2 [a4paper, 10pt, numbering, openany, article, notitlepage]
8 \renewcommand\theenumi{\thesection.\arabic{enumi}}
10 \title{\textit{Dungeons \& Dragons} house rules}
16 \section{Introduction and notation}
18 For the sake of brevity in the following descriptions, character ability
19 scores, and the usual modifiers are described using the notations shown in
20 tables~\ref{tab:ability-abbr} and \ref{tab:ability-mods}.
23 \linewidth = 0.5\linewidth
27 \begin{tab*}{ability-abbr}{Ability notation}{Mcl}
28 \th{Abbr} & \th{Ability} \\ \hlx{vhv}
29 S & Strength \\ \hlx{+}
30 I & Intelligence \\ \hlx{+}
32 D & Dexterity \\ \hlx{+}
33 C & Constitution \\ \hlx{+}
34 H & Charisma \\ \hlx{+}
35 P & Prime requisite \\ \hlx{+}
36 A & Some general ability \\
40 \begin{tab*}{ability-mods}{Ability modifiers}{cMrMr}
41 \th{Ability} & \th{Mod} & \th{Reduced} \\
42 $(A)$ & (\delta A) & (\epsilon A) \\ \hlx{vhv}
43 3 & -3 & -2 \\ \hlx{+}
44 4--5 & -2 & -1 \\ \hlx{+}
45 6--8 & -1 & -1 \\ \hlx{+}
46 9--12 & 0 & 0 \\ \hlx{+}
47 13--15 & +1 & +1 \\ \hlx{+}
48 16--17 & +2 & +1 \\ \hlx{+}
55 \section{Experience and advancement}
59 \item Bonus experience points for high prime-requisite ability scores are
60 \emph{not} awarded. Characters with strong PRs are already at an advantage
61 and shouldn't also make accelerated progress through levels.
63 \item Experience points are \emph{not} awarded to characters on the basis of
64 treasure obtained. It's hard to see why characters should be rewarded
65 merely for stuffing gold down their trousers.
67 \item To compensate for this, experience points for monsters defeated are
70 \item Experience points for monsters defeated are calculated according to the
71 revised table in the \emph{Master} set.
76 \section{Character classes}
80 \item Player characters may be Mystics; neutral Clerics may become Druids at
86 \section{Magic and ability scores}
88 In order to reward spell-casters with strong PR scores, their spells are
89 strengthened as follows. (Recall that $P$ stands for the character's prime
94 \item Dice (up to $\dice{d20}$) rolled for damage (or healing) caused by a
95 spell are modified by (up to) $\delta P$ in the caster's favour.
96 Percentile dice are modified by (up to) $5\delta P$ in the caster's favour.
97 This will \emph{not} increase a roll beyond the original bounds, but makes
98 it more likely that the bounds will be reached. For example, a
99 seventh-level Magic-user with $I = 16$ casts \emph{magic missile}; each of
100 his missiles causes 4--7 points of damage, computed as $\min(7, \dice{1d6}
101 + 3)$. Spells such as \emph{fire ball} have each die modified
102 individually.\footnote{%
103 The distribution this induces is slightly better shaped than the one you
104 get by applying a modifier to the sum of the dice, but has the curious
105 property of being non-monotonic. This is unlikely to be a problem in
108 \item Saving throws against spells are penalized according to the caster's
109 $\delta P$. Suppose our Magic-user casts \emph{fire ball}. A victim in
110 the blast radius must save versus spells at $-2$ or take $\dice{7d6}$\,hp
111 of damage, with each die modified upwards by two points. If the save is
112 successful, half damage is taken, as usual.
117 \section{Saving throw adjustments}
119 Saving throws are modified by a character's ability scores. Which ability
120 applies is dependent on the action the character takes to avoid the effect.
121 Sometimes several abilities apply; then \emph{all} the modifiers are taken
125 \item Saves versus poison are usually modified by the character's
126 Constitution. Similarly, saves versus paralysis (e.g., for a Ghoul's
127 touch) are modified by $\delta C$.
129 \item Saves against magical effects are usually modified by Wisdom. Not all
130 saving throws against magical effects are Saves vs Spells: for example, the
131 Save vs Turn-to-Stone for gazing at a Medusa is modified by $\delta W$.
132 Similarly, the Save vs Death Ray for the \emph{finger of death} spell is
133 modified by $\delta W$.
135 \item Saves versus Dragon breath are usually modified by Dexterity. The Save
136 vs Paralysis for being knocked over by a Dragon's tail is also modified by
142 \section{Weapons and combat}
144 The weapon master rules in the \emph{Master} set are used. The following
145 modifications are made to the system.
147 \begin{tab}{mastery}{Mastery adjustments}{llMrMr}
148 \th{Level} & \th{Abbr} & M & \delta M \\ \hlx{vhv}
149 Unskilled & US & 0 & -2 \\ \hlx{+}
150 Basic & BS & 1 & 0 \\ \hlx{+}
151 Skilled & SK & 2 & +1 \\ \hlx{+}
152 Expert & EX & 3 & +2 \\ \hlx{+}
153 Master & MS & 4 & +3 \\ \hlx{+}
154 Grand Master & GM & 5 & +4 \\
159 \item Magic-users may use the dagger and staff, and thrown objects.
161 \item All character classes may fight unarmed. Characters begin with Basic
162 mastery at both Striking and Wrestling; this does not cost a mastery slot.
164 \item Characters can acquire mastery in the (normal) shield, to improve the
165 armour-class benefit it provides. All character classes who can use a
166 shield are automatically considered to have Basic mastery in its use; this
167 does not cost a mastery slot.
169 \item Fighters and Mystics receive four mastery slots at level~1; other
170 humans receive two slots. Demi-humans can use all weapons at Basic mastery
171 at level~1, and receives no mastery slots. A level~1 character may
172 \emph{not} spend two slots on the same weapon (to reach Skilled mastery or
175 \item Fighters, Mystics, Dwarves and Halflings receive an additional mastery
176 slot at level three, and again every third level after that (i.e., at
177 level~3, 6, 9,~\dots). Clerics, Thieves and Elves receive an additional
178 mastery slot at level four and again every fourth level after that.
179 Magic-users receive additional an mastery slot at level five and again
180 every fifth level after that. All characters gain an additional mastery
181 slot every 200\,000\,XP after maximum level.
183 \item The to-hit bonuses for weapon mastery are halved.
185 \item The morning-star and flail (one- and two-handed) are added, as
186 additional weapons for Clerics.
188 \item Characters do not lose initiative automatically for using a two-handed
189 weapon. Rather, a $-1$ penalty is applied to initiative rolls for using a
190 `large' weapon; a $+1$ bonus applies for using a `small' weapon; see the
191 weapons table for sizes.
193 \item The bastard sword is designed to be used one- or two-handed. A
194 character who acquires mastery in the use of the bastard sword learns how
195 to use it \emph{both} one- and two-handed to best effect. A character with
196 an empty off-hand can decide whether to wield the bastard sword one- or
197 two-handed in each combat round with no penalty. An off-hand wearing a
198 cestus still counts as empty for this purpose.
200 \item A weapon can be used in a character's off-hand. To use a weapon in the
201 off-hand effectively, one must learn how to use it to complement the main
202 weapon -- it can't be learned in isolation. While one might acquire
203 mastery of the normal sword, say, as a main weapon, one would have to
204 acquire mastery in the use of a dagger as an off-hand weapon
205 \emph{separately} with (say) the sword and the morning-star. A character
206 Unskilled with an off-hand weapon strikes at a $-4$ penalty (and does half
209 \item One- and two-handed flails are different weapons, and a character must
210 spend mastery slots on them separately. However, they are \emph{related}
211 weapons -- see below.
213 \item A character with a level of mastery $M$ with some weapon may attempt to
214 use a \emph{related} weapon; the skills don't transfer completely, but
215 related weapons (see table~\ref{tab:weap-related}) can be used with mastery
216 level $\lfloor M/2 \rfloor$.
217 This also applies to the use of a familiar off-hand weapon with a related
218 main weapon. The use of a merely related off-hand weapon, even with a
219 familiar main weapon, is always considered Unskilled.
220 \begin{tab}{weap-related}{Related weapons}{ll}
221 \th{Weapon} & \th{Related weapons} \\ \hlx{vhv}
222 Bow, long & Bow, short \\ \hlx{+}
223 Bow, short & Bow, long \\ \hlx{+}
224 Crossbow, heavy & Crossbow, light \\ \hlx{+}
225 Crossbow, light & Crossbow, heavy \\ \hlx{+}
226 Flail, one-handed & Flail, two-handed, morning-star \\ \hlx{+}
227 Flail, two-handed & Flail, one-handed \\ \hlx{+}
228 Javelin & Spear \\ \hlx{+}
229 Morning-star & Flail, one-handed \\ \hlx{+}
230 Shield, horned & Shield, knife; shield, sword \\ \hlx{+}
231 Shield, knife & Shield, horned; shield, sword \\ \hlx{+}
232 Shield, sword & Shield, horned; shield, knife \\ \hlx{+}
233 Spear & Javelin \\ \hlx{+}
234 Sword, normal & Sword, short; sword, bastard \\ \hlx{+}
235 Sword, short & Sword, normal \\ \hlx{+}
236 Sword, bastard & Sword, normal; sword, two-handed \\ \hlx{+}
237 Sword, two-handed & Sword, bastard \\
240 Note that the property of being related weapons is \emph{not} transitive!
242 \item The \emph{deflect} ability makes high-level characters nearly
243 untouchable, as many have noted. The new definition allows an attack to be
244 deflected if $\dice{1d20} + \delta D + M$ is greater than the attacker's
245 (adjusted) hit roll. Deflection does not work against device-hurled
246 missiles; it does work against thrown weapons.
253 The idea of alignment as an observable property of the game world is absurd.
254 Alignment languages and the Cleric \emph{know alignment} spell are
262 \item Clerics who can Turn Undead creatures (with a `T' or `D' result) can
263 optionally control them instead, as an Avenger. This is considered to be
266 \item The spell \emph{know alignment} is replaced by the AD\&D spell
267 \emph{slow poison} as follows.
269 \textbf{Slow poison} \\
271 Duration: $L$ hours \\
272 Effect: Slows poison in the body of a creature \\[\medskipamount]
273 Slows the effects of poison on an individual. A creature can be affected
274 even if supposedly killed by poison, in the previous $L$~turns. The poison
275 will remove one hit point per turn (though never reaching zero while the
278 \item Druids must still be Neutral. Maybe I'll relax this later.
280 \item Clerics (and Druids) of level 9 or higher don't need to choose their
281 first-level spells in advance each day; they may cast any combination of
282 first-level spells up to the daily maximum. At level~14, second level
283 spells no longer need to be chosen in advance; similarly for third-level
284 spells at level~18, fourth-level at~23, fifth-level at~27, sixth at~32 and
290 \section{Magic-users}
292 \paragraph{Background notes on spell books}
293 A standard spell book is an enormous thing. My \emph{Dictionary of the
294 English Language} (Johnson) weighs about 5\,kg. \emph{Unearthed Arcana}
295 suggests 450\,cn; \emph{Sage Advice} (Dragon \#134) suggests 400\,cn --
296 backpack size. This doesn't seem too far off. \emph{UA} also suggests that
297 a standard book cost about 1000\,gp, which may be reasonable. I don't
298 propose to apply the limits on capacity of spell books.
300 \emph{UA} also suggests travelling spell books, which are smaller somewhat
301 cheaper but with less capacity. As stated above, I don't want a capacity
302 limit on standard books (the things are huge already!) but limiting
303 travelling books seems reasonable.
307 \item A standard spell book costs 1000\,gp, measures $15'' \times 9'' \times
308 3''$ and has encumbrance of 350\,cn (due largely to bulk). There isn't a
309 practical limit on the number of spells it can store.
311 \item A travelling book costs 500\,gp, measures $9'' \times 6'' \times 1''$,
312 and has encumbrance 60\,cn. It can store ten spells; level is irrelevant.
321 \item Any Fighter may become a Paladin or Avenger, regardless of alignment,
322 if the appropriate religious hierarchies accept him/her.
326 \paragraph{For consideration}
327 Maybe it makes sense to allow neutral Fighters to become Druid-like -- giving
328 up the ability to Turn Undead for Druid spells along with the Cleric spells
329 already obtained for sufficiently high Wisdom.
336 \item Die rolls for the Thief abilities Open Locks, Remove Traps, Move
337 Silently, Hide in Shadows and Pick Pockets are adjusted by the $5 \delta
340 \item Climb walls is affected by $\delta D$ (not $5 \delta D$).
342 \item Find Traps is affected by $5 \delta W$, as described below.
351 \item Rolls on $\dice{1d6}$ for searches (e.g., for secret doors) are
352 modified by $\epsilon W$.
354 \item Rolls on $\dice{1d20}$ for searches are modified by $\delta W$.
356 \item Rolls on $\dice{1d\%}$ for searches (e.g., for traps) are modified by
362 \section{Bugs found/fixed}
366 \item The rules for evasion in the wilderness are obviously wrong: more
367 pursuers should have a better chance of catching a party than fewer. I've
368 attempted to fix the tables but I'm not completely thrilled with the
369 result. The AD\&D rules seem wrong too, so they're no help.
~mdw / dnd / blob