takemynuyen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/houserules-revision-damage-types.html. Bows no longer considered Exotic weapons.