House Rules

[Vargr1105]

Consider this thread work in progress. I will place house rules here as needed, so for now this only lists those affecting character creation.


Ability Score Modifiers

This game uses its own list, a mix of OD&D/BD&D and AD&D. The GM will provide the modifiers after the abilities are determined.

Character Age

Use normal rolls in OSRIC/AD&D to calculate PC age. Multi-classed characters take the highest base age from both classes and roll dice from both classes to add years.

Weapon Use

The weapon lists for certain classes have been expanded.

Weapon Specialization

Available. Fighters can double-specialize, other classes with access to Specialization can take single only. Multi-classed Fighters can only single specialize, multiclassed others can specialize in a single weapon.

Armor Use

Every class except Monks can wear armor as Thieves. Priestly or Wizardly vestments have AC 9. Armor from Unearthed Arcana is available for purchase.

Hit Points

Begin equal to CON, regardless of class and HD.

UAC

Unarmored AC is equal to 20-Dex, minimum 10. UAC counts only against melee attacks and unarmored PCs getting hit by weapons take double damage.

HF

Healing Factor indicates the number of HPs recovered per rest cycle, per day of complete rest and the number of days to recuperate naturally from negative hit points.

SD

Strong Drink. Once per day, a PC can rest and gulp a strong drink or a generous dose of wine and recover that many Hit Points. Equals 1d4 plus CON HP modifier.

Derived Rolls

Calculated directly from ability scores, these are all reactive (i.e. the player never asks for a roll, the GM will do one if the situation and character actions justify it and there is no other way to adjudicate). Some are affected by equipment worn and encumbrance so the GM will provide the calculated values once the PC is generated and equipped.

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Head Armor

Armors lighter than chain have head protection included in the basic package. Chain and better require purchasing a helmet or helm separately.

Cap or Coif - 2 lbs, 0 gp, -5% Hearing (a)
Open-Face Helmet - 5 lbs, 8 gp, -5% vision, -10% Hearing (b)
Closed-Face Helmet - 5 lbs, 8 gp, -10% Vision, -15% Hearing (c)
Great Helm - 10 lbs, 30 gp, -15% Vision, -20% Hearing (d)

a - worn with padded, leather, studded, hide or any other lightweight
b - worn with medium armor like brigandine or chain
c - visor up counts as open helm, +1 vs. Dragon Breath and Fire spells if worn with Plate mail or better; usually worn with plate
d - +2 vs. Dragon Breath, Fire spells and visual spells if worn with Plate mail, +3 if worn with Full plate, usually worn with banded mail or heavier

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Weapons

Weapons are divided into the following groups: One-handed, Mixed, Special, Two-handed, Polearms, Missile and Thrown. One weapon may belong to more than one group. This list will answer those age-old questions such as "is a a battle axe a 1h or 2h weapon?". Weapon special properties from Unearthed Arcana or AD&D1e books remain in effect. If you wish more information on a particular weapon or lack the relevant reference material, just ask the GM.


One-handed - weapons that can only be held in one hand
Mixed - weapons that can be held in one hand or two, in the later case their damage increases by 1
Two-handed - weapons that can only be used two-handed, cause +1 damage than indicated on the lists
Polearms - long hafted weapons that can only be used two-handed, many have special abilities, cause +1 damage than indicated on the lists
Thrown - melee weapons that can also be thrown
Missile - weapons that can only be used in ranged attacks
Special - weapon that do not fit nicely into one of the above categories


One-Handed Weapons
Aklys
Atlatl
Axe, hand
Bo stick
Club
Club, spiked
Dagger or Dirk
Dart
Fist, bare or open hand
Fist, mailed
Flail, light or horseman's
Foot, bare or Soft Boot
Foot, hard boot
Harpoon
Javelin
Jo Stick
Knife
Mace, light or horseman's
Pick, light
Poignard
Sickle
Scourge
Spicked Buckler
Sword, broad
Sword, falchion
Sword, kopesh
Sword, long
Sword, scimitar
Sword, short or Gladius
Sap
Warhammer, light

Mixed Weapons
Axe, battle
Club, heavy
Club, heavy spiked
Flail, heavy
Mace, heavy
Morning star
Pick, heavy
Spear
Staff
Staff Sling
Trident
Warhammer, heavy

Special Weapons
Lance (jousting)
Lance (light horse)
Lance (medium horse)
Lance (heavy horse)
Staff-sling
Sword, bastard

Two-Handed Weapons
Maul
Sword, two-handed

Polearms
Awl Pike
Bardiche
Bec de Corbin
Bill-Guisarme
Fauchard
Fauchard-fork
Glaive
Glaive-guisarme
Guisarme
Guisarme-voulge
Halberd
Hook fauchard
Lucern Hammer
Military fork
Partisian
Ranseur
Spetum
Vougle

Thrown Weapons
Aklys
Atlatl
Axe, hand
Club
Dagger or Dirk
Dart
Harpoon
Javelin
Knife
Spear
Warhammer, light

Missile Weapons
Bow, long
Bow, short
Composite bow, long
Composite bow, short
Crossbow, heavy
Crossbow, light
Sling


Ammunition Notes

Arrows for bows are divided into two types: Flight and Sheaf. Sheaf arrows cause more damage but decrease the range of long bows (composite and normal) by 20f.

Arrows, Flight - Dmg 1d6 / 1d6 4 lbs 2 gp (per dozen)
Arrows, Sheaf - Dmg 1d8 / 1d8 4 lbs 4 gp (per dozen)

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Multiple Attacks

Player characters with multiple attacks (from weapon specialization, dual-welding, etc) that vary from round to round (3/2, etc) get their largest number of attacks on odd rounds (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc).
PC multiple attacks can be directed at different enemies but monsters with multiple attacks can only directed them at a single target.

For the sake of Play-by-Post expediency, when a PC with multiple attacks faces an enemy with multiple attacks the sequence does not interweave. Whoever won the Initiative gets to make his full sequence of attacks before his foe.

Single-Classed Fighters and Lower Hit Die Creatures

Single-classed Fighters (only) facing multiple creatures of lower level/HD might be able to attack them each once regardless of the PCs actual number of normal attacks. The fighter's level divided by the level/HD of the beings indicates the number of foes he is able to roll to attack. Fractions are ignored.

e.g. a 4th level fighter battling 2 to 4 orcs (1 HD) can attack each one once. If he is facing 5 or more he can attack 4 of them once. If he is facing a sole orc or less than 4 he cannot attack any single one more than once unless he can normally attack multiple times and forsakes the combat option described here. This same fighter could also attack up to 2HD foes once each per round, or up to eight 1/2HD creatures once each per round (assuming than many foes could be positioned around him for combat).

Update:
For the sake of expediency, the first time your party faces any creature type with lower hit dice than the party's single-class fighters (of hit dice up to your fighters' level/3), you will not be able to get the advantage of that fact, the rationale being that since you have not faced them before, your inexperience fighting this particular enemy cancels out any benefit you might have gained (and therefore, I as DM am not required to inform you of the number of HD of the creature, thus keeping some level of intrigue in combat). After the first time fighting any creature of lower HD than the party's single-class fighters, I as DM will be required to inform you of the number of HD, reflecting your experienced fighters' ability to 1) inform their comrades in arms of the general capabilities of enemies during combat and 2) personally take advantage of weaker creatures.

So, let's say you face orcs for the first time at level 2. Your party's single-classed fighters will not get any benefit of extra attacks during this first encounter. Facing orcs again a couple hours later, they will get their extra attacks and will even be able to spot the 2-HD orc leader leading the war band (ie, they will know the orc leader is a tougher foe just by the way he handles himself in comparison to the regular orcs).

As another example, say you face bugbears (3-HD creatures) for the first time when your single-class fighters are at 9th level. In this case, since 9th level/3 is equal to or greater than 3, you will get the benefit of extra attacks (ie, I as DM will be required to tell you the number of HD of the bugbears, informing you of their overall strength in hit points and allowing your single-classed fighters their extra attacks).

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Initiative & Surprise

As per Osric rules. Group Initiative, not individual.

Weapon Speeds are not used but weapon length coupled with the situation and a logical interpretation is used to resolve initiative ties in melee.

Spell Casting Segments are in use. A spellcaster begins casting on the segment his party acts, so a magician of a party acting on segment 3, casting a 4 segment spell would unleash it on segment 7.

Spellcasting

Spellcasters need to have one hand free (two for spells with material components) and be able to speak for Verbal components.

Divine spellcatsers (Clerics, Priests, Druids, etc) need to have a holy symbol in their person to cast any magic. A holy symbol is a special item that has been manufactured and blessed by the clergy of a Deity, and there are no suitable replacements for it for divine spellcasting.

i.e. A sword does not work as a holy symbol for a Deity whose symbol is a sword and two sticks picked from the ground and crossed will not work as a "cross" holy symbol.

Turning Undead

A holy symbol must be brandished for this power to be used, which means the "turner" must have at least one hand free.

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Magic Users

Wizards and Illusionists have a HD of d6, not d4.

The Detect Magic spell is not needed for Magic users and Illusionists, they can Detect Magic at will like a Paladin can Detect Evil.

The Read Magic spell does not exist. Rather, spells are written in their own language called Magick which all Magic users and Illusionists start with. Other classes that can use MU or Illusionist magic must buy this language from their INT allotment of extra languages.

Clerics, Druids and Priests

These classes use the MU's "Maximum Spells per Level" entry replacing INT with WIS. If the PC cannot know all the clerical spells of a given level the "lost spell(s)" are determined randomly.

Spell Slots and Memorization

Magic users and classes that can cast MU spells gain extra spell slots as Clerics/Druids but using INT instead of WIS. Maximum/Minimum number or spells per level is not used but % Chance to Learn Spell (during the game) is. A magician that fails to learn a spell can attempt again if he finds a new source for it (scroll, tutor spellbook) or try again from using the source he previously failed at after gaining a new character level.

Spell Memorization takes 1 Turn per spell level. Clerics need to have a holy symbol to be able to pray for spells.

Starting Spells for Magic users and Illusionists

The player may select one 1st-level spell. Besides this the character's spellbook will have 3 other 1st level spells and two 2nd-level spells plus one spell for each extra spell slot gained from high INT, all randomly determined. It is not necessary to roll to Learn Spell for the starting first level spells on the spell book.

Acquiring Spells for Magic users and Illusionists

When a spellcaster of this type obtains new spellslots he gains a new randomly-determined spell of adequate level due to study and research. Acquiring these spells takes place during "downtime" between adventures or if there is a lengthy hiatus during one, and is part of the leveling up process.

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Spellcasting

These rulings apply to all spell-casting classes. There are two types of spellcasting methods available to PCs: Versatile Vancian Magic and Ritual Magic.


Versatile Vancian Magic

- Spell slots represent both the maximum number of different spells that can be memorized and the maximum number of spells castable between each rest period.

- A spellcaster need not memorize more than one slot of the same spell. He can cast that spell multiple times, each casting consuming a spell use of the relevant level. The memorized spells remains in memory.

- A higher-level spell slot can be used to memorize a lower level spell.

- Reversible spells, or spells with more than one version must be memorized in separate slots regardless of the class and type of magic the spellcaster uses.

- Unless a spellcaster wants to alter his list of castable spells, re-memorization is not required. After the rest period the caster recuperates his magical energies and can cast any spells in memory normally. The exception to this is Ritual Magic (see below).

- The process of memorization can only be undertaken once between each rest period, regardless of the number of spells memorized.

Ritual Magic

A spellcaster can use a spell he does not have memorized, but which is part of his repertoire (in the case of Clerics, Druids, etc) or spellbook (for Magic users, Illusionists, etc) if he can still cast a spell of that relevant level or above before the next rest period. Casting a spell ritually requires reading directly from the spellbook or a religious ceremony, in both cases taking 1 Turn per spell level. Casting a spell ritually counts as a normal spell use AND consumes memorized spell slot of equal or superior level (player's choice which). It is possible for a spellcaster to memorize a number of spells inferior to his maximum to keep "blank" slots reserved for Ritual Magic.

Obviously, ritual magic cannot be used in combat and some spells (magic missile, fireball, spiritual hammer, etc) cannot be cast ritually at all.

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Infravision

This one is important and I forgot to reference it before. My apologies.

Dwarves and Gnomes

The infravision abilities of these races remain unaltered.

Elves

Elves do not have Infravision, they have Nightvision 60ft. Within this range they can see as well as they do during daytime as long as the moon or stars are visible. If the night sky is overcast and there is no moon an Elf can see as well as a Human. In total darkness, and Elf is blinded just like a Human.

Nightvision is negated by proximity to light sources just as Infravision but does not allow an elf to see into the infrared spectrum, so detecting creatures by their heat signatures is not possible.

Half-Elves

Half-elves have Nightvision 60ft, just like Elves.

Halflings

Not all Halflings have infravision, this ability depends on the specific breed of the halfling.

Hairfoots and Tallfellows do not have Infravision.

Stouts have Infravision 60ft

Mixed Blood Halflings have Infravision 30ft

Half-Orcs

Half-Orcs have Infravision 60ft