History Main / HouseSystem

* Guardians of Order: The Tri-Stat System, used for ''TabletopGame/BigEyesSmallMouth'' among others.

* R.Talsorian Games: The Interlock system, used in the ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Mekton}}'' games.

* Creator/FantasyFlightGames: The d10 system of ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' and similar games in settings from Creator/GamesWorkshop.

* Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast: The UsefulNotes/D20System was used as a house system (for, for example, ''TabletopGame/StarWarsD20'', ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'', and ''TabletopGame/GammaWorld'') in addition to its use by other publishers as a UniversalSystem.

Has [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant nothing to do with]] the system of dividing BoardingSchool students into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw etc.

Contrast HouseRules, which the ''local'' Dungeonmaster sometimes uses to circumvent System Rules that are not agreeable to them and/or their players.

!!Examples of House Systems (by original publisher name):

** The Storyteller system, used for the original ''Franchise/World of Darkness'' games.
** Followed by their Storytell''ing'' system, where each game refers back to the core system in a single book (''World of Darkness'').

A set of rules used by a game development company for almost every game they publish. It is much cheaper to create the system once, and then tweak it for a specific game than to develop a unique system for each game. It also helps with sales because players will already know the basics, and won't have to learn a whole new set of rules. However, it can backfire if the system doesn't fit the genre they're trying to apply it to.

Most of these end up as {{Universal System}}s, if they didn't start out that way. Contrast HouseRules, which the ''local'' Dungeonmaster sometimes uses to circumvent System Rules that are not agreeable to them and/or their players.

!!Examples
* The ''FUDGE'' System is built to be this.
* Fate began as a fully generic system based on FUDGE in its first and second editions; its third edition, however, was the basis of several games beginning with TabletopGames/SpiritOfTheCentury and was only this trope for several years. Finally, with the publication of TabletopGames/FateCore, it's back to being a true UniversalSystem. (It's also no longer really based on FUDGE; it uses a few FUDG-y concepts and FUDGE dice, but is rewritten and rebuilt from the ground up, partially so that it could shed the {{OGL}} for an even more permissive CreativeCommons license.)
* The UsefulNotes/D20System by Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast.
* 2d20 system by Creator/ModiphiusEntertainment.
* The Palladium or "Megaversal" system by Creator/PalladiumBooks.
* The d10 system of Creator/FantasyFlightGames' ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay''.
* The Storyteller system by ''Creator/WhiteWolf''.
** Followed by their Storytell''ing'' system, where each game refers back to the core system in a single book (''World of Darkness'').
* The D6 system by Creator/WestEndGames.
* The UsefulNotes/{{Unisystem}} by Eden Games.
* The Tri-Stat System by Guardians Of Order
* The ''Basic Roleplaying'' system by Creator/{{Chaosium}} is an interesting case: Chaosium mutated the original TabletopGame/RuneQuest into a half-dozen systems with the same core mechanics (percentile skills and the same seven stats, more or less), and collected most of the variations into one system with numerous options.

** Mongoose's version of TabletopGame/RuneQuest is just different enough from Chaosium's system to avoid lawsuits, but thanks to the first edition's Open Game License became the basis for other variations, mostly fan-made.
* The D10-based system used by AEG for ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings'' and ''TabletopGame/SeventhSea''. Both used the same basic die rolling mechanic, but were otherwise quite different.
* The ''TabletopGame/HeroSystem'' is a textbook example of a single game (''[[{{Superhero}} Champions]]'') evolving into a House System (as used in the original editions of ''[[SpaceOpera Star Hero]]'', ''[[{{Fantasy}} Fantasy Hero]]'', ''[[TwoFistedTales Justice, Inc.]]'', ''[[SpyFiction Danger International]]'', and ''[[HumongousMecha Robot Warriors]]''), and then back into a single UniversalSystem game. Most of the older side-games were revived during the 5th edition era as genre-advice [[{{Sourcebook}} sourcebooks]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'', kinda. Creator/SteveJacksonGames ''does'' publish other systems, TabletopGame/{{Toon}} being the best known.

* The d20 System by ''TabletopGame/WizardsOfTheCoast''.

* The d10 system of Fantasy Flight Games' ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay''.

Most {{House System}}s end up as {{Universal System}}s, if they didn't start out that way. Contrast HouseRules, which the ''local'' Dungeonmaster sometimes uses to circumvent System Rules that are not agreeable to them and/or their players.

Has [[IThoughtItMeant nothing to do with]] the system of dividing BoardingSchool students into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw etc.

* The {{Unisystem}} by Eden Games.

* The Palladium or "Megaversal" system by ''PalladiumBooks''.

* The Storyteller system by ''WhiteWolf''.

* The ''Basic Roleplaying'' system by Creator/{{Chaosium}} is an interesting case: Chaosium mutated the original RuneQuest into a half-dozen systems with the same core mechanics (percentile skills and the same seven stats, more or less), and recently collected most of the variations into one system with numerous options.

** Mongoose's version of RuneQuest is just different enough from Chaosium's system to avoid lawsuits, but thanks to the first edition's Open Game License became the basis for other variations, mostly fan-made.

* The d10 system of Fantasy Flight Games' ''Warhammer'' roleplay.

* The ''Basic Roleplaying'' system by Chaosium is an interesting case: Chaosium mutated the original RuneQuest into a half-dozen systems with the same core mechanics (percentile skills and the same seven stats, more or less), and recently collected most of the variations into one system with numerous options.

* The d20 System by ''WizardsOfTheCoast''.

* The HeroSystem is a textbook example of a single game (''[[{{Superhero}} Champions]]'') evolving into a House System (as used in the original editions of ''[[SpaceOpera Star Hero]]'', ''[[{{Fantasy}} Fantasy Hero]]'', ''[[TwoFistedTales Justice, Inc.]]'', ''[[SpyFiction Danger International]]'', and ''[[HumongousMecha Robot Warriors]]''), and then back into a single UniversalSystem game. Most of the older side-games were revived during the 5th edition era as genre-advice [[{{Sourcebook}} sourcebooks]].
* {{GURPS}}, kinda. SteveJacksonGames ''does'' publish other systems, TabletopGame/{{Toon}} being the best known.

* The D10-based system used by AEG for ''LegendOfTheFiveRings'' and ''TabletopGame/SeventhSea''. Both used the same basic die rolling mechanic, but were otherwise quite different.

* The D6 system by WestEndGames.

Most {{House System}}s end up as {{Universal System}}s, if they didn't start out that way.

* The d10 system of Fantasy Flight Games ''Warhammer'' roleplay.

** Followed by their new Storytell''ing'' system, where each game refers back to the core system in a single book (''World of Darkness'').

* The D10-based system used by AEG for ''LegendOfTheFiveRings'' and ''7thSea''. Both used the same basic die rolling mechanic, but were otherwise quite different.

* Fate began as a fully generic system based on FUDGE in its first and second editions; its third edition, however, was the basis of several games beginning with TabletopGames/SpiritOfTheCentury and was only this trope for several years. Finally, with the publication of TabletopGames/FateCore, it's back to being a true UniversalSystem.

Has [[Series/{{House}} nothing to do with]] an antisocial genius's idea of how to perform medical diagnoses.

* The Unisystem by Eden Games.