Dungeon Delving

Brown Box Edition

OGL Guidelines for Tabletop Fantasy Roleplaying Campaigns in the Old School (0e) Style

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition

Version 1.0 Tablet Digest Version

Copyright © 2021 Randall S Stukey

All art is CC0 or in the public domain unless otherwise noted.

Some art is from Pixabay and from Wikimedia Commons.

Copy Shops: The author and publisher grants permission for the owner of this file to print copies for their personal use.

Special thanks to:

Dave Arneson, E. Gary Gygax, David Hargrave, Bob Bledsaw, Simon Bull, Cameron Dubeers

.

Table of Contents

Preface

Section I: Heroes & Magic

Introduction

About These Rules

Common Terms

Player’s Supplies

The Dice

Preparation for Play

Player Characters

Alignment

Determination of Abilities

Prime Requisite Abilities

Explanation of Abilities

Classes

The Cleric

The Fighter

The Magic-User

The Thief (Optional Class)

Changing Class

Other Classes

Beyond Level 12

Non-Player Characters

Hirelings

Mercenaries

Retainers

Enlisting Monsters

Retainer Loyalty

Reaction and Morale Checks

Relatives

Cost of Upkeep

Equipment

Magic

Spell Casting from Memory

Spell Casting from Scrolls

Reversible Spells

Spell Books

Creating Spell Scrolls

Researching New Spells

Cumulative Magic

Spells By Level

Explanation of Spells

1st Level Cleric Spells

2nd Level Cleric Spells

3rd Level Cleric Spells

4th Level Cleric Spells

5th Level Cleric Spells

1st Level Magic-User Spells

2nd Level Magic-User Spells

3rd Level Magic-User Spells

4th Level Magic-User Spells

5th Level Magic-User Spells

6th Level Magic-User Spells

Section II: Delving & Exploration

Preparation for the Campaign

The Referee’s Supplies

Creating a World

The Start of Play

Legend and Rumors

Angry Villagers

Hireling and Retainer Loyalty

The Dice

Creating a Dungeon

Populating a Dungeon

Empty Rooms

Monsters

Tricks and Traps

Treasure Guarded by Monsters

Treasure Guarded by Traps

Unguarded Treasure

Underworld Exploration

Underworld Encounters

Wandering Monsters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Behavior

Avoiding Monsters

Maintaining Freshness

Combat

Melee

Overbearing

Missile Fire

Morale

Healing

Mounted Combat

Jousting!

Mounted Men Attacking

Attacking Mounted Men

Shooting at Mounted Men

Saving Throws

Saving Throws for Magical Items

Wilderness Exploration

Time and Movement

Visibility

Resting

Weather

Becoming Lost

Strongholds

Fords

Settlements

Wilderness Encounters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Surprise

Low visibility

Speed

Seafaring Exploration

Time and Movement

Reserves

Resting

Visibility

Weather

Strong Winds

Storms

Becoming Lost

Settlements and Strongholds

Encounters at Sea

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Seafaring Combat

Missile Fire

Ramming

Melee

Swimming

Drowning

Aerial Exploration

Time and Movement

Visibility

Resting

Weather

Becoming Lost

Settlements and Strongholds

Aerial Encounters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Aerial Combat

Missile Fire

Melee

Falling

The Campaign

Specialist Hirelings

Constructing a Stronghold

Mass Battles

Artifacts

Enchanting Magic Items

Other Worlds

Section III: Monsters & Treasures

Monsters

Summary of Monsters

Explanation of Monsters

Treasures

Treasure Types

Explanation of Treasures

Maps

Armor and Shields

Miscellaneous Magic Items

Miscellaneous Weaponry

Potions

Rings

Spellbooks and Scrolls

Staves & Wands

Magic Swords

Section IV: Optional Rules

Introduction

Experience Modifier

Optional Character Creation Rules

Advantages and Disadvantages

Sample Advantages

Sample Disadvantages

Allegiance

Alternative Advancement System

Attributes

Background and Talents

Background

Talents

Class Special Abilities

Cleric Special Abilities

Fighter Special Abilities

Magic-User Special Abilities

Sanity Attribute

Virtues and Vices

Optional Classes

The Specialist

Variant Classes

Optional Combat Rules

Armor for Everyone

Feats of Might

Overwhelming Opponents

Shield Wall

Optional Magic Rules

Hit Point Powered Magic

Spell Knowledge

Direct Spell Casting

Ritual Magic

Counterspells (Optional)

Metamagic (Optional)

Spellcasting as a Skill

Optional General Rules

Action Points

Deities and Divine Intervention

Hit Points and Wound Points

Psionics

The Usage Die

Afterword

Appendix I: Old School Gaming

What is “Old School” Play?

Styles of “Old School” Play

Appendix II: Advice for the Referee

Running a Game Without Skills

On Failure

Impossible Tasks

Referee as Judge

Monsters and NPCs in Play

Random Rolls

Multiple Success Rolls and Probability

Ruling Wishes

Stun and Paralysis

Disease

Making Magic Items Distinctive and Unique

Cumulative Magical Effects

Adventures and Settings

Appendix III: Small Adventuring Parties

Perils of Adventuring

Special Rules for Small Parties

First Special Rule: Damage Dice

Second Special Rule: Inflicting Damage

Third Special Rule: Healing

Fourth Special Rule: Defying Death

Fifth Special Rule Experience and Henchmen

Enduring Protagonists (Optional)

Automatic Initiative (Optional)

Extra Fray Dice (Optional)

Guideline: One Pair of Hands

What it All Means

Small Party Rules Summary

Inflicting Damage

Taking Damage

The Fray Die

Healing

Defying Death

Example Solo Combat Encounter

Appendix IV: Random Tables

Dungeons on the Fly

Random Dungeon Generation

Quick Random Treasure Generation

Random Magic Items

Random NPC Personality Attributes

Dungeon Furnishings

Random Traps

Atmospheric Details

Special Encounters

Specialty Room Furnishings

Random Tavern Patrons

Legal Information

Open Game License

PREFACE

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 brought an end to my face-to-face gaming. Our group had tried online gaming in the past and it just did not click with us. So for the first couple of months of the pandemic, my group did no gaming at all. After a couple of months of no gaming, we decided to give online gaming another chance. This time we decided to keep it simple: use a Discord server for records and its voice chat to actually play the game. It took us a few weeks to get everything working and a new campaign going. A new campaign because we did not want to have to put a couple of years’ worth of campaign records on Discord.

We decided to use the OD&D rules to run a fairly standard fantasy campaign in human dominated world. However, while I am comfortable with the raw 3rd printing OD&D rules, the players in my group were not. While they were happy to play retroclones, they considered the actual original rules too hard to understand and use. So, I selected a retroclone. There are three major OD&D retroclones. I picked the one this book is based on because it seemed to follow the original rules more closely than the other two. Unfortunately, it’s current version isn’t available in PDF, although it is available as a single web page. That worked well with Discord. However, I finally copied it into a channel on Discord so that one of my players who was using a tablet and playing a magic-user could reference the rules without having to switch out of Discord.

Eventually I made a nice PDF of the game for my use and gave copies to everyone in the group. This campaign version included the house-rules we were using (Allegiance, Backgrounds and Talents, Class Special Abilities, Hit Point Powered Magic, and Hit Points and Wound Points) directly in the rules and did not include any other optional rules.

Soon people were pushing me to make these rules available to everyone. While publishing a verbatim version of a game that is entirely Open Game Content under the OGL is allowed, I think it is somewhat tacky to do so. Therefore I added a new section full of optional rules and the text explaining old school play I use in my old school Microlite20-based games and decided to publish the result in the Dungeon Delving line.

I only made a few changes to the main text of the rules. I added the Basic Adventuring Skills paragraph to the discussion of the Intelligence attribute, I added the Shield Special paragraph to the discussion of damage in combat, I reformatted the tables and I corrected a few typos. Otherwise I left the main rules alone. Section 4: Optional Rules is new material not included in the original. Using the main rules (sections 1 through 3) will give an experience very close to playing the original three book version of 0e published in 1974. Selective use of optional rules in Section 4 will start the Referee on the way to tailoring the game to the specific needs of their campaign and their group of players.

Randall Stukey, Editor

SECTION I:

HEROES & MAGIC

INTRODUCTION

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is a gateway to realms where magic works and dragons are real, where elves and dwarfs fight alongside men against goblins and giants, and where a strong sword arm can carry the day in battle. All that is needed to play is some basic stationery, a few friends, and a vivid imagination.

One player will referee the fantasy world while the others assume the role of adventurers and explore it. As heroes and wizards they will face its challenges, defeating monsters and winning fabulous treasures as they rise to fame or, if they are careless, vanish into obscurity.

About These Rules

Players should begin with Section I which details characters that can be played, equipment and hirelings that can be had, and spells that are available to magic-using sorts. Players need read no further.

Aspiring referees are advised to continue immediately on to Section II wherein are guidelines for constructing a campaign world and filling it with dungeons, monsters, and treasures, and advice on conducting adventures around these. Finally, Section III is intended as a reference for referees; it contains all manner of monsters—from androids to zombies—and treasures including magical wands, weapons, and a plethora of other items.

Common Terms

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is a role-playing game in which the players control player characters (PCs) and the referee controls non-player characters (NPCs) including monsters. All these have a number of hit dice (HD) which are six-sided dice thrown to see how many hit points (hp) can be sustained before being slain. Armor class (AC) is a measure of protection against physical attack, while saving throws are made to avert fates such as poisoning, being turned to stone, or being vaporized by dragon’s breath. Player characters accumulate experience points (XP) in order to advance to each successive level of ability.

Distances, Ranges, and Movement Rates are given as inches. An inch represents a real distance according to the scale of play. At the dungeon combat scale 1" represents 10 feet. At the wilderness combat scale 1" represents 10 yards. At the overland and ocean exploration scale 1" of movement represents 1 mile per day.

Dungeon Level pertains to depth underground. The 1st dungeon level is the shallowest, the 2nd dungeon level is the next deeper level, and so on. Deeper dungeon levels are more dangerous and more rewarding than shallower dungeon levels. Players will usually determine what dungeon level they wish to explore.

Experience Level ranks the relative power of player characters. Players begin at the 1st (least powerful) experience level and work their way upward. While experience levels are theoretically unlimited these rules assume the majority of play will occur at the 1st through 12th experience levels.

Gold Pieces (gp) are the basic unit of currency for which goods are traded. One gold piece is worth 10 silver pieces or 100 copper pieces. There are 20 coins of any type to one pound.

Heroic-Types include all man-types of heroic stature and all monsters that represent a heroic threat. Collectively these are all creatures with 3 or more hit dice but fewer than 7 hit dice.

Man-Types are all men and other creatures of same basic proportions including androids, cavemen, dwarfs, elves, gnolls, gnomes, goblins, halflings, hobgoblins, kobolds, lizardmen, mermen, nixies, orcs, and pixies. The majority of man-types are also normal-types but exceptional individuals can be heroic- or superheroic-types instead.

Monsters are all creatures controlled by the referee. These include dragons, orcs, vampires, and other genuine horrors of the underworld as well as the townsfolk, hirelings, and even non-player heroes of the game world.

A Morale Check is a throw of two six-sided dice used by the referee to determine the behavior of monsters (including man-types) in potentially life-threatening circumstances, particularly in combat.

Normal-Missiles are all non-magical projectiles including spears, stones, arrows, and bolts loosed by normal man-types. An otherwise normal missile loosed by a heroic/superheroic-type is considered heroic.

Normal-Types include all man-types of less than heroic status and all other creatures of similar stature. Collectively these are all creatures with fewer than 3 hit dice.

Normal-Weapons are all non-magical arms including swords, spears, axes, and maces wielded by normal man-types. An otherwise normal weapon wielded by a heroic/superheroic-type is considered heroic.

A Reaction Check is a throw of two six-sided dice used by the referee to determine how monsters (including man-types) will react to the players, particularly upon their first meeting and in negotiations.

A Saving Throw is a throw of a single twenty-sided die used by the player to avert a potentially life-threatening calamity such as being poisoned, turned to stone, or vaporized by a dragon’s breath weapon.

Superheroic-Types include all man-types of superheroic stature and all monsters that represent a superheroic threat. Collectively these are all creatures with 7 or more hit dice.

A Survival Check is a throw of a hundred-sided die used by the player or referee to determine whether a character or monster will survive being raised from the dead, polymorphed into another shape, or restored to flesh after being turned to stone.

Turns are any period during which a player chooses an action for his character. At the dungeon and wilderness combat scales a turn represents one minute. At the dungeon exploration scale a turn represents ten minutes. At the wilderness exploration scale a turn represents one day.

Player’s Supplies

The supplies essential for play are detailed below, followed by optional extras which a player may desire. The essentials are all readily available and inexpensive (or free); even polyhedral dice are easily obtained at hobby stores and online.

The Essentials:

- Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition (you have it!),

- Dice (three six-sided dice and one twenty-sided die per player),

- Stationery (pencil, eraser, paper, and notebook),

- A vivid imagination!

Optional Extras:

- A Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition player character record sheet,

- Graph paper for mapping dungeons,

- Hexagonal paper for mapping wilderness regions,

- Additional dice (any number of six-sided and twenty-sided dice with the latter optionally marked 0-9 twice),

- Miniatures to represent the player character and his entourage,

- An enterprising plan...

The Dice

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition players require six- and twenty-sided dice. A few will do but play will be quicker with half a dozen (or more) of each. For a genuine retro feel twenty-sided dice can be marked 0-9 twice, with 0 representing ten and one of the two 0-9 series being identified as adding ten.

Preparation for Play

A player should initially learn something about the campaign world from the referee. This information may be sketchy or generous depending on how prepared the referee is and how many players have come before. In either case it is the player’s role to insert his new character into the fantasy world and augment it with his presence. Whether he comes to riches or ruin, each character should be noted!

Before choosing a character the player should familiarize himself with the options presented herein. He may desire to play a certain type of character from the outset but should be equally prepared to go with whatever the dice may bring.

If the dice occasionally seem unkind the player is reminded that great enjoyment can arise from unconventional characters and from dramatic demises. Such will be the fate of many adventurers.

The player should be ready to participate in the game, tackling the challenges presented with creativity and imagination—this is the greater part of the game. Above all the player must be prepared to accept the rulings of the referee and to enjoy whatever game circumstances may arise.

The adventure begins... Now!

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Having learned something about the campaign world from the referee, the player’s first order of business is to construct a fantasy persona called a character. The player will thereafter control this character’s actions in the game.

Alignment

Each character must choose a side in the eternal struggle. He is either of law or of chaos or is otherwise neutral.

Law is civility and order and upholds the greater good. Chaos is anarchy and brutality and undermines the greater good. Neutrality is neither for law nor chaos but for the individual and for those with no stake in the grander contest.

Determination of Abilities

Characters are ranked in six abilities: strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Each is determined, in order, by the referee with a throw of three six-sided dice producing scores between 3 and 18. The player should record these figures on a character sheet or note paper before selecting his class.

M M M M M

Prime Requisite Abilities

One of the six abilities is considered to be the prime requisite for each class of character. Fighters should be strong, magic-users should be intelligent, and clerics should be wise.

A character will acquire a greater or lesser number of experience points from his adventures according to his prime requisite ability score.

Table 1.1 Experience Earned

Prime

Experience

Requisite

Adjustment

3-5

−20%

6-8

−10%

9-12

.

13-15

+5%

16-18

+10%

While a high score may predispose a player toward a particular class and a low score may dissuade him, ability scores do not preclude the selection of any class. Nor do they determine a character’s success (player strategy being paramount in that).

Suppose, for example, an intending player was given these ability scores:

Strength

11

Dexterity

10

Intelligence

14

Constitution

12

Wisdom

6

Charisma

9

With a wisdom score of 6 this character would advance slowly as a cleric. His keen intelligence means he could do well as a magic-user; however, because of a preconceived inclination toward heroic combat, the player elects the role of a fighter. His strength of 11 is perfectly respectable and his constitution of 12 indicates good fitness. A dexterity score of 10 is neither quick nor slow, but his ordinary charisma score means this player should not depend overly on the loyalty of his followers.

Explanation of Abilities

Following is an explanation of each of the six abilities.

Strength is raw physical power. It is useful for forcing doors, lifting gates, and carrying heavy equipment including treasure! Strength is the prime requisite for fighters.

Table 1.2 Strength Adjustments

Strength

Damage

Open

Movement Rates Allowed by Load

Score

Adj.*

Doors

12"

9"

6"

3"

3-6

.

6

50 lb

75 lb

100 lb

150 lb

7-14

.

5-6

75 lb

100 lb

150 lb

225 lb

15-18

+1

5-6

100 lb

150 lb

200 lb

300 lb

* Damage adjustment is applicable to fighters in hand to hand combat only.

Movement Rates allowed by load are for man-sized and man-like types. These should be scaled appropriately for other types but any character reduced to half his movement rate is considered to be encumbered. Movement rates are expressed in inches which are scaled according to the environment being explored to produce the actual ground rate.

Intelligence is cunning, acumen, and book learning and one additional language is known for every point beyond 10. Intelligence is the prime requisite for magic-users and is useful to the referee for determining what course of action a non-player character should take.

Many Languages are spoken throughout the game world with each intelligent type having its own tongue. Man-types also share a “common tongue” which 20% of all speaking creatures will know.

Table 1.3 Languages Known

Intelligence

Languages

Score

Known

3-10

2

11

3

12

4

13

5

14

6

15

7

16

8

17

9

18

10

Additionally, there are the tongues of law, chaos, and neutrality which are known to the speaking membership of those alignments. Creatures of one alignment will recognize the other alignment tongues without comprehending them. Chaotics will often attack speakers of law and vice versa.

Player characters always know at least two languages: the common tongue and an alignment tongue. Non-human player characters may know additional languages as will all characters with above average intelligence. Additionally, there are spells and magic items that will aid in the comprehension of unknown languages.

Basic Adventuring Skills: All player characters, regardless of intelligence, are assumed to have a basic set of adventuring skills. Unless a player specifies otherwise about a character at character creation, all characters are assumed to have basic practical adventuring skills such as maintaining weapons and armor useable by their class, riding a horse, setting up a camp, swimming, climbing, cooking, first aid, etc., and have a rough idea of the value of common coins, trade goods, gems, and jewels. Success should simply be assumed unless there are unusual conditions.

Wisdom is intuition, common sense, and maturity. Each 2 points of wisdom beyond 10 will add 1 point to the character’s prime requisite for the purpose of calculating experience points earned. Wisdom is the prime requisite for clerics and functions as does intelligence in determining what course of action a non-player character should take.

Dexterity is reaction speed, coordination, and agility. It is useful for accurate shooting and for quick reflexes when initiative is in question. Dexterity is the prime requisite for thieves (if these are used).

Table 1.4 Dexterity Adjustments

Dexterity

Initiative

To Hit Adj.

Score

Adj.

with Missiles

3-6

−1

−1

7-8

.

−1

9-12

.

.

13-14

.

+1

15-18

+1

+1

Constitution is vim, fitness, and toughness. It determines what damage can be endured and whether or not a character can withstand being raised from the dead, polymorphed, or petrified.

Table 1.5 Constitution Adjustments

Constitution

Hit Points

Shock

Score

per Die

Survival

3-6

−1*

20%

7-8

.

40%

9

.

60%

10

.

70%

11

.

80%

12

.

90%

13-14

.

Always

15-18

+1

Always

* Minimum 1 hit point per die.

Shock Survival is the probability that a character will survive the greatest physical ordeals. This check is required to be raised from the dead (any failed attempt indicates that no subsequent attempt can ever succeed), to survive returning to flesh after being turned to stone, and to survive transformation into another shape by the baleful polymorph spell.

Charisma is comeliness, personal charm, and social influence. It is useful in determining reactions, in negotiations, and for attracting monsters into service. It determines the number of retainers a character can have and the loyalty of any hirelings.

Table 1.6 Charisma Adjustments

Charisma

Maximum

Loyalty

Reaction

Score

Retainers

Adj.

Adj.

3

1

−2

−1

4

2

−1

−1

5

2

−1

−1

6

3

.

−1

7-8

3

.

.

9-12

4

.

.

13-14

6

+1

.

15

6

+1

+1

16

8

+2

+1

17

8

+2

+1

18

10

+4

+1

Classes

Having been given ability scores the player must select a class. Characters begin at the 1st level in the chosen class and thereafter advance to successive experience levels by returning to a safe haven after accumulating the necessary number of experience points.

The numbers of hit dice given on the following charts are always six-sided and are thrown to determine the number of hit points of damage that can be sustained before death. Hit dice are thrown and summed with any additions being added to the total.

The figures given for each saving throw category are those required on a twenty-sided die to avert various calamities.

Experience Points (XP) are earned primarily by recovering (not merely finding) treasure. 1 XP is awarded per gold piece worth of treasure recovered though the division of any such riches, and hence any XP, is entirely up to the players.

Experience points are also earned by defeating monsters. 100 XP are awarded for each hit die of each enemy defeated. The referee may increase the base award for especially dangerous enemies including those with poisonous, paralyzing, or multiple attacks.

Experience awards for defeating monsters are scaled according to the ratio of the dungeon level to the character level so that higher level players are encouraged to seek appropriate challenges. If a party of 1st level characters were to defeat a dozen 1 HD orcs on the 1st dungeon level they would be awarded 1,200 XP between them. If a party of 6th level characters defeated the same orcs they would earn one-sixth as many XP because they are 6th level characters exploring the 1st dungeon level.

Note that no character can advance more than a single experience level in a single adventure. He will always fall at least 1 XP short of gaining a second experience level with any excess XP discarded.

The Cleric

Clerics must choose law or chaos; they cannot remain neutral in the eternal struggle. Either type must remain steadfast in this choice or be stripped of his status.

Clerics of the lawful sort are virtuous knights and templars whose purpose is to vanquish evil. Their conviction in the righteousness of this mission enables them to turn the undead and to invoke miracles. In performing their duty clerics are allowed shields and any armor but the use of edged or piercing weapons is forbidden.

y y y y y

Table 1.8 Cleric Progression

Experience

Cleric

Points

Hit

Level

Required

Dice

1

0

1

2

1,500

2

3

3,000

2+1

4

6,000

3

5

12,000

4

6

25,000

5

7

50,000

5+1

8

90,000

6

9

160,000

7

10

240,000

7+1

11

320,000

7+2

12

400,000

8

A cleric requires 160,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A cleric adds one hit die per three levels beyond the 9th.

Table 1.81 Cleric Saving Throws

Saving Throw Versus

Cleric

Wands

Paralysis

Breath

Level

Poison

Rays

Petrification

Weapon

Spells

1

11

12

14

16

15

2

10

11

13

15

14

3

10

11

13

15

14

4

9

10

12

14

13

5

9

10

12

14

13

6

8

9

11

13

12

7

8

9

11

13

12

8

7

8

10

12

11

9

7

8

10

12

11

10

6

7

9

11

10

11

6

7

9

11

10

12

5

6

8

10

9

A cleric begins play with a spell book containing the 1st level spells and can thereafter cast a number of spells each day appropriate for his experience level. So long as he adheres to his faith a cleric will gain access to spells of successive spell levels as he advances in experience, and can devise spells of his own besides.

F F F F

h

Table 1.7 Cleric Spells per Day

Spells Memorized per Day

Cleric

By Spell Level

Level

1

2

3

4

5

1

.

.

.

.

.

2

1

.

.

.

.

3

2

.

.

.

.

4

2

1

.

.

.

5

2

2

.

.

.

6

2

2

1

.

.

7

2

2

1

1

.

8

2

2

2

1

1

9

3

3

2

2

1

10

3

3

3

2

2

11

4

4

3

3

2

12

4

4

4

3

3

When a cleric achieves 9th level he can establish a stronghold and the religious fervor of the workforce will reduce any construction costs by half. Once established, a stronghold will attract a body of 50-300 fanatically loyal dervishes who will serve without payment (the referee will determine the exact composition of this force). If the surrounding countryside is kept clear of monsters this holding will attract faithful settlers each of whom can pay 2 gp in tithes and taxes per month.

Turning the Undead

Mindless undead need never check morale and cannot be subdued but all the undead are subject to being turned away—or even destroyed utterly—by a faithful cleric who forcefully presents a Cross. Turning the undead is accomplished by throwing two six-sided dice and comparing the result to the following table.

Table 1.9 Turning the Undead

Undead

Cleric Hit Dice

HD

Example

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

½

Skeleton

6

†

†

*

*

*

*

*

1

Zombie

8

6

†

†

*

*

*

*

2

Ghoul

10

8

6

†

†

*

*

*

3

Wight

-

10

8

6

†

†

*

*

4

Wraith

-

-

10

8

6

†

†

*

5

Mummy

-

-

-

10

8

6

†

†

6

Spectre

-

-

-

-

10

8

6

†

7

-

-

-

-

-

-

10

8

6

8

Vampire

-

-

-

-

-

-

10

8

9

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

10

† 2-12 monsters of this type are turned away.

* 2-12 monsters of this type are destroyed utterly.

Should a cleric fail to turn an undead monster he cannot attempt to turn that monster again until sunrise.

The Anti-Cleric

Clerics of the chaotic sort are called anti-clerics. They are intended as villains and their purpose is to vanquish good. They cannot turn the undead but have a selection of reversed clerical spells which they can employ with impunity. Otherwise, they function as do clerics except that an anti-cleric stronghold will attract zealots rather than dervishes.

Z

The Fighter

Fighters are soldiers, champions, and other warriors who engage in toe-to-toe and missile combat. Of all the classes they are the most formidable in attack and can withstand the most damage. A fighter has the use of any armor or shield and all weaponry, including missiles and spears. Moreover, magic swords and the majority of other enchanted weapons are usable exclusively by them.

Table 1.10 Fighter Progression

Experience

Saving Throw Versus

Fighter

Points

Hit

Wands

Paralysis

Breath

Level

Required

Dice

Poison

Rays

Petrification

Weapon

Spells

1

0

1+2

12

13

14

15

16

2

2,000

2+1

12

13

14

15

16

3

4,000

3

10

11

12

15

14

4

8,000

4

10

11

12

12

14

5

16,000

5

10

11

12

12

14

6

32,000

6

8

9

10

12

12

7

65,000

7

8

9

10

12

12

8

130,000

8+1

8

9

10

9

12

9

240,000

9+2

6

7

8

9

10

10

360,000

10

6

7

8

9

10

11

480,000

10+2

6

7

8

9

10

12

600,000

11

4

5

6

6

8

A fighter requires 240,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A fighter adds one hit die per two levels beyond the 9th.

In melee combat versus normal-types a fighter throws one attack roll as a 1st level fighter for each of his own hit die. Starting at 4th level he adds +1 to morale checks of any troops he leads in combat, and he will not be targeted by normal-types while there are normal targets available.

At 8th level and above a fighter is aware of invisible opponents within 3" and normal-types require a positive morale check to stand their ground if he charges them. He is unable to cast spells, however, and has a limited selection of other magical items.

When a fighter achieves 9th level he can establish a stronghold and declare himself its Lord. If the surrounding countryside is kept clear of monsters this holding will attract settlers each of whom can pay 1 gp in taxes per month.

The Magic-User

Magic-users are potentially the most powerful class but they are also the most vulnerable; they can wear no armor and can use only daggers and staves as weapons. A magic-user can, however, cast magic spells. He begins play with a spell book containing the 1st level spells and can cast a number of spells from memory each day appropriate for his experience level. He gains access to spells of successive spell levels as he advances in experience, and can devise his own spells besides.

A magic-user has use of the greatest selection of enchanted items. All save for arms (other than daggers and staves), armor, and a handful of clerical items are at his disposal. Should these prove insufficient a magic-user of at least 9th level can enchant items of his own. The cost and time required to enchant an item will be commensurate with its value.

Table 1.11 Magic-User Progression

Magic-

Experience

Saving Throw Versus

User

Points

Hit

Wands

Paralysis

Breath

Level

Required

Dice

Poison

Rays

Petrification

Weapon

Spells

1

0

1

13

14

13

16

15

2

2,500

1+1

12

13

12

15

15

3

5,000

2

12

13

12

15

15

4

10,000

3

11

12

11

14

12

5

20,000

3+1

11

12

11

14

12

6

35,000

4

10

11

10

13

12

7

60,000

5

10

11

10

13

12

8

100,000

5+1

9

10

9

12

9

9

200,000

6

9

10

9

12

9

10

300,000

7

8

9

8

11

9

11

400,000

7+1

8

9

8

11

9

12

500,000

7+2

7

8

7

10

6

A magic-user requires 200,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A magic-user adds one hit die per four levels beyond the 10th.

Table 1.12 Magic-User Spells

Magic-

Spells Memorized per Day

User

By Spell Level

Level

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

1

.

.

.

.

.

2

2

.

.

.

.

.

3

3

1

.

.

.

.

4

4

2

.

.

.

.

5

4

2

1

.

.

.

6

4

3

2

.

.

.

7

4

3

2

1

.

.

8

4

3

3

2

.

.

9

4

4

3

2

1

.

10

4

4

3

3

2

.

11

4

4

4

3

2

1

12

4

4

4

3

3

2

Halflings can be fighters but are limited to 4th level. They are deadly accurate with hurled missiles adjusting attack rolls by +3, and will identify noises when listening at doors with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die. They are nearly invisible when they blend into the background and can move almost silently. Despite their diminutive stature halflings are surprisingly resilient and make all saving throws at four levels higher than their actual level.

Dwarfs dwell underground and see equally well by day or by night. They are limited to 6th level as fighters but make all saving throws at four levels above their actual level and are the only characters able to employ the +3 war hammer to its full potential. They are adept at evading large, clumsy enemies and suffer only half damage from foes such as ogres and giants.

Dwarfs are expert miners and are able to note any new constructions, shifting walls, slopes, falling slabs, false floors and the like in dungeon stonework. They will identify noises when listening at doors with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die.

Dwarfs are able to speak the languages of gnomes, goblins, and kobolds in addition to their own language, their alignment tongue, and the common tongue.

Elves begin as either fighters or magic-users but can change class between adventures as often as desired. An elf becomes dual-classed when he changes class for the first time and may thereafter use both the weaponry of a fighter and the spells of a magic-user simultaneously.

The dual-classed character must maintain separate experience point totals for each of his classes, with all earned experience going toward his currently active class. He uses the more favorable game statistics of both classes during play but cannot act as a magic-user while wearing non-magical armor.

Elves deal +1 hit point of damage when employing magic weapons and can move and fire a bow without penalty when on foot. They are nearly invisible in their gray-green cloaks and can move almost silently. When actively searching they will locate secret doors with a throw of 3-6 on a six-sided die. When merely passing by they will do so with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die. They will identify noises when listening at doors with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die and are immune to the paralyzing touch of ghouls and thulls. They are, however, limited to 4th level as fighters and to 8th level as magic-users.

Elves are able to speak the languages of gnolls, hobgoblins, and orcs as well as their own language, their alignment tongue, and the common tongue.

The Thief (Optional Class)

Thieves are sneaks, trouble-shooters, and infiltrators who operate by cunning and subtlety. Men, elves, dwarfs, and halflings can advance without limitation but because thieves are necessarily underhanded they cannot be aligned with law. Dexterity is their prime requisite.

Although able to employ daggers, slings, and short swords thieves lack the resilience of proper fighters and can wear leather armor only. Furthermore, a thief is best suited to striking from behind with surprise. In these circumstances a +4 adjustment is applied to the attack roll and a successful attack will cause two damage dice at levels 1-4, four damage dice at levels 5-10, and six damage dice at levels 11-12.

This aside, a thief is especially skilled in many subterfuges including:

- Opening locks and foiling of magical closures,

- Disarming small trapped devices such as spring-loaded poisoned needles,

- Climbing almost sheer surfaces up or down at half normal movement rate,

- Identifying noises behind closed doors,

- Stealing or concealing items by sleight-of-hand,

- Moving stealthily to pass or surprise enemies,

- Hiding in nothing more than shadows,

- Finding hidden or secret doors and passages.

A thief accomplishes all these with a throw of 3-6 on a six-sided die. Should he fail to disarm a trap it will instead be sprung with all the usual consequences.

Table 1.13 Thief Progression

Experience

Saving Throw Versus

Thief

Points

Hit

Wands

Paralysis

Breath

Level

Required

Dice

Poison

Rays

Petrification

Weapon

Spells

1

0

1

13

14

13

15

16

2

1,250

1+1

12

14

12

14

15

3

2,500

2

12

14

12

14

15

4

5,000

2+2

11

11

11

13

14

5

10,000

3+1

11

11

11

13

14

6

20,000

4

10

11

10

12

13

7

40,000

4+1

10

11

10

12

13

8

70,000

5

9

8

9

11

12

9

120,000

5+2

9

8

9

11

12

10

180,000

6+1

8

8

8

10

11

11

240,000

7

8

8

8

10

11

12

300,000

7+1

7

5

7

9

10

A thief requires 120,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A thief adds one hit die per four levels beyond the 11th.

At 3rd level and above a thief is equally able to discern the meaning of any non-magical cipher, message, map, or other written instruction. At 9th level and above this ability extends to casting magic-user spells from scrolls.

Changing Class

Even if the referee allows class changes no character can ever change class during an adventure, nor can a cleric ever change to a magic-user or vice versa. Human characters require a minimum score of 16 in the prime requisite of the class they intend to change to. Non-human characters have no such requirement.

A character becomes dual-classed when he changes class for the first time and thereafter enjoys the benefits of both classes simultaneously. A dual-classed cleric is always restricted in his choice of weaponry and a dual-classed magic-user (other than an elf, who may act as a magic-user while wearing magical armor) must always go unarmored. A dual-classed thief (if these are used) is always restricted to leather armor.

The player of a dual-classed character must maintain separate experience point totals for each of his classes. Experience is only ever earned toward one class at a time, as elected by the player at the beginning of each adventure. A dual-classed character may change class (for the purpose of allocating experience points) at any time, subject to the aforementioned restrictions. The more favorable game statistics of his classes are used during play.

Other Classes

The classes herein will provide many challenges for beginners and experts alike but are by no means exhaustive. There is no reason why a player could not play a noble centaur, a cunning lizardman, or any other type of character should the referee permit it. Whatever these other classes may be, the referee should ensure that they start out relatively weak and have scope to advance in power as do the other classes.

Beyond Level 12

There is no reason a human character cannot rise beyond 12th level. If higher level play is desired from the outset players should consider the limitations of non-human characters carefully before selecting them. When players progress beyond 12th level the referee can extrapolate spell casting progressions from the existing charts and may wish to introduce higher level spells and abilities for each class.

If higher level play is not desired characters can be retired after 12th level, becoming political figures in the campaign under the referee’s stewardship. The player is then free to create a new character to play.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Hirelings

Characters will likely require the services of hired help. Hirelings of various sorts can be found in towns, cities, and possibly in villages. Hirelings are ordinary men including guides, messengers, porters, and torch bearers who will perform mundane duties for upkeep plus a fee of 2 gp per month or 2 sp per day. With enough gold there is no limit to how many hirelings a character can employ.

Mercenaries

While ordinary hirelings can be had for upkeep plus 2 gp per month mercenaries are another matter. These are neutrally aligned soldiers whose monthly fee is commensurate with their function and equipment.

Table 1.19 Mercenaries

Monthly Fee

Vital

Type

Man

Dwarf

Elf

Orc

Statistics*

Footman

4 gp

6 gp

8 gp

2 gp

M 12", AC 6, HD 1+1

Footman, armored

8 gp

12 gp

.

4 gp

M 9", AC 4, HD 1+1

Footman, missile

6 gp

9 gp

12 gp

3 gp

M 12", AC 7, HD 1+1

Horseman

12 gp

.

.

.

M 21", AC 6, HD 1+1

Horseman, armored

18 gp

.

.

.

M 18", AC 4, HD 1+1

Horsemen, missile

15 gp

.

.

.

M 24", AC 7, HD 1+1

* Dwarfs, elves, and orcs have 1 hit die.

Monthly fees are in addition to the cost of upkeep.

Footmen are equipped with leather armor and shield and armored footmen with mail armor and shield. Missile men have leather armor only. Horsemen always have mounts in addition.

Elf and dwarf mercenaries are uncommon and orcs are employable by chaotics only; otherwise, these can be hired at towns or strongholds, or wherever else they are encamped. With enough gold there is no limit to the number of mercenaries a character can employ.

Retainers

More unusual help including monsters and player types can also be sought. These are called retainers and the number allowed at any one time is limited by a character’s charisma score.

A character can seek retainers during his adventures or advertise his need by posting notices, hiring heralds, frequenting taverns, or sending emissaries to foreign lands where likely candidates are known to dwell. The cost and effectiveness of these endeavors is left to the referee’s discretion.

If a prospective retainer is located the character can make an offer of employment. Only the lowest level player types will be seeking employment and these will not be tempted for any offer worth less than 100 gp. Dwarfs desire especially gold, elves and magic-users desire spells and magic items, clerics desire crusades and places to worship, and so on.

Enlisting Monsters

Characters can enlist monsters of the same alignment by regular negotiation. Others (including higher level player types) can be pressed into service by coercion with a charm spell or by physical subdual in combat.

Magic spells notwithstanding, some incentive must be offered to entice a monster into service. The character should decide what he believes would be useful or valuable to the monster and make his offer (merely sparing its life is insufficient). The monster’s reaction will be determined by the referee and adjusted according to the offer and the character’s charisma. A character can attempt a richer offer only if the monster’s reaction is “uncertain”.

Retainer Loyalty

When a monster or non-player character enters into a player character’s service the referee will secretly determine his loyalty, which may subsequently be adjusted for excellent or poor treatment. Additional pay, gifts of arms, armor, or magic items, and the rising fame (or infamy) of an employer can increase loyalty. Unjust treatment, poor prospects, or unfit conditions can decrease loyalty.

So long as a retainer is treated reasonably, receives the agreed payment, and is not exposed to unnecessary danger his loyalty will not be tested. In extreme circumstances, however, the referee will use reaction checks or morale checks to determine how a retainer will behave.

Reaction and Morale Checks

When required, reaction and morale checks are made by the referee with a throw of two six-sided dice and are adjusted for loyalty. A high result indicates a positive reaction or good morale and a low result indicates a negative reaction or poor morale.

Retainers will obey orders to the best of their ability so long as their morale holds. A poor morale check can result in refusal to perform; exactly how this plays out is left to the referee’s discretion. It could result in dissension, refusal to undertake a task or join combat, withdrawal from combat, desertion, surrender to the enemy, complete rout, and so on.

Excepting unintelligent monsters (who never check morale) most enemies are also subject to failures of morale.

Relatives

Player characters possess arms, armor, and equipment from the outset and—if they are fortunate—can accumulate considerable wealth during their adventures. Thus a character is permitted to name an heir to his estate should he meet an untimely end. If he should mysteriously vanish “death” can be declared after 30 days of unexplained absence.

Once death has been established all worldly possessions are passed to the designated heir, if there is one, or else to the realm if there is not. Should there be an heir he takes possession of all properties, goods, and valuables that belonged to the departed less a 10% inheritance tax which is payable to the realm. The realm may also enforce payment of a bond to any hirelings and retainers, guaranteeing the return of their possessions and any accrued pay to their families.

Should the character unexpectedly return to reclaim his estate the inheritance tax will be payable again. The referee will adjudicate the reaction of the disinherited heir who might intrigue to retain control of the estate. In any case, his loyalty will suffer a 0 to −5 adjustment (one six-sided die −1) if he is kept on as part of the character’s household or retinue.

Cost of Upkeep

While dwelling in a village, town, or city a character must pay upkeep for himself and his entourage. At its simplest the cost of upkeep for middling quarters and fare is 1 gp per month per 100 experience points the character has.

A character who desires fine cuisine and luxurious accommodation must consent to pay higher costs, varying with extravagance. Alternatively, the referee may require players to itemize individual expenses.

The cost of upkeep is payable only so long as the character maintains urban living arrangements. Living off the land incurs no costs and thus payments cease when the character journeys to a wilderness area. When he builds a stronghold of his own he may collect taxes from its inhabitants to help cover his costs.

EQUIPMENT

Each player begins with 30-180 gold pieces to furnish his character with equipment appropriate to his profession and possible adventures.

Note that 20 coins of any type weigh one pound.

Table 1.14 Supplies

Item

Cost

Weight

Backpack, leather

4 gp

30 lb

*

Belladonna, bunch

10 gp

-

Candles, dozen

2 gp

5 lb

Cloak, traveling

3 gp

5 lb

Cross, silver

40 gp

1 lb

Cross, wooden

5 gp

1 lb

Crowbar

5 gp

5 lb

Garlic, string

5 gp

-

Hammer

3 gp

5 lb

Holy water, flask

25 gp

2 lb

Iron spikes, half dozen

1 gp

5 lb

Lantern

10 gp

5 lb

Mirror, silver, small

20 gp

1 lb

Mirror, steel

5 gp

1 lb

Oil, flask

2 gp

5 lb

Pole, 10ft

1 gp

10 lb

Rations, iron, week

15 gp

7 lb

Rations, week

7 gp

15 lb

Rope, 100ft

2 gp

15 lb

Sack, large

2 gp

30 lb

*

Sack, small

1 gp

10 lb

*

Spade or shovel

5 gp

10 lb

Stakes, wooden, pair

1 gp

1 lb

Tinderbox

2 gp

-

Torches, half dozen

1 gp

5 lb

Waterskin

1 gp

5 lb

Wine, flask

2 gp

5 lb

Wolfsbane, bunch

10 gp

-

* Backpacks and large sacks can carry 30 lb and small sacks can carry 10 lb.

Table 1.15 Livestock & Transportation

Item

Cost

Weight

Dog, guard or hunting

25 gp

-

Mule

20 gp

-

Draft horse

60 gp

-

Riding horse

80 gp

-

Warhorse

200 gp

-

Destrier

300 gp

-

Horse barding

150 gp

75 lb

Saddle & harness

15 gp

25 lb

Saddle bags

4 gp

30 lb

*

Cart

15 gp

-

Wagon

90 gp

-

Raft

60 gp

-

Boat

150 gp

-

Galley, small

25,000 gp

-

Galley, large

35,000 gp

-

Longship

15,000 gp

-

Merchant ship, small

20,000 gp

-

Merchant ship, large

30,000 gp

-

Man-o-war

40,000 gp

-

* Saddle bags can carry 30 lb.

The referee can extrapolate prices for other items from those given.

Rations will feed one person for one week. Iron rations are preserved and will keep even in poor environs (including dungeons) where standard rations would spoil.

Table 1.16 Armor

Item

AC

Cost

Weight

Unarmored

9

.

.

Leather armor

7

10 gp

25 lb

Mail armor

5

35 gp

50 lb

Plate armor

3

100 gp

75 lb

Shield

*

15 gp

15 lb

Helmet

.

10 gp

5 lb

* Adjusts armor class by −1.

Table 1.17 Arms

Item

Cost

Weight

Battle axe

13 gp

10 lb

Dagger

3 gp

2 lb

Flail

8 gp

10 lb

Hand axe

4 gp

5 lb

Lance

10 gp

10 lb

Mace

6 gp

5 lb

Morning star

7 gp

10 lb

Pole arm

9 gp

15 lb

Short sword

12 gp

3 lb

Spear

5 gp

5 lb

Staff

2 gp

5 lb

Sword

15 gp

5 lb

Two-handed sword

30 gp

15 lb

War hammer

11 gp

10 lb

Table 1.18 Missiles

Shooting Range

Item

Cost

Weight

Short

Medium

Long

Arrow or bolt, silver

5 gp

.

.

.

.

Arrows, 20

5 gp

5 lb

.

.

.

Arrows, quiver of 20

10 gp

5 lb

.

.

.

Bolts, 30

5 gp

5 lb

.

.

.

Bolts, case of 30

10 gp

5 lb

.

.

.

Crossbow

20 gp

10 lb

6"

12"

18"

Longbow

40 gp

5 lb

7"

14"

21"

Shortbow

25 gp

5 lb

5"

10"

15"

Sling

1 gp

1 lb

5"

10"

15"

Dagger (thrown)

3 gp

1 lb

.

3"

.

Hammer (thrown)

3 gp

5 lb

.

3"

.

Hand axe (thrown)

4 gp

5 lb

.

3"

.

Oil (thrown)

2 gp

5 lb

.

3"

.

Spear (thrown)

5 gp

5 lb

.

6"

.

Range categories are applicable to accurate shooting at individual targets at the dungeon combat scale (1" to 10ft).

At the wilderness combat scale (1" to 10yd) range categories are primarily for shooting at bodies of troops or similarly sized targets.

MAGIC

A magic-user or cleric can memorize a number of spells each day according to his experience level. He must be fresh and rested and have access to the appropriate spell books to memorize any spell therein. Bereft of his spell books he cannot memorize any spells!

Spell Casting from Memory

A memorized spell can be cast at any time but once it has been cast it is erased from memory. Once erased a spell cannot be cast again until it is memorized the following day. Notwithstanding this limitation, nothing prevents a magic-user or cleric from memorizing the same spell several times.

In order to invoke a spell the caster must be free to concentrate, move his arms and hands, speak aloud, and see the target. To do so during combat the player must declare his intent at the beginning of the turn. Casting a spell requires the full turn so no other action may be attempted. Furthermore, if the caster is struck by any missile, blow, or spell before his own invocation is completed it will be foiled and erased from memory without being triggered. The referee will adjudicate whether other interruptions are sufficient to foil a spell.

Spell Casting from Scrolls

A magic-user or cleric can cast a spell of any spell level directly from a scroll. Unless the scroll was penned by his own hand a magic-user must employ a read magic spell before he can read a spell scroll. Thereafter, either class can read a spell scroll without memorizing the spell in advance. Casting a spell from a scroll invokes the magic at the minimum caster level necessary to memorize the spell and simultaneously erases the spell from the scroll.

Reversible Spells

If a cleric spell is noted as reversible, only a chaotic anti-cleric can use the reverse form and only a lawful cleric can use the proper form. If a magic-user spell is noted as reversible, the reverse form is a separate spell which can be memorized, cast, and written to a scroll exactly as per any other spell.

Spell Books

Magic-users and clerics begin play with a book of 1st level spells but must find, buy, or research higher level spell books thereafter.

Adventuring is a dangerous business so a spell caster may wish to construct a duplicate spell book to carry without risk to his primary resource. Should a spell book be lost, damaged, or destroyed in any event it can be replaced at a cost. A book of 1st level spells costs 2,000 gp, a book of 2nd level spells costs 4,000 gp, a book of 3rd level spells costs 8,000 gp, and so on.

WWWWW

Creating Spell Scrolls

Magic-users and clerics can copy spells which they can memorize onto scrolls. It takes one week to create any spell scroll and costs 100 gp per spell level. Thus, a 4th level spell scroll takes one week to construct at a cost of 400 gp. A spell scroll can be invoked only once and is at risk of being ruined by rain, fire, and other dungeon hazards.

Researching New Spells

Clerics and magic-users can research new spells for their repertoires. The spell level of a new spell cannot exceed that which the researcher is able to memorize. Otherwise, the player can contrive whatever spell he desires, remembering that the referee will determine what is allowable and the spell level of the new magic.

Success is a matter of time and investment. One week and 2,000 gp are required for a 1st level spell. Costs double and time is extended by one week at each successively higher spell level. Thus, a 2nd level spell requires two weeks and 4,000 gp, a 3rd level spell requires three weeks and 8,000 gp, a 4th level spell requires four weeks and 16,000 gp and so on.

Cumulative Magic

Spells and other magical effects will usually combine safely with one another. However, multiple enchantments with the same effect are not cumulative; only the single, most powerful effect applies.

Spells By Level

Table 1.20 Cleric Spells by Spell Level

1st

2nd

3rd

Cure Light Wounds*

Bless*

Circle of Protection from Evil*

Detect Evil

Continuous Light*

Cure Serious Wounds*

Detect Magic

Find Traps

Enervate Dead*

Light*

Hold Person

Locate Object

Protection from Evil*

Remove Disease*

Remove Curse*

Purify Food and Drink*

Speak with Animals

Speak with Dead

4th

5th

Control Water

Commune

Create Food and Drink*

Dispel Evil*

Cure Critical Wounds*

Insect Plague

Hold Monster

Quest

Neutralize Poison*

Raise Dead*

Speak with Plants

True Seeing

* This spell is reversed for anti-clerics.

Table 1.21 Magic-User Spells by Spell Level

1st

2nd

3rd

Alter Self

Continuous Light

Circle of Invisibility

Charm Person

Darkvision

Circle of Protection from Evil

Color Spray

Detect Invisibility

Clairvoyance

Comprehend Languages

Invisibility

Dispel Magic

Detect Magic

Knock

Fireball

Fog Wall

Levitate

Fly

Gazeback

Locate Object

Haste*

Hold Portal

Phantasm

Hold Person

Light

Protection from Missiles

Lightning Bolt

Protection from Evil

Sixth Sense

Plant Growth

Read Magic

Web

Slow*

Sleep

Witch Lock

Water Breathing

Table 1.21 Magic-User Spells by Spell Level (cont)

4th

5th

6th

Animal Growth

Baleful Polymorph

Anti-Magic Shield

Animate Dead

Cloudkill

Control Water

Charm Monster

Contact Other Plane

Control Weather

Confusion

Feeblemind

Disintegrate

Dimension Door

Hold Monster

Geas

Fear

Invoke Elemental

Invoke Stalker

Hallucinatory Terrain

Magic Jar

Move Earth

Polymorph

Passwall

Project Image

Remove Curse

Telekinesis

Reincarnate

Wall of Fire

Teleport

Slaying Spell

Wall of Ice

Transmute Rock to Mud*

Stone to Flesh*

Witch Eye

Wall of Stone

Wall of Iron

* Reversible form exists as a separate spell.

Explanation of Spells

1st Level Cleric Spells

Cure Light Wounds (reversible, affects: 1 creature, range: touch) The cleric can restore 2-7 lost hit points to any one creature (including himself) after one turn of aid. Hit points cannot be raised beyond the creature’s normal total. The reverse, cause light wounds, will cause 2-7 hit points of damage at a touch, possibly requiring an attack roll to touch an unwilling target.

Detect Evil (affects: self, duration: 6 turns, range: 12") The cleric can sense the presence of any enchanted, conjured, supernatural, or undead creature within range, as well as any curse or malicious enchantment upon an object or place.

Detect Magic (affects: self, duration: 2 turns, range: 6") The cleric can sense the presence of any enchantment on a person, place, or object within range and sight.

Light (reversible, affects: 3" diameter, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 12") Causes an object or volume of space to be lit as if by torchlight, illuminating a 3" diameter. The reverse, darkness, creates a 3" diameter sphere of darkness that is impenetrable even to creatures that see in the dark and to the darkvision spell, but not to the true seeing spell.

Protection from Evil (reversible, affects: self, duration: 12 turns) This spell prevents any enchanted or conjured creature from contacting the cleric. Furthermore, attacks made against the cleric by other chaotic types will be at −2 to hit and the cleric will make saving throws at +2. The reverse, protection from good, applies equally to enchanted or conjured creatures but protects against lawful rather than chaotic types.

Purify Food and Drink (reversible, duration: permanent, range: 1") Makes spoiled, poisoned, or contaminated food, drink, or Unholy water whole and suitable for consumption. Enough food for one dozen men or two weeks’ worth of rations are affected. The reverse, putrefy food and drink, will instead spoil food, drink, and Holy water.

2nd Level Cleric Spells

Bless (reversible, affects: 6" diameter, duration: 6 turns, range: 6") The cleric bestows a +1 morale bonus and a +1 benefit to attack rolls upon all allies within 3" who are not already in combat. The reverse, bane, imposes equivalent penalties upon foes.

Continuous Light (reversible, affects: 24" diameter, duration: permanent, range: 12") Causes an object or volume of space to be lit as if by sunlight. Monsters affected by sunlight are dazzled but otherwise unharmed. Continuous light is permanent unless dispelled. The reverse, continuous darkness, creates a permanent, 24" diameter sphere of darkness that is impenetrable even to creatures that see in the dark and to the darkvision spell, but not to the true seeing spell.

Find Traps (affects: self, duration: 2 turns, range: 3") The cleric can sense any magical or mechanical trap within sight and range. No insight as to how the trap might be deactivated is conveyed.

Hold Person (affects: 1 or 1-4 persons, duration: 9 turns, range: 18") 1-4 man-types are held immobile if they fail a saving throw versus paralysis. If a single man-type is targeted his saving throw is penalized by −2.

Remove Disease (reversible, affects: 1 creature, duration: permanent, range: touch) Cures the subject of all natural diseases or one supernatural disease such as mummy rot or lycanthropy. The reverse, cause disease, infects the subject with any disease known to the anti-cleric at a touch, possibly requiring an attack roll to touch an unwilling subject.

Speak with Animals (affects: self, duration: 6 turns, range: 3") The cleric can communicate with ordinary animals, including giant-sized sorts, receiving answers to questions subject to a reaction check. The animals will not attack the cleric for the duration, regardless of their reaction, but will perform a favor or service only if the cleric secures a positive (or better) reaction.

3rd Level Cleric Spells

Circle of Protection from Evil (reversible, affects: 1" radius, duration: 12 turns) As per the protection from evil spell, except that the protection extends to a 1" radius around the cleric.

Cure Serious Wounds (reversible, affects: 1 creature, range: touch) The cleric can restore 4-14 lost hit points to any one creature (including himself) after one turn of aid. Hit points cannot be raised beyond the creature’s normal total. The reverse, cause serious wounds, will cause 4-14 hit points of damage at a touch, possibly requiring an attack roll to touch an unwilling target.

Enervate Dead (reversible, affects: 4-48 undead, duration: 7-12 turns, range: 12") Temporarily paralyzes skeletons and zombies with no saving throw allowed. 2-12 undead are enervated for every three whole levels the cleric has. Thus a 6th level cleric can enervate 4-24 undead, a 9th level cleric can enervate 6-36 undead, and a 12th level cleric can enervate 8-48 undead. The reverse, animate dead, causes nearby bones or bodies to rise as half as many undead skeletons or zombies under the anti-cleric’s command. They will obey until destroyed in combat, by a dispel magic, or by a dispel evil spell.

Locate Object (affects: self, duration: 2 turns, range: 9" + 1"/level) The cleric can sense the direction to a well-known or clearly visualized object within range. If more than one object of the visualized sort is in range only the nearest is located. A specific unique object can only be sought by this spell if the cleric has previously observed the object firsthand.

Remove Curse (reversible, affects: 1 curse, duration: permanent, range: touch) Lifts one curse from a creature or object, causing the latter to become a normal, unenchanted item of its type. The reverse, bestow curse, burdens the subject with any curse so named by the anti-cleric. Note that a lawful cleric must specify only lawful curses.

Speak with Dead (affects: self, duration: special, range: 3") An echo of life is bestowed upon the remains of a deceased creature within range so that it can answer 1-6 questions asked by the cleric, subject to a usual reaction check. This spell has no effect if the remains have been deceased longer than one week per level of the cleric.

4th Level Cleric Spells

Control Water (affects: 1 body of water, duration: 12 turns, range: 24") The cleric causes the water level of a river or similar body of water to immediately fall to half its natural depth within 24" of himself, allowing a waterway to be forded, or to rise to half its depth again, precipitating a flash flooding.

Create Food and Drink (reversible, affects: special, range: 1") Creates wholesome food and drink sufficient to feed three men (or one horse or mule) for each of the cleric’s experience levels. The reverse, destroy food and drink, turns a like amount of food and drink to ash.

Cure Critical Wounds (reversible, affects: 1 creature, range: touch) The cleric can restore 6-21 lost hit points to any one creature (including himself) after one turn of aid. Hit points cannot be raised beyond the creature’s normal total. The reverse, cause critical wounds, will cause 6-21 hit points of damage at a touch, possibly requiring an attack roll to touch an unwilling target.

Hold Monster (affects: 1 or 1-4 creatures, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 12") 1-4 creatures are held immobile if they fail a saving throw versus paralysis. If a single creature is targeted its saving throw is penalized by −2.

Neutralize Poison (reversible, affects: 1 poison, duration: permanent, range: 1") A glass of poisoned wine, a venomous monster, an envenomed weapon, or any other poison is rendered non-toxic but this spell will not reverse the effect of a poisoning that has already occurred. The reverse, poison, will cause any food or drink to become deadly poison or any object or creature to become venomous.

Speak with Plants (affects: self, duration: 6 turns, range: 3") The cleric can communicate with ordinary plants and supernatural plant types. He can receive answers to questions subject to a reaction check. The plants will not attack the cleric for the duration, regardless of their reaction, but will perform a favor or service only if the cleric secures a positive (or better) reaction.

5th Level Cleric Spells

Commune (affects: self, duration: special) The cleric seeks divinely given knowledge. The Gods, or their agents, will entertain 1-6 questions with a simple “yes” or “no” answer which will be absolute. Use of this spell is limited to once per adventure, or even more infrequently, for the Gods dislike frequent interruptions. However, on the most Holy day of the year three six-sided dice are thrown with the highest result being the number of questions that will be answered.

Dispel Evil (reversible, affects: 1 enchantment, duration: permanent, range: 3") Immediately dismisses all enchanted or conjured creatures and curses or enchantments of a malign sort within 3". Animated dead are destroyed while conjured insect plagues, djinn, efreet, elementals, and invisible stalkers are sent back to their origin. All curses and malign enchantments within 3" are affected as if by a dispel magic. The reverse, dispel good, functions against enchanted or conjured creatures and enchantments of the benign sort.

Insect Plague (affects: 40" diameter, duration: 1 day, range: 48") Conjures a vast, 4" deep swarm of crawling, creeping, and flying insects which moves at 6" in a direction indicated by the cleric or remains stationary. The swarm obscures vision, impedes movement, and devours all organic material including crops. Smoke, fire, or extreme cold will temporarily delay or divert the swarm but not destroy it. Normal-types will automatically flee but those caught in the plague will suffer innumerable bites and stings amounting to 1 point of damage per combat turn, regardless of armor. Misuse of this spell will cause a cleric to immediately become an anti-cleric.

Quest (affects: 1 subject, duration: special, range: 3") The subject is compelled to perform a quest specified by the cleric. Upon bestowing a quest the cleric also specifies a curse. Should the subject dally or deviate from his quest he will be afflicted by the curse until he resumes the quest. Only the completion of the quest or a successful dispel evil (or dispel good) will end this spell. Note that a lawful cleric must specify only lawful quests and curses.

Raise Dead (reversible, affects: 1 person, duration: permanent, range: touch) Restores life to a deceased man-type who has not been dead any longer than one day per level of the cleric. Rising from the dead is a great ordeal and the subject must make a successful shock survival check in order to be raised. Should this check succeed he returns to life but requires two weeks of recuperation. The reverse, finger of death, causes a baleful ray to issue from the anti-cleric’s pointed finger to any man-type within sight and 12" range. If the target makes a successful saving throw versus wands the effect is negated; otherwise, he dies instantly.

True Seeing (affects: self, duration: 11-16 turns) The cleric sees all things as they actually are. Blindness and darkness (even the magical sort) are defeated. Traps, secret doors, invisible creatures, and hidden object are plainly seen. Illusions and charms are immediately discerned as is the true nature of any polymorphed, petrified, or transmuted creature or object.

1st Level Magic-User Spells

Alter Self (affects: self, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level) The magic-user can assume the appearance of any creature of the same general size and shape as himself. He could appear to be a town guard, a beautiful maiden, or a gnoll but not a horse or a wyvern.

Charm Person (affects: 1 person, duration: special, range: 12") Brings a single man-type who fails to save versus spells completely under the influence of the magic-user. Gross abuse or negligence allows the man-type another saving throw; otherwise, the charm lasts until it is lifted by the magic-user or dispelled.

Color Spray (affects: 12" arc, duration: 2-12 turns) 2-7 seeing creatures are rendered unconscious by a dazzling glare of clashing colors. Those nearest to the magic-user are always affected first, sheltering those farther back. Heroic-types are allowed a saving throw versus spells to negate the effect and superheroic-types are unaffected.

Comprehend Languages (affects: self, duration: special) Enables the magic-user to read any language, cipher, message, map, or other written instruction excepting magical spells or command words. The spell lasts long enough to read two short writings or one longer one, but no power to speak or listen is conferred.

Detect Magic (affects: self, duration: 2 turns, range: 6") The magic-user can sense the presence of any enchantment on a person, place, or object within range and sight.

Fog Wall (affects: 6" wall, duration: special, range: 12"): Conjures a bank of thick fog which persists for as long as the magic-user concentrates on maintaining it. The fog wall is 20ft thick and up to 6" long and 20ft high (or any equivalent dimensions) and is straight or curved as the magic-user desires. It is impenetrable to sight.

Gazeback (affects: self, duration: 6 turns) The magic-user’s eyes become mirrored granting him immunity to dazzling and gaze attacks without impairing his sight. The gaze attacks of basilisks, medusae, and vampires, the mirror of life trapping, and the color spray spell are all defeated. Moreover, any gaze attack attempted within 3" will be reflected back at the attacker exactly as if they had looked into a mirror.

Hold Portal (affects: 1 portal, duration: 2-12 turns, range: 1") Holds one door, gate, window, shutter, or other portal securely fast exactly as though it were locked. The portal can then be opened only by a magic-using creature with at least 7 hit dice, a knock spell, a dispel magic, or a resourceful thief (if these are used).

Light (affects: 3" diameter, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 12") Causes an object or volume of space to be lit as if by torchlight, illuminating a 3" diameter.

Protection from Evil (affects: self, duration: 6 turns) This spell prevents any enchanted or conjured creature from contacting the magic-user. Furthermore, attacks made against the magic-user by other chaotic types will be at −2 to hit and the magic-user will make saving throws at +2.

Read Magic (affects: self, duration: special) Enables the magic-user to decipher spells on scrolls or in spell books, or magical inscriptions or command words on other objects. The spell lasts long enough to comprehend two short writings or one longer one. Spells written by other magic-users are incomprehensible without the use of this spell.

Sleep (affects: 1 or 4-14 creatures, duration: 3-18 turns, range: 24") Causes 4-14 normal-types or 1 heroic-type with up to 4+1 hit dice to fall into a fitful slumber. The magic is indiscriminate and must affect the indicated number of creatures beginning with those nearest the target. The magic affects only creatures that normally sleep but no saving throw is allowed.

2nd Level Magic-User Spells

Continuous Light (affects: 24" diameter, duration: permanent, range: 12") Causes an object or volume of space to be lit as if by torchlight, illuminating a 24" diameter. Continuous light is permanent unless dispelled.

Darkvision (affects: 1 creature, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: touch) The subject can see up to 6" in darkness.

Detect Invisibility (affects: self, duration: 6 turns, range: 1"/level) The magic-user can plainly see invisible, hidden, ghostly, or otherwise transparent creatures and objects within range and line of sight.

Invisibility (affects: 1 target, duration: special, range: 24") One object or creature becomes invisible. If the subject takes overtly hostile action the spell is ended immediately; otherwise, it lasts indefinitely. Note that fighters of 8th level and above will sense invisible opponents within 3" even without seeing them.

Knock (affects: portals, range: 6") Opens all known and unlocked doors, windows, gates, and other portals within range, or exactly one such portal which is known to exist but is stuck, barred, locked, or magically held.

Levitate (affects: self, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level) The magic-user levitates up or down as desired at a rate of 6". The spell will not move him laterally, although he might still clamber along a cliff face or ceiling with his hands at a rate of 3".

Locate Object (affects: self, duration: 2 turns, range: 6" + 1"/level) The magic-user can sense the direction to a well-known or clearly visualized object within range. If more than one object of the visualized sort is in range only the nearest is located. A specific unique object can only be sought by this spell if the magic-user has previously observed the object firsthand.

Phantasm (affects: 3" diameter, duration: concentration, range: 24") Creates a convincing, animated phantasm that persists for as long as the magic-user continues to concentrate on controlling it. A saving throw versus spells is allowed each turn that someone doubts the phantasm’s veracity. A successful saving throw enables them to end the phantasm by purposefully touching it. Otherwise, the phantasm is considered “real” for all purposes including causing real damage.

Protection from Missiles (affects: 1 creature, duration: 12 turns, range: 3") The subject is granted invulnerability to ordinary missiles including spears, stones, arrows, and bolts. This protection does not extend to artillery shot, boulders hurled by giants, ordinary missiles fired by heroic-types, or enchanted missiles of any sort.

Sixth Sense (affects: self, duration: 12 turns, range: 6") The magic-user concentrates on a specific direction for one turn in order to sense what creatures are within range in that direction. Having sensed creatures, the magic-user can perceive the surface thoughts of any one creature at a time, listening in for as long as desired. He can hop from creature to creature as desired, turn by turn, unless the magic is obstructed by lead or any rock thicker than 20ft.

Web (affects: 2" diameter or 3"×1", duration: permanent, range: 3") Fills the targeted area to 10ft depth with strong, sticky, inflammable fibers. Creatures at the edge are allowed a saving throw versus breath weapon to avoid entanglement but those that are wholly surrounded cannot avoid it. Giants and similarly powerful creatures can tear through the web in a single turn, as can a flaming sword cut through its fibers. Ogres, trolls, and men with 18 strength can tear through it in two turns. Normal men require four turns of toil to tear through the web while lesser creatures will be held fast.

Witch Lock (affects: 1 portal, duration: permanent, range: 1") As per a hold portal spell except that a witch lock lasts indefinitely and can be placed on anything that can be opened including chests, draws, wardrobes, flasks, books, and portals. A knock spell or the magic-user who created the witch lock can bypass it without ending the spell, as can any other magic-user at least three levels higher than the caster.

3rd Level Magic-User Spells

Circle of Invisibility (affects: 1" radius, duration: special, range: 24") All creatures within 1" of the magic-user, or any point within sight and range, are affected as per the invisibility spell. The spell does not enable affected creatures to see one another.

Circle of Protection from Evil (affects: 1" radius, duration: 12 turns) As per the protection from evil spell except that the protection extends to a 1" radius about the magic-user.

Clairvoyance (affects: self, duration: 12 turns, range: 6") The magic-user can see in his mind’s eye anywhere he desires within range except that the spell is obstructed by lead or any rock thicker than 20ft.

Dispel Magic (affects: 1 enchantment, duration: permanent, range: 12") Ends any ongoing spell that was begun by a caster of equal or lower level. If the ongoing spell was begun by a higher level caster there is a 10% chance for each level he has over and above the magic-user’s level that the dispel magic will fail. Instantaneous spells cannot be dispelled, nor will this spell affect magic items.

Fireball (affects: 2" radius, duration: instantaneous, range: 24") The magic-user points his finger at a target anywhere within range and sight and causes a fiery explosion to fill a 2" radius, or an equivalent volume of available space (twelve 10ft cubes on a typical dungeon map). Everyone caught within the blast suffers 1-6 hit points of damage per level of the magic-user to a maximum of 10-60 hit points. A successful saving throw versus breath weapon will reduce this damage by half.

Fly (affects: self, duration: 1-6 turns + 1 turn/level) Enables the magic-user to fly at a movement rate up to 12". The spell duration is determined secretly by the referee.

Haste (affects: 4-24 creatures, duration: 3 turns, range: 24") 4-24 creatures within a 4" diameter are quickened. Affected creatures will move at double pace and, against any non-quickened creature, will always gain initiative and have a +2 to hit adjustment. Those nearest to the target are always affected first. At the end of the spell each affected creature must save versus petrification or else age one year. Haste counters slow and vice versa.

Hold Person (affects: 1 or 1-4 persons, duration: 1-6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 12") 1-4 man-types are held immobile if they fail a saving throw versus paralysis. If a single man-type is targeted his saving throw is penalized by −2.

Lightning Bolt (affects: 6", duration: instantaneous, range: 18") Unleashes a stroke of lightning at any target in range and sight. It passes directly through creatures but reflects off hard surfaces, possibly even doubling back, so that it is always 6" long; thus the maximum reach of this spell is up to 24". Everyone passed through suffers 1-6 hit points damage per level of the magic-user to a maximum of 10-60 hit points. A successful saving throw versus wands will reduce this damage by half.

Plant Growth (affects: 30"×30" or 33" diameter, duration: permanent, range: 12") Causes existing vegetation within a 33" diameter (or equivalent area) to become absurdly overgrown and virtually impassable. The growth lasts until it is hacked or burned away or until it is dispelled.

Slow (affects: 4-24 creatures, duration: 3 turns, range: 24") 4-24 creatures within a 4" diameter are slowed. Affected creatures will move at half pace and, against any non-slowed creature, will always lose initiative and have a −2 to hit adjustment. Those nearest to the target are always affected first. Slow counters haste and vice versa.

Water Breathing (affects: 1 creature, duration: 12 turns, range: 3") The targeted creature is empowered to breathe normally under water. No buoyancy or ability to swim is conferred.

4th Level Magic-User Spells

Animal Growth (affects: 1-6 animals, duration: 12 turns, range: 12") Causes 1-6 ordinary animals within range and sight to grow to giant size, assuming all of the game statistics of the giant sort. If no such statistics are given assume that size and hit dice are doubled. The disposition of the animals toward the magic-user is unaffected by this spell.

Animate Dead (affects: 2-24 dead, duration: permanent, range: 3") Causes nearby bones or bodies to rise as undead skeletons or zombies under the magic-user’s command. 1-6 undead are animated for every three whole levels the magic-user has. Thus a 7th or 8th level magic-user can animate 2-12 undead, a 9th, 10th or 11th level magic-user can animate 3-18 undead, and a 12th level magic-user can animate 4-24 undead. They will obey until destroyed in combat, by a dispel magic, or a dispel evil spell.

Charm Monster (affects: 1 or 3-18 creatures, duration: special, range: 12") Brings 3-18 normal-types or a single heroic/superheroic-type that fails to save versus spells completely under the influence of the magic-user. Gross abuse or negligence allows the monster (or monsters) an additional saving throw; otherwise, the charm lasts until it is lifted by the magic-user or is dispelled.

Confusion (affects: 3-18 creatures, duration: 12 turns, range: 12") Causes confusion in 3-18 creatures. The magic is indiscriminate and must affect the indicated number of creatures beginning with those nearest to the target. Heroic/superheroic-types are allowed a saving throw versus spells to negate the effect; otherwise, each individual’s behavior is determined randomly each turn.

Table 1.22 Confused Behavior

1-6

Behavior

1

Stand oblivious, staring off into the distance

2

Walk quietly away

3

Sit and eat whatever is nearby

4

Shout poetry angrily (or equivilent)

5

Run in a random direction at maximum pace

6

Attack the nearest creature

Dimension Door (affects: 1 subject, duration: instantaneous, range: 1") The magic-user or other subject steps from his present location to any destination within 36" specified by distance and direction.

Fear (affects: 6" arc, duration: 6 turns, range: 6") Sends a wave of panic out in an arc before the magic-user to 6" range. All normal-types in the area of effect will immediately flee for six turns. Heroic-types are allowed a saving throw versus spells to negate the effect.

Hallucinatory Terrain (affects: 160" diameter, duration: special, range: 24") Creates an illusionary terrain that conceals the underlying geography and is convincing in every way from a distance. The hallucination will not stand up to close inspection, however, and can be seen through automatically by any intelligent being who examines it carefully from within.

Polymorph (affects: self, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level) Transforms the magic-user into any creature he desires. He assumes the size, strength, mobility, armor class, and physical attack and damage capabilities of his new form, excluding supernatural abilities such as breath weapons, gaze attacks, and spell casting. He retains his own intelligence, hit points, saving throws, and ability to speak and cast spells.

Remove Curse (affects: 1 curse, duration: permanent, range: touch) Lifts one curse from a creature or object causing the latter to become a normal, unenchanted item of its type.

Wall of Fire (affects: 6" wall, duration: concentration, range: 6") Conjures a blazing curtain of fire which persists for as long as the magic-user concentrates upon maintaining it. The wall of fire is 5ft thick and up to 6" long and 20ft high (or any equivalent dimensions). It can be straight or curved as the magic-user desires, including a 10ft high 4" diameter circle. Creatures of fire are unaffected except by its opaqueness. The wall is otherwise impenetrable to normal-types while heroic/superheroic-types suffer 1-6 hit points of damage for bursting through. Creatures of cold and undead instead suffer 2-12 hit points. A wall of fire and a white dragon’s breath (or blast from a wand of ice) will negate one another, resulting in a double-sized fog wall.

Wall of Ice (affects: 6" wall, duration: permanent, range: 12") Conjures a steaming cold bulkhead of hard pack ice. The wall of ice is 5ft thick and up to 6" long and 20ft high (or any equivalent dimensions). It can be straight or curved as the magic-user desires, including a 10ft high 4" diameter circle. A wall of ice is opaque and is impenetrable to normal-types. Heroic/superheroic-types can attempt to crash through a wall of ice as they might break down doors. Any such attempt causes 1-6 hit points of damage except to creatures of cold (who are unharmed) and creatures of fire who instead suffer 2-12 hit points. A wall of ice and a red dragon’s breath (or fireball) will negate one another, resulting in a double-sized fog wall.

Witch Eye (affects: self, duration: 6 turns, range: 1") Conjures an invisible, floating eye that flies at a rate of 12" per turn to anywhere the magic-user desires within 24". The magic-user can see in his mind’s eye everything that the witch eye sees.

5th Level Magic-User Spells

Baleful Polymorph (affects: 1 creature, duration: permanent, range: 6") Transforms a subject within range into any creature the magic-user desires. The subject must immediately make a shock survival check with failure resulting in death. Otherwise, he assumes the size, strength, mobility, armor class, and physical attack and damage capabilities of the new form including supernatural abilities such as breath weapons and gaze attacks, but excluding spell casting. He retains his own intelligence, hit points, saving throws, and ability to speak and cast spells. The transformation is permanent until dispelled.

Cloudkill (affects: 3" diameter, duration: 6 turns, range: 1") Conjures a 3" diameter bank of dense, poisonous fog which rolls along the ground at a rate of 3" either with the wind or away from the magic-user. The vapors are heavier than air and will sink to the lowest lay of the land, pouring down sinkholes or openings for example. Any normal-type that breathes the fog is immediately slain. Heroic-types are allowed a saving throw versus poison to avoid death and superheroic-types are unaffected.

Contact Other Plane (affects: self, duration: special) The magic-user seeks knowledge from powerful beings on other planes of existence. These will answer the magic-user’s questions with a “yes” or “no” answer which will be absolute. 1-6 questions (determined secretly by the referee) will be entertained safely. For each additional question asked the magic-user must make a successful saving throw versus spells or be feebleminded for 1-6 weeks.

Feeblemind (affects: 1 creature, duration: permanent, range: 24") One intelligent creature within range and sight must save versus spells at −4 or become a mental invalid. A feebleminded creature can neither read, write, figure, communicate in any coherent fashion, nor cast spells or use command words. The spell lasts until it is canceled by a dispel magic.

Hold Monster (affects: 1 or 1-4 creatures, duration: 6 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 12") 1-4 creatures are held immobile if they fail a saving throw versus paralysis. If a single creature is targeted its saving throw is penalized by −2.

Invoke Elemental (affects: 1 elemental, duration: special, range: 24") Conjures one earth, air, fire, or water elemental of the 16 hit dice sort. The elemental does the magic-user’s will until it is destroyed in combat or is dismissed by the magic-user or a dispel evil. The magic-user may move at half rate but controlling the elemental requires the remainder of his concentration. If he should lose concentration (by being hit, for example) he can no longer dismiss the elemental and it will attack him immediately. No more than one elemental of each type can be conjured per day.

Magic Jar (affects: self, duration: special, range: 3") The magic-user sends his spirit into a gem, crystal, or similar vessel within 3", leaving his own body helpless. From there the magic-user can attempt to possess any creature that approaches within 12". He can automatically repossess his own body but others are allowed a saving throw versus spells. Should they fail this saving throw the magic-user possesses them and assumes full control of their physical faculties while retaining his own intellect. The magic-user’s spirit can return to the magic jar at any time and automatically does so if ever the possessed body is slain. If his own body has died in the meanwhile he is trapped in the magic jar until another body can be possessed. If the magic jar is destroyed while the magic-user’s spirit is resident, he is utterly annihilated and cannot be raised or reincarnated.

Passwall (affects: 1" tunnel, duration: 3 turns, range: 3") Opens a tunnel up to 5ft in diameter and 1" deep through any wall—including solid rock but excluding solid iron.

Telekinesis (affects: 20lb/level, duration: 6 turns, range: 12") Any object or objects (including living things) within sight and range whose total mass does not exceed 20lb per level of the magic-user can be moved by thought alone. Objects can be moved from anywhere within range to anywhere else within range in a single turn.

Teleport (affects: 1 subject, duration: instantaneous, range: touch) Instantly transports the magic-user (or other subject) from place to place regardless of distance, possibly requiring an attack roll to touch an unwilling subject. The magic-user must be very familiar with the destination or risk an error. If he is only passingly familiar with the destination an error will occur with a throw of 1 on a six-sided die. If he has only seen the destination once an error will occur with a throw of 1-2. If he has never seen the destination an error will occur with a throw of 1-3. When an error occurs the subject will arrive either 10-60ft too high or too low (50% chance of either). Teleporting into mid-air results in a fall; teleporting into solid earth results in death.

Transmute Rock to Mud (reversible, affects: 30"×30" or 33" diameter, duration: 3-18 days, range: 12") Transmutes a large area of rock or earth into a 10ft deep mud slough, undermining structures, drowning heavy creatures, and otherwise reducing movement to 3". The mud will dry after 3-18 days leaving the rock or earth in its former state. Transmute rock to mud can be canceled immediately by a transmute mud to rock spell and vice versa.

Wall of Stone (affects: 6" wall, duration: permanent, range: 6") Conjures an imposing bulkhead of solid stone 5ft thick and up to 6" long and 20ft high (or any equivalent dimensions). It can be plain or featured and straight or curved, as the magic-user desires, including a 10ft high 4" diameter circle. It is impenetrable to all but the ordinary means of tunneling or battery, except that it can be dismissed by a dispel magic.

6th Level Magic-User Spells

Anti-Magic Shield (affects: self, duration: 12 turns) An invisible barrier surrounds the magic-user so that no spell or spell-like effect (including charms and gaze attacks) may pass in either direction for the duration. It is impervious even to dispel magic.

Control Water (affects: 1 body of water, duration: 12 turns, range: 24") The magic-user causes the water level of a river or similar body of water within 24" of himself to immediately fall to half its natural depth (allowing a waterway to be forded) or to rise to half its depth again (precipitating a flash flooding).

Control Weather (affects: 1 geographic region, duration: permanent) Invokes a single desired weather condition in the local geographical region the magic-user is in. The weather condition may be extreme but must be naturally occurring. The weather will take 1-6 turns to change but will then last until dispelled.

Disintegrate (affects: 1 target, range: 6") A deadly beam of darkness irrevocably disintegrates any single non-magical object or creature. Creatures are allowed a saving throw versus wands to avoid the beam and negate the effect; otherwise, any inanimate matter up to 1" cube (or any equivalent volume) can be instantaneously disintegrated.

Geas (affects: 1 subject, duration: special, range: 3") The subject is compelled to perform a quest specified by the magic-user. Should the subject dally or deviate from his quest he will lose 1-6 points of strength each day until he either dies or resumes the quest. Only the completion of the quest or a successful dispel evil (or dispel good) will end this spell.

Invoke Stalker (affects: 1 stalker, duration: special, range 1") Conjures an invisible stalker from the null-dimensions which the magic-user can instruct to carry out some task. The invisible stalker will perform this mission single-mindedly until the task is completed, it is destroyed in combat, or is dismissed by a dispel evil. It will resent this servitude, however, and if after any day of service the referee throws a 12 on two six-sided dice the invisible stalker will subvert the magic-user’s intent by observing his orders absolutely literally to the letter. If ordered to guard a treasure hoard, for example, it might take the hoard to its home dimension and guard it there.

Move Earth (affects: 1 body of earth, duration: 6 turns, range: 24") Above ground this spell causes a hill, ridge, bluff, or similar body of earth within range and sight to be moved. Underground it moves a cavern, chamber, passageway, or similar feature through the ground, or else moves some protuberance of earth within a large cavern. The body of earth is moved at a gentle rate of 6". Creatures, vegetation, and structures can be carried along unharmed or structures can be undermined, at the referee’s discretion. Alternatively, a clay golem or earth elemental can be driven back 12" suffering 6-36 damage. Note that earth is moved but not reshaped.

Project Image (affects: 1 image, duration: 6 turns, range: 24") Projects a quasi-real image of the magic-user anywhere within range and sight. The image is indistinguishable from the magic-user and is completely under his control. He knows everything his image senses and can direct it to perform any action he himself could perform including casting spells. The image is impervious to harm except that a successful dispel magic will end its existence. Spells originating from the image are in actuality cast by the magic-user and are erased from his memory as usual.

Reincarnation (affects: 1 creature, duration: permanent, range: touch) Restores a slain character to life in another body so long as he has not been dead any longer than one day per level of the magic-user. Rising from the dead is a great ordeal and the subject must make a successful shock survival check in order to reincarnate. Should this prove successful his body is transformed (according to his alignment) and he awakes without need for recuperation.

Table 1.23 Reincarnation Outcome

Subject’s Alignment

1-10

Chaotic

Neutral

Lawful

1

Anti-cleric

Caveman

Cleric

2

Doppelganger

Centaur

Dryad

3

Fighter

Doppelganger

Dwarf

4

Hobgoblin

Dwarf

Elf

5

Lizardman

Elf

Fighter

6

Magic-user

Fighter

Gnome

7

Minotaur

Halfling

Halfling

8

Ogre

Magic-user

Magic-user

9

Orc

Pixie

Unicorn

10

Wereboar

Weretiger

Werebear

The reincarnated character retains his former intelligence, wisdom, and memories but otherwise assumes all faculties of his new form. Any former spell casting ability is lost. If a player character class or race is indicated throw a six-sided die to determine the character’s new level. Elves may split their levels between the fighting and magic-using (and thieving, if thieves are used) classes. Halflings will have only half as many levels as indicated. No character can advance in level by reincarnation in any case.

Slaying Spell (affects: 4-24 creatures, range: 24") Instantly slays 4-24 creatures within a 7" diameter area. The spell is indiscriminate and must affect the indicated number of creatures beginning with those nearest to the target. No saving throw is allowed but superheroic-types are unaffected.

Stone to Flesh (reversible, affects: 1 creature, duration: permanent, range: 12") Restores one petrified creature (and any possessions) to living flesh. Returning to the flesh is a great ordeal and the subject must make a successful shock survival check or else be slain. The reverse, flesh to stone, turns one living creature (and any possessions carried) to stone. A successful saving throw versus petrification will negate the effect.

Wall of Iron (affects: 6" wall, duration: permanent, range: 6") Conjures a daunting bulkhead of solid iron 1ft thick and up to 6" long and 20ft high (or any equivalent dimensions). It can be plain or featured and straight or curved, as the magic-user desires, including a 10ft high 4" diameter circle. It is impervious to spells such as sixth sense, passwall, and transmute rock to mud and is largely impenetrable to ordinary means of battery or attack. It can be dismissed by a successful dispel magic.

SECTION II:

DELVING & EXPLORATION

PREPARATION FOR THE CAMPAIGN

The referee should be comfortable with these rules and the mechanics of play, but even then a new campaign requires some preparation before play can start. The referee begins by envisaging a fantasy world in which his new campaign will take place. He need not etch out the entire history of the world immediately; the merest hint of what the world might promise is sufficient at this early stage. Next, he requires the outline of a continent or similar region for the players to explore. Finally, he requires a detailed map of a town or village and the countryside in which play will begin.

The referee should familiarize himself with the geography, water sources, and settlements (human and otherwise) near to the start of play, noting any particular detail of each. Using broad strokes rather than exacting detail will save time and allow room for the players to influence the world, encouraging a dynamic campaign that feels “alive”.

After establishing the campaign world the referee should map several underworld dungeons and stock these with monsters, treasures, and magical items. Once these dungeons are created the referee should mark them on his map somewhere in the vicinity of the start of play. The campaign is then ready and the players can begin exploring the fantasy milieu in which they find themselves.

The Referee’s Supplies

In addition to those supplies recommended for players the referee should furnish himself with the following:

The Essentials:

- Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition (you have it!),

- Polyhedral dice (two pair of six-sided dice and one pair each of four-, eight-, ten-, twelve-, and twenty-sided dice),

- A campaign log or notebook to keep track of characters, places, monsters, non-player characters and monsters, and treasures,

- A campaign calendar for timekeeping,

- A creative mind and the ability to “run the show”.

Optional Extras:

- Additional dice (with twenty-sided dice optionally marked 0-9 twice),

- Additional miniatures to represent monsters,

- Scale models or maps of dungeons and wilderness environs,

- Mass battles rules such as Chainmail, De Bellis Fantasticus, Book of War, or similar.

CREATING A WORLD

The referee begins by creating a map of the world on a sheet of hex paper. This map need not be extensive as exploration of the unknown is a desired element of the campaign. It must, however, remain unknown to the players.

Each hex should be 6 miles wide on this map such that an unencumbered man afoot can cover two hexes per day of good hiking and an encumbered man can cover one hex per day.

The referee should note at least one civilized settlement (the village, town, or stronghold where play will begin) near the center of his map. He should then add any immediately surrounding features including other villages, nearby towns, a keep, a ruin, caves, a forest, a swamp, and so on. The referee should name each feature and decide whether it is abandoned or inhabited, and (if so) by whom? Denizens might be ordinary lawful folk, elves, bandits, a knight and his entourage, orcs, trolls, an evil high priest, and so on. Thus the game world begins to take shape.

The Start of Play

Play should commence in a (relatively) safe haven such as a town, village, or stronghold. Towns are busy regional centers, home to 1,000-6,000 folk from all walks of life including many itinerants. Villages are quiet, agrarian communities of 100-400 farming folk. Strongholds are occupied by bodies of 30-180 soldiery along with a prominent leader and his supporting entourage. Wherever they begin, players should be able to acquire their starting goods and rumors of possible adventures.

Legend and Rumors

The players might already know some of the campaign’s cultural folklore. Other tales and local legends can be devised by the referee and learned by the players as required.

The arrival or formation of a company of armed adventurers will not go unnoticed and, unless the players take pains to conceal their purpose, rumors will quickly spread. The players may, of course, desire to advertise their presence in order to gain employment.

Obtaining news and rumors is thereafter a matter of visiting local inns and common rooms where a liberal round of drinks worth 10-60 gp will usually get tongues wagging, or where an earnest barkeep might be willing to help for 1-6 gp. Misinformation may be learned at the referee’s discretion.

Angry Villagers

In time the players might become fearless heroes (or feared anti-heroes). This does not imply that exploitation of the common folk will be without consequence. Unhappy commoners will first seek the protection of the church and their local lords. Failing that they will seek out a hero to fight their cause or, ultimately, rise up as an angry lynch mob to run despots and villains out of town.

Hireling and Retainer Loyalty

Whenever hirelings or retainers are taken on the referee should secretly determine their loyalty score. A hireling or retainer’s loyalty score is determined with a throw of three six-sided dice, then adjusted according to an initial reaction check (−2 to +2), the character’s loyalty adjustment due to charisma (−2 to +4), and whether or not the hireling or retainer is a disinherited relative (0 to −5). The result is noted by the referee, to be referred to whenever subsequent reaction or morale checks are required.

Table 2.1 Loyalty

Reaction or Morale

Loyalty

Adjustment

3 or less

*

4-5

–2

6-8

–1

9-12

.

13-15

+1

16-17

+2

18 or more

**

* Will betray or desert at the first opportunity.

** Will never betray or desert.

The Dice

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition referees require polyhedral dice of the four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve-, and twenty-sided sorts and are assumed to possess these.

Wherever number ranges appear in the text the referee should throw the appropriate number of dice to produce a result within the specified range. For example, a range of 1-6 is generated by throwing a six-sided die, a range of 2-7 is generated by throwing a six-sided die and adding 1 to the result, a range of 2-10 is generated by throwing a six- and a four-sided die and summing the results, and so on.

Common number ranges are given in the table below—the referee can extrapolate other ranges from these examples. A ten-sided die should ideally be a twenty-sided polyhedron marked 0-9 twice, but alternatively can be a ten-sided polyhedron marked 0-9 once (although these are not a platonic solid).

A range of 1-100 can be generated with a throw of two ten-sided dice. The result of the first die is multiplied by ten before the pair is summed. Thus, a throw of 4 and 2 makes 42, a throw of 6 and 0 makes 60, and a throw of 0 and 6 makes 06. A double zero makes 100.

Table 2.2 Dice to Roll for Number Ranges

Number

Four

Six

Eight

Ten

Twelve

Twenty

of Dice

Sided

Sided

Sided

Sided

Sided

Sided

1

1-4

1-6

1-8

1-10

1-12

1-20

1+1

2-5

2-7

2-9

2-11

2-13

2-21

1+2

3-6

3-8

3-10

3-12

3-14

3-22

2

2-8

2-12

2-16

2-20

2-24

2-40

2+1

3-9

3-13

3-17

3-21

3-25

3-41

3

3-12

3-18

3-24

3-30

3-36

3-60

CREATING A DUNGEON

Before the players can explore the labyrinthine underworld the referee must map at least one such dungeon on a sheet of graph paper. A dungeon should have many levels and sub-levels that are interconnected by stairs, trapdoors, chutes, slanting passages, and so on. The referee is advised to begin by drawing a cross section of the entire structure in order to understand the means of egress between the various levels.

It is desirable that there be several dungeon entrances, that there be a number routes between the various levels, and that richer areas be harder to find. Deeper dungeon levels will be more rewarding but also more dangerous, so players should (usually) be allowed to navigate to the desired dungeon level when such routes are known.

A dungeon need not be mapped completely—it may well be vast or even limitless. It should, however, extend as far as the players are likely to explore in their initial delve. Thus, the referee is advised to plan much of the first level and some parts of the second and third levels. Each square of a dungeon level plan should represent 10ft in the dungeon and, like the campaign map, dungeon maps must remain unknown to the players.

Having drawn a cross section and begun mapping of the first few levels, the referee should give the dungeon a name and note at least one entrance to the first dungeon level on his campaign map.

Populating a Dungeon

With a dungeon level planned, or substantially so, the referee must distribute monsters, traps, and treasure throughout the maze. The principal treasures should be placed thoughtfully, then random determination used to fill the balance of the level.

The referee should throw two six-sided dice for each unpopulated dungeon location and consult the table of random dungeon locations.

Map by Dyson Logos

Table 2.3 Random Dungeon Locations

2-12

Content

2

Treasure guarded by trap

3

Trick or trap

4

Treasure guarded by monster

5

Monster

6-8

Empty room

9

Monster

10

Treasure guarded by monster

11-12

Unguarded treasure

Empty Rooms

Empty rooms occur frequently and will usually be welcomed even if they are foreboding or completely nondescript. These might be used by the players to rest or regroup, lay ambushes, establish a defensible position, or whatever else the referee allows.

Monsters

Where Monsters are indicated the referee should consult the random monster tables for the appropriate dungeon level. Note that monsters are not all “meant” to be beatable. Some will be deadly foes and players should learn to flee from these.

Table 2.4 Random Encounter Table Determination

Dungeon

Dungeon Encounter Table to Consult

Level

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

1-4

5

6

.

.

.

2

1-2

3-4

5

6

.

.

3

.

1-2

3-4

5

6

.

4-5

.

.

1

2-3

4-5

6

6-7

.

.

.

1

2-5

6

8-9

.

.

.

.

1-4

5-6

10-12

.

.

.

.

1-2

3-6

13-15

.

.

.

.

.

1-6

Table 2.6 Dungeon Encounter Tables

1-20

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

1

Centipedes, large

Ants, giant

Apes

2

Dogs

Boars

Beetles, giant

3

Dragons, hatchling

Cavemen

Centaurs

4

Dwarfs

Centipedes, giant

Doppelgangers

5

Elves

Crabs, giant

Dragons, adult

6

Gnomes

Crocodiles

Elemental (8 HD)

7

Goblins

Dragons, young

Gargoyles

8

Halflings

Gelatinous cube

Medusae

9

Hobgoblins

Ghouls

Mummies

10

Kobolds

Gnolls

Non-player characters

11

Men

Gray ooze

Ochre jelly

12

Non-player characters

Green slime

Ogres

13

Orcs

Leeches, giant

Spiders, giant

14

Pixes

Lizard men

Thulls

15

Rats, giant

Men

Weasels, giant

16

Skeletons

Men, zealots

Wereboars

17

Snakes, large

Non-player characters

Weretigers

18

Spiders, large

Shadows

Werewovles

19

Wolves

Toads, giant

Wight apes

20

Zombies

Wolves, giant

Wraiths

Table 2.6 (Continued) Dungeon Encounter Tables

1-20

Table 4

Table 5

Table 6

1

Basilisks

Black pudding

Cyclops

2

Cave bears

Chimeras

Dinosaurs, brontosaurs

3

Crocodiles, giant

Dragons, old

Dinosaurs, triceratops

4

Djinni

Efreeti

Dinosaurs, tyrannosaurs

5

Dragons, mature

Elemental (16 HD)

Dragon turtles

6

Elemental (12 HD)

Elementals, 1-6 (12 HD)

Dragons, ancient

7

Elementals, 1-6 (8 HD)

Giants, fire

Dragons, ancient, 5*

8

Giants, hill

Giants, frost

Elementals, 1-6 (16 HD)

9

Griffons

Giants, Stone

Giants, cloud

10

Hydra (5-7 headed)

Golems, clay

Giants, storm

11

Manticoras

Golems, flesh

Gothrogs

12

Minotaurs

Gorgons

Hydra (11-12 headed)

13

Non-player characters

Hydra (8-10 headed)

Juggernaut

14

Salamanders

Living statue, iron

Living statues, iron, 1-4

15

Scorpions, giant

Living statue, stone

Living statues, stone, 2-8

16

Snakes, giant

Mastodons

Non-player characters

17

Spectres

Men, zealots (100+)

Men, zealots (300)

18

Trolls

Non-player characters

Purple worms

19

Werebears

Vampires

Titan

20

Wyverns

Woolly rhinoceroses

Woolly mammoths

* One dragon of each chaotic type; white, black, green, blue, and red.

Tricks and Traps

Trick and traps can be devious or deadly and can occur almost anywhere.

Table 2.5 Tricks and Traps

2-12

Type

2

Geas/Charm

3

Distortion

4

Trick stair

5

Sloping passage

6

Shifting wall

7

Oblique construction

8

Trick door

9

Pit

10

Illusion

11

Sinking room

12

Teleportation

Distortions can alter the appearance of distance, the sense of depth, scale, or direction, or even the flow of time and can frustrate even diligent mapping. A miniaturized Kingdom could be hidden in a bottle or a room or dungeon level could accelerate time one-hundred fold.

Geases will compel a victim to perform some quest, deed, or undesirable action. Possibilities include abandoning all carried treasure in a nearby vault, submitting oneself to an evil high priest, converting a dozen people to the chaotic alignment, or slaying the dragon on the next dungeon level.

Illusions can be of anything at all including glamorous treasure, impassible obstacles, irresistible feasts, distraught prisoners, luxurious appointments over squalor, or solid footing over openings. The purpose of these is to deter or delay progress, draw the unwary into a trap, conceal some route or object, or to raise an alarm if meddled with.

Oblique Construction includes any room or passage are not aligned perfectly north-south or east-west, but at an oblique angle. The difference should not be immediately noticed by players so as to prevent them from mapping the dungeon too accurately.

Pits are typically 10-40ft deep and either open or covered by trapdoor lids. When passed over a trapdoor will open if the referee throws a 5-6 on a six-sided die and some will automatically snap shut. A pit could be empty or contain a monster. Hitting the bottom will cause 1-6 hit points of damage per 10ft fallen and any monster present will automatically have the advantage of surprise in the following turn. Deep pits could be filled with water causing armored characters to drown. Shallow pits could contain spears or jagged rocks pointing upward that will cause an additional 2-12 hit points of damage should anyone fall upon them. Spears present may or may not be poisoned.

Shifting Walls might be moved by player action or by automation, intermittently revealing (or concealing) stairs, passages, or secret vaults or simply preventing the players from returning the way they came. Fresh dungeon sections can be revealed and tried sections hidden. Whole sections can move in a clockwork labyrinth.

Sinking Rooms can seal the players in by closing portals or by barring exits with heavy weights. Some will then fill with water, green slime, or monsters. Others will carry the players to a lower dungeon level with no possible recourse—or seem to while in fact only turning on the same level.

Sloping Passages or halls descend gently and will not be noticed by players (other than dwarfs). These can see the players inadvertently exploring the next deeper dungeon level.

Teleportation will instantly send an individual or a group elsewhere upon touching a gem, skull, or mirror, or upon passing through a portal. Possible destinations include an identical room with nothing to indicate that teleportation has occurred, a dragon’s lair, a safe haven, another dungeon level, a location thousands of miles away, or even another planet or alternate dimension.

Trick Doors are of many kinds including secret doors, false doors or portals that lead only to dead ends, doors that will open only when a password is spoken or a riddle is solved, doors that can be opened from one side but not the other, portals that can only be found intermittently, or doors whose destination changes each time they are used. The possibilities are endless.

Trick Stairs are of various designs including stairs not deep enough to change level, stairs whose destination changes each time they are used, stairs that collapse into a steeply inclined slide which is a one-way route to a monster lair or deeper dungeon level, stairs that can only be found intermittently, and so on.

Treasure Guarded by Monsters

Monsters guarding treasure are determined with the random monster tables. If the resulting monster has a treasure type and appropriate numbers can be accommodated then the location can be a lair. Otherwise it is not a lair and the treasure includes 400-2,400 sp per dungeon level, 50% chance of 200-1,200 gp per dungeon level, 5% chance per dungeon level of 1-6 gems + 1 gem per dungeon level, 5% chance per dungeon level of 1-6 pieces of jewelry, and 5% chance per two dungeon levels of one item from the Magic Items table.

Where non-player characters are indicated, these are bands of 1-6 player-types of randomly determined class; fighters, magic-users, or clerics (with thieves optionally appearing). Each non-player character has 1-3 experience levels plus as many experience levels as the dungeon level they are encountered on. The whole group will be accompanied by 2-12 mercenaries as well as 1-6 pages, acolytes, or apprentices with up to half as many experience levels as their least experienced superior.

Fighters have a 10% chance per experience level of possessing a magic sword and are half as likely to possess a magic shield or magic armor. Clerics are 2% likely per experience level to possess a magic mace, flail, hammer, or staff and are 5% likely to possess a magic shield or magic armor. Magic-users are 5% likely per experience level to possess a magic wand and are equally likely to possess a magic ring or a miscellaneous magic item. In all cases, check separately for each item.

Treasure Guarded by Traps

Traps are frequently set to guard treasures. Where this is indicated the trap can be designed thoughtfully to fit the environs or determined with the tricks and traps table (substituting a deadly trap for any sloping passage or oblique construction). The treasure is as described above.

Unguarded Treasure

Unguarded treasures are as above and should be hidden behind secret doors, under trapdoors or floors, up chimneys, made to look plain or invisible by illusions, or locked in safes or strong boxes. In short, the players should face some challenge to gain them.

UNDERWORLD EXPLORATION

The referee is advised to keep careful track of time and resources as the players explore the underworld. Exploration is conducted in turns of 10 minute duration with 1" representing 10ft. Thus a movement rate of 12" is reckoned to be 120ft underground with two such moves allowed per turn of cautious progress; listening for noises, watching for ambush, making a map, and so on. If all caution is abandoned (during flight or pursuit, for example) movement is quadrupled but mapping becomes impossible.

Searching for traps, treasure, or secret doors should take a full turn. The referee must adjudicate how long other activities will take including hiding, use of divinations, and circumventing traps.

Light is essential underground. Torches, lanterns, and magic spells can be used to illuminate the way though the former might be extinguished by sudden gusts of wind. Torches and lanterns will light a 30ft radius and burn for 6 and 24 turns, respectively. Dungeon denizens are assumed to see well in the dark, however, and carrying light will ruin any possibility of surprising them, except by coming through a door.

Listening A dungeon should be troubled by distant creaks, echoes, and moans, and any player may wish to listen for these, or at a door before trying it, as a precautionary measure. In such cases the referee should throw a six-sided die for the player with a result of 6 (or a result of 5-6 for dwarfs, elves, and halflings) indicating that the character identifies any audible sound. Bickering orcs will be rackety, for example, while the undead will be absolutely silent.

Doors in the dungeon are typically stuck and must be forced by strength. Men, dwarfs, and elves can defeat these with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die, while halflings and other weaklings would usually require a throw of 6. Bursting through a door in this manner might surprise whomever is on the other side, but any failed attempt will automatically ruin this opportunity and might also attract wandering monsters to the noise. Two characters can simultaneously apply their strength to a single door, but they will be unable to react to whatever is lurking on the other side as they burst through.

Dungeon denizens have the knack of opening each dungeon door and can pass through easily unless a door has been held shut by the characters. Despite the difficulty in opening them, doors will automatically close. Even if a door is wedged open by the characters it will later be found to have been closed if the referee throws a 5-6 on a six-sided die.

Secret doors and passages will be discovered by any player actively searching if the referee throws a 5-6 (or 3-6 for elves and also thieves if these are used) on a six-sided die. Locating a secret door will reveal the mechanism for opening it, but not activate it. The secret door must be intentionally opened by the character.

Rest One turn of rest is required after a combat or any hour of exploration and two turns of rest are required after flight or pursuit.

Traps are sprung if the referee throws a 5-6 on a six-sided die as a character passes over or nearby. Many of these are deadly. Traps can be located before they are sprung, however, in much the same manner as can secret doors. A trap can usually be circumvented or avoided once it has been found.

Underworld Encounters

Each dungeon level can contain thoughtfully prepared encounters as well as wandering monsters. The former are monster lairs, hideouts, treasuries, meeting places, and so on devised during dungeon design. The referee should also check for wandering monsters at the end of each turn of exploration. This is done by throwing a six-sided die with a 6 indicating the appearance of monsters.

The kind of monster should be determined randomly. This is accomplished by dicing for the dungeon encounter table to use and then dicing on that table to determine which kind of monster appears.

Wandering Monsters

The number of wandering monsters appearing should be as per the “No. Encountered” for their type. Having determined their numbers the referee should then throw to determine whether there is a lair of such monsters nearby. If so, then any member of the wandering group slain or captured is deducted from those found later in the lair.

More fearsome monsters will often be fewer in number, but even the lowliest sorts can be deadly in their multitudes. The referee can exercise his discretion if an undesired encounter is indicated, remembering that deeper dungeon levels are intended to be more dangerous than shallower dungeon levels.

Surprise

When wandering monsters occur the referee should first determine whether either party is surprised. Surprise is possible only when either or both parties are unaware of the other. Light, noise, listening at or forcing doors, and various divinations can negate the possibility of surprise; otherwise, either party will surprise the other with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die. Thieves (if these are used) instead surprise with a throw of 3-6.

Encounter Distance

If either party is surprised the encounter will begin at 10-60ft distance and the surprised party will be unable to respond for one turn; otherwise, the encounter will begin at 20-120ft distance. Melee range is 1" (10ft in the underworld).

Monster Behavior

With or without surprise the direction and manner of a monster’s approach should be adjudicated by the referee in accordance with its type, the surroundings, and the disposition of the players. Unintelligent monsters will simply attack, while those with any cunning will judge the situation accordingly. Chaotics are predisposed to attack lawfuls, and vice versa, and normal man-types will only attack 4th (or higher) level fighters if there are no other targets.

The referee can otherwise determine monster behavior according to the following table, adjusting any result for bribes offered, perceived threats, differences of race or alignment, and so on.

Table 2.7 Reaction Check

2-12

Reaction

2 or less

Hostile

3-5

Negative

6-8

Uncertain

9-11

Positive

12 or more

Enthusiastic

Avoiding Monsters

The players have the option to flee unchallenged whenever monsters are surprised or are more than 3" (30ft in the underworld) distant. Monsters will pursue unless they are surprised or have a proper motivation not to.

Flight and pursuit speed is four times normal pace with no mapping possible. The gap will open or close according to the movement rates of the two parties, and pursuit will continue for so long as the pursuers do not fall more than a full move behind (more than 90ft behind for pursuers with a movement rate of 9"). The players may wish to discard treasure or equipment in order to lighten their encumbrance and increase their speed. Should the players turn a corner, take a stair, or pass through a door the pursuers will continue only if a throw of a six-sided die is 5-6.

Discarded foodstuffs will distract unintelligent pursuers with a throw of 2-6 on a six-sided die, and animal or intelligent pursuers with a throw of 4-6 or 6, respectively. Treasure is inversely likely to distract pursuers and burning oil is also an effective deterrent.

Maintaining Freshness

As the players explore a dungeon level its monster stocks and treasures will begin to be diminished and so too will its mystery. While egress to the greater challenges of lower levels is desirable, the referee should never allow any dungeon level to become too well known.

If even a single chamber is left unguarded for any length of time there is the possibility of new denizens arriving to replace losses. These might be from adjacent areas, lower levels, or newly excavated passages. Monsters that previously eluded the players might fortify areas by blocking or collapsing passages, barring doors, setting new traps, and so on. Intelligent monsters might set alarms or leave warnings in case of the players’ return.

The referee should not shy from extending the limits of a dungeon so that fresh areas always await exploration. Should the players nonetheless become blasé, the referee can introduce wholesale change due to cave-in, subsidence, flooding, supernatural winter, reality distortion, slime plague, and so on. These are but a few of the options the referee can employ to keep a dungeon fresh and challenging.

COMBAT

These mechanics are intentionally abstract so that combat is fast and furious.

Scale For the purpose of underworld combat 1" represents 10ft and each turn is one minute in duration. A lot can happen in one minute of combat and any turn can be decisive.

Surprise allows one turn of unanswered actions. If these should include attacks they will be at +2 to hit and, if struck, the target will drop anything held with a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die.

Intent Each player declares his intent for the upcoming turn, stating whether his character will attack, utter a spell, overturn a boiling cauldron, or whatever.

Initiative The referee resolves all actions for the turn in whatever order he judges fair.

He may grant initiative to those firing missiles into advancing enemies, or to those with the advantage of reach (in the first turn) or lighter weapons (in subsequent turns), or to those fighting on battlements above. Otherwise, initiative is determined by throwing a six-sided die per group, or per combatant (adjusting for dexterity), with the higher score gaining the first opportunity to attack that turn.

Magic spells can be cast successfully in the turn that melee is joined if the caster wins initiative; otherwise, the caster is interrupted and his spell is ruined before completion. While a spell caster remains engaged in melee spell casting is not possible.

Melee

Any character within 1" is eligible to attack or be attacked in melee combat.

Performance throughout a turn of combat is determined with a single attack roll—a throw of one twenty-sided die. However, against normal-types, monsters and fighters instead throw one attack roll for each of their own hit die.

When a single attack roll is used the attacker strikes according to his level (for characters) or number of hit dice (for monsters). When multiple attack rolls are used the attacker always strikes as a 1 hit die monster, regardless of how many levels or hit dice he actually has.

Table 2.8 Attack Matrix

Character Level

Monster

20-Sided Roll Required

M-Us

Clerics

Fighters

Hit

To Hit Armor Class

(Thief)

Dice

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1-4

1-2

1-3

1

–

Up to 1

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

3-4

2-3

1-2

1-2

1+

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

5-10

5

4-8

4

3-6

3

2-3

2

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

6-7

5-6

4

3

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

8-10

7-8

5-6

4-5

4-5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

11-12

11-12

9-12

9-12

7-10

7-8

6-7

6-7

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

–

–

9-10

8-9

8

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

–

–

11-12

11-12

9

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

–

–

–

10-11

10

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

–

–

–

11

2

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

–

–

–

12+

12+

2

2

2

3

4

5

6

7

In either case attack rolls are adjusted for tactical factors, magic weaponry, and enchantments and the result compared to the target’s armor class on the attack matrix. A total equal to or greater than the number required indicates an effective turn of action (a “hit”). Anything less indicates an ineffective turn of action (a “miss”).

Space Required

Note that melee requires space. The referee should allow perhaps three men to stand abreast in a 10ft wide passage if they carry spears; swords and axes would require more space. Up to six men can surround a single man-sized target (with rear attacks striking at +2 to hit), while up to eight men can surround a larger monster.

Parrying

A defender can forgo his attack to parry and cause an opponent to suffer a −4 attack penalty. Should his opponent miss because of this −4 penalty the defender’s weapon will be dashed from his grasp by a heavier weapon. If, on the other hand, his opponent misses regardless of this penalty the defender is allowed a counter-attack if equipped with a lighter weapon.

Damage

If a single attack roll is used a hit will cause 1-6 hit points of damage and be adjusted for strength, magical weaponry, and other factors. Spears set to receive a charge and charging lancers will instead cause 2-12 hit points damage and large monsters can cause more damage. If multiple attack rolls are used versus normal-types, each hit causes exactly 1-6 hit points of damage; all other adjustments are already represented by the multiple attack rolls.

Should any character be reduced to zero (or fewer) hit points, he is slain. Whether or not sustaining damage will otherwise affect a character is left to the referee’s discretion. Any unresolved attacks of a slain character are wasted.

Shield Special: A character with a shield may choose to have it completely absorb all the damage from any attack (including a critical hit). A non-magical shield shatters when it does so. A magical shield permanently loses one point of is magical AC bonus when it does so, becoming a non-magical shield if its magical AC bonus is reduced to 0.

Attacking to Subdue

Most intelligent monsters (including man-types) can be subdued and made to surrender if this intent is announced prior to attacks being resolved. Damage from subdual hits is recorded independently of damage from actual hits. After any turn in which damage is suffered the referee must determine the sum of subdual damage sustained as a percentage of actual hit points. Confidence is then checked by throwing a hundred-sided die with any result lower than the percentage of subdual damage sustained indicating the monster is subdued.

Subdued monsters will initially obey without reaction checks and can be sold as slaves, pets, or curiosities or brought into service as retainers if an acceptable offer is made.

Overbearing

Man-types can grapple an enemy bare-handed in order to overpower and capture him without killing him.

If the defender is armed, or is not a man-type, each attacker must make a successful attack roll before being able to contribute to the overbearing attempt. Each contributing attacker throws a six-sided die for each of his own hit die (although no more than six men can attempt to overbear a single man at a time).

The defender then throws one six-sided die for each of his hit dice and the totals are compared. If the attackers’ total is higher the defender will be hopelessly pinned. If the scores are equal the struggle is unresolved and can continue next turn. If the defender’s total is higher the attackers are thrown back 1" and unable to participate in the struggle next turn.

Missile Fire

Missile fire is as melee combat except that attack rolls represent shooting at range and are adjusted for dexterity. Short range fire (including most missiles shot underground) is at +2 to hit. Hand-hurled missiles are reckoned to always be at medium range and are thus at +1 to hit. Long range missile fire is usually possible only outdoors and is at normal hit probability. Bows can throw two attack rolls per turn if stationary. All missile fire on the move (other than elves firing bows) is at −2 to hit. Firing from or into melee is not normally allowed.

Fireballs, lightning bolts, and like missiles must occupy their full area of effect. Hurling these into confined spaces will cause them to rebound off walls to fill the necessary space, including back towards the caster.

B B B B B

Morale

A morale check can be used to determine how monsters (including man-types) will react in potentially life-threatening circumstances.

The referee alone adjudicates when morale should be checked but will normally do so whenever potentially deadly circumstances occur. Thus, hireling or retainer morale would be checked when a deadly trap is sprung, when attacked by surprise, when losing a battle (at one-third losses), when a leader is slain, captured, or routed.

Particularly fearsome foes including the greater dragons and rocs, wraiths, and 8th (or higher) level fighters will cause normal-types (including player characters) to check morale merely by attacking.

Morale Checks

The players have their own morale so their characters are not subject to morale checks unless compelled by magic or other super-normal threat. It may, however, be necessary to check the morale of monsters (including man-types) either fighting the players or serving them. Unintelligent monsters need never check morale.

A morale check is made by throwing two six-sided dice for the affected party. The total is adjusted for loyalty, monster type, and other circumstances as appropriate.

Table 2.9 Morale Check

2-12

Reaction

2 or less

Surrender

3-5

Flee

6-8

Stand off or hold

9-11

Press for advantage

12 or more

Attack impetuously!

Adjustments to Morale Check

Monsters are assumed to have morale adjustments as stated in the explanation of monsters; however, the referee may wish to ascribe a loyalty score to particular individuals. This can be done in the same manner as for hirelings or retainers serving the players (by summing three six-sided dice) or by edict. High or low loyalty would adjust a monster’s morale checks accordingly, overruling the generic morale adjustments given in the explanation of monsters.

The referee can also adjust morale checks for specific circumstances including:

- Those fighting alongside a 4th (or higher) level fighter adjust their morale by +1,

- Evil sorts fighting alongside a wraith adjust their morale by +1,

- A bless spell adjusts morale checks of those affected by +1,

- Orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins suffer a −1 morale penalty in daylight,

- Ghouls, wights, and wraiths suffer a −2 morale penalty in daylight,

- Kobolds suffer a −1 morale penalty unless they are defending their lair and outnumber their enemies by at least 3 to 1,

- Mermen suffer a −2 morale penalty on land.

See the explanation of monsters for further cases.

Morale Check Outcome

The referee can determine monsters’ (or retainers’) behavior for the next turn by throwing a morale check and consulting the morale check table.

The referee should interpret the outcome by considering the capabilities and disposition of the affected party; non-combatants would not attack, troops defending a fortification would not abandon their advantage, and so on.

HEALING

Lost hit points can be recovered by magical means and by ordinary rest, albeit at a much slower rate. One hit point is regained for every two days of complete rest in which no other productive activity can be undertaken.

MOUNTED COMBAT

Jousting!

Jousts are knightly contests of mounted combat. A fighter must possess armor, shield, helm, mount, and at least one lance to participate.

A joust is scored as the best of three tilts in which two mounted knights enter the lists and, separated by a barrier, make an unimpeded charge at one another with the objective of unhorsing the opponent. Each throws a single, simultaneous attack roll adjusted for the quality of his mount: destrier +8, war horse +6, riding or draft horse +2. On a hit throw two six-sided dice and consult the jousting table. For sport the lesser of the two dice indicates damage sustained; in war damage is the sum of both dice.

Table 2.10 Jousting

1-6

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

G

G

G

G

G

B+U

2

G

G

G

B

B

U

3

G

G

B

B

B

U

4

G

B

B

B

B

U

5

G

B

B

B

B

U

6

B+U

U

U

U

U

B+H

G Lance glances off opponent.

B Lance broken upon opponent.

H Opponent struck upon helmet.

U Opponent unhorsed.

A glancing blow scores no points. Breaking a lance upon the opponent scores one point, or three points upon the opponent’s helmet. Unhorsing the opponent scores ten points. If a knight cannot continue due to injury he loses. The loser forfeits his mount or a grander wager by prior arrangement.

Mounted Men Attacking

Charging lancers attack at +4 and cause 2-12 hit points of damage and use the jousting table to determine broken lances and unhorsing. Otherwise, mounted man-types attack those on foot at +2. Mounted war horses and giant wolves can also attack enemies on foot, having one attack roll per turn even versus normal-types.

Attacking Mounted Men

Man-sized characters on foot attack mounted man-types at −2.

Shooting at Mounted Men

Missile fire against mounted normal-types is likewise penalized by −2. A mounted heroic-type is subject to missile fire only on a six-sided die throw of 5-6; otherwise his mount is subject to that missile fire.

Any hit on a rider will unhorse him on a six-sided die throw of 6. He will crash to the ground and be stunned for the remainder of the turn and, if he throws 1-4 on a six-sided die, for all of the following turn in addition. Should a rider or his mount be slain he is likewise unhorsed.

SAVING THROWS

Saving throws are used when deadly threats occur. They represent one last chance to avert disaster. Players throw for their characters and the referee throws for the monsters. If either throws equal to or greater than the indicated number in the required category the direst consequences are avoided. Anything less invites disaster.

Poison includes diseases and all deadly biological attacks such as snake bites, scorpion, spider or wyvern stings, imbibing poisoned wine, and wounds from envenomed weapons. This category is also used against the cloudkill and slaying spells.

Wands and Rays includes rays, beams, and other attacks which can be dodged or deflected including wands of paralysis and lightning. This category is also used against the disintegrate, finger of death, and lightning bolt spells.

Paralysis and Petrification includes gross physiological attacks such as paralysis by contact with a gelatinous cube or petrification by medusa, basilisk, cockatrice, or gorgon attack. This category is also used against the flesh to stone, haste, hold monster, hold person, polymorph, and slow spells.

Breath Weapon includes any cloud or area attacks such as chimera and dragon breath weapons, the wand of ice, and splash attacks including acid, burning oil, or Holy water. This category is also used against the fireball and web spells.

Spells are coercive, mind-affecting sorts of magic including dryad and nixie charms, vampire gaze attacks, delirium caused by speaking with godlike beings, and domination by magic swords. This category is also used against the charm person, color spray, confusion, fear, feeblemind, magic jar, and phantasm spells.

Saving Throws for Magical Items

With the exception of helms (which can be destroyed in combat), magic items are assumed to remain intact so long as the player survives. However, the referee may wish to allow items to be destroyed when the character is slain or otherwise exposed to particularly adverse circumstances. In this case the referee should make a saving throw for each item concerned.

Table 2.11 Item Saving Throws

Item

Required

Armor

12

Miscellaneous Item

Various

Potion

16

Ring

10

Scroll

16

Shield

12

Stave

12

Wand

14

Weapon

10

Arms, armor, shields, and rings of protection add their defensive adjustment to their saving throws. Items that produce spell-like effects adjust their saving throw by +2 against similar effects. Thus, a wand of fireball and a flametongue sword would save at +2 versus red dragon’s breath weapon.

The referee should be circumspect about item saving throws. Effects such as poison, confusion, and feeblemind would not affect most magic items but petrification and disintegration would.

WILDERNESS EXPLORATION

The referee will already have a map of the players’ starting location and the surrounding countryside. This will be critical for further exploration and for the establishment of strongholds, trade, and alliances later in the game. Whether regions unknown to the players are drawn in advance or as they are explored is up the referee. In either case the principal features should be placed thoughtfully with the remainder being filled in by random determination.

Table 2.12 Random Wilderness Terrain

Random

Random Terrain Adjacent to Hex of Known Type

2-12

Terrain

Open

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

2

Desert

Desert

Open

Open

Open

Mountain

3

Desert

Open

Mountain

Open

Mountain

Swamp

4

Open

Open

Wood

Desert

Mountain

Swamp

5

Open

Mountain

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

6

Wood

Open

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

7

Mountain

Open

Open

Open

Desert

Wood

8

Wood

Open

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

9

Open

Wood

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

10

Open

Open

Wood

Wood

Desert

Swamp

11

Open

Open

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Open

12

Swamp

Swamp

Swamp

Mountain

Open

Open

In addition to its terrain type each hexagon can possibly contain one (or more) significant features. These can be determined as opposite:

Table 2.13 Random Wilderness Features

2-12

Open

Wood

Mountain

Desert

Swamp

2

Lair

River†

.

Lair

.

3

Ford*

River

Lair

.

Lair

4

.

.

.

.

River

5

River

.

.

.

River

6

Village

.

.

.

Trail

7

Village

.

.

.

.

8

.

.

.

.

.

9

.

.

.

.

.

10

.

.

.

.

.

11

.

Trail

Trail

.

.

12

Town

Stronghold‡

Stronghold‡

Stronghold

Stronghold‡

* Always with a river and dice again; add a lair on a 1, or add a town on a 6.

† Dice again; add a lair on a 1, add a stronghold on a 2, or add a village on a 6.

‡ Always with a trail.

Note that rivers and trails should span a number of hexagons. Except in mountains (where rivers begin), swamps (where rivers end), and open hexes (where trails end), the referee should place these features without dicing when all other adjoining hexes have been resolved without these occurring.

ZZZZZ

Time and Movement

For the purpose of wilderness exploration 1" represents 1 mile and each turn is a day in duration. The standard movement rates in inches are therefore the number of miles covered per day. Each hexagon is assumed to be 6 miles across, so the standard movement rates can be translated easily into a number of hexagons covered per day.

Table 2.14 Wilderness Exploration Rate

Move

Hexes

Transportation

Rate

per Day

Dwarf afoot

9"

3/2

Horse, draft

12"

2

Horse, riding

24"

4

Horse, war

18"

3

Man afoot

12"

2

Man afoot, encumbered

6"

1

Mule

12"

2

Wagon train

6"

1

Difficult terrain including woods, swamps, and desert slow ground movement by half except along a trail. Rivers are impassable other than at fords and bridges, as are mountains other than by trails that can be navigated only on foot at half rate.

Visibility

Visibility is generally limited to one hex (6 miles) range from a good vantage in open terrain. However, the referee may wish to allow visibility of up to three hexes (18 miles) when surveying open terrain from mountain passes, or up to 11-16 hexes (up to 100 miles) from a lofty mountain summit in clear weather. Note that intervening terrain and weather conditions can severely restrict visibility.

Resting

All travelers require a full day of rest after six days on the move. Dragons instead require a full week of sleep after six weeks of activity.

Weather

Weather conditions should be determined each day in the wilderness. If the previous day was hot throw one six-sided die and add 1. If it rained the previous day throw one six-sided die and add 6. Otherwise, throw two six-sided dice to determine weather conditions each day.

Table 2.15 Wilderness Weather

2-12

Weather

2-3

Hot

4-6

Clear

6-7

Clearing

8-9

Overcast

10

Light rain

11

Rain

12

Hard rain

Hot weather will cause thirst, increase fatigue, and halve movement rate. Hot weather will also increase the risk of fire in the dry season.

Rain of any sort will reduce visibility. Hard rain will halve movement rate, as will any rain in the wet season.

Becoming Lost

So long as players stick to established routes they will have little difficulty navigating from one settlement to another. However, once they strike out into the wilderness, there is the possibility of becoming lost. The referee should secretly throw a six-sided die for the players each day with a 1 (in open terrain), a 1-2 (in woods or mountains), or a 1-3 (in swamp or desert) indicating that the players have gotten lost. If the players are lost they will move in an undesired direction that day without realizing it.

Strongholds

Where a stronghold is indicated it is an occupied keep, tower, or fastness at a strategic locale such as a bluff, crossroad, valley, bridge, or island. The principal resident of the stronghold should be determined randomly, as follows:

Table 2.16 Stronghold Resident

1-6

Align

Class

Entourage (1-6)

1

C

Anti-cleric

1. Anti-heroes

2. Lycanthropes

3. Medusae

4. Mummies

5. Specters

6. Vampires

2

C

Magic-user

1. Basilisks,

2. Chimeras

3. Dragons

4. Efreet

5. Elemental

6. Gargoyles

3

C

Fighter

1. Anti-heroes

2. Dragons

3. Giants

4. Manticoras

5. Ogres

6. Trolls

4

N

Fighter

1. Djinn

2. Giants

3. Griffons*

4. Heroes

5. Lycanthropes

6. Wyverns

5

N

Magic-user

1. Centaurs

2. Djinn

3. Dragons

4. Elemental

5. Gorgons

6. Minotaurs

6

L

Cleric

1. Centaurs

2. Elemental

3. Heroes

4. Hippogriffs*

5. Rocs

6. Treants

* With riders.

The resident will be of 9th to 12th experience level and will be attended by an entourage as indicated above. These are as for a lair of the appropriate type or else 1-6 individuals where no lair type is given. Heroes and anti-heroes indicate bands of 3-18 fighters of 3rd to 6th experience level (determined individually).

The resident may also have one or several lieutenants of level 5-8. A fighter is 50% likely to be attended by a cleric or a magic-user. A magic-user is 50% likely to be attended by a fighter or 1-6 apprentices (magic-users of level 3-6). A cleric is 50% likely to be attended by a fighter or 1-6 assistants (clerics of level 3-6). Check separately for either in all cases.

Regardless of the above a stronghold is occupied by a force of 30-180 soldiers with a similar number of supporting staff. If the principal resident is chaotic these are 50% likely to be orcs; otherwise, they are men.

Should the characters pass near a stronghold, the resident’s scouts or spies will spot them with a throw of 6 on a six-sided die at two hexes distance, with a throw of 5-6 at one hex distance, and with a throw of 3-6 if they pass within the same hex as the stronghold itself. If they are spotted, or if they hail the stronghold directly, the resident will respond to their presence.

A chaotic strongholder will always attempt to slay, capture, enslave, or deceive the players to gain whatever treasure or knowledge they might have or hold out against them if they are overly powerful.

A resident fighter will challenge the highest level fighter to a joust. Should the player joust and win he earns the right to the challenger’s hospitality for up to a full month for himself and his company—although a chaotic or neutral challenger may prove reluctant to pay!

Should the player joust and lose the challenger will demand his mount. If the players lack a fighter or decline the contest, the challenger will levy a toll of 1,000-4,000 gp for their passage.

A magic-user will exact a toll of one magic item of his choice from the player characters or else 1,000-6,000 gp if they have nothing desirable. If they cannot pay the magic-user may geas them to collect the necessary treasure on some quest. The magic-user will take his pick of any treasure recovered, or perhaps all of it.

A lawful cleric will require a tribute for his temple amounting to one-tenth part of whatever wealth the player characters have. If they cannot pay the cleric may quest them to perform some lawful mission—which will earn them his hospitality if completed successfully. An anti-cleric may demand one-fourth part of whatever wealth the player characters have. If they cannot pay he might simply slay them or else quest them to perform some chaotic mission—which might be their undoing.

Fords

Rivers and waterways are generally impassable other than at fords and bridges (except with a control water spell). These will frequently be occupied and, should an encounter occur in the vicinity of a ford or bridge, the referee may assume the encounter is at that feature.

Settlements

Villages and towns have 100-400 and 1,000-6,000 inhabitants, respectively. Areas surrounding friendly towns are usually relatively safe. Farther from civilization roads are unkempt and there are few patrols. Folk in these parts are unfriendly, if not dangerous, and any kind of monster might be encountered.

The referee can assume that the 3 hexes (18 mile radius) around a friendly stronghold is cleared, patrolled, or otherwise relatively safe. Towns and villages control smaller areas, but all that lies beyond this immediate vicinity is known as “wilderness”. These vast tracts are nonetheless dotted with villages and castles of unknown disposition, as well as enclaves, ruins, and other curiosities awaiting discovery.

Wilderness Encounters

Wandering monsters occur in the wilderness as they do in the underworld. The referee should check once per day in the immediate vicinity of a friendly settlement or stronghold with a throw of 6 on a six-sided die indicating an encounter. In the wilderness proper he should check once per day in open terrain or desert or twice per day in woods, swamps, mountains, and river lands. The

referee should make one additional check per day if the players are lost or are at a bridge or ford.

When an encounter is indicated the referee can determine the type of monster by dicing on the appropriate wilderness encounter table for the terrain type.

Table 2.17 Wilderness Encounter Tables

1-20

Plain

Wood

Jungle

1

Dinosaurs, any

Bears

Ants, giant

2

Dogs

Boars, normal/giant

Apes

3

Dragons, any

Centaurs

Basilisks

4

Dwarfs

Centipedes, large/giant

Bats, normal/giant

5

Elves

Cockatrices

Beetles, giant

6

Giants, hill

Dragons, green

Centipedes, large/giant

7

Gnolls

Dryads

Dinosaurs, any

8

Goblins

Elves

Dragons, green

9

Gorgons

Lycanthropes

Hydras

10

Hobgoblins

Medusae

Kobolds

11

Horses

Men

Leeches, giant

12

Lions

Non-player characters

Lizard men

13

Lycanthropes

Ogres

Lizards, large/giant

14

Mastodons

Pixies

Medusae

15

Men

Purple worms

Men

16

Non-player characters

Snakes, large/giant

Non-player characters

17

Ogres

Spiders, large/giant

Purple worms

18

Orcs

Treants

Scorpions, giant

19

Purple worms

Unicorns

Snakes, large/giant

20

Titanotheres

Weasels, giant

Spiders, large/giant

Table 2.17 (Continued) Wilderness Encounter Tables

1-20

Mountain

Desert

Arctic

1

Cave bears

Ants, giant

Cave bears

2

Cavemen

Cavemen

Cavemen

3

Chimeras

Centipedes, large/giant

Cyclops

4

Dragons, red

Chimeras

Dogs

5

Dwarfs

Cyclops

Dragons, white

6

Elemental, earth

Djinn

Elemental, air

7

Gargoyles

Dragons, blue

Giants, frost

8

Giants, stone

Efreet

Gnomes

9

Goblins

Elemental, fire

Lions, spotted

10

Griffons

Giants, fire

Living statues, any

11

Hippogriffs

Gnolls

Mastodons

12

Hobgoblins

Living statues, any

Men

13

Lions, spotted

Manticoras

Non-player characters

14

Men

Men

Purple worms

15

Minotaurs

Mummies

Sabre toothed tigers

16

Non-player characters

Non-player characters

Thulls

17

Rocs

Purple worms

Wolves

18

Sabre toothed tigers

Salamanders

Wolves, giant

19

Trolls

Scorpions, giant

Woolly mammoths

20

Wyverns

Snakes, large

Woolly rhinoceros

Table 2.17 (Continued) Wilderness Encounter Tables

1-20

Swamp

Town

Necropolis

1

Basilisks

Cavemen

Bats, normal/giant

2

Crocodiles

Doppelgangers

Centipedes, large/giant

3

Crocodiles, giant

Dwarfs

Gargoyles

4

Dinosaurs, any

Elves

Ghouls

5

Dragon turtles

Ghouls

Goblins/Hobgoblins

6

Dragons, black

Giants, any

Golems, any

7

Giants, hill

Gnolls

Manticoras

8

Hydras

Goblins

Men, zealots

9

Kobolds

Golems, any

Mummies

10

Leeches, giant

Halflings

Non-player characters

11

Lizard men

Hobgoblins

Rats, giant

12

Lizards, large/giant

Lycanthropes

Shadows

13

Medusae

Men

Skeletons

14

Men

Men, dervishes

Specters

15

Non-player characters

Non-player characters

Spiders, large/giant

16

Ooze/Slime, any

Ogres

Vampires

17

Purple worms

Orcs

Wights

18

Snakes, large/giant

Rats, giant

Wolves, giant

19

Toads, giant

Titan

Wraiths

20

Trolls

Vampires

Zombies

Surprise

Surprise occurs in the wilderness (as it does in the underworld) with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die except that animals will not be surprised from upwind. If the players are surprised they will typically find themselves encircled.

Encounter Distance

If either party is surprised an encounter will begin at 10-60 yards distance and the surprised party will be unable to respond for one turn; otherwise, an encounter will begin at 20-120 yards distance. Melee range is 1" (10 yards) in the wilderness.

Monster Reaction

Monster reaction to the players in the wilderness is as per the underworld.

Evasion and Pursuit

A smaller group may desire to evade a larger group rather than encounter them. Hostile monsters (including previously offended stronghold residents) will pursue with a throw of 4-6 on a six-sided die, while non-hostiles will pursue only with a throw of 6.

The possibility of evading an encounter is determined by the relative size of the parties. If the evaders are not more than one-quarter as numerous as the pursuers they will evade with a throw of 3-6 on a six-sided die. If they are no more than half as numerous as the pursuers they will evade with a throw of 4-6; otherwise they will evade only with a throw of 5-6.

The odds of evasion are adjusted as follows:

Surprise

If the pursuers are surprised evasion is 1 chance in 6 more likely. If the evaders are surprised there is no opportunity to evade unless low visibility or good speed dictates otherwise.

Low visibility

Woods, misty swamps, night, rain, fog, or snow all increase the chance of evasion by 1 in 6, even if surprised.

Speed

If either side’s movement rate is at least twice the other side’s movement rate the odds of evasion (or pursuit) are tipped in their favor by 1 chance in 6, even if surprised.

To resolve a pursuit scenario the evaders should throw one die. If the result is too low to evade, the pursuit catches up and an encounter is unavoidable; otherwise, the evaders have managed to gain ground over the pursuit.

Assuming the evaders have gained ground, the referee should determine whether or not the pursuers will continue to give chase. Unless specific circumstances dictate otherwise, the chase will continue with a throw of 4-6 on a six-sided die. If the pursuers throw high enough they gain ground and the pursuit is still on; otherwise, they have fallen too far behind and the pursuit is over.

This is repeated until either the pursuers give up or an encounter occurs.

Note that mapping is impossible during a pursuit. The referee should position the evaders somewhere within 1-6 hexes of their starting location at the conclusion of a chase.

Both parties must rest for the remainder of the turn (the day) after resolving a pursuit, regardless of whether it resulted in an encounter or not. At the beginning of the next turn (day) the players are considered to be lost. They will not know exactly where they are, only that they have endured a long pursuit and covered many leagues in a general direction.

SEAFARING EXPLORATION

As with wilderness exploration, ocean regions unknown to the players can be mapped in advance or as they are explored. The principal features should be placed thoughtfully with the remainder being filled in by random determination.

The referee can use the random wilderness tables to generate ocean regions for seafaring. Hexes of open terrain should be read as open ocean, woods as coast, mountains as reefs, desert as islands, and swamp as perpetually stormy ocean. Likewise, rivers should be read as strong currents, fords as confluences of currents, and trails as navigable seafaring routes. The other features are as in the wilderness except that villages should be ignored.

Time and Movement

Seafaring exploration retains the wilderness exploration timescale of 1 turn per day.

Table 2.18 Seafaring Exploration Rate

Movement Rate

Hexes per Day

Transportation

Oared

Sailing

Shallow

Open

Boat

.

6"

1

3

Raft

6"

.

1

1

Galley, small

12"

.

2

2

Galley, large

18"

.

3

3

Longship

24"

.

4

4

Merchant, small

.

18"

3

9

Merchant, large

.

12"

2

6

Warship

.

6"

1

3

Coastal waters (up to 3 hexes from land) and navigable inland rivers retain the wilderness exploration scale where each 1" of movement rate represents 1 mile traveled per day. The open ocean, however, is so vast and generally free of obstruction that sailing rate is improved threefold such that 1" of movement represents 1 league (3 miles) traveled per day.

Exploration by sea is otherwise similar to wilderness exploration excepting that players must have an ocean going vessel. These are of two types: oared and sailed.

Oared vessels such as galleys and longships are not restricted by wind direction but galleys, rafts, and boats are unable to withstand the high seas of the open ocean. These are limited to coastal waters except in calm weather.

Sailed vessels such as merchants and warships can run swiftly before the wind, but otherwise must progress by a series of turns and tacks at impaired speed. Travel directly into the wind is generally impossible.

Movement rates for oared ships assume a full and well trained crew. Poor or incomplete crews can achieve half the listed rate.

Movement rates for sailing ships assume running fore a fresh wind. All other movement is at half rate. Note that sailing rates are faster on the open ocean due to the possibility of sailing unimpeded day and night.

One hexagon should be added when traveling with a current or subtracted when traveling against a current.

Reserves

With the exception of boats and rafts, all sailing ships carry reserve oars and all oared ships carry reserve sails to be used if necessary. These allow movement at half rate.

Resting

All crews require a full day of rest after six days at sea or immediately after weathering a storm.

Visibility

Distance to the horizon is determined by height above sea level. From a ship’s deck visibility is limited to one hex (6 miles). From a crow’s nest a sailor can see a ship up to two hexes (12 miles) away in clear weather. However, weather conditions can severely restrict visibility.

Weather

The wind strength and direction should be determined each day at sea. Throw one six-sided die to determine which hex face the wind is blowing from and two six-sided dice to determine wind strength.

Table 2.19 Weather and Ship Speed

2-12

Wind

Sailing

Rowing

2-3

Dead calm

No sailing

Normal speed

4-7

Moderate

½ speed

Normal speed

8-9

Fresh

Normal speed

Normal speed

10-11

Strong

+6" (1 hex)

Normal speed

12

Storm

Special

Special

Strong Winds

Boats, rafts, and galleys will capsize in strong winds on the open ocean on a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die each turn.

Storms

Navigation is impossible in storm conditions and any vessel will capsize on a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die each turn. Any vessel that does not capsize is instead moved 2-7 hexes in a direction secretly determined by the referee and is immediately considered to be lost.

Becoming Lost

A ship’s captain will have no difficulty navigating a known route so long as the weather remains fair. However, should the weather turn nasty, there is the possibility of becoming lost. The referee should secretly throw a six-sided die for the players each day spent in strong winds—a 1-2 indicating they have gotten lost. If the players are lost the referee should move them an unplanned distance/direction on his map that turn without alerting them.

Settlements and Strongholds

Settlements and strongholds occur at sea as they do in the wilderness. These can be wholly or partially submerged, built upon floating pontoons, clinging to rocky prominences, or whatever else the referee desires. Whether these are friendly or unfriendly can be determined with a reaction check.

Encounters at Sea

Wandering monsters occur at sea much as they do in the wilderness. The referee need not check for wandering monsters while the players are within 3 hexes (18 miles) of a friendly port, but once out to sea proper he should check once each day on the open ocean or twice each day along a coast or waterway. An additional check should be made each day if the players are lost. A throw of 6 on a six-sided die indicates an encounter will occur.

When an encounter is indicated, determine the type of monster by dicing on the appropriate seafaring encounter table. If the players are traveling along a coast or inland waterway an encounter is equally likely to occur ashore as at sea. In this case, use the appropriate wilderness encounter table.

Table 2.20 Seafaring Encounter Tables

1-20

Waterway

Coast

Open Ocean

1

Crocodiles

Crabs, giant

Crabs, giant

2

Crocodiles, giant

Crocodiles

Dinosaurs, mosasaurs

3

Dinosaurs, brontosaurs

Crocodiles, giant

Dragon turtles

4

Dragon turtles

Dinosaurs, brontosaurs

Elemental, water

5

Elemental, water

Dinosaurs, mosasaurs

Fishes, giant

6

Fishes, giant

Dragon turtles

Fishes, giant

7

Hydras

Elemental, water

Kraken

8

Kobolds

Fishes, giant

Leeches, giant

9

Leeches, giant

Giants, storm

Leviathan

10

Lizard men

Hydras

Men, pirates

11

Men

Kobolds

Men, pirates

12

Men, buccaneers

Leeches, giant

Mermen

13

Men, pirates

Lizard men

Mermen

14

Mermen

Men

Nixies

15

Nixies

Men, buccaneers

Non-player characters

16

Non-player characters

Men, pirates

Octopi, giant

17

Octopi, giant

Mermen

Sea serpents

18

Sea serpents

Nixies

Sea serpents

19

Snake, giant

Nixies

Snake, giant

20

Toads, giant

Non-player characters

Squid, giant

U UUUU

Surprise

Surprise occurs at sea (as it does in the underworld) with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die. If the players are surprised the enemy ships or monsters will come at them from upwind, emerge suddenly out of fog banks or rain squalls, appear from behind rolling waves, or surface unexpectedly from underwater.

Encounter Distance

If either party is surprised an encounter will begin at 10-60 yards distance and the surprised party will be unable to respond for one turn; otherwise, an encounter will begin at 40-240 yards distance. Melee range is 1" (10 yards as in the wilderness). Shipboard artillery range is typically 300 yards.

Monster Reaction

Monster reaction to the players at sea is as per the underworld.

Evasion and Pursuit

Evasion and pursuit at sea is as per the wilderness with the following additional considerations:

- Low visibility occurs in storms, rain, fog, and at night,

- Evaders who are able to submerge will automatically escape pursuers without this ability unless they are surprised.

Seafaring Combat

Vessels can engage in ship-to-ship (or ship-to-sea monster) combat. Ships are treated much as monsters—having hull dice instead of hit dice, and hull points instead of hit points.

Table 2.21 Ship Statistics

Hull

Vessel

Dice

Artillery

Crew

Boat

1

.

2-4 sailors

Raft

1

.

2-4 rowers

Galley, small

5

1

6-16 sailors, 24-64 rowers, 12-32 marines

Galley, large

8

2

12-32 sailors, 36-96 rowers, 18-48 marines

Longship

6

.

30-80 rower/marines

Merchant, small

4

.

9-24 sailors, 6-16 marines

Merchant, large

7

.

18-48 sailors, 15-40 marines

Warship

10

4

15-40 sailors, 30-80 marines

When ship-to-ship (or ship-to-sea monster) combat occurs the referee should use the wilderness combat scale (1" to 10 yards and one minute turns) to resolve maneuvering and missile fire as the combatants approach one another.

Wind direction, tactical positions, and vessel facings can be marked on a scale map if desired or simply noted as closing distances. Oared ships can produce a burst of speed during combat, adding 6" to movement rate for up to three turns after which the crew is exhausted.

Missile Fire

Ship-board artillery may be fired every other turn while spells and missiles may be loosed each turn. Normal missiles are ineffective against ship hulls but are allowed their maximum outdoor range, giving due consideration to weather conditions and ocean swell.

Small galleys are assumed to carry a single artillery battery on the fore deck. Large galleys carry two batteries (one fore and one aft), and warships carry four batteries (one each fore, aft, port, and starboard). Artillery hits cause 2-12 hull points of damage and will hole a ship below the waterline on any score of 10 or more hull points. A holed ship will sink in 3-18 combat turns (minutes) unless repairs are made.

Ramming

Medieval ships are not generally built for ramming but a faster ship may ram a slower ship in the side, circumstances permitting. The ramming ship sustains one hull die damage while the rammed ship sustains half the rammer’s hull dice (rounded down) in damage. If 10 or more hull points are sustained the ship is holed below the waterline and will sink in 3-18 turns. Meanwhile, boarding may ensue.

Melee

When ships ram, grapple, or come along side for boarding the referee is advised to use the dungeon combat scale (1" to 10ft and one minute turns) to resolve any hand-to-hand combat. Ship deck plans can be used much as dungeon maps for this purpose. Troops fleeing from combat will only pitch themselves overboard in fair weather near to land; otherwise they will surrender.

Swimming

Any player character who grew up on the coast or by a watercourse can swim, as can any non-player character who throws a 4-6 on a six-sided die. Swimming is at a rate of 6" in ideal circumstances; otherwise 3". A character can swim for at most a single day after which he will drown.

Drowning

Anyone pitched into the sea risks drowning. Half of any ship’s crew cannot swim and will automatically drown; otherwise, unarmored men who can swim will survive with a throw of 2-6 on a six-sided die if they immediately rid themselves of anything heavier than a dagger. Each heavier item retained increases the risk of drowning by 1 in 6. Leather and mail armor count for one and four items, respectively, and plate armor causes automatic drowning. During a storm there is always a minimum of 3 chances in 6 of drowning. Survival indicates that the character has managed to remove his armor before drowning.

AERIAL EXPLORATION

Should the players acquire winged mounts they can map wilderness and ocean regions by aerial exploration.

The referee may also wish to include cloud top regions which can only be reached on the wing. The referee can use the random wilderness tables to generate cloud top regions for aerial exploration. Hexes of open terrain should be read as vacant air, woods as islands of solid cloud, mountains as cloud piercing or floating peaks, desert as dangerously insubstantial islands of cloud, and swamp as perpetually stormy regions. Likewise, rivers should represent persistent currents, fords should represent confluences of currents, and trails should represent navigable tunnels or air ways. The other features are as per the wilderness except that villages should be ignored.

Time and Movement

Aerial exploration retains the wilderness exploration timescale of 1 turn per day.

Table 2.22 Aerial Exploration Rate

Move

Hexes per Day

Transportation

Rate

Low

High

Elemental, air

36"

6

12

Djinn

24"

4

8

Dragon, young

18"

3

6

Dragon, adult

24"

4

8

Flying carpet

24"

4

8

Griffon

30"

5

10

Hippogriff

36"

6

12

Pegasi

42"

7

14

Roc, young

48"

8

16

Roc, adult

42"

7

14

Roc, ancient

36"

6

12

There are two modes of travel on the wing: low and high altitude.

At low altitude it is possible to observe or remain in contact with ground-level activity including pursuit and combat. However, at low altitude fliers must allow for hazards and turbulence and must weave routes around, between, or over terrain features.

At high altitude progress is unimpeded other than by the need to roost overnight; movement rate is generally double that achieved at low altitude.

Visibility

Distance to the horizon is relative to altitude. In clear weather visibility is 2-6 hexagons (up to 36 miles) from low altitude, or 11-16 hexes (up to 100 miles) from a lofty mountain summit. However, poor weather conditions and intervening mountains will severely restrict visibility. From a high altitude visibility is 11-16 hexes (up to 100 miles) in perfect weather, but is usually limited by cloud cover.

Resting

Flying creatures other than air elementals need to roost overnight (or during the day if they travel at night). Additionally, flying creatures other than dragons and air elementals require a full day of rest after six days on the move. Air elementals are tireless fliers, while dragons require a full week of sleep after six weeks of activity.

Weather

Although travel by air is quick it is severely affected by poor weather.

Weather conditions should be determined by the referee for each day of aerial exploration. Throw one six-sided die to determine which hex face the wind is blowing from and two dice to determine wind strength. Aerial travel can be dangerous in strong winds and storms; travelers risk being dashed into obstacles, struck by lightning or flying debris, and so on.

Table 2.23 Weather and Flying Speed

Flying Speed

2-12

Wind

‘Fore the wind

Otherwise

2-3

Dead calm

Normal speed

Normal speed

4-7

Moderate

Normal speed

¾ speed

8-9

Fresh

+6" (1 hex)

½ speed

10-11

Strong

+12" (2 hexes)

¼ speed

12

Storm

Special

Special

Strong Winds Normal-type flying creatures, flying carpets, flying broomsticks, and the like will crash in strong winds with a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die, checked once each turn.

Storms Navigation is impossible in storm conditions and any flying creatures (other than air elementals) or vessels will crash with a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die. A flier that does not crash is instead moved 2-7 hexes in a direction secretly determined by the referee and is immediately considered to be lost.

Becoming Lost

A flier will have no difficulty navigating a known route so long as the weather remains fair. However, should the weather turn nasty, it is possible to become lost. The referee should secretly throw a six-sided die for the players each day spent in strong winds—a 1-2 indicating that they have gotten lost. If the players are lost the referee should move them an unplanned distance/direction on his map that turn without alerting them.

Settlements and Strongholds

Settlements and strongholds occur in the air as they do in the wilderness. At low altitude these are likely to be on the ground. If these are discovered at high altitude they could be levitating towers, built upon cloud banks, suspended by squadrons of hot air balloons, or whatever else the referee desires. Whether these will be friendly or unfriendly can be determined with a reaction check.

Aerial Encounters

Encounters occur in the air much as they do in the wilderness. The referee should check once each day with a throw of a 6 on a six-sided die indicating an encounter.

When an encounter occurs determine the type of monster by dicing on the appropriate encounter table. If the players are traveling at low altitude the encounter is equally likely to occur on the surface as on the wing. In this case use the appropriate wilderness encounter table.

Table 2.24 Aerial Encounter Tables

1-20

Mountain Peaks

Open Sky

Cloud Tops

1

Cavemen

Chimeras

Chimeras

2

Chimeras

Dinosaurs, pterodactyls

Cockatrices

3

Cockatrices

Dinosaurs, pterodactyls‡

Dinosaurs, pterodactyls†

4

Dinosaurs, pterodactyls†

Djinn

Djinn

5

Dragons, white

Dragons, any

Dragons, golden

6

Elemental, air

Elemental, air

Elemental, air

7

Gargoyles

Elementals, air, 1-6

Elves*

8

Giants, stone

Elves*

Giants, cloud

9

Giants, storm

Griffons†

Giants, storm

10

Goblins

Hippogriffs†

Griffons†

11

Griffons†

Invisible stalker

Hippogriffs†

12

Hippogriffs†

Manticoras

Invisible stalker

13

Hobgoblins

Men*

Manticoras

14

Invisible stalker

Men, buccaneers*

Men*

15

Manticoras

Men, pirates*

Men, pirates*

16

Men

Non-player characters*

Non-player characters*

17

Non-player characters

Pegasi†

Pegasi†

18

Pegasi†

Rocs

Pixies

19

Rocs

Rocs‡

Rocs

20

Wyverns

Wyverns

Wyverns

* With air ships as necessary.

† With riders on a six-sided die throw of 5-6.

‡ With riders.

#####

Surprise

Surprise occurs in the air (as it does in the underworld) with a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die. If the players are surprised their enemies will typically come at them from upwind or above, emerge suddenly out of clouds or rain squalls, or emerge from the dazzling glare of the sun.

Encounter Distance

If either party is surprised an encounter will begin at 10-60 yards distance and the surprised party will be unable to respond for one turn; otherwise, an encounter will begin at 40-240 yards distance. Melee range is 1" (10 yards) as it is in the wilderness. Airborne artillery range is typically 300 yards.

Monster Reaction

Monster reaction to the players on the wing is as per the underworld.

Evasion and Pursuit

Evasion and pursuit on the wing is as per the wilderness with the following additional considerations:

- Low visibility occurs in storms, rain, clouds, looking into the sun, and at night,

- Evaders who can fly will automatically escape pursuers on the ground without this ability unless they are surprised.

Aerial Combat

Players with winged mounts or other means of flight can engage in aerial combat. Excepting air elementals, larger creatures are clumsier fliers than are smaller creatures. Climbing is slow and diving is fast.

When air-to-air combat occurs, the referee should use the wilderness combat scale (1" to 10 yards and one minute turns) to resolve maneuvering and missile fire as the protagonists engage. Altitude, wind direction, tactical positions, and facings can be marked on a scale map, if desired, or simply noted as closing distances.

Missile Fire

Airborne artillery may be fired every other turn, while spells and missiles may be loosed each turn giving due consideration to air speed and weather conditions.

Large creatures can bombard ground targets by dropping rocks, logs, bodies, or similar missiles from above. These are treated as artillery attacks.

Missile fire from the air is always considered to be at long range and, against aerial targets, attack rolls are penalized by −4.

A mounted heroic-type is subject to missile fire only on a six-sided die throw of 5-6; otherwise his mount is subject to that missile fire. Should a rider be hit he is unhorsed with a throw of 6 on a six-sided die and will fall. Otherwise, a hit to his mount will maim a critical flight muscle with a throw of 6 on a six-sided die and cause it to crash to the ground.

Melee

Aerial melee attacks are made in passing clashes at a range of 1" (10 yards) with combatants being disengaged after each pass. Should a combatant lose the initiative he is unable to riposte that turn unless his speed and heading match his opponent’s, or the combatants are otherwise held together.

D D D D D

Falling

Falling or otherwise crashing is a constant hazard for fliers. A fall to earth from a low altitude will cause 1-6 dice of damage (1-6 to 6-36 hit points). A fall to earth from a high altitude will cause 10-60 hit points of damage after 1-4 turns (minutes) free falling.

THE CAMPAIGN

Specialist Hirelings

Specialists are the elite category of hirelings whose services are only available to the wealthy. Specialists are engaged to undertake specific tasks and must be paid for a minimum of one month.

Table 2.25 Specialist Hirelings

Monthly

Type

Cost

Alchemist

1,800 gp

Animal Trainer

300 gp

Armorer

90 gp

Assassin

3,000 gp

Engineer

600 gp

Marine

9 gp

Sage

1,200 gp

Sailor

6 gp

Ship’s Captain

120 gp

Smith

30 gp

Spy

900 gp

Alchemists can duplicate potions from a sample or a proven formula at one-half the potion’s regular cost. They can also research new potions (including poisons although use of poison is an evil act) at double the cost of a magic-user’s equivalent spell research.

Animal Trainers are necessary to train any non-domesticated creatures. An animal trainer can train one specific type of creature and no more than six such creatures can be trained at any one time. The duration of any training will be determined by the referee.

At least one Armorer is required to maintain the arms and armor of every 50 fighters. While otherwise idle an armorer can fashion up to three shields or two helms per week, one suit of mail armor in a month, or one suit of plate armor in two months. Two assistant smiths will double this volume. Six assistant smiths will triple this volume.

Assassins can be found only rarely; no more than 1-6 are available in any game year. Success is determined by the referee according to the power and precautions taken by the subject. Hiring an assassin is considered an evil act.

An Engineer is required for the construction of any bridge, stronghold, or other fortification. They are also required to undermine fortified walls and for any tunneling or mining.

Marines are sea-faring fighters. In ship-to-ship combat they are equivalent to mercenaries; they wear only leather armor and are never mounted.

A Sage is a master of esoteric knowledge who can function in an advisory capacity.

Sailors are required to man any sea-faring ship. In ship-to-ship combat they are equivalent to buccaneers.

A Ship’s Captain is required to effectively run any sea-faring vessel, maintaining order, discipline, and sea worthiness.

At least one Smith is required to maintain horseshoes, harness, buckles, axles, wheels, and so on for every 50 horses. While otherwise idle a smith can fashion one score arrow heads, four spears, two axes or swords, or a single two-handed sword per week.

Spies can be found only rarely; no more than 1-6 are available in any game year. These are used to infiltrate, eavesdrop, shadow, and spy for the obtaining or planting of information or trinkets. Success is determined by the referee according to the precautions taken by the subject.

Constructing a Stronghold

A wealthy character may wish to construct a stronghold such as a keep, tower, castle, or whatever is affordable. If he has reached 9th level he is always allowed to establish this stronghold; otherwise, he will require permission from the regional ruler. Depending upon the character’s alignment, charisma, and political prospects, such permission may not always be forthcoming.

Monsters must be cleared from within three hexes (18 miles) of the site before any construction can commence. Once a fortification has been established, however, the surrounds will remain clear of monsters so long as they are patrolled satisfactorily.

The region within three hexes of a stronghold (37 hexes total) will typically contain 2-8 villages of 100-400 inhabitants; these and other features can be determined by the referee using the random wilderness hex tables. If the occupier of a stronghold is at least 9th level he is entitled to collect 1 gp per month from each inhabitant for their protection. Clerics may collect an additional 1 gp per month for spiritual donations where alms are provided and services conducted.

These revenues may be used by the player to swell his personal treasury or to further his fledgling realm with roads, bridges, fortifications, inns, churches, animal husbandry, or whatever else. How these activities will influence the character’s reputation and his political prospects is for the referee to decide.

Below are the costs of common structures though any variation in size should adjust costs proportionately.

Table 2.26 Structures

Structure

Cost

Barbette

1,000 gp

Barbican

14,000 gp

Bastion

3,000 gp

Building, stone

2,500 gp

Building, wooden

500 gp

Curtain wall

3,500 gp

Ditch

500 gp

Gatehouse

9,000 gp

Keep

80,000 gp

Palisade

500 gp

Rampart

500 gp

Tower, round

10,000 gp

Tower, small

5,000 gp

Tower, square

4,000 gp

Table 2.27 Fixtures

Fixture

Cost

Arrow slit

10 gp

Battering ram

1,000 gp

Catapult, heavy

400 gp

Catapult, light

300 gp

Cauldron

50 gp

Door, iron

50 gp

Door, reinforced

20 gp

Door, wooden

10 gp

Drawbridge

2,000 gp

Portcullis

2,000 gp

Siege tower

2,000 gp

Stairs, stone

90 gp

Stairs, wooden

30 gp

Window

10 gp

Arrow Slit Any fortified opening through which missiles can be discharged including murder holes and oilettes.

Barbette A 10ft diameter, 20ft tall round tower section which protrudes where battlement walls intersect, enabling archers to fire through arrow slits.

Barbican A pair of 30ft diameter, 40ft tall crenulated towers with a 40ft section of curtain wall between them having battlements facing both inward and outward. The wall may be serviced by a gate with portcullis and drawbridge (at additional cost).

Bastion A 125ft section of curtain wall curved in an 80ft diameter semi-circle.

Battering Ram A heavy log ram suspended beneath a carriage on wheels or carried with handles. Used to batter down gates by force.

Building A 40ft wide and 20ft deep, two-story structure with both attic and basement. The wooden and stone versions are of identical design.

Catapult, Heavy A mighty siege engine that lobs rocks up to 480 yards for 3-18 hit points of damage, firing every third turn with a complete crew.

Catapult, Light A siege engine that lobs rocks up to 300 yards for 2-12 hit points of damage, firing every second turn with a complete crew.

Cauldron A timber frame that suspends a great cauldron over the battlements, enabling defenders to pour boiling water or oil over the walls.

Curtain Wall A 100ft long section of 15ft high crenulated castle wall.

Ditch A 100ft long section of 10ft deep and 20ft wide diggings. Fills with water in wet environments, forming a moat. Costs half if a rampart is also constructed.

Door, Iron A great door constructed of iron. A double-width gate costs triple.

Door, Reinforced A heavy hardwood door reinforced with tempered iron bands. A double-width gate costs triple.

Door, Wooden A stout hardwood door. A double-width gate costs triple.

Drawbridge A wooden bridge up to 20ft long and 10ft wide affixed to a gate that is used to cross a ditch. Includes a winch used to raise or lower the bridge.

Gatehouse A 30ft long by 20ft wide fortification with 20ft high crenulated walls. Includes a double-width iron gate, portcullis and drawbridge.

Keep A 250ft long section of curtain wall arranged in an 80ft diameter circle with an integrated gatehouse all surrounding a 40ft diameter, 60ft high crenulated circular tower.

Palisade A 100ft long section of 8ft high timber pickets. Usually a temporary or cheap structure in lieu of stonework defenses.

Portcullis A heavy iron grate up to 12ft high and 8ft wide that can be raised and lowered to protect a gateway.

Rampart A 100ft long, 20ft wide and 10ft high pile of earth used for shelter or concealment or to raise the ground level outside a wall in order to surmount it. Costs half if a ditch is also constructed.

Siege Tower A 15ft tall wooden structure on wheels used to assail stronghold walls.

Stairs, Stone Up to a 10ft rise or fall of internal or external stone steps.

Stairs, Wooden Up to a 10ft rise or fall of internal or external wooden steps.

Tower, Round Up to 20ft diameter, 30ft tall round tower with crenulated battlements.

Tower, Small Up to 15ft diameter, 40ft tall round tower with crenulated battlements.

Tower, Square Up to 30ft square, 30ft high tower with crenulated battlements.

Window A glass covered frame for admitting light, up to 3ft square. Can be opened for better visibility.

Mass Battles

Strongholds may need to defend themselves or the surrounding territory from hostile or ambitious neighbors. Political intrigues, sieges, and field battles are all possible. While the combat rules herein can resolve actions involving large bodies of troops, the referee may desire to employ purpose-made wargaming rules for full-scale fantasy battles. Suitable rules for these engagements include Chainmail (1971), De Bellis Fantasticus—Here There Be Dragons (1998), and The Book of War (2011).

Artifacts

Super powerful magic items aligned toward law, neutrality, or chaos might exist at the referee’s option. These potentially game-altering objects are known as artifacts and should be handled by the referee with great care.

Artifacts are unique, campaign specific objects that have a purpose and a history. An artifact could be a throne, an extra-dimensional gate, a crown, a suit of mechanized armor, an enchanted ship, a sword of seven shards, or anything else the referee desires. They will be the subject of research and controversy among the wisest and may also be known through folklore to the common man.

Whatever its nature, an artifact is impervious to ordinary magic. Anti-magic shield, remove curse, dispel magic, dispel evil, and so on are completely ineffective. Moreover, an artifact is almost completely indestructible. There is typically only one specific way to destroy an artifact which invariably involves a great quest to some faraway and dangerous place.

Consequences for meddling with an artifact of differing alignment should be severe. Death, insanity, extra-dimensional imprisonment, 10-60 hit points of damage, loss of 1-6 experience levels, or similar would not be unreasonable. The power imbued when employing an artifact appropriately should be equally astonishing and this matter is left entirely to the referee’s imagination...

Enchanting Magic Items

Magic-users and clerics can copy spells which they can memorize onto scrolls and can enchant other magical items at 9th level or higher. Items with spell-like powers that mimic magic-user or cleric spells can only be constructed by members of that class; other magic items can be created by either class.

Table 2.28 Cost of Enchanting Items

Item

Cost

Time

Spell scroll*

100 gp

1 week

Potion*

250 gp

1 week

Arrows +1 (score)

1,000 gp

2 weeks

Sword +1

3,000 gp

1 month

Plate armor +1

10,000 gp

3 months

Shield +1

1,500 gp

2 weeks

Gauntlets of Ogre Power

15,000 gp

6 weeks

Bag of Holding

20,000 gp

2 months

Boots of Speed

25,000 gp

3 months

Wand of Fireball

40,000 gp

4 months

Staff of Sorcery

100,000 gp

1 year

Ring of Protection

60,000 gp

6 months

Ring of Spell Storing

80,000 gp

9 months

* Cost given per spell level.

The referee can extrapolate cost and time requirements for other items commensurate with their power and value. Invest wisely.

Other Worlds

There are countless other worlds to explore that might be reached by magic or by other ingenuity. Moreover, the inhabitants of these unfathomable places might reach the here and now of the campaign at any time, or may have been present from the very beginning.

Visiting other planets, other times, or other dimensions are very real possibilities and the players might discover paths to abyssal depths, Elysian delights, or virtually any other place at any time. The possibilities are truly endless.

Should the players reach other worlds these should be remarkably different from our own. The assumed natural laws of gravity, time, space, temperature, inflammability, scale, and so on should not all apply. In this regard the wealth of science fiction and fantasy literature can be a great inspiration to the referee.

SECTION III:

MONSTERS & TREASURES

MONSTERS

Monsters are the principal challenge that players will face in their adventures. They include all the genuine horrors of the underworld such as trolls, vampires, and dragons, as well as all the non-player characters of the world. Every character that is not run by a player is a monster—even the good townsfolk and the players’ hirelings.

It is clear then that not all monsters are harmful to the players. Some are quite benign and may even be helpful. Others are completely disinterested in the players so long as they don’t get in the way, while yet others are villainous threats that will seek to slay, capture, or waylay the players. A monster’s initial disposition toward the players is determined by a reaction check and its alignment. This characteristic is a one word summary of any monster’s stance in the eternal struggle between law, chaos, and neutrality.

Summary of Monsters

Table 3.1 Summary of Monsters

Number

Number

Move

Lair

Treasure

Type

Appearing

In Lair

AC

Rate

HD

Nearby

Type

Align

Androids

1-8

3-18

9

12

2

15

A2

Any

Ants, giant

2-12

20-240

3

18/3

2

10

C

N

Apes

1-8

n/a

6

12/12

4+1

n/a

n/a

N

Basilisks

1-6

1-6

4

6

6+1

40

F

C, N

Bats

10-80

100-800

8

3/12

½

15

n/a

N

Bats, giant

1-8

1-8

7

3/15

4

15

C

N

Bears

1-6

1-6

6

12

5+5

n/a

n/a

N

Beetles, giant

1-12

n/a

3

9/6

2-7

n/a

n/a

N

Black pudding

1

n/a

7

3

10

n/a

n/a

N

Boars

1-12

n/a

7

15

1+2

n/a

n/a

N

Boars, giant

1-8

n/a

6

12

7

n/a

n/a

N

Cave bears

1-2

n/a

6

12

6+6

n/a

n/a

N

Cavemen

2-12

30-180+

9

12

2

15

C

N

Centaurs

2-8

4-24+

6

18

4

5

A1

L, N

Centipedes, giant

1-6

1-6

3/7

12

3+1

60

B

N

Centipedes, large

2-24

n/a

9

6

½

n/a

n/a

N

Chimeras

1-4

1-4

4

12/18

9

50

F

C

Cockatrices

1-8

1-8

6

9/18

5

35

D

C, N

Crabs, giant

3-12

n/a

3

6

3

n/a

n/a

N

Crocodiles

2-12

3-24

6

9/15

3

20

n/a

N

Crocodiles, giant

1-6

2-12

5

9/15

7

20

n/a

N

Cyborgs

2-8

30-180

5

9

3+3

15

G

C, N

Cyclopes

1-4

1-4

2

15

16

30

E*

N

Dinosaurs

Brontosaurs

1-6

n/a

5

6

32

n/a

n/a

N

Mosasaur

1-4

n/a

5

3/15

14

n/a

n/a

N

Pterodactyls

1-8

n/a

5

3/12

2-7

n/a

n/a

N

Stegosaurs

2-8

n/a

2/5

6

8

n/a

n/a

N

Triceratops

2-8

n/a

2/5

9

16

n/a

n/a

N

Tyrannosaurus

Rexes

1-2

n/a

5

15

20

n/a

n/a

N

Deinonychus

1-6

n/a

5

21

4

n/a

n/a

N

Djinni

1

n/a

6

9/24

7+1

n/a

n/a

N

Dogs

4-16

n/a

7

15

1

n/a

n/a

N

Doppelgangers

1-6

3-12

5

9

4

25

E

C, N

Dragon turtles

1-4

1-4

2

3/9

12

60

H

N

Dragons

Black

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2-12

60

H*

C

Blue

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2+2-14

60

H*

C

Golden

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2−1-16

60

H*

L

Green

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2+1-13

60

H*

C

Red

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2+3-15

60

H*

C

White

1-4

1-4

5-2

Various

2−1-11

60

H*

C

Dryads

1-6

1-6

5

12

2

20

D

L, N

Dwarfs

2-12

20-240+

4

9

1

50

G

L, N

Efreeti

1

n/a

4

9/24

10

n/a

n/a

C

Elemental

Air

1

n/a

3

-/36

8/12/16

n/a

n/a

N

Earth

1

n/a

3

6/6

8/12/16

n/a

n/a

N

Fire

1

n/a

3

12

8/12/16

n/a

n/a

N

Water

1

n/a

3

6/18

8/12/16

n/a

n/a

N

Elves

2-12

20-240+

7

12

1

25

E

L, N

Fish, giant

2-12

n/a

5

-/30

4-9

n/a

n/a

N

Gargoyles

1-10

2-20

6

9/15

4

25

C

C

Gelatinous cube

1

n/a

8

6

4

n/a

*

N

Ghouls

1-12

2-24

7

9

2

20

B

C

Giants:

Cloud

1-8

1-8

3

15

12+2

30

E*

N

Fire

1-8

1-8

3

12

11+3

30

E*

C

Frost

1-8

1-8

4

12

10+1

30

E*

C

Hill

1-8

1-8

4

12

8

30

E*

C

Stone

1-8

1-8

2

12

9

30

E*

N

Storm

1-8

1-8

2

15

15

30

E*

N

Gnolls

2-10

20-200+

6

9

2

30

D

C

Gnomes

2-12

20-240+

6

9

1

60

C

L, N

Goblins

2-20

40-400+

7

9

1−1

50

*

C

Golems

Clay

1

n/a

2

6

12

n/a

n/a

N

Flesh

1

n/a

9

9

9

n/a

n/a

N

Gorgons

1-4

1-4

3

12

8

50

E

C

Gothrogs

1-6

1-6

3

9/15

10

25

F

C

Gray ooze

1

n/a

9

3

3

n/a

n/a

N

Green slime

1

n/a

9

n/a

3

n/a

n/a

N

Griffons

1-8

2-16

4

12/30

7

10

E

N

Halflings

2-8

30-180+

7

9

1

70

B

L, N

Hippogriffs

1-8

2-16

6

18/36

3+1

n/a

n/a

N

Hobgoblins

2-12

20-240+

5

9

1+1

30

D

C

Horses

Destrier

n/a

n/a

7

12

2+4

n/a

n/a

N

Draft horse

n/a

n/a

7

12

2+1

n/a

n/a

N

Mule

n/a

n/a

7

12

2

n/a

n/a

N

Riding horse

n/a

n/a

7

24

2

n/a

n/a

N

War horse

n/a

n/a

7

18

2+2

n/a

n/a

N

Hydras

1-2

1-2

5

12

5-12

25

B

N

Invisible stalker

1

n/a

2

-/12

8

n/a

n/a

N

Juggernaut

1

n/a

2

9

37

n/a

n/a

N

Kobolds

2-20

40-400+

7

6/9

½

50

*

C, N

Leeches, giant

2-12

n/a

8

3/6

2

n/a

n/a

N

Lions

1-6

2-12

6

12

5+2

25

n/a

N

Lions, spotted

2-8

2-8

5

12

6+2

25

n/a

N

Living statues

Iron

1

n/a

2

6

18

n/a

n/a

N

Stone

1

n/a

5

6

14

n/a

n/a

N

Lizards, giant

1-6

2-12

5

15

3+1

60

n/a

N

Lizards, large

1-6

2-12

8

12

½

60

n/a

N

Lizardmen

2-8

10-40+

6

6/12

2+1

40

D

C, N

Lycanthropes

Werebears

1-10

2-20

3

9

6

15

C

L, N

Wereboars

1-10

2-20

5

12

4+1

15

C

C, N

Weretigers

1-10

2-20

4

12

5

15

C

C, N

Werewolves

1-10

2-20

6

15

4

15

C

C, N

Manticoras

1-4

1-4

5

12/18

6+1

25

D

C

Mastodons

1-12

n/a

6

15

12

n/a

n/a

N

Medusae

1-4

1-4

7

9

4

75

F

C

Men

Bandits

2-16

30-300+

8

12

1

15

A1

C, N

Berserkers

2-16

30-300+

9

12

1+1

15

A1

N

Brigands

2-16

30-300+

6

12

1

15

A1

C

Buccaneers

2-16

30-300+

8

12

1

15

A3

C, N

Dervishes

2-16

30-300+

8

12

1+1

15

A2

L

Mercenaries

2-16

30-300+

6

12

1+1

15

A3

N

Nomads

2-16

30-300+

8

12

1

15

A2

C, N

Pirates

2-16

30-300+

8

12

1

15

A3

C

Zealots

2-16

30-300+

9

12

1+1

15

A2

C

Mermen

2-12

20-240+

7

3/15

1+1

40

A3

N

Minotaurs

1-8

1-8

6

12

6

30

C

C, N

Mummies

1-6

1-12

4

6

5+1

30

D

C

Nixies

2-20

10-100

7

6/12

1−1

100

B

N

Ochre jelly

1

n/a

9

3

5

n/a

n/a

N

Octopi, giant

1-4

1-4

7

-/9

4

30

A3

N

Ogres

1-8

3-18

6

9

4+1

30

C*

C

Orcs

2-16

30-300+

7

9

1

50

D

C

Pegasi

1-12

n/a

6

24/48

2+2

n/a

n/a

L, N

Pixies

2-20

10-100

6

9/18

1−1

25

C

N

Purple worms

1-4

1-4

6

9/9

15

25

D

N

Rats, giant

2-12

10-60

7

12/6

½

10

C

N

Robots

1-4

n/a

3

6/6

7

n/a

n/a

C, N

Rocs

Young

1-8

1-20

6

6/48

6

20

I

N

Adult

1-6

1-20

5

6/42

12

20

I

N

Ancient

1-4

1-20

4

6/36

18

20

I

N

Sabre toothed tigers

1-2

1-2

6

12

7+2

15

n/a

N

Salamanders

2-5

2-5

3/5

9

7+3

70

F

C

Scorpions, giant

1-4

1-4

3

15

5+4

50

D

N

Sea monsters

Leviathan

1

1

4

-/18

45

n/a

H

N

Kraken

1

1

2

3/18

30

75

G*

N

Sea serpents

1-4

1-4

6

-/21

15

25

D

N

Shadows

1-10

2-20

7

-/9

2+2

50

F

C

Skeletons

3-30

n/a

8

6

½

n/a

n/a

N

Snakes, giant

1-4

n/a

6

9/9

7

n/a

n/a

N

Snakes, large

2-16

n/a

8

6/6

½

n/a

n/a

N

Spectres

1-8

1-8

3

-/15

6

25

E

C

Spiders, giant

1-8

1-8

5

3/12

4+4

70

C

C

Spiders, large

1-10

2-20

8

6/15

½

60

C

N

Squid, giant

1-6

2-12

7/3

-/12

6

20

A3

N

Thulls

1-8

3-18

6

9

3

35

D

C

Tigers

1-4

1-4

6

12

5+4

15

n/a

N

Titanotheres

1-12

n/a

7

12

12

n/a

n/a

N

Titan

1

1

2

18

21

5

A1*

Any

Toads, giant

1-6

3-30

6

6/6

2+4

40

n/a

N

Treants

1-10

2-20

2

6

8

15

n/a

L, N

Trolls

1-6

2-12

5

12

6+3

50

D

C

Unicorns

1-4

n/a

3

24

4

n/a

n/a

L

Vampires

1-6

1-6

2

12/18

8

20

F

C

Weasels, giant

1-8

1-8

6

15

2

15

n/a

N

Wight apes

1-6

1-6

6

12/12

5+2

10

C

N

Wights

1-12

2-24

6

9

3

60

B

C

Wolves

1-10

2-20

7

18

1

15

n/a

N

Wolves, giant

1-6

3-12

6

18

2+2

15

n/a

C

Woolly mammoths

1-12

n/a

5

15

13

n/a

n/a

N

Woolly rhinoceroses

1-4

n/a

5

12

10

n/a

n/a

N

Wraiths

1-8

2-16

4

-/12

4

20

E

C

Wyverns

1-6

1-6

4

9/24

7

60

E

C, N

Yellow mold

1

n/a

9

n/a

3

n/a

n/a

N

Zombies

3-30

n/a

9

6

1

n/a

n/a

N

Number Appearing and Number in Lair are the numbers of monsters typically encountered outside of or in their lair, respectively. A + indicates the possibility of leader-types and/or accompanying monsters. The number of monsters appearing outside the lair is appropriate for 4-6 characters whose experience level is equal to the monster’s number of hit dice. The referee can scale these figures for smaller or larger groups or as desired.

AC is for armor class.

Movement Rates are given in inches per turn. The first figure denotes the normal ground rate. If a secondary rate appears it denotes the flying, swimming, burrowing, or climbing rate as per the monster description.

HD lists the number of hit dice with any adjustment to hit points being applied after the given number of six-sided dice have been thrown and summed.

Lair Nearby is the percentage chance that any encountered monsters will be from a nearby lair. “Nearby” is relative to the monster’s usual mode of locomotion. Whether the lair is easy or difficult to locate is for the referee to determine.

Treasure Type is for determining what treasure will be present in the lair. A * indicates the possibility of additional treasure as per the monster description.

Alignment L is for lawful, N is for neutral, and C is for chaotic. Some monsters can be of any alignment (men being among these) and others can be either of two alignments (elves and kobolds being among these). In all these cases any individual is always of exactly one alignment.

Explanation of Monsters

Wherever special melee damage is detailed it is applicable to heroic combat only. However, against normal-types, monsters throw one attack roll as a 1 hit die monster for each of their own hit die, with each successful attack roll causing 1-6 hit points of damage.

Monster saving throws are as the most appropriate player-type with as many experience levels as the monster has hit dice. For example, an android would save as a 2nd level magic-user, a troll would save as a 6th level fighter, and so on. A gothrog would save as a 10th level fighter/10th level magic-user, using whichever category is more favorable.

Androids are artificial men. They often have superior qualities such as health, grace, comeliness, or education, but are otherwise indistinguishable save for the color of their blood. Some individuals possess mind powers equivalent to magic use of up to the 4th experience level (throw a six-sided die and subtract 2 for each android—a result less than 1 indicating no tangible mind powers); otherwise, they function as do ordinary men.

Ants, Giant are 2-3ft long. They are industrious tunnelers and gatherers that occur in great colonies. Outside the lair only the soldier types will be encountered. Within the lair two-thirds of any ants encountered are 1 hit die workers that will not attack unless provoked. The remainder are soldiers that will attack anything that obstructs the business of the colony. A nest always has a 10 hit dice queen ant who is immobile and non-aggressive. Giant ants will never flee from their nest unless the queen is slain.

Apes are generally non-aggressive but are extremely strong. They will climb trees for refuge but if provoked they can strike for 2-7 hit points of damage.

Basilisks are large, slow, eight-legged reptiles whose gaze or touch will petrify any living creature that fails to save versus petrification. If it is tricked into seeing its own reflection in a mirror, a basilisk will likewise be petrified.

Bats roost underground in great numbers during the day. They are mostly harmless to man-types but if a colony is startled and takes to the wing in a confined space they will create confusion. A flapping cloud of bats will obscure sight and possibly extinguish torches, cause equipment to be dropped, or cause spell casting to be interrupted.

Bats, Giant are black as night and so silent on the wing that they will surprise their prey with a throw of 3 or more on a six-sided die. If their prey resists they will shriek, causing normal-types to cover their ears for one turn rather than fight.

Bears are omnivorous but favor meat. They have rather poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell and can scent food from miles away. They can be aggressive hunters and are very powerful. They cause 3-8 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 4-14 hit points of damage.

Beetles, Giant are of various sorts but are invariably hungry and can eat virtually any organic matter. They occur underground and in forests and can tunnel through soft earth. They do not hear or see well and rely on their sensitivity to vibrations and smell.

A Black Pudding is an amorphous black blob which moves about a dungeon scavenging the leavings of other inhabitants. Due to its coloration and shapelessness it is very difficult to spot in dim light or shadows. It is susceptible to fire but invulnerable to cold. Lightning and slashing attacks will divide it into smaller parts without causing harm. Contact with a black pudding will dissolve wood and metal armor in one turn. Flesh is likewise dissolved suffering 3-18 hit points of damage per turn. Stone, however, is impervious. It can move along walls, floors, and ceilings without difficulty and can squeeze through tiny openings including cracks in stonework and under doors.

Boars are wild pigs that occur in forests and on plains. They are frequently hunted for sport but are extremely tough; they always make one more attack roll after being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points. Every other boar encountered will be a sounder and if these young are attacked the adults will always attack and will absolutely not flee.

Boars, Giant are similar to regular boars but for their great size and aggressive demeanor. They will attack anyone who enters their territory causing 2-12 hit points of damage. They will never retreat and will always make one more attack roll after being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points.

Cave Bears are enormous carnivorous bears that are always hungry. They have rather poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell and can scent food from miles away. They are aggressive hunters and are extremely powerful. They cause 1-11 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 3-18 hit points of damage. Cave bears will always make one more attack roll after being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points.

Cavemen are large but primitive Neanderthal types who are otherwise similar to men. They fight with crude axes, hammers, and clubs, but suffer a −1 adjustment to morale checks and have little treasure. Leader-types are always fighters but never possess magic items.

Centaurs are horse-men having the body of a horse and the torso of a human. They have normal human intelligence and dwell in secluded glens and valleys in deep forests. Centaurs equip themselves with spears (25%), swords (25%), or clubs (50%) and shields with half carrying short bows in addition. Moreover, a centaur warrior can has two attack rolls each turn, once each with his weaponry and hooves. A centaur lair is much as a small human village having two mares and two foals for every warrior stallion present. Mares have one attack roll each turn only under duress and foals are non-combative.

Centipedes, Giant and Large are found almost anywhere and are aggressive hunters. Large specimens are up to 1ft long, while the giant types are up to 10ft long and have a hard, armored head but a relatively soft body. Both sorts move along walls and ceilings at normal speed. The bite of either causes paralysis although a saving throw is allowed and is at +4 in the case of large centipedes.

Chimeras are fearsome three-headed monsters with great bat-like wings, the forequarters of a lion, the hindquarters of a goat, and the heads of goat, lion, and dragon. A chimera can use its breath weapon or engage in combat. The dragon head breathes a 6" long 2" wide cone of fire that deals 3-18 hit points of damage, although a successful saving throw versus breath weapons will reduce this by half. In combat a chimera has three attack rolls each turn against heroic enemies; the goat head butting or goring, the lion head biting or rending with its paws, and the dragon head biting.

Cockatrices are reptilian-fowl with bat-like wings. The merest touch of its tail feathers will petrify any living thing (other than a cockatrice) that fails to save versus petrification.

Crabs, Giant occur underwater, in coastal estuaries, and in swamps. They have hard, armored shells and if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, they cause 1-11 hit points damage.

Crocodiles are voracious reptiles found in rivers and swamps of warm regions. They are difficult to spot when floating half-submerged in water and will often attack by surprise. If an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more a crocodile will drag its victim back into the water where it will roll over and over until the victim is drowned. Crocodiles are lazy and will not pursue more than one turn out of water.

Crocodiles, Giant are thrice the size of their ordinary cousins but otherwise similar. An attack causes 2-12 hit points of damage and any attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more swallows a man-sized victim whole. They are difficult to spot as they float half-submerged in water and they can overturn boats and rafts. A giant crocodile can be rammed by larger ships, possibly slaying the monster but also capsizing the boat (check separately for each).

Cyborgs were once men but are now mostly machines; inhumane and evil. They can occur in large numbers and aim to sweep across a population assimilating all man-types into cyborgs. They are cruelly strong and deal 3-8 hit points of damage on a hit, need never check morale, and will never give up a pursuit so long as the quarry is in sight.

Cyclopes are 20ft tall giants with but one large eye which is the cause of poor depth perception and a −2 adjustment on all attack rolls. They dwell in forlorn, out of the way ruins, islands, or undersea caves where they seldom encounter others. They are skilled smiths and should a player offer a useful gift and get a positive reaction the cyclopes may offer magical armor in return. A cyclops does battle with a huge club and deals 6-21 hit points of damage and can hurl rocks up to 20" for 2-12 damage. They especially prize gold and their treasure hoard will always contain an additional 2,000-5,000 gp.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are great, prehistoric lizards and can be fearsome enemies. The largest predators are few but can swallow man-sized victims whole while the smaller types occur in hunting packs. Herbivores of all sizes appear in herds. None of them covets treasure.

Dinosaurs, Brontosaurs are among the largest creatures walking on land. They are up to 80ft long, 20ft tall at the shoulder, and can weigh over 30 tons. They spend their time grazing the vegetation of the great plains and swamplands. Fortunately, they are peaceful herbivores and unlikely to attack unless provoked. The chief danger they present is from crushing, barging, or stampeding ahead of predators or fire. Hits deal 3-18 hit points of damage due to their immense mass.

Dinosaurs, Deinonychus include any of the relatively small pack hunting carnivores up to 5ft high and 10ft long. They are quick and cunning and inclined to stalk prey, only attacking at the optimal moment. They will not give up a pursuit while their prey remains in sight.

Dinosaurs, Mosasaurs are huge reptilian swimmers up to 40ft in length. These marine lizards have paddle-like limbs, finned tails, and huge jaws bristling with curved teeth. They are found in any deep waters but must surface to breathe air. A hit causes 3-18 hit points of damage but if ever an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, a mosasaur will swallow a man-sized target whole.

Dinosaurs, Pterodactyls are any man-sized and larger reptilian fliers that rule the prehistoric skies. They occur in coastal and swampy regions where they nest in colonies that cling to cliff faces, cave walls, and escarpments, and are always hungry. The most common forms are approximately man-sized with wingspans of 10-25ft but the largest sorts are up to 20ft tall with wingspans of up to 40ft.

Dinosaurs, Stegosaurs are large herbivores up to 30ft long and 10ft high and up to 3 tons in weight. These have very tiny brains and a distinctive array of shield-like plates along the ridge of the spine, granting AC 2 versus attacks other than from the flank. They have a fist of 2ft long spikes on the tail which will strike for 2-12 hit points of damage to the flank or rear; otherwise, damage is 3-8 hit points.

Dinosaurs, Triceratops are huge, aggressive herbivores that will run down any threat to the herd. They are up to 30ft long and 10ft high and can weigh up to 10 tons. A triceratops has a huge skull with a distinctive bony frill and three great horns granting AC 2 from the front. Should it charge an enemy it will deal 4-24 hit points of damage; otherwise, damage is 2-12 hit points.

Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rexes are huge carnivorous lizards and truly fearsome predators. They are up to 20ft tall and 40ft long and can weigh up to 7 tons. The jaws contain scores of dagger-like fangs and any hit causes 4-24 hit points of damage. On any attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, it will swallow a man-sized target whole.

A Djinni is a creature of air appearing as a supremely confident, bare-chested warrior. They can fly as easily as walk, even burdened with thrice what an ordinary man could bear. A djinni can become invisible, assume gaseous form, or magically create any desired object at will. Soft materials including food, drink, and garments are permanent. Harder materials have a shorter existence; djinn gold lasts only a day, steel only an hour. A djinni can also create magical illusions on a whim and these are equal to the phantasm spell except that a djinni has no need to concentrate to maintain the illusion.

A djinni can also transform into a torrid whirlwind 3" high and 2" wide which will sweep away all normal-types. The whirlwind takes one turn to form and another to dissipate. A djinni deals 1-11 hit points of damage in combat due to his formidable size and strength.

Dogs are keen nosed pack animals that inhabit plains and prairies. They can be trained only if separated from the pack as pups but will then have +2 loyalty.

Doppelgangers are humanoid creatures that can change their physical form to identically resemble any man-like creature they have observed. Once a likeness is achieved they can do away with the victim and then act in his role for a time to gain the utmost advantage before attacking again. Doppelgangers are immune to sleep and charm spells and make saving throws as a 10th level fighter.

Dragon Turtles are 30ft diameter turtles with long, sinuous necks and dragon heads. They are found only in large bodies of water and lair in deep, underwater grottos.

A dragon turtle has a 9"×3" conical breath weapon of scalding steam which functions as does a dragon’s breath weapon. It can surface beneath even a large ship, having a 50% chance of capsizing the vessel.

Dragons

Dragons are the great flying wyrms of legend and are always heroic/superheroic, regardless of hit dice. They are of six types: white, black, green, blue, red, and golden and have the following characteristics:

Table 3.2 Dragons by Type

Speaks

Magic

Breath Weapon

Type

Habitat

Common

Using

Shape

Type

Resistance

White

Arctic

20%

Never

Cone

Cold

Cold

Black

Swamp

40%

10%

Line

Acid

Acid

Green

Woods

60%

10%

Cone

Chlorine

Poison

Blue

Desert

80%

10%

Line

Lightning

Electricity

Red

Mountains

Always

10%

Cone

Fire

Fire

Golden

Any

Always

Always

Cone

Sound

Magic

White dragons are the least intelligent sort and have the usual 20% chance of knowing the common tongue and no possibility of magic use. Golden dragons are the most intelligent sort and they always know the common tongue and always have the use of magic spells. The other dragons have various chances of speaking the common tongue and only 10% chance of being magic-using.

All dragons have six life stages: hatchling, young, adult, mature, old, and ancient. The size of a dragon’s breath weapon is determined according to its life stage, as is the possibility of a dragon being asleep if encountered in its lair. Note that even a wakeful dragon may appear to be sleeping.

Table 3.3 Dragons by Age Category

Age

Years

Chance of

Breath Weapon Size

Category

of Age

Sleeping

Cone

Line

Hatchling

0-3

2*

1½" × ½"

3"

Young

4-10

2-4*

3" × 1"

6"

Adult

11-30

1

6" × 2"

12"

Mature

31-100

1-2

9" × 3"

18"

Old

101-300

1-3

9" × 3"

18"

Ancient

300+

1-4

9" × 3"

18"

* Roll two six-sided dice for hatchlings and young; otherwise roll one six-sided die.

All dragons can sense hidden and invisible creatures within 6". From adulthood they are impervious to normal missiles and need never check morale. Old and ancient dragons require normal-types to throw a positive morale check to approach nearer than 15" or to hold their ground if the dragon attacks.

Sleeping Dragons Should a dragon be sleeping the characters may, if great caution is employed, approach without waking it. If this is successfully accomplished a single turn of surprise attacks is allowed at +2 to hit. These will wake the dragon immediately and thereafter regular combat will ensue.

Dragon Breath Weapon A dragon can use its dreaded breath weapon only thrice per day and will do so to its maximum advantage. Those unfortunates that are targeted suffer damage equal to the dragon’s current hit points or half this number with a successful saving throw versus breath weapons.

Dragon Magic Should a dragon be magic-using it will know as many spells as it has hit dice. It will have access to 1st level spells as a hatchling, 2nd level spells as a young dragon, and 3rd level spells thereafter. Golden dragons only continue in this manner, attaining 6th level spells as ancient dragons.

If Multiple Dragons are encountered they will be related individuals of the same type. A pair of dragons could be siblings, mother and daughter, or a mated pair as appropriate for their age category. Hatchlings and young dragons will be the offspring of adults present. If these are attacked, the adults will immediately use their breath weapons against the offender. If either adult of a mated pair is attacked, its mate will retaliate at +4 to hit the following turn or for the remainder of the combat if its mate is slain.

Subduing Dragons With the exception of the golden type, dragons can be subdued as usual. A subdued dragon will serve so long as its master remains in a commanding position but will otherwise attempt to escape or slay him. A subdued dragon can be sold into servitude on the open market for 500-1,000 gp per hit point it has—although the player may have difficulty finding an appropriate buyer.

Dragon Treasure Hatchlings have not yet acquired any treasure. Older dragons have a hoard worth ½ a type H treasure for each age category beyond hatchling.

Dragons, Black dwell in swamps, marshes, and jungles. They are patient hunters and can fly, swim, and breath underwater indefinitely. While a black dragon lurks underwater the pool will gradually stagnate and become foul. Its breath weapon is a searing jet of acid which affects all targets in a line. They are themselves invulnerable to acid.

Table 3.4 Black Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2

1-6

C

Young

4

9/18

4

1-6

C

Adult

4

9/24

6

1-6

C

Mature

3

9/24

8

3-8

C

Old

3

9/24

10

3-8

C

Ancient

2

9/24

12

2-12

C

Dragons, Blue are found in arid regions soaring on the hot desert airs. They are shrewd hunters and love best to drop unseen from the azure skies but can also bury themselves in sand dunes for ambush. A blue dragon’s breath weapon is a cracking bolt of lightning which will affect all targets in a line. They are themselves invulnerable to lightning.

Table 3.5 Blue Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2+2

1-6

C

Young

4

9/18

5+2

1-6

C

Adult

4

9/24

8

3-8

C

Mature

3

9/24

10

3-8

C

Old

3

9/24

12

2-12

C

Ancient

2

9/24

14

2-12

C

Dragons, Golden can be found in any habitat. Despite being the only lawful dragons they will not serve any player and cannot be subdued in combat. They are very intelligent and always magic-using and will employ spells cleverly in combat. Moreover, they are highly magic resistant and make all saving throws versus magical attacks at +4. A gold dragon’s breath weapon is a sonic blast that will also damage structures. They sometimes polymorph into human form to move freely among men.

Table 3.6 Golden Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2−1

1-6

L

Young

4

9/18

4

1-6

L

Adult

4

9/24

7

1-6

L

Mature

3

9/24

10

3-8

L

Old

3

9/24

13

2-12

L

Ancient

2

9/24

16

3-18

L

Dragons, Green are found in daunting woods and impenetrable forests. They are voracious hunters of food and treasure and keen gatherers of intelligence. They will attack weak targets immediately but stalk more formidable prey. A green dragon’s breath weapon is a withering cone of chlorine gas. They are immune to poison.

Table 3.7 Green Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2+1

1-6

C

Young

4

9/18

5

1-6

C

Adult

4

9/24

7

1-6

C

Mature

3

9/24

9

3-8

C

Old

3

9/24

11

2-12

C

Ancient

2

9/24

13

2-12

C

Dragons, Red dwell in mountain caves from where they terrorize the surrounds. They are voracious predators and their greed is legendary. They will usually attack on sight but prefer not to destroy treasure with their fearsome fiery breath weapon if possible. They are themselves invulnerable to fire.

Table 3.8 Red Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2+3

1-6

C

Young

4

9/18

6

1-6

C

Adult

4

9/24

9

3-8

C

Mature

3

9/24

11

2-12

C

Old

3

9/24

13

2-12

C

Ancient

2

9/24

15

3-18

C

Dragons, White dwell in polar regions and are cunning predators that can fly, swim, and tunnel through snow and ice. They will not slip on ice and their breath weapon is a blistering cone of cold. They are themselves invulnerable to cold.

Table 3.9 White Dragons

Movement

Melee

Age

AC

Rates

HD

Dam

Align

Hatchling

5

6/12

2−1

1-6

C

Young

4

9/18

3

1-6

C

Adult

4

9/24

5

1-6

C

Mature

3

9/24

7

1-6

C

Old

3

9/24

9

3-8

C

Ancient

2

9/24

11

2-12

C

Dryads are shy and reclusive creatures who have exhaustive knowledge of their forest homes. Each is bound to an individual tree and can go no farther than 24" from it. A dryad is non-violent but can employ a powerful charm causing a saving throw versus spells at −2. Those who fail will never leave the forest.

Dwarfs dwell underground and see equally well by day or by night. They are redoubtable fighters and ogres, trolls, and giants score only half damage against them. Away from the lair a troop of dwarfs is always accompanied by one 1st-6th level fighter for every 40 dwarfs. In their stronghold lair there will instead be one 3rd-6th level fighter for every 40 dwarfs. A leveled fighter has a 10% chance per level of being equipped with magic armor, a magic shield, and a magic axe or hammer (check separately for each). A dwarf stronghold is 50% likely to be additionally defended by domesticated animals such as 1-6 bears or 1-8 giant weasels (check separately for each).

An Efreeti is a creature of fire and an irreconcilable enemy of the djinn. They are immensely strong—being able to bear what eight men can carry—and deal 2-12 hit points of damage in combat. Efreet can also fly, become invisible, and magically create any desired object at will. Soft materials including food, drink, and garments are permanent. Harder materials have a shorter existence; efreet gold lasts only a day, steel but one hour. An efreeti can also create magical illusions on a whim and these are equal to the phantasm spell except that an efreeti has no need to concentrate to maintain the illusion. Additionally they can cause a wall of fire to spring up and can themselves become incendiaries. If bound into service an efreeti will grudgingly serve for a year and a day but no longer.

Elementals

An elemental is an essential force of nature and is one of four types: earth, air, fire, and water. Each can appear in three sizes: 8, 12, or 16 hit dice. Elementals of any sort are affected by magical weapons only.

All elementals, no matter the hit dice or type, must be controlled by the summoner. If the summoner’s concentration is broken for any reason the elemental will cease whatever it is doing, move at its best speed, and attempt to kill him. Anyone between the elemental and its summoner will be attacked and everyone else will be ignored. Once control has been relinquished there is no way to regain it. The elemental will attack until it or its target is destroyed and immediately return to its home dimension.

Elementals, Air The only means of motility possessed by an air elemental is flight but they have absolute control over their movement, hovering or changing speed at will. These monsters cause 2-7 hit points of damage and attack at +2 to hit versus aerial opponents. They can spin into a fearsome whirlwind 3" wide at the base, 6" wide at the apex, and 1" of height for each hit die possessed (e.g., 8" tall for an 8 HD air elemental). The whirlwind takes a turn to form and another to dissipate and will sweep away all normal-types.

Elementals, Earth These creatures of earth and stone will strike with their mighty fists for 3-18 hit points of damage to opponents standing on solid ground and causing structural damage to constructions such as castle walls. Against opponents not standing on solid ground an earth elemental inflicts 2-12 hit points of damage. Earth elementals move at 6" over or through earth but cannot cross water. A move earth spell will drive an earth elemental back 12" and cause 6-36 points of damage.

Elementals, Fire Fire elementals move 12" per turn but cannot cross water. The touch of these monsters causes inflammable materials to ignite. In combat a fire elemental usually causes 2-12 hit points of damage. Against other fire-based creatures (red dragons, salamanders, fire giants, and so on) they cause only 2-7 hit points of damage. Fire elementals can only be summoned from a large source of heat such as a bonfire, a furnace, or molten lava.

Elementals, Water Water elementals are very dangerous in their environment, causing 2-12 hit points of damage in the water but only 1-6 hit points of damage on dry land. They can overturn boats and small vessels and prevent large vessels from moving. Water elementals can only be summoned from a large body of water such as a stream, pond, or lake. Once formed, a water elemental must remain within 6" of a large body of water. Its movement rate is 18" in water but 6" out of water.

Elves are reclusive woodland folk. They can move silently and almost invisibly through woods in their gray-green cloaks and are equipped with swords and spears or swords and bows (50% chance of either). For every 40 elves encountered there will be a leader-type with 2-4 fighter levels and 2-6 magic-user levels. For every 80 elves encountered there will be an additional 4th/6th level fighter/magic-user. Leader-types may possess magic items as per men. All elves add +1 hit point of damage when employing magic weapons and those with bows can move and fire without penalty.

Fish, Giant are of various sorts including barracuda, gar, and pike. They are aggressive hunters and always hungry. They occur in wild schools and as domesticated guardians around merman and nixie lairs.

Gargoyles appear much as the sculptural depictions in gothic architecture. They can remain perfectly still indefinitely and are indistinguishable from ordinary statues when so perched. They are notoriously hostile, however, and will attack without provocation 75% of the time. They are fond of ambush and normal weapons do them no harm.

A Gelatinous Cube is a cube-shaped, transparent scavenger that shapes itself to fit dungeon corridors up to 10ft by 10ft wide and moves about sweeping them clean. It picks up and absorbs everything from rocks and carrion to living things and treasure, which it is unable to digest. Thus, these scavengers carry a miscellany of durable items (coins, gems, daggers, helms, and so on) suspended in their transparent innards. Contact with a gelatinous cube causes paralysis unless a successful saving throw is made, and thereafter causes 1-6 hit points of damage per turn as the flesh is digested. They are invulnerable to cold and lightning, and immune to fear, paralysis, and polymorph.

Ghouls are eaters of living and carrion flesh. Their attack rolls and morale checks are penalized by −2 in daylight but the touch of these undead creatures causes paralysis for 1 turn in normal man-types (except elves, who are immune). A man-type slain by a ghoul will arise again the following night as a ghoul.

Giants

Giants are enormous, ugly humanoids who can hurl great rocks 20" for 2-12 hit points of damage and need never check morale against man-types. Unless noted otherwise, giants also cause 2-12 hit points of damage in melee combat. A wandering giant carries a great shoulder sack that contains his possessions including rocks, prisoners, other miscellany, and 1,000-6,000 gp worth of coins. Giant lairs are 50% likely to be guarded by a 5-10 headed hydra (with a throw of 1-4 on a six-sided die), or 2-20 wolves (with a throw of 5), or 1-6 bears (with a throw of 6). Giants are of various sorts including:

Table 3.10 Giants

Move

Hit

Melee

Type

Lair

Height

AC

Rate

Dice

Dam

Align

Hill

Cave

12ft

4

12

8

2-12

C

Stone

Cave

14ft

2

12

9

2-12

N

Frost

Castle

16ft

4

12

10+1

3-13

C

Fire

Cave

12ft

3

12

11+3

4-14

C

Cloud

Castle

18ft

3

15

12+2

3-18

N

Storm

Castle

20ft

2

15

15

6-21

N

Giants, Cloud are 18ft tall and inhabit unbelievable castles among the clouds. They cause 3-18 hit points of damage in melee combat and their sense of smell is so amazingly keen that they are rarely surprised.

Giants, Fire are 12ft tall and of stocky build. They cause 4-14 hit points of damage in melee combat and lair in castles and caverns wherever there is lava, fire, or great heat. They are themselves invulnerable to fire.

Giants, Frost are 16ft tall and cause 3-13 hit points of damage in melee combat. They favor huge horned helmets and lair in frigid castles and caverns. They are themselves invulnerable to cold.

Giants, Hill are the most base sort. They are 12ft tall and lair in rudimentary caves. They frequently associate with ogres, orcs, and other wicked creatures.

Giants, Stone are 14ft tall and inhabit isolated mountain cavern systems. They hurl rocks for 3-18 hit points of damage.

Giants, Storm are 20ft tall and cause 6-21 hit points of damage in melee combat. They inhabit formidable castles situated in out of the way places including islands, mountains, and cloud tops. They are able to control weather to create stormy conditions—which they will do when angry or expecting battle. As well as hurling rocks a storm giant can call down a lightning strike for 8-48 hit points of damage in thunderstorm conditions. They are themselves invulnerable to lightning.

Gnolls fight with +2 morale. The lair will contain a chieftain and 1-6 bodyguards who fight as 4 and 3 hit dice monsters, respectively.

Gnomes are found in Arctic climes. They are smaller and more reclusive than their cousins, the dwarfs, but have longer beards and bigger noses.

Goblins are small, malicious humanoids who operate underground or at night, adjusting attack and morale checks by −1 in full daylight. Each fighting goblin carries coins worth 1-6 gp with him, even outside the lair. The lair will be a cave complex containing as many non-combatants as combatants, as well as a goblin king and 4-24 bodyguards who fight as 2 and 1+1 hit dice monsters, respectively. The lair is 50% likely to contain an additional 3-12 giant wolves and 3-18 ogres (check separately for each).

Golems

Golems are powerful automatons created by high level magic-users and clerics that exist only to obey the commands of their creators, following instructions to the letter. They are ponderous and dull-witted but incredibly strong. In combat they strike for 2-12 hit points of damage and can batter through wooden structures including doors. They are largely invulnerable to harmful magic, but there is a 1% chance per turn of combat that a golem will go berserk. Should this occur the creator cannot regain control and the golem will continue to attack whatever creature harms it or is nearest until it is destroyed.

Golems, Clay are created by high level clerics from blood and pliable clay. A disintegrate spell will slow a clay golem and cause 2-12 hit points of damage and a move earth spell will drive a clay golem back 12" and cause 6-36 hit points of damage; otherwise, they can only be harmed by magical weapons. After one turn of combat a clay golem comes under the influence of a haste spell for the next three turns. Injuries caused by a clay golem cannot be cured by a cleric lower than 9th level.

Golems, Flesh are powerful automatons created by high level magic-users from stitched together body parts, but they are not undead. Cold and fire based spells will slow a flesh golem and lightning will heal it; otherwise, they can only be harmed by magical weapons.

Gorgons are aggressive, bull-like creatures covered in iron scales with a rightly feared breath weapon that turns targets to stone. The breath weapon extends to a 6" long by 2" wide cone and is usable thrice per day.

Gothrogs are giant, fiery fiends of dreadful power and intelligence. They see in darkness as men see in daylight and combust inflammable materials by merely passing nearby. Fire and normal weapons cannot harm them and it is 75% likely that magic spells will not affect them.

Gothrogs carry great, flaming, magic swords and fiery whips and can attack with either or both each turn. Should a gothrog employ both weapons it can target two opponents, causing 2-12 hit points of damage to each. If it employs only one weapon it does so at +2 to hit. The flaming sword causes 3-18 hit points of damage. The whip causes only 1-6 hit points of damage, but entangles the target so the gothrog can drag him unto itself, where upon it will immolate and cause an additional 2-12 hit points of damage to everybody within 1".

Gothrogs need never check morale and cannot be subdued. A powerful chaotic character might attempt to enlist one with a substantial offering, but only a top level anti-cleric has the presence necessary to keep a gothrog firmly under control. A gothrog would ever be bent upon usurping the authority of any other master.

Gray Ooze is a creeping dungeon scavenger which is difficult to spot in dim light as it appears much like wet stonework. It can move along walls, floors, and ceilings equally and can squeeze through tiny openings including cracks in stonework and under doors. It dissolves metal armor in one turn and causes 2-12 hit points of damage per turn to flesh but has no effect on wood or stone. It is impervious to cold and fire but subject to lightning and normal weaponry (but note its effect on metal).

Green Slime is a pernicious dungeon hazard that clings to walls, floors, and ceilings. It begins to eat through flesh, wood, and metal (but not stone) after one turn of contact, transmuting these into green slime. It cannot be physically scraped off so anything it comes into contact with must be discarded immediately. It is impervious to lightning and physical blows but is harmed by cold and fire. A remove disease spell will slay it instantly.

Griffons are majestic creatures with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion. They are fleet and fiercely territorial and will attack without provocation should anything approach the aerie lair. Griffons make loyal steeds if they can be trained but crave horse flesh above other foods and will attack any horse or pegasi within 36".

Halflings are small, peaceful folk interested chiefly in home comforts. When the need arises they are able to move silently and almost invisibly and to hide quite superbly. For every 30 halflings encountered there will be a leader with 1-4 fighter levels. All halflings are deadly accurate with hurled missiles adjusting attack rolls by +3.

Hippogriffs are admirable beasts with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a horse. They are omnivorous hunters and highly sought as mounts for their great speed—despite their intolerance of pegasi. They need never check morale when defending their nest.

Hobgoblins are the largest and most fearless goblins. They are armored, well organized, and have +1 to morale checks except in full daylight where they must instead adjust attack rolls by −1. Wandering bands are always led by a sergeant who fights as a 2 hit dice monster.

The lair will be a village, ruin, or cave complex containing half as many non-combatants as combatants as well as a hobgoblin king and 2-12 bodyguards who fight as 3 and 2 hit dice monsters, respectively. The lair is 50% likely to contain an additional 3-12 giant wolves, 3-18 ogres, and 2-12 trolls (check separately for each).

Horses are domesticated riding animals and beasts of burden. Riding horses, draft horses, and mules will flee fire and may be panicked by strange smells. Only warhorses and destriers will attack in combat, having a single attack roll even versus normal-types.

Table 3.11 Horses

Move

Hit

Carrying

Type

Cost

AC

Rate

Dice

Capacity

Destrier

300 gp

7*

15

2+4

400 lb

Draft horse

60 gp

7

12

2+1

450 lb

Mule

20 gp

7

12

2

300 lb

Riding horse

80 gp

7

24

2

300 lb

War horse

200 gp

7*

18

2+2

350 lb

* AC 4 if barded.

Only mules are agile enough to enter the labyrinthine passages of a dungeon.

Hydras are large reptilian monsters with one head per hit die. Each serpentine head can be destroyed by sustaining 6 hit points of damage. The entirety of the beast is slain only when all of its individual heads are dispatched. Circumstances allowing, each head can select an individual target and make an attack roll each turn. However, it attacks as a fighter rather than as a monster.

An Invisible Stalker is a creature from the null-dimensions which can be conjured to the material world by powerful magic. It is indistinguishable from air without the benefit of a detect invisibility or a true seeing spell. It is a faultless tracker and, if encountered in the material world, an invisible stalker will be single-mindedly preoccupied with whatever mission it is carrying out.

A Juggernaut is an incredibly massive creature of solid ore, though whether it is self-willed or magically motivated is unknown. These behemoths have only ever been sighted individually and can take any form; a great armored knight, a mammoth, and a rhinoceros have all been reported. A juggernaut is so massive that it is impelled upon huge stone rollers with anything falling in its path being crushed utterly beneath it.

Regardless of its form a juggernaut always has a massive dark jewel affixed to it; between the eyes, in the chest, or atop a helm, staff, or sword, and so on. The jewel glows with an eerie light and can cast out a slaying spell each turn or an improved hold person spell which will affect 2-12 man-types who save at −2 or a single man-type who saves at −6. Unfortunates so held will soon be crushed beneath the juggernaut. If the jewel is somehow removed from a juggernaut it has no magical properties but is worth 20,000-120,000 gp.

If it comes to blows a juggernaut deals a crushing 5-30 hit points of damage. It is impervious to most magical attacks and can only be harmed by magical weapons of +3 or better quality. A juggernaut need never check morale and cannot be subdued.

Kobolds are small, cowardly, reptilian humanoids who dwell in quags and wetlands. They are able swimmers and prefer to attack in great numbers from ambush. Each fighting kobold carries coins worth 1-6 gp with him, even outside the lair. Their lair will be a marshy cave complex containing as many non-combatants as combatants as well as a kobold king and 5-30 bodyguards who fight as 1+1 and 1 hit dice monsters, respectively. The lair is 50% likely to contain an additional 3-24 crocodiles and 2-12 giant lizards (check separately for each). Their morale checks are adjusted by −1 unless they are defending their lair and they outnumber their enemies by 3 to 1 or more.

Leeches, Giant are loathsome swamp parasites that will attach to victims on a successful attack and drain one experience level in the turn after attachment and another every other turn thereafter until either the victim or the leech is slain.

Lions are the great cats of the plains. They occur in hot to tropical climates and are territorial hunters who will stalk prey patiently in order to attack by surprise. They can leap 30ft forward but dislike climbing and swimming. They cause 2-7 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 2-12 hit points of damage.

Lions, Spotted are similar to regular lions except that they are larger and occur in caves and mountainous regions. They cause 3-8 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 4-14 hit points of damage.

Living Statues

Living statues are large, powerful humanoid automatons. Standing silently they are indistinguishable from ordinary statues of great size. Living statues are extremely heavy and move ponderously but with purpose. They can batter through wooden structures, including doors, and are largely invulnerable to harmful magic.

Living Statues, Iron are cast from solid metal. In combat they can exhale a 1" radius cloud of poisonous gas or else strike for 4-24 hit points of damage. Lightning attacks will slow them and fire will heal them; otherwise, they can only be harmed by magical weapons of +3 or better quality.

Living Statues, Stone are hewn from solid rock. In combat they can slow one target per turn or else strike for 3-18 hit points of damage. Cold and fire will slow them and stone to flesh will heal them; otherwise, they can only be harmed by magic which specifically affects stone or magical weapons of +2 or better quality.

Lizards, Giant and Large are found in desert and jungle climes. Large lizards can be up to 6ft in length and giant lizards up to 15ft. Both types have superb camouflage markings and can hold an absolutely still position indefinitely. If a giant lizard should throw an attack roll of 20, its bite will clamp onto its prey and not let go, automatically causing damage each turn thereafter until either it or its prey is slain.

Lizardmen are reptilian humanoids with crocodile-like jaws and tails and a rudimentary intelligence. They employ primitive spears and clubs and will capture as many humans as possible—returning with them to their lair for a tribal feast.

The lair will be a wet or marshy cave complex containing half as many non-combatants as combatants as well as an equal number of kobolds and 2-16 prisoners. There will be a lizardman chieftain and 1-6 bodyguards who fight as 4 and 3 hit dice monsters, respectively. There is also a 33% chance that the lair will contain 2-12 giant lizards, 3-24 crocodiles, or a dragon (check for each separately). If a dragon is present it will be an adult, mature, or old specimen of the black or green type.

Lycanthropes are also known as werebeasts and are of various sorts. All are man-types afflicted with lycanthropy and cannot be harmed by normal weaponry unless it is silvered. Any man-type seriously wounded by a lycanthrope will become one of the same type at the next full moon unless he receives a remove disease spell before this occurs.

Outside the lair werebeasts run in packs of 1-10 adults. If more than 8 are encountered in the lair one-third will be adults with the remainder being non-combative young. A lair will also contain animals of the appropriate type (1-6 bears for werebears, 1-12 boars for wereboars, 1-6 tigers for weretigers, or 1-10 wolves for werewolves). If the young are attacked adult females will retaliate at +4 to hit for the remainder of the combat. If females are attacked the adult males will retaliate at +4 to hit thereafter. If all adults are slain the young are automatically subdued.

Manticoras are great lion-like beasts with dragon-wings, man-like faces, and powerful tails that culminate in 24 iron spikes which can be flung in a volley of 6 at any target within 18". These are carnivorous and favor human flesh.

Mastodons are proto-elephants encountered on open plains in any climate. They occur in herds and are generally non-aggressive unless threatened or in the mating season. At these times the males will attack anyone who might dare to approach the herd. They cause 4-14 hit points of damage due to their prodigious size.

Medusae have the lower body of a great serpent and the upper body of a woman, except that their hair is a tangle of deadly venomous snakes. So abhorrent is a medusa’s appearance that anyone who meets its gaze will be turned to stone unless he makes a successful saving throw versus petrification. Any medusa who sees her own refection will likewise be turned to stone.

Men

Men are of various sorts and lair in villages, caves, hide-outs, encampments, and so on. Brigand and buccaneer lairs will have 2-12 prisoners who will always be persons of some importance. Bandit and pirate lairs will have 3-30 prisoners of any sort. A nomad encampment is always guarded by an additional 20-40 nomads on foot.

Each individual man will have 2-12 sp on his person (in addition to whatever treasure may be found in the lair) except that pirates and buccaneers have 2-12 gp each instead. For every 25, 50, and 100 men encountered there will be an additional leader who is a 3rd-4th, 5th-6th, or 7th-8th level fighter, respectively. If at least 200 men are encountered it is 50% likely they are also accompanied by a 5th-8th level magic-user and a 3rd-6th level cleric (check separately for each). If 300 men are encountered there absolutely will be an additional 9th-12th level magic-user and an additional 7th-10th level cleric.

Leader-types have a chance of possessing magical items appropriate to their class. Fighters have a 10% chance per experience level of possessing a magic sword and are half as likely to possess a magic shield or magic armor. Clerics are 2% likely per experience level to possess a magic mace, flail, hammer, or staff and are 5% likely to possess a magic shield or magic armor. Magic-users are 5% likely per experience level to possess a magic wand and are equally likely to possess a magic ring or a miscellaneous magic item. Check separately for each item in all cases.

Men, Bandits are desperate and surly scavengers equipped simply with clubs, daggers, or axes, and shields.

Men, Berserkers are warriors maddened with battle lust. They attack at +2 to hit versus man-types and need never check morale. They carry two-handed weapons but wear no armor. Their leader-types are exclusively fighters.

Men, Brigands are well-organized robbers and highway men. They wear leather armor, carry shields, are armed with swords, axes, maces, short bows, or spears and have a +1 adjustment to morale checks.

Men, Buccaneers are picaroons and castaways who ply the shores for easy pickings from skiffs and pickets. They are unarmored and quick and carry swords or clubs and daggers as a main gauche.

Men, Dervishes are religious fanatics of the lawful sort. They attack at +2 to hit versus man-types and need never check morale due to their fanaticism. They carry clerical weaponry and shields and their leader-types are exclusively clerics.

Men, Mercenaries are professional sell-swords and soldiers of fortune. They are well organized but untrustworthy military men possibly open to offers of employment. They typically have leather armor, helmets, and shields and are armed with swords, spears, pole arms, or crossbows. With a throw of 5-6 on a six-sided die one-third of their force will also be mounted.

Men, Nomads are desert or steppe raiders who are always mounted. They carry short bows, spears, and shields.

Men, Pirates are ruthless sea dogs and cut throats who pillage waterways and coastal regions from their sloops and galleys. They are unarmored and quick and arm themselves with curved swords or clubs and daggers as a main-gauche. They have a +1 adjustment to morale checks.

Men, Zealots are religious fanatics of the chaotic sort. They attack at +2 to hit versus man-types and need never check morale due to their fanaticism. They carry clerical weaponry and shields and their leader-types are exclusively anti-clerics.

Mermen are aquatic warriors. Against man-types in the sea they attack at +2 and need never check morale. They can remain underwater indefinitely and are only subject to missile fire if they rise to the surface, which they must do to grapple or board ships. On land or aboard ships they suffer a −2 penalty to attack rolls and morale checks. Their scaly skin is equal to leather armor and they fight with spears and daggers. Meremen have leader-types as do men although these are exclusively fighters.

Minotaurs are great bull-headed humanoids half again as large as a man. They are carnivorous man-eaters and will always attack. They need never check morale and will never give up a chase so long as the prey is in sight.

Mummies are invulnerable to normal weaponry and even magical weaponry causes them only half damage. They are vulnerable to fire, however, even the ordinary sort. A hit from a mummy will cause a terrible necrosis such that wounds take 10 times as long to heal. The first and second applications of a remove disease spell will reduce this to 5 times and 2 times, respectively, and only a third application will lift the affliction entirely.

Nixies are small and comely fresh water sprites who are not evil but will compel intruders to serve their needs. Any 10 nixies can jointly enchant a target with a charm person and a water breathing spell. A character who fails to save versus spells will immediately proceed to the underwater lair and remain there in servitude. After a period of one year he will return to the surface unharmed. A dispel magic can prematurely break the enchantment but always has a 25% chance of failure.

Nixies arm themselves with daggers and javelins. Their lair will be an underwater enclave containing 2-16 charmed prisoners of various sorts, and protected by 20-120 giant fish such as gar or pike. These will obey nixies but can be held at bay by any fire that will burn underwater. Any group of 40 or more nixies can attempt to grapple a surface ship.

An Ochre Jelly is a monstrous amoeba that lives as a dungeon scavenger. It is susceptible to cold and fire but lightning and weaponry will merely divide it into two smaller parts without causing it harm. An ochre jelly will dissolve a wooden shield or door in a single turn. Flesh contacted suffers 1-6 hit points of damage per turn but stone and metal are impervious. It can move along a wall, floor, or ceiling equally and can squeeze through tiny openings including cracks in stonework and under doors.

Octopi, Giant are intelligent and lair in shipwrecks and caves preying on passing swimmers and ships. They can grapple and capsize smaller vessels or else make 1-6 attack rolls each turn versus heroic/superheroic enemies with their stinging tentacles. They have no bones and can squeeze through very small gaps.

Ogres are thick-necked, ugly brutes half again as large as a man and possess great strength but limited wit. They cause 3-8 hit points of damage in combat due to their size and strength. They are so suspicious of their fellows that little treasure is left unguarded. Instead, each ogre carries 100-600 gp with him even outside of the lair.

Orcs are fecund humanoids occurring in warlike tribes. They dislike bright light and adjust attack and morale checks by −1 from in full daylight. Hostilities among orc tribes are just as common as with neighbors of other sorts and they will attack foreign orcs unless restrained by a strong leader. They need not check morale while they are defending their lair and they outnumber their enemies by at least 3 to 1.

An orc lair will be either a guarded cave complex or a village protected by a stockade and possibly an encircling ditch or moat. The lair will contain half as many non-combatants as combatants as well as an orc chieftain and 3-18 bodyguards who fight as 3 and 2 hit dice monsters, respectively.

A village is 33% likely to contain an additional 1-4 catapults, a high watch tower, 1-8 ogres, a 7th-8th level fighter, and a 9th-12th level magic-user (check for each separately). A cave complex is 33% likely to contain additional dead falls and other traps, 1-8 ogres, 1-6 trolls, or a dragon (check for each separately). If a dragon is present it will be a young, adult, or mature specimen of the black, green, blue, or red sort.

Pegasi are shy, wild, and noble winged horses. If captured they are difficult to tame and will not tolerate hippogriffs or griffins. They will never serve chaotic characters.

Pixies are small air sprites who are permanently invisible unless they desire to be seen. They are not evil but dislike intrusion and any 10 pixies can jointly cause a sleep spell once per day which they use to dissuade potential offenders. They arm themselves with daggers and short bows and always attack by surprise unless they are detected by magical means. Note that fighters of 8th level and above will sense pixies within 3" even without seeing them.

Purple Worms are voracious burrowers up to 6ft in diameter and 60ft in length that occur almost everywhere. They always attack and need never check morale. A purple worm causes 2-12 hit points of damage and has a deadly venomous stringer in the tail but the huge maw is the main weapon; if a bite attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, a man-sized or smaller target will be swallowed whole. Swallowed targets will be unconscious within 3 turns, slain within 6 turns, and the body unrecoverable after 12 turns. The interior gullet is AC 9 but can be attacked only by dagger or knife; at least 12 hit points of damage must be caused to cut a way out.

Rats, Giant occur in plague proportions underground, squeezing through tiny gaps and tunnels in the earth and stone work. They cause only 1-3 hit points of damage but any hit can transmit a debilitating disease to man-types who fail to save versus poison at +4 on the die (a single saving throw being required per encounter). Unless commanded to fight by a vampire or lycanthrope they have −2 morale and will flee from fire.

Robots are complex metal automatons with unfathomable electronic brains. They are self-motivating and semi-intelligent and can be negotiated with to some extent. They are usually set on a “program” from which they will never waiver. Robots are cruelly strong and will strike for 3-8 hit points of damage. Many can fly by one means or another and the remainder are equipped with a disintegration ray which can be fired up to 6" thrice per day. A successful saving throw versus wands is required to avoid the beam. Robots cannot be subdued and need never check morale.

Rocs are gargantuan raptors that prey on cattle, horses, and even elephants. Their eyesight is peerless and they always spot hidden (but not invisible) man-types, even from high altitude. The largest rocs are so fearsome that normal man-types must check morale if attacked. Rocs lair in remote, mountainous aeries that are difficult to approach except on the wing. Those found in the lair will be of mixed life stages and there is a 50% chance that there will also be 1-6 unhatched eggs or fledglings.

Table 3.12 Rocs

Approximate

Move

Hit

Melee

Type

Wingspan

AC

Rate

Dice

Damage

Young

30ft

6

6/48

6

1-6

Adult

50ft

5

6/42

12

2-12

Ancient

70ft

4

6/36

18

3-18

Eggs and fledglings can be trained to serve as mounts if they can be captured. If the nest contains these, the mature rocs will attack anyone who approaches and never check morale; otherwise, the mature rocs will tolerate lawful characters and possibly even help them. Chaotic sorts can expect only a hostile reaction.

Sabre Toothed Tigers are the great cats of the Pliocene epoch, capable of hunting down dinosaurs. They are half as large again as ordinary tigers and every bit as canny and agile. They cause 2-9 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 4-14 hit points of damage.

Salamanders are fire-types possessing high intelligence, the upper body of a man, and the hind section of a great serpent. They employ spears and pole arms and can be found in lava fields and environs of intense heat. Their touch causes inflammables to combust and 1-6 hit points of damage to non-fire creatures. In melee combat the upper body is AC 5 while the serpent section is AC 3. Opponents who are not fire-types suffer an additional 1-6 hit points of damage with each hit. However, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, a salamander instead constricts with its burning tail for 2-12 hit points of damage (plus 1-6 additional damage to non-fire creatures). They are themselves invulnerable to fire and normal weaponry.

Scorpions, Giant are extremely aggressive hunters of horse-sized proportions. They sense things mainly through vibration in the earth and will always attack anything that approaches. An attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, indicates a hit by the venomous stinger, which is fatal unless a saving throw versus poison is successful; otherwise, it is assumed to be a pincer attack that deals 3-8 hit points of damage.

Sea Monsters include the largest sea serpents, the whale-like leviathan (which has reportedly been mistaken for an island), and the many-tentacled kraken (which is confined to a null dimension unless it is called forth by an evil high priest to devour shipping and seaports). These exist principally as deadly perils to be avoided.

If the players insist on rousing sea monsters to combat, sea serpents will cause 2-12 hit points of damage and swallow man-sized or smaller targets whole as per purple worms and can encircle longboats and smaller ships within their coils and destroy them in 1-6 turns. The kraken can capsize any ship in 1-2 turns or else deliver 1-6 attack rolls versus heroic/superheroic enemies, each dealing 3-18 hit points of damage. The leviathan can capsize 1-3 ships in near proximity in a single turn or swallow a single ship whole in its vast maw—destroying the vessel and delivering 4-24 hit points of damage to everyone aboard as it swallows them.

Shadows are bleak incorporeal spirits that hunger for the life energy of living things and drain 1-4 points of strength on a hit. They are impervious to normal weaponry unless it is silvered, but magical weapons will do them double damage. Any man-type reduced to nil strength by a shadow is slain and will arise on the following night as a shadow. Strength lost is otherwise recovered at 1 point per hour.

Skeletons are mindless undead brought forth by a magic-user or anti-cleric to serve some wicked purpose. These can carry shields or wear armor, or both, which would improve AC to 7 or 6, respectively. They are unaffected by normal missiles, require no sustenance, and need never check morale.

Snakes, Giant and Large are encountered almost anywhere. Large snakes are up to 10ft long but are generally non-aggressive unless hunting or provoked; they are 50% likely to be venomous. Giant snakes are more aggressive and are of two sorts: vipers and constrictors. Vipers slither silently and are deadly venomous. Constrictors are non-venomous and their bite deals only 1-2 hit points of damage. However, if attacking by surprise or an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, a constrictor instead encircles its target, crushing man-types for 2-12 hit points of damage per turn. Constrictor-types can also be encountered at sea and are capable of encircling and destroying small boats within their coils in 1-6 turns.

Spectres are malevolent, incorporeal spirits. They can move through walls, ceilings, and floors and are impervious to normal weaponry. Their attack is a withering grasp that drains two experience levels on a hit. A man-type slain by a spectre will arise the following night as a spectre under the control of the monster that destroyed him. Any additional spectres encountered will be thralls of this sort.

Spiders, Giant and Large occur commonly in dungeons. Large spiders are the size of a man’s hand and can scurry over floors, walls, and ceilings equally. Their bite is venomous but a saving throw versus poison is allowed at +2. Giant spiders are true horrors up to horse-sized. Their bite is deadly venomous and they are web builders—these being equal to a web spell in strength. They prefer to wait patiently in ambush and attack unwary victims. They will flee to a dark retreat if faced by superior opposition.

Squid, Giant are voracious deep sea predators who will occasionally come to the surface to grapple and capsize passing vessels. They make 1-6 attack rolls each turn against heroic/superheroic enemies with their numerous tentacles. If seriously challenged they can expel a cloud of black ink and flee backwards at triple pace for three turns.

Tigers are great cats that occur in frigid to tropical woodlands. They are canny, agile, and superb hunters who will stalk prey patiently in order to attack by surprise. They can climb and swim and can leap 10ft upward or 40ft forward. They cause 2-7 hit points of damage or, if an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more or is a 20 in any case, 2-12 hit points of damage.

Thulls are frightful humanoids similar to feral hobgoblins in appearance but they are far more dangerous. A thull will regenerate 1 lost hit point at the beginning of each turn and a scratch from its black nails will cause paralysis for 1 turn in normal man-types (except elves who are immune).

Titanotheres are enormous herbivores that roam temperate plains and wetlands in herds. Normally peaceful, they will charge and trample anything that provokes them causing 3-18 hit points of damage due to their great size.

A Titan is a most handsome and civilized giant. They are at least as intelligent as men, thrice as tall, and incredibly strong. They deliver 6-21 hit points of damage with their enormous weapons and have the use of any two magic-user or cleric spells of each spell level per day. A titan lair will contain an additional 3,000-18,000 gp.

Toads, Giant will swallow halflings and smaller folk whole on any attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more. They can hop 18" every other turn, swim, breath underwater, and are 50% likely to be venomous.

Treants are 20-30ft tall tree-men. They are guardians of the ancient forests they inhabit and have little interest in the affairs of short-lived races such as men. If roused they are dangerous enemies and will deal 2-12 hit points of damage. They are invulnerable to normal weapons and suffer one-half damage from magical weaponry other than axes but are vulnerable to fire. Thrice per day a treant can awaken any other tree within 6". An awakened tree fights exactly as another treant without the ability to awaken others.

Trolls are thin, loathsome humanoids with rubbery green skin. They would be tall if they were not always hunched over. They have ogre-like strength but rarely employ anything more than tooth and claw so cause only 1-6 hit points of damage. They regenerate 3 lost hit points per turn, beginning three turns after injury, enabling even severed limbs to reattach or re-grow. The only way to permanently slay a troll is to burn its remains or immerse it in acid.

Unicorns are fierce, noble, magical steeds. They are reclusive creatures who will tolerate contact only with a maiden of pure heart. If she is a valorous warrior a unicorn may consent to serve as her steed, using its horn as a lance when it charges. A unicorn saves as a 12th level magic-user, is able to sense enemies within 24", and can dimension door up to 36" once each day.

Vampires are dreadful and intelligent blood-sucking undead. Fortunately, they must sleep during the day in a coffin containing soil from their homeland. They are impervious to normal weaponry and regenerate 3 hit points per turn if injured. If reduced to 0 hit points they are not slain but forced to assume gaseous form and flee. They can polymorph into gaseous form or a giant bat at will and can call forth and command 10-80 bats, 2-12 giant rats, or 1-10 wolves.

Any man-type enduring eye contact with a vampire is subject to a charm person spell with a −2 adjustment to the saving throw. Once a victim is charmed the vampire can bite at the neck with impunity, draining two experience levels per turn of gorging. Any heroic/superheroic man-type so slain by a vampire will arise the next night as a vampire enslaved to the monster who made him. Others so slain arise instead as ghouls. Vampires are destroyed only by direct sunlight, immersion in running water, or a wooden stake through the heart. They can be held at bay by a strongly presented Cross, the smell of fresh garlic, or the face of a mirror.

Weasels, Giant are cunning hunters adept at moving through tunnels and crawl spaces in fierce packs. When an attack roll exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more a giant weasel bites and holds on, gorging on the victim’s blood and draining him of 1-4 hit points of strength the following turn and each turn thereafter, until it has sapped 1 point for each of its own hit points. Any victim reduced to nil strength is slain.

Wight Apes are so called for their pale coloration and dread demeanor. They occur in small bands in dense jungles and around ruined catacombs. They are larger and more aggressive than regular apes and have a taste for man-flesh. Worse yet, they possess a malign cunning employing rocks and stones as tools and their strength is such that they cause 1-11 hit points of damage on a hit.

Wights are accursed undead that drain one experience level on a hit. They dislike light and their attack rolls and morale checks are penalized by −2 in daylight. They are impervious to normal weaponry unless it is silvered, but magic weapons will do them double damage. Any man-type slain by a wight will arise on the following night as a wight.

Wolves occur primarily in cold regions and hunt in packs.

Wolves, Giant includes dire wolves and wargs, both being larger than their normal kin. Wargs are especially cunning and evil and are 20% likely to speak the common tongue and always speak the chaotic tongue. They can be ridden by goblins although this will reduce either to 12" movement and a single attack roll each turn even versus normal-types.

Woolly Mammoths are enormous, hairy, elephant-like mammals that occur in herds in arctic regions. They are more aggressive than mastodons and are invulnerable to cold. They cause 3-18 hit points of damage by charging, trampling, crushing, or goring with their mighty tusks.

Woolly Rhinoceroses are enormous, hairy, rhinoceros-like mammals that occur in arctic regions. They have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and are inclined to attack anything that approaches or spooks them. They are invulnerable to cold and cause 4-14 hit points of damage by charging, trampling, or crushing.

Wraiths are dreadful undead that exist more in the spirit world and less in the physical. They dislike light and their attack rolls and morale checks are penalized by −2 in daylight. Normal man-types must check morale immediately if attacked by a wraith, while evil sorts fighting alongside one receive +1 on their morale dice. They drain one experience level on a hit. They are impervious to normal weaponry unless it is silvered, although silver weapons will do them only half damage. Any man-type slain by a wraith will arise on the following night as a wraith.

Wyverns are dragon-like monsters with only one pair of legs, no breath weapon, and a deadly venomous stinger in the tail which is very agile and can strike all around. An attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, indicates a stinger attack; otherwise, it is a bite and claw attack that causes 3-8 hit points of damage.

Yellow Mold is a deadly fungus found clinging to walls, floors, and ceilings underground. It is impervious to most attacks and can only be exterminated with fire. It dissolves wood in one turn and causes 1-6 hit points of damage per turn to flesh but has no effect on metal or stone. If it is disturbed there is a 50% chance a toxic spore cloud will burst forth causing man-types within 1" to save versus poison or die.

Zombies are mindless undead brought forth by a magic-user or anti-cleric to serve some wicked purpose. These can carry shields or wear armor, or both, which would improve AC to 8 or 7, respectively. They are unaffected by normal missiles, require no sustenance, and need never check morale.

TREASURES

Treasure Types

When a monster lair is discovered it will contain the monsters’ treasure hoard (if any) according to its stated treasure type. The referee should dice for each category of treasure (copper, silver, gold, etc.) separately, firstly checking to determine if the category of treasure is present in the hoard and secondly, if it is present, to determine quantity.

Table 3.13 Treasure Types

1,000s of Coins

Pieces of

Type

Copper

Silver

Gold

Gems

Jewelry

Maps and Magic Items

A1

33%

1-4

33%

1-6

33% 1-12

50%

3-36

50%

1-8

33% Any 3

A2

33%

1-4

33%

1-4

33% 1-6

50%

2-40

50%

1-10

67% 3 magic items

A3

.

.

67% 2-24

67%

4-48

67%

1-12

.50% 1 map

B

50%

1-8

33%

1-4

33% 1-2

33%

1-4

33%

1

17% 1 magic weapon or armor

C

17%

1-12

33%

1-4

.

33%

1-4

33%

1

17% Any 2

D

17%

1-4

17%

1-10

67% 1-6

33%

1-8

33%

1-2

17% Any 2, 1 potion

E

.

33%

1-10

33% 1-6

17%

1-6

17%

1

33% Any 3, 1 scroll

F

.

17%

1-12

50% 1-10

17%

3-30

17%

1-6

33% Any 3 non-weapons, 1 potion, 1 scroll

G

.

.

83% 3-36

33%

2-12

33%

1-8

33% Any 4, 1 scroll

H

33%

1-20

50%

1-100

83% 4-48

50%

1-100

50%

2-40

17% Any 4, 1 potion, 1 scroll

I

.

.

.

50%

2-16

50% 1-4

17% Any 1

The percentage figures are the chance that the category will be present and the range figures are quantities. For example, orcs have treasure type C so there is a 17% chance their lair will contain 1,000-12,000 cp, a 33% chance their lair will contain 1,000-4,000 sp, a 33% chance their lair will contain 1-4 gems, a 33% chance their lair will contain 1 piece of jewelry, and a 17% chance their lair will contain 2 items from the “Any Treasures” table.

Note that monsters do not carry treasure outside their lair unless stated otherwise in the explanation of monsters.

The value of gems and pieces of jewelry are individually determined.

Table 3.16 Gem Value

1-100

Value

01-08

10 gp

09-22

30 gp

23-67

100 gp

68-87

300 gp

88-98

1,000 gp

99

3,000 gp

00

10,000 gp

Table 3.17 Jewelry Value

1-100

Value

01-20

200-1,200 gp

21-40

300-1,800 gp

41-60

400-4,000 gp

61-80

1,000-6,000 gp

81-90

2,000-8,000 gp

91-00

2,000-12,000 gp

Where maps or specific types of magic items are indicated the referee should dice on the appropriate treasure tables.

Table 3.14 Any Treasure

1-100

Type

01-70

Magic item

71-90

Map

91-00

Magic item & map

Table 3.18 Magic Items

1-100

Type

01-15

Armor

16-25

Miscellaneous magic item

26-35

Miscellaneous weapon

36-50

Potion

51-55

Ring

56-70

Spell book or scroll

71-80

Staff or wand

81-00

Sword

Table 3.15 Maps

1-100

Type

01-50

Treasure map

51-85

Magic item map

86-00

Treasure & magic item map

Explanation of Treasures

Maps

Maps reveal the location of a treasure trove which may contain valuables, or magic items, or both. A map will indicate the type and approximate worth of the treasure, which can be determined randomly or by the referee. A map will usually be cryptic or obscured—requiring the use of a comprehend languages spell or the expertise of a canny thief (if these are used) to decipher. The treasure indicated therein will be guarded by appropriate traps and/or monsters.

Armor and Shields

A suit of magical armor or an enchanted shield will reduce an opponent’s attack rolls by an amount equal to its adjustment. Thus, a suit of plate armor +1 will cause enemies to attack at −1, a shield +2 will cause enemies to attack at −2, and so on. If a character wearing magical armor also carries an enchanted shield of greater potency, its greater adjustment is applicable on any turn he throws a 5 or 6 on a six-sided die.

Table 3.19 Armor

1-100

Type

1-30

Shield +1

31-45

Shield +2

46-50

Shield +3

51-75

Plate armor +1

76-85

Plate armor +2

86-95

Plate armor & shield +1

96-100

Plate armor & shield +2

Magic armor is man-sized unless the referee rules otherwise.

Miscellaneous Magic Items

These items are usable by all characters unless noted otherwise.

Table 3.20 Miscellaneous Magic Items

1-100

Type

01-04

Amulet of Proof Against Detection

05-08

Bag of Holding

09-14

Boots of Elvenkind

15-18

Boots of Levitation

19-22

Boots of Speed

23-26

Boots of Striding and Springing

27-30

Cloak of Displacement

31-36

Cloak of Elvenkind

37-42

Crystal Ball

43-44

Drums of Panic

45-48

Efreeti Bottle

49-52

Flying Broomstick

53-54

Flying Carpet

55-61

Gauntlets of Ogre Power

62-65

Girdle of Giant’s Might

66-72

Helm of Alignment Change

73-76

Helm of Comprehending Languages and Magic

77-80

Helm of Telepathy

81-82

Helm of Teleportation

83-84

Horn of Blasting

85-90

Medallion of Thoughts

91-92

Mirror of Life Trapping

93-96

Object of Commanding Elementals

97-00

Scarab of Protection

Amulet of Proof Against Detection An amulet that blocks all forms of magical detection including by crystal ball, locate object, detect invisibility, sixth sense, and witch eye. It is ineffective against mundane detection, however.

Bag of Holding An amazing sack that can hold up to 10,000 coins and appear only partially full and weigh only 50 lb. Anything not wider than 3ft × 3ft can be fit into it.

Boots of Elvenkind Elvish footwear that enables the wearer to move almost completely silently.

Boots of Levitation Empowers the wearer to levitate as per the magic-user spell of the same name but with unlimited duration.

Boots of Speed Anyone so shod may run at up to 24" for a full day after which he must rest for a day.

Boots of Striding and Springing The wearer can sustain his full speed indefinitely without need of rest. Furthermore, thrice per day he can make a great leap up to 6" forward or 2" directly upward or backward, landing soundly on his feet.

Cloak of Displacement The wearer of this cloak appears slightly displaced in time and space adding +2 to saving throws versus wands and rays and adjusting physical attack rolls by −2.

Cloak of Elvenkind A wondrous cloak that renders the wearer nearly invisible.

Crystal Ball Employable by magic-users only, these provide vision of a desired place, person, or object. Great distance and unfamiliarity will decrease the chance that the subject can be located, however. Except as noted below, the other senses will remain unsatisfied. Spells such as read magic, darkvision, and detect invisibility will affect what may be seen but no spell or spell-like effect can be cast through a crystal ball. Most crystal balls enable only clairvoyance but 1 in 6 will also permit the magic-user to hear thoughts exactly as does the sixth sense spell. These may be used no more than thrice per day without risk of being feebleminded and each turn of usage requires a turn of rest thereafter.

Drums of Panic This pair of great drums are too large to be carried by a man-type but may be transported on a wagon or beast of burden. When beaten these drums will panic all living things at least 2" but not more than 12" away. Heroic-types are allowed a saving throw versus spells to resist; superheroic-types are unaffected. Panicked creatures will flee at their fastest rate for a turn.

Efreeti Bottle The efreet trapped in this bottle will grudgingly serve whomever should free him (and no other) for a year and a day.

Flying Broomstick This magical broom is employable by magic-users only and can fly at 24" per turn with one rider, or at 18" per turn with two riders.

Flying Carpet Can carry one or two riders at 24" per turn or three riders at 12" per turn.

Gauntlets of Ogre Power The wearer of these gains strength equal to an ogre, enabling him to perform feats of great strength and to deal +2 hit points damage in combat.

Girdle of Giant’s Might The wearer of this wide leather girdle gains strength equal to a hill giant. He is capable of mighty feats of strength including hurling rocks and dealing 2-12 hit points of damage in combat.

Magical Helms are not considered to be armor. They do not adjust armor class and magic-users are not restricted from wearing them. Should these be worn in battle the referee may assume that 1 blow in 6 is aimed at the head. If that blow should connect the helm is struck and requires a successful saving throw to avoid being smashed.

Helm of Alignment Change If worn, this helm immediately causes lawful persons to become chaotic and vice versa. Neutral persons are 50% likely to change either way. Removing the helm thereafter will not revert the subject’s alignment—this can only be accomplished by a wish. Of course the affected person will resist such efforts to the utmost of his ability.

Helm of Comprehend Languages and Magic The wearer can read any magical inscriptions, treasure maps, and mundane writing.

Helm of Telepathy This helm enables the wearer to probe subjects within 9" in exactly the same manner as the sixth sense spell. Additionally, the wearer can implant a mental suggestion in any intelligent subject so sensed. If a suggestion is attempted the referee throws a reaction check for the subject, adjusting the result by +2. A positive or better reaction indicates that the subject will enact any reasonable (according to his alignment) suggestion.

Helm of Teleportation This helm grants magic-users only the ability to teleport up to three times per day as per the magic-user spell. If the magic-user also has the teleport spell memorized that spell will not be erased from memory when cast for so long as this helm is worn.

Horn of Blasting A blast upon this great horn delivers 2-12 hit points of damage to all living things within a cone-shaped area of effect 10" long and up to 3" wide. Survivors are deafened for a turn and any buildings or fortifications suffer structural damage.

Medallion of Thoughts Grants the wearer use of the sixth sense spell except that there is 1 chance in 6 it will fail to perceive any particular subject.

Mirror of Life Trapping A shield-sized mirror that traps any man-type or undead who sees his own reflection at 1" or closer. It is 90% likely that an unwary subject will see his reflection in good light, but only 10% likely if he is wary of the mirror’s power. A magic-user can gaze into a mirror safely with a secret command word or the use of a gazeback spell. The mirror can contain 15-20 prisoners at one time with each being held individually in a private null dimension. Those so imprisoned remain unharmed but are completely powerless therein. A magic-user can call any prisoner to the surface of the mirror to converse, and if desired, can free them from the mirror. Breaking the mirror will free all prisoners simultaneously.

Object of Commanding Elementals These four objects are usable by magic-users only, each conjuring an elemental of a particular type. The conjuration requires a full turn of preparation and another of invocation. The elemental brought forth will then have 12 hit dice and be subject to the magic-user’s will exactly as per the invoke elemental spell.

- Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals

- Brazier of Commanding Fire Elementals

- Censer of Controlling Air Elementals

- Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals

Scarab of Protection Affords the wearer absolute immunity from disintegration, finger of death, level drain, vorpal swords, and curses. The scarab will nullify 2-12 such attacks before crumbling to dust.

Miscellaneous Weaponry

Table 3.21 Miscellaneous Weaponry

1-100

Type

01-13

Arrows or bolts +1 (5-30)

14-20

Arrows or bolts +2 (4-24)

21-30

Axe +1

31-35

Axe +2

36-42

Bow +1

43-47

Dagger +1, +2 vs goblins & hobgoblins

48-52

Dagger +1, +2 vs kobolds & lizardmen

53-57

Dagger +1, +2 vs orcs & gnolls

58-62

Dagger +1, +3 vs men

63-67

Flail +1

68-70

Mace +1

71-72

Mace +2

73-77

Morning star +1

78-82

Short sword +1

83-84

Short sword +1, +3 vs man-types

85-89

Spear +1

90-91

Spear +2

92

Spear +3

93-97

War hammer +1

98-99

War hammer +2

00

War hammer +3

Arrows and Bolts (50% chance of either) are usable by fighters only. The magical adjustment applies both to attack and damage rolls. The attack adjustment is cumulative with that of any magical bow so a +1 arrow fired from a +1 longbow would have a total attack adjustment of +2.

Axes (50% chance of either battle axe or hand axe) are usable by fighters only. The magical adjustment for battle axes applies to both attack and damage rolls, but that for hand axes applies to attack rolls only. Hand axes can be hurled up to 3" as a medium range missile attack.

Bows are equally likely to be crossbows, longbows, or short bows; all are usable by fighters only. The magical adjustment of these applies to attack rolls only.

Daggers are usable by fighters, magic-users, and thieves (if these are used). The magical adjustment applies to attack rolls only. The second adjustment (if given) is applicable to attack rolls versus a specific type. Daggers can be hurled up to 3" as a medium range missile attack.

Flails and Maces are usable by fighters and clerics. The magical adjustment applies to damage rolls only.

Morning Stars are usable by fighters only. The magical adjustment applies to damage rolls only.

Short Swords are usable by fighters and thieves (if these are used). The magical adjustment applies to attack rolls only. The second adjustment (if given) is applicable to attack rolls versus a specific type.

Spears are usable by fighters only. The magical adjustment applies to attack rolls only but they can be hurled up to 3" as a medium range missile attack, and three men can fight in a defensive spear wall across a 10ft wide passage. Spears can also be set against a charging foe to cause 2-12 hit points of damage on impact.

War Hammers are usable by fighters and clerics and the magical adjustment applies to damage rolls only. These can be hurled up to 3" as a medium range missile attack.

War Hammer +3In the hands of a fighter or cleric this weapon adds +3 hit points to damage. In the hands of a dwarf, however, it causes 2-12 hit points of damage against all foes except giants, against which it causes 5-15 hit points of damage. Additionally, a dwarf can throw the war hammer +3 up to 6" and it will automatically fly back to his hand.

Potions

A potion flask contains exactly enough fluid to cause the prescribed effect, although a small sip may be tasted without altering its efficacy. The duration of any temporary effect is 7-12 turns unless stated otherwise.

Table 3.22 Potions

1-100

Type

01-04

Abbreviation

05-08

Animal Mastery

09-12

Curing

13-16

Deception

17-19

Dragon Mastery

20-23

Exaggeration

24-27

Extra Curing

28-31

Flight

32-35

Gaseous Form

36-38

Giant Mastery

39-42

Giant’s Strength

43-46

Haste

47-49

Heroism

50-53

Inviolability

54-57

Invisibility

58-60

Mastery Over Men

61-63

Plant Mastery

64-67

Poison

68-71

Polymorph

72-75

Resistance to Fire

76-79

Sixth Sense

80-82

Treasure Detection

83-85

Undead Mastery

86-89

Water Breathing

90-93

Weightlessness

94-97

X-Ray Vision

98-00

Youthfulness

Abbreviation Quaffing the full potion will reduce a person to one-twelfth size. Thus, a 6ft tall man-type would shrink to 6in. Consuming a lesser part will have a proportionally lesser effect.

Animal Mastery The imbiber gains control over 3-18 small animals, 2-12 medium sized animals, or 1-6 large animals. Only normal animal-types can be controlled.

Curing Restores 2-7 lost hit points.

Deception Causes the imbiber to believe the effect is whatever he desired it to be or a randomly determined potion effect determined by the referee.

Dragon Mastery The imbiber gains control over up to three dragons who fail to save versus spells. Each potion affects one type of dragon as determined by the referee.

Exaggeration Quaffing the full potion will enlarge a person to four times size. Thus, a 6ft tall man-type would grow to 24ft. Consuming a lesser part will have a proportionally lesser effect.

Extra Curing Quaffing the full potion restores 6-21 lost hit points. Taking a one-third part of it will restore 1-6 lost hit points.

Flight Consumption of this potion has the same effect as a fly spell except that it lasts for 7-12 turns.

Gaseous Form The imbiber becomes a cohesive, mobile cloud of gas that can penetrate any non-airtight space. However, anything worn or carried drops to a heap on the floor.

Giant Mastery The imbiber gains control over up to four giants who fail to save versus spells. Each potion affects only one type of giant, as determined by the referee.

Giant’s Strength Grants strength equal to a hill giant including hurling rocks and causing 2-12 hit points of damage per hit.

Haste Imbues the imbiber with the same effect as the haste spell except that it lasts for 2-7 turns.

Heroism Causes an ordinary man-type to function as a heroic fighter in all respects. Leveled fighters are also temporarily increased as follows:

Table 3.23 Potion of Heroism

Fighter

Temporarily Added

Levels

Fighter Levels

0-2

4

3-4

3

5-7

2

8-10

1

Inviolability Grants invulnerability to normal weaponry and improves saving throws by +2 for 7-12 turns.

Invisibility Drinking this potion produces the same effect as the magic-user invisibility spell for 7-12 turns.

Mastery Over Men The imbiber gains control over 2-12 normal men, 1-6 heroic men, or 1 superheroic man as per the charm person spell. Saving throws are applicable.

Plant Mastery The imbiber gains control over ordinary plants within a 6" diameter or 1-6 ooze-types (including slimes, oozes, and puddings).

Poison Even a sip is fatal unless a saving throw versus poison is successful.

Polymorph Produces the same effect as the magic-user polymorph spell except that it lasts only 7-12 turns.

Resistance to Fire Grants invulnerability to ordinary fire and adjusts saving throws versus magical fire, including fireball and red dragon breath, by +2. Any fire damage sustained is reduced by 1 hit point per die regardless.

Sixth Sense Drinking this potion produces the same effect as the magic-user sixth sense spell for 7-12 turns.

Treasure Detection Quaffing this potion enables the detection of any treasure worth 5,000 gp or more within 36". It is not blocked by lead, stone, or anything else.

Undead Mastery The imbiber gains control over 2-12 normal undead or 1-6 heroic undead as per the charm monster spell. The latter are allowed saving throws versus spells.

Water Breathing The imbiber can breathe comfortably underwater for 7-12 turns.

Weightlessness Imbibing this potion has the same effect as the magic-user levitate spell for 7-12 turns.

X-Ray Vision Enables the imbiber to see through up to 10ft of stone or 6in of iron to a distance of 6" for 7-12 turns. Everything will be revealed including traps and secret places. The magic is obstructed by lead or gold and only a 1" × 1" section of wall can be examined each turn.

Youthfulness Reduces the imbiber’s age by 10 years.

Rings

Magic rings are usable by all characters though they must be worn in order to function. One ring may be worn on each hand and these will have a continual effect unless noted otherwise in the description.

Table 3.24 Rings

1-100

Type

01-07

Animal Mastery

07-14

Darkvision

15-23

Deception

24-30

Invisibility

31-37

Mastery Over Men

38-46

Protection

47-53

Regeneration

54-60

Resistance to Fire

61-63

Spell Storing

64-66

Spell Turning

67-69

Telekinesis

70-72

The Djinn

73-81

Water Walking

82-88

Weariness

89-97

Wishes

98-00

X-Ray Vision

Animal Mastery The wearer may exert control over 3-18 small animals, 2-12 medium-sized animals, or 1-6 large animals within 6" at any one time. Only ordinary animal-types can be controlled.

Darkvision The wearer can see in darkness as per the magic-user darkvision spell for so long as he wears this ring.

Deception Causes the wearer to believe the effect is whatever he originally desired it to be or an effect determined by the referee.

Invisibility The wearer becomes invisible as per the magic-user invisibility spell for so long as he wears this ring.

Mastery Over Men The wearer may exert control over 2-12 normal men, 1-6 heroic men, or 1 superheroic man within 6" at any time. All are allowed saving throws versus spells in the same manner as per the charm person spell.

Protection The wearer’s saving throws are adjusted by +2 and any attack rolls that are targeted at him are adjusted by −2 for so long as he wears this ring.

Regeneration Causes the wearer to regain 1 lost hit point each turn. Severed limbs will reattach or re-grow. If the wearer is reduced to 0 (or fewer) hit points he will even return from the dead if he makes a successful shock survival check. Only fire or acid will destroy the wearer with certainty.

Resistance to Fire Grants the wearer invulnerability to ordinary fire and adjusts saving throws versus magical fire, including fireball and red dragon breath, by +2. Any fire damage sustained is reduced by 1 hit point per die regardless.

Spell Storing A ring of this type can store 1-6 spells of either the magic-user, cleric, or anti-cleric sort with a throw of 1-4, 5, or 6 on a six-sided die, respectively. The anti-clerical rings are harmful to clerics and vice versa. Whether there are stored spells in the ring, and what spells they are, should be determined randomly if such a ring is found. Anyone (including a non-spell caster) who places this ring on his finger immediately knows which spells, if any, are stored therein and may invoke them. Each stored spell can be invoked once before it is expended. The ring can only be recharged by a magic-user, cleric, or anti-cleric, respectively.

Spell Turning Any spell targeted specifically at the wearer of this ring is 80% likely to be turned back at the caster. For each experience level the spell caster has beyond the 4th it is 10% less likely that his spell will be turned.

Telekinesis The wearer is able to shift loads up to 200 lb at a rate of 12" to anywhere within a 12" radius simply by concentrating.

The Djinn The wearer may call forth a djinni who is permanently bound to serve whoever wears the ring. The djinni is as are all monsters of its type.

Water Walking Enables the wearer to walk on water as if he were walking on dry land.

Weariness The wearer is reduced to half his usual strength and is affected by a slow spell for so long as he wears this ring. It can only be removed by a remove curse spell or a wish.

Wishes Grants either 3 or 1-6 (50% chance of either) wishes to the wearer. A wish is powerful magic indeed but only the most literal interpretation of a wish will be honored.

A wish must be uttered in one breath. It can be used to heal a player, to restore him to life, to lift curses, to dispel magic, and so on. Ability scores can be restored to normal or raised by 1 point (up to 18). A lost experience level can be restored but a new experience level cannot be added. Any wealth or object brought to hand will come from the nearest source and the rightful owner will not be pleased with this theft.

The referee should adjudicate the effects of a wish carefully. A wish that all orcs should die, for example, might have no effect given that orcs are mortal and will die eventually in any case.

X-Ray Vision Enables the wearer to see through up to 10ft of stone or 6in of iron to a distance of 6". Everything will be revealed including traps and secret places. The magic is obstructed by lead or gold and only a 1" × 1" section of wall can be examined each turn.

Spell Books and Scrolls

Scrolls are either spell scrolls, wards, or curses. Each type can be identified by anyone who can read. Spell scrolls are usable only by the appropriate magical types and curses are triggered as soon as they are identified.

Table 3.25 Spell Books & Scrolls

1-100

Type

01-08

Scroll, cursed

09-19

Scroll, 1 spell

20-29

Scroll, 2 spells

30-38

Scroll, 3 spells

39-46

Spell book, 1st-2nd level

47-53

Spell book, 1st-4th level

54-60

Spell book, 1st-6th level

61-68

Ward against Elementals

69-76

Ward against Lycanthropes

77-84

Ward against Golems

85-92

Ward against Undead

93-00

Ward against Magic

Spell Scrolls

Spell scrolls are of the magic-user, cleric, or anti-cleric sort when a 1-4, 5, or 6 is thrown on a six-sided die, respectively. A spell scroll will contain 1-3 spells with the level and name of each spell being determined randomly. A spell invoked from a scroll is as per the minimum caster level necessary to memorize the spell.

Wards

Wards function as does the circle of protection from evil spell except that they are effective against a specific type and number of monsters and have a duration of one hour.

Ward against Elementals Effective against a single elemental of any type.

Ward against Lycanthropes Effective against 2-12 lycanthropes of any type.

Ward against Magic Effective against all magic in a 1" sphere about the invoker for one hour in the same manner as the anti-magic shield spell.

Ward against Undead Effective against 4-24 normal undead, 2-12 heroic undead, or 1-6 superheroic undead.

Curses

Curses will affect the invoker and any man-types within 15ft.

Table 3.26 Curses

2-12

Type or Curse

2

Turned to stone

3

Feebleminded

4

Powerful monster conjured to stalk the player

5

Prime requisite ability score reduced to 3

6

All gold touched or carried turns to lead

7

All saving throws penalized by −2

8

All monster reactions are hostile

9

Blinded

10

Disease contracted, fatal within 24 hours

11

Polymorphed into insect, frog, mouse, or similar

12

Fall into a permanent sleep

Staves & Wands

Staves are employable by magic-users and clerics as weapons or for firing spell-like effects as an 8th level caster. A staff holds up to 200 charges but will have only 10-200 charges when found.

Wands are employable by magic-users only and will fire spell-like effects as a 6th level caster. A wand holds up to 100 charges but will have only 10-100 charges when found.

Table 3.27 Staves & Wands

1-100

Type

01-05

Serpent Staff †

06-10

Staff of Healing†

11-15

Staff of Mastery

16-20

Staff of Power*

21-25

Staff of Smiting

26-30

Staff of Sorcery*

31-35

Staff of Wasting

36-40

Wand of Cancellation

41-45

Wand of Detecting Enemies

46-50

Wand of Detecting Magic

51-55

Wand of Detecting Metal

56-60

Wand of Detecting Secrets

61-65

Wand of Detecting Traps

66-70

Wand of Fear

71-75

Wand of Fireball

76-80

Wand of Ice

81-85

Wand of Lightning Bolt

86-90

Wand of Paralysis

91-95

Wand of Phantasm

96-00

Wand of Polymorph

† Usable by clerics only.

* Usable by magic-users only.

Each use of a spell-like effect drains one charge unless stated otherwise.

Serpent Staff Usable by clerics only, this staff adds +1 to attack and damage rolls. On a successful attack the cleric can expend one charge to transmute the staff into a mass of writhing serpents that coil about the target preventing a man-sized opponent from attacking for 1-4 turns. After this period the serpents slither back to their owner and return to staff form.

Staff of Healing Usable by clerics only, this staff cures 2-7 hit points at a touch. It will function only once on any one person each day.

Staff of Mastery This staff has the combined powers of plant mastery, animal mastery, and mastery over men.

Staff of Power Employable by magic-users only, this staff can invoke a lightning bolt, fireball, or cone of intense cold 6" long and up to 2" wide. Each of these cause 8-48 hit points of damage but a successful saving throw will reduce this damage by half. Additionally, the staff may cause continuous light, wall of fire, and telekinesis (up to 250 lb). If used in combat it performs as a staff of smiting.

As a last resort the wielder may perform a final strike, thereby breaking the staff and releasing all its remaining energy. The resulting blast causes 1 point of damage per remaining charge to all creatures within 3".

Staff of Smiting Uses no charges but causes 2-12 hit points of damage on a hit.

Staff of Sorcery Employable by magic-users only, this staff has all the functions of the staff of power and can additionally invoke a whirlwind (as a djinn), invisibility, invoke elemental (8 HD), paralysis (as the wand), passwall, wall of ice, and web.

Staff of Wasting A successful hit causes 1-6 points of damage and ages the target by one decade. This has little impact upon elves but is a terrible toll upon men.

Wand of Cancellation This wand will dispel magic exactly as per the magic-user dispel magic spell.

Wand of Detecting Enemies Use of this wand will reveal anyone within 6" who is hostile or malicious toward the wielder.

Wand of Detecting Magic Use of this wand will reveal the presence of any ongoing magic spells or enchanted objects within 2". Expending a second charge will reveal the general nature of one specific spell or enchanted item.

Wand of Detecting Metal Use of this wand will reveal the location and type of any metal of at least 100 lb (2,000 coins) mass within 2".

Wand of Detecting Secrets Use of this wand will reveal any secret or concealed doors or passages within 2".

Wand of Detecting Traps Use of this wand will reveal any and all traps within 2".

Wand of Fear This wand will produce a cone of panic exactly as per the magic-user fear spell.

Wand of Fireball This wand will invoke a 6 dice fireball exactly as per the magic-user fireball spell.

Wand of Ice This wand will produce a cone of intense cold 6" long and up to 2" wide which causes 6 dice of damage to everyone in the area. A saving throw versus breath weapons will reduce this damage by half.

Wand of Lightning Bolt This wand will invoke a 6 dice lightning bolt exactly as per the magic-user lightning bolt spell.

Wand of Paralysis This wand will invoke a 9" long, baleful ray which will paralyze any single man-type for 2-12 turns unless he makes a successful saving throw versus wands.

Wand of Phantasm This wand will generate an illusion exactly as per the magic-user phantasm spell, except that the wielder can move at a normal walk while maintaining the illusion. Breaking the wielder’s concentration will end the illusion.

Wand of Polymorph Use of this wand enables the wielder to polymorph himself or others exactly as per the magic-user polymorph and baleful polymorph spells.

@@@@@

Magic Swords

Magic swords are usable by fighters only. In addition to their attack and damage adjustments the greatest magic swords also have intelligence, alignment, purpose, and the possibility of spell-like powers. The second magical adjustment (if given) is applicable to attack and damage rolls against the specified target types. The first magical adjustment applies to attack and damage rolls against all other targets.

Table 3.28 Swords

1-100

Type

01-07

Sword −2, Cursed

08-30

Sword +1

31-35

Sword +1, +2 vs Man-types

36-40

Sword +1, +2 vs Lycanthropes

41-45

Sword +1, +2 vs Enchanted

46-50

Sword +1, +3 vs Giants

51-55

Sword +1, +3 vs Golems

56-60

Sword +1, +3 vs Regenerating

61-65

Sword +1, +3 vs Dragons

66-70

Sword +1, Flametongue

71-75

Sword +1, Frostbrand

76-80

Sword +2

81-85

Sword +3

86-90

Sword +2, Holy

91-95

Sword +2, Unholy

96-00

Sword +2, Vorpal

Cursed Subtracts from attack rolls and will always (magically) appear in hand. The player will have great difficulty ridding himself of this weapon.

Versus Man-types Causes additional damage to one specific man-type including men, elves, dwarfs, and halflings.

Versus Lycanthropes Causes additional damage to lycanthropes and shape-shifters.

Versus Enchanted Causes additional damage to magic-users and magic-using monsters.

Versus Giants Causes additional damage to giants.

Versus Dragons Causes additional harm to one specific type of dragon. If this sword is chaotic it is especially harmful to golden dragons. If this sword is lawful it is especially harmful to either white, black, green, blue, or red dragons; otherwise, it will be harmful to any one type.

Versus Regenerating Causes additional damage to any regenerating creatures including trolls, clerics, and characters with regenerating rings or swords.

Flametongue This sword is continually afire with magical flames. It deals +3 damage to creatures of cold and those vulnerable to fire including mummies, treants, and white dragons.

Frostbrand This sword glimmers with frigid blue light. It deals +3 damage to creatures of fire and those vulnerable to cold including fire elementals, efreet, and red dragons.

Holy This sword is always lawful regardless of its intelligence. In the hands of a lawful fighter it is a sword +2, +4 versus chaotics and functions as a ring of spell turning against chaotic spell casters; otherwise, it functions only as a sword +2.

Unholy this sword is always chaotic regardless of its intelligence. In the hands of a chaotic fighter it is a sword +2, +4 versus lawfuls and functions as a ring of spell turning against lawful spell casters; otherwise, it functions only as a sword +2.

Vorpal This sword is always neutral, regardless of its intelligence. In the hands of a neutral fighter any attack roll that exceeds the number required to hit by 4 or more, or is a 20 in any case, will decapitate a man-type who fails to save versus wands; otherwise, it functions only as a sword +2.

When a magic sword is indicated the referee should dice on the magic swords table and then throw two six-sided dice to determine whether the sword is intelligent. A result of 2-6 indicates a non-intelligent sword much like other magical weaponry. A result of 7 or more indicates an intelligent sword with the possibility of additional powers.

Intelligence

Some magic swords are intelligent as determined by a throw of two six-sided dice.

Table 3.29 Magic Sword Intelligence

2-12

Communication

Powers

2-6

Unintelligent

0

7

Empathic

1

8

Empathic

2

9

Verbal

3

10

Verbal

3

11

Read Magic

3

12

Telepathic

3+1*

* Three powers plus one exceptional power.

Dicing 6 or less indicates a regular magic weapon. Dicing 7 or more indicates an intelligent, living thing with its own motivations and personality. The referee should play it as he would any other non-player character, bearing in mind the sword may not be friendly to its wielder—this being determined by an initial reaction check and the developing relationship between them.

Communication

An intelligent sword is able to communicate. Empathic communication is via physical hints such as pointing, leaning, shaking, and vibrating. Verbal communication is via an audible voice spoken in any language the sword knows. An intelligent sword capable of verbal communication will always know its alignment tongue and a number of additional languages determined by two six-sided dice.

Table 3.30 Magic Sword Languages

2-12

Number of Languages

2-8

One additional language

9

Two additional languages

10

Three additional languages

11

Four additional languages

12

Roll twice*

* Ignore subsequent occurrences.

The most intelligent magic swords are able to read magic and to communicate telepathically in addition to their ability to speak.

Alignment

All intelligent magic swords are either lawful, neutral, or chaotic. A holy sword is always lawful, an unholy sword is always chaotic, and a vorpal sword is always neutral, regardless of its intelligence.

Table 3.31 Magic Sword Alignment

1-6

Alignment

1

Chaotic

2-3

Neutral

4-6

Lawful

Alignment Damage Any character who willingly handles an enchanted sword of a different alignment will suffer 1-6 hit points of damage for each step its alignment is removed from his. For example, a lawful player will suffer 2-12 hit points of damage if he handles a chaotic sword. A character contacting a magical sword unwillingly or under instruction is spared half this damage.

Ego

All intelligent swords have an ego. The higher a sword’s ego the more challenging it will be to master. A sword’s ego rating is determined by throwing two six-sided dice and adjusting the result by +1 for each additional language or power the sword possesses (whichever is greater).

Powers

Intelligent swords will possess a number of additional powers and exceptional powers. The referee should roll on the Magic Sword Powers table and, if necessary, the Magic Sword Exceptional Powers table to determine each of these functions.

Table 3.32 Magic Sword Powers

2-12

Power

2

Roll twice

3

Detect gems/jewelry

4

Detect traps

5

Detect gold

6

Detect evil/good

7

Detect shifting stonework

8

Detect silver

9

Detect secret doors

10

Detect invisible objects

11

Detect magic

12

Exceptional power instead

Table 3.33 Magic Sword Exceptional Powers

3-18

Exceptional Power

3

Roll thrice

4

Roll twice

5

Teleport

6

Telekinesis

7

Regeneration (1 hp per turn, 6 per day)

8

Charm person

9

Knock

10

Sixth sense

11

Levitate

12

Phantasm

13

X-Ray vision (as the ring)

14

Fly

15

Giant’s strength (as the potion)

16

Life stealing

17-18

Wishes (as the ring)

The wielder is required to hold the sword unsheathed and to concentrate for a turn in order to invoke any of these powers. Only a single power may be used each turn but they can otherwise be used thrice per day, with the exception of regeneration (which is continuous) and wishes (which can be used a total of 3 or 1-6 times).

Unless noted otherwise, these powers are as the equivalent magic-user spells.

A sword with the life stealing power can invoke a finger of death once per day and is always chaotic. If it is a holy or vorpal sword it is declared an unholy sword instead.

Purpose

The most potent magic swords have been forged for a specific purpose. Should a sword have both 9 or more intelligence and 9 or more ego it is a purposed sword. It will have the maximum intelligence and ego—promote both to 12 but do not add powers if intelligence is raised.

The purpose of such a sword is determined by dicing on the Magic Sword Purpose table.

Table 3.34 Magic Sword Purpose

2-12

Purpose

2

Slay golems

3

Slay elementals

4

Slay giants

5

Slay magic-users

6

Slay fighters

7

Defeat ignoble house*

8

Slay undead

9

Slay lycanthropes

10

Slay anti-clerics†

11

Slay dragons

12

Slay gothrogs

* Defeat an ignoble (or noble) house and all its heirs and descendants.

† Slay clerics if chaotic or both if neutral.

In all cases the purpose of a sword is according to its alignment. Thus, a lawful sword purposed to destroy magic-users is purposed to destroy chaotic magic-users only. A neutral purposed sword affects lawful and chaotic types equally.

- A lawful sword will paralyze a purposed foe on a successful hit if he fails to save versus petrification.

- A neutral sword will feeblemind a purposed foe on a successful hit if he fails to save versus spells. Use confused behavior if already in combat.

- A chaotic sword will slay a purposed foe on a successful hit if he fails to save versus poison.

Dominance

An intelligent sword also has a dominance rating which is the sum of its intelligence and ego.

A sword may mentally wrestle for dominance over its wielder in order to get its own way when any of the following (or similar) circumstances arise:

- Any character willingly draws or even touches the sword,

- The sword’s purposed enemy appears,

- Another magical sword is found,

- The wielder is reduced to fewer than half of his hit points.

Compare the sword’s dominance to the sum of the player character’s wisdom, charisma, and fighter level. The player character adds 1-6 if he is fresh and uninjured but subtracts 1-6 if he has fewer than half of his total possible hit points. The sword adds 2-12 if its alignment differs from the player character’s.

If there is any difference in the sword’s favor it gains control over the character unless he makes a successful saving throw versus spells. If the difference is 6 or more no saving throw is allowed.

Whenever a sword dominates its wielder it causes him to act in accordance with its own goals. This means disposing of competing weapons, entering into glorious (or ignoble) combat, decorating itself with bejeweled hilt-work or scabbards, surrendering itself to a superior wielder who can better achieve its goals (or an inferior one whom it can more easily dominate), or any other actions that serve its own end. Domination is usually exerted for the duration of one such action.

SECTION IV:

OPTIONAL RULES

Introduction

Dungeon Delving Brown Box rules are easy for the referee to modify to fit the needs of their campaign or the needs of their group of players. This section lists a number of optional rules and replacement systems that the editor has used (or has seen used successfully) in various 0e campaigns over the years. These optional rules can be ignored completely or used/modified by the referee as need for their campaign. If nothing else, they shows a few of the myriad ways that these rules may be modified.

Referees thinking of using some of these optional rules should think carefully about the effect they will have on their campaign before introducing the rule just as they would any rules they “homebrew”. Remember that the fact that an optional rule worked in one of the editor’s campaigns, does not mean it will work well in your current campaign. Finally, the editor does not advise using all of these optional rules in a single campaign. While some would fit well in to just about any campaign, others will only fit well into specific types of campaigns. Some of these optional rules cover the same “subject” and would make little sense used together.

Editor’s Note: The only optional rules from this section that I use in almost every campaign are Allegiance, Backgrounds and Talents, Class Special Abilities, Hit Point Powered Magic, and Hit Points and Wound Points. Others are only used when needed for a specific campaign setting or group of players. A few I developed at the request of others and seldom use them in my personal campaigns.

Experience Modifier

Several Optional Rules make use of an Experience Modifier as a method of modifying character advancement (or help balance more powerful abilities introduced in some optional rules). Using this “Experience Modifier System” is easy. Add up the Experience Modifiers – if any – from the optional rules that apply to the character. Add this total to 100%. When a character is given his experience points for a session of play, the character’s total Experience Modifier is applied to those assigned experience give the total experience points actually earned by the character.

Examples: The following optional rules with experience modifiers are being used in a campaign: Advantages and Disadvantages, Variant Classes, and Psionics.

Elena’s character is a Fighter with the Low Self-Esteem disadvantage (a +5% Experience Modifier). This character has a total Experience Modifier of 105% (100% plus the +5% Experience Modifier). If this character is assigned 500 XP by the Referee at the end of a session, Elena adds 525 XP (105% of 500) to her character’s total XP.

Jack’s character is a Cavalier (-10% Experience Modifier) with the Danger Sense advantage (-10% Experience Modifier) and the Unlucky disadvantage (+15% Experience Modifier) who – in a rare bit of luck – is psionic and has the potential to manifest 6 psionic abilities (-18% Experience Modifier). The character’s total Experience modifier is 77% (100% -10% -10% +15% -18% = 77%). If this character is assigned 500 XP by the Referee at the end of a session, Jack adds 385 XP (77% of 500) to his character’s total XP.

OPTIONAL CHARACTER CREATION RULES

Advantages and Disadvantages

Many players like to have characters that are mechanically different from other characters of their class. Backgrounds help provide this, but some campaigns may need more. Characters in such campaigns may be created with advantages and disadvantages that adjust the character’s Experience Base. All advantages and disadvantages selected for a specific character must be approved by the Referee as suitable the campaign, the style of play, and the specific character. Things that any character should be able to try to do with at least some chance of success should never be allowed as advantages. The following are example advantages and disadvantages that may be used. These are only examples., The Referee should remove the ones listed that do not fit the campaign or style of play and/or add new ones tailored to the campaign.

Sample Advantages

The following special abilities increase a character’s abilities and powers at the cost of decreasing the number of experience points a character receives from a session of play.

Alchemy: Alchemists can create potions with the effect of Magic-User spells. With access to water, ingredients (50 gp per use per Spell Level), an alchemical recipe for the potion, and a successful roll of 1d20 + INT Bonus vs. a Target Number of 10 + (2 x Spell Level), an Alchemist can create potions for spells of a Spell Level up to 1/4 the Alchemist's Level (round up). Potions take 60 minutes per spell level to brew. These potions can be used up to 24 hours after their creation; creating a potion with no expiration adds (1 x Spell Level) to the TN. Each potion after the first created in a day adds +2 to the TN. An Alchemist with access to a scroll with a magic user spell may create an alchemical recipe from the scroll with one month of work per level of the spell. Experience Modifier of -25%.

Ambidextrous: Characters are normally considered to be right or left-handed. Ambidextrous characters can use both hands equally well, even at the same time. Experience Modifier of -5%.

Danger Sense: The character has a sixth sense for danger. For an Experience Modifier of -10%, he can never be surprised.

Direction Sense: For an Experience Modifier of -5%, a character always knows which direction is which (e.g. which way is north). For an Experience Modifier of -10%, a character not only always knows which direction is which but can always retrace his path (e.g. return the way he came in in a maze).

Former Magic-User Apprentice: The character began training as a Magic-User but did not complete it. The character has the Magic-User special abilities (Magic Dart and Minor Magic from the rules later in this section) but at a cost of 1 HP per use. He can create the needed wand, but doing so takes a full week instead of a few hours. If the ritual rules are used, the character can cast first and second level spells as rituals provided he has a readable written copy of the spell ritual. Experience Base modifier of -25%.

Herbalism: Herbalists are familiar with the magical methods of selecting and preparing herbal elixirs, poultices, etc. with the effects of divine healing spells (effect level is listed in parenthesis): Cure Light Wounds (1), Remove Disease (2), Cure Serious Wounds (3),Cure Critical Wounds (4), and Neutralize Poison (5). Successful creation requires access to water, ingredients (50 gp per use per effect level), and a successful roll of 1d20 + WIS bonus vs. a Target Number of 10 + (2 x Effect Level). Effects equal to 1/2 the herbalist’s level (round up) can be created. Herbal creations may be used up to 24 hours after creation. Herbal creations affecting disease or poison must be created for a specific disease or poison. Experience Rank modifier of -15%.

Photographic Memory: For an Experience Modifier of -5%, a character may remember details most would forget on a successful INT roll. For an Experience Rank modifier of -15%, a character can remember everything with true photographic detail on a successful INT roll.

Sample Disadvantages

The following major hindrances to a character increases the number of experience points a character earns from a session of play.

Frail: Character is unhealthy and weak of frame, subtracting 1 from the number of hit points gained at each level (minimum gain 0). Experience modifier of +5%.

Hunted by Enemies: The character is hunted by some powerful person or group who want to do them ill. The Experience Modifier is the total of the modifier for the hunter’s power and how often the enemy has a hand in the character’s adventures. Power: slightly more powerful than character +0%; much more powerful +2%; extremely powerful +4%. Frequency: 20% of game sessions +1%; 40% of game sessions +5%; 60% of game sessions +10%.

Low Self-Esteem: Character has little self-confidence or self-worth, taking a -3 penalty on ability rolls or saving throws (-1 penalty on D6 skill rolls) where this would be a factor. Experience modifier of +5%.

Meager Fortitude: Character is sickly and weak of stomach, taking a -3 penalty on ability rolls or saving throws (-1 penalty on D6 skill rolls) where this would be a factor. Experience Modifier of +5%.

Noncombatant: Character is relatively inept at melee combat; take a -2 penalty on all melee attack rolls. Experience Modifier of +5%.

Phobia: The character has a fear so strong it can overwhelm him. Mild phobias can be temporarily overcome with a WIS roll. Severe phobias cannot be overcome. The Experience Modifier is determined by how common the object of the fear is and the severity. Type of fear: Rare object/situation: +1%; Uncommon object/situation: +5%; Common object/situation: +10%. Severity of Fear: Mild Fear: 1x; Severe fear: 2x.

Poor Reflexes: Character zigs when he should zag, taking a -3 penalty on ability rolls or saving throws (-1 penalty on D6 skill rolls) where this would be a factor. Experience Modifier of +5%.

Shaky: Character is relatively poor at ranged combat, taking a -2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls. Experience Modifier of +5%.

Unlucky: Your character just has bad luck, usually at the worst possible time. The Referee will arbitrarily make something go wrong for the character each game session. This bad luck cannot kill the character outright, but just about anything else goes. Experience Rank modifier of +15.

Unreactive: Character is slow to react to danger, taking a -4 penalty on initiative checks and increasing the character’s change of being surprised by 1. Experience Modifier of +5%.

Vow: Your character has sworn an oath to do or not do something. The Experience Rank modifier is based on the amount of inconvenience the Referee thinks it will cause the character during an average game session. Characters who break their vow during a session receive no XP for the session. Minor inconvenience: +5%; Major inconvenience: +10%; Great inconvenience: +15%.

Vulnerable: Character is not good at defending himself, taking a -1 penalty to Armor Class. Experience modifier of +5%.

Weak Will: Character is highly suggestible and easily duped; taking a -3 penalty on ability rolls or saving throws (-1 penalty on D6 skill rolls) where this would be a factor. Experience Modifier of -5%.

Notes for the Referee: GMs should think carefully before allowing Advantages and Disadvantages into their game. While they can be a great way to create a special character, they can be a pain in play. This is especially true for disadvantages like “Hunted by Enemies” that actually create more work for the Referee. If you decide to allow them, you need to carefully look over characters that use them to be sure that those taken actually make sense for the player’s character concept and aren’t just being used to min-max the character.

Allegiance

A character may have up to three allegiances, listed in order from most important to least important. These allegiances are indications of what the character values in life, and may encompass people, organizations, or ideals. A character may have no allegiances (being either a free spirit or a lone wolf) or may change allegiances as he or she goes through life. Also, just because the character fits into a certain category of people doesn't mean the character has to have that category as an allegiance.

If the character acts in a way that is detrimental to his or her allegiance, the Referee may choose to strip the character of that allegiance (and all its benefits) and assign an allegiance more suitable to those actions.

Pledging Allegiance: A character's allegiance can take the form of loyalty to a person, to an organization, to a belief system, to a nation, or to an ethical or moral philosophy. In general, a character can discard an allegiance at any time, but may only gain a new allegiance after attaining a new level.

Having an allegiance implies having sufficient intelligence and wisdom to make a moral or ethical choice. As a result, a character must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of 3 or higher in order to select allegiances.

Allegiances include, but are not limited to, the following examples.

Person or Group: This includes a leader or superior, a family, a group of linked individuals (such as a band of adventurers or a cell of secret agents), or a discrete unit within a larger organization (such as members of the character's squad or platoon, or individuals whose safety the character is responsible for).

Organization: This may be a company or corporation, a gathering of like-minded individuals, a fraternal brotherhood, a secret society, a branch of the armed forces, a local, state, or national government, a university, an employer, or an otherwise established authority.

Nation: This may or may not be the nation that the character currently resides in. It may be where the individual was born, or where the character resides after emigrating to a new home.

Belief System: This is usually a particular faith or religion, but can also be a specific philosophy or school of thought. Belief systems could also include political beliefs or philosophical outlooks.

Ethical Philosophy: This describes how one feels about order, as represented by law and chaos. An individual with a lawful outlook tends to tell the truth, keep his or her word, respect authority, and honor tradition, and he or she expects others to do likewise. An individual with a chaotic outlook tends to follow his or her instincts and whims, favor new ideas and experiences, and behave in a subjective and open manner in dealings with others.

Moral Philosophy: This describes one's attitude toward others, as represented by good and evil. An individual with a good allegiance tends to protect innocent life. This belief implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of other creatures. An evil allegiance shows a willingness to hurt, oppress, and kill others, and to debase or destroy innocent life.

Allegiances and Influence: An allegiance can create an empathic bond with others of the same allegiance. With the GM's permission, the character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with someone of the same allegiance-as long as the character has had some interaction with the other character to discover the connections and bring the bonus into play.

Referee Notes: Allegiance is an expansion/enhancement of Alignment. If you choose to use this optional rule in your campaign, characters who do not take an Ethical Philosophy should be considered Neutral for purposes of standard Alignment (spell effects, magic items, etc.). This optional rule is somewhat more complex than the standard alignment rules but may enhance the verisimilitude many campaign worlds.

Alternative Advancement System

Characters gain levels by completing adventures. After completing a total number of adventures as shown on the chart below, the character progresses to the appropriate level. Characters who have no modifications under optional rules with Experience Modifiers have a total Experience Modifier of 100% and use the 96%-105% column.

Example: Elena’s Fighter and Jack’s Cavalier have completed 4 adventures and are currently both 2nd level.

Elena’s character is a Fighter with the Low Self-Esteem disadvantage (a +5% Experience Modifier). This character has a total Experience Modifier of 105% (100% plus the +5% Experience Modifier). Elena’s character needs to complete one more adventure to reach 3rd level.

Jack’s character is a Cavalier (-10% Experience Modifier) with the Danger Sense advantage (-10% Experience Modifier) and the Unlucky disadvantage (+15% Experience Modifier) who – in a rare bit of luck – is psionic and has the potential to manifest 6 psionic abilities (-18% Experience Modifier). The character’s total Experience modifier is 77% (100% -10% -10% +15% -18% = 77%). Jack’s character needs to complete three more adventures to reach 3rd level.

Table 4.1 Alternative Advancement

Total Adventures by Total Experience Modifier

Level

116%+

106%-115%

96%-105%

86%-

95%

76%-

85%

66%-

75%

56%-

65%

45%-

55%

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

2

2

2

3

3

4

4

3

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4

7

8

9

10

12

13

15

16

5

11

13

14

16

18

20

22

24

6

16

19

20

22

25

27

30

32

7

21

25

27

30

33

36

39

42

8

27

34

35

39

42

47

50

54

9

34

41

44

48

53

59

64

69

10

42

50

54

59

65

72

78

84

11

51

60

65

71

78

86

94

101

12

60

72

77

85

93

102

111

120

Notes for the Referee: This alternate advancement system does away with most of the bookkeeping and the calculation associated with using experience points. Some people find tracking XP tedious and/or error-prone. However, this alternate system also prevents “windfall advancement” if a party is lucky enough to somehow acquire a very large number of experience points in one session – whether this is good or bad is infinitely debatable. There is one case were this alternate system is definitely a great choice – a campaign that does not revolve around treasure finding.

Attributes

Instead of rolling 3d6 and assigning the result to an attribute in order, one of the following methods may be used.

Roll 3d6 and Assign: Roll 3d6 and the player may assign the result to an attribute of their choice.

Roll 3d6 Six Times and Assign: Roll 3d6 six times recording each result. The player may then assign each result to an attribute of their choice.

Roll 4d6 in Order: Roll 4d6 then drop the lowest die, totaling the remaining 3 dice, assign the result to the next attribute in order.

Roll 4d6 and Assign: Roll 4d6 then drop the lowest die, totaling the remaining 3 dice. The player may assign the result to an attribute of their choice.

Roll 4d6 Six Times and Assign: Roll 4d6 then drop the lowest die, totaling the remaining 3 dice. Do this six times recording each result. The player may assign each result to an attribute of their choice.

Roll 2d6+6 In Order: Roll 2d6, Total the 2 dice and add 6 to the result, then assign the result to the next attribute in order.

Roll 2d6+6 and Assign: Roll 2d6, Total the 2 dice and add 6 to the result. The player may assign the result to an attribute of their choice.

Roll 2d6+6 Six Times and Assign: Roll 2d6, Total the 2 dice and add 6 to the result. Do this six times recording each result. The player may assign each result to an attribute of their choice.

Point Buy (Average): Characters have 63 attribute points. Assign these points to the character’s attributes with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 18 in each stat.

Point Buy (Heroic): Characters have 75 attribute points. Assign these points to the character’s stats with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 18 in each stat.

Notes for the Referee: These optional methods of determining character attributes tend to produce characters with higher than average attributes and/or more “optimized” attributes. Consider the effects on your campaign carefully before replacing the standard stat roll method with one of these. Remember also that high and low stats have less effect on the character’s abilities in Delving Deeper Brown Box than they do in many games.

Background and Talents

Unlike many modern games, Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition does not include character skills. Instead players are expected to think like adventurers, tell the referee what their characters are doing and the Referee decides if it will succeed in the situation, taking into account the characters’ classes and backgrounds. If the referee decides a random success chance is truly needed he may resolve the situation with a roll of his choice. The two most common methods of rolling for success are:

- Roll under a Referee-Selected Attribute: The referee asks the player to roll a D20 against one of the character’s attributes, perhaps with a referee assigned modifier to the die roll. If the die (adjusted) die roll is under the character’s attribute, the action succeeds. A natural roll of 20- always fails. Otherwise, it fails. This system makes having good attribute scores much more important than the designers of the original game probably intended.

- Roll 6+ on a D6: As the rules already give a 1-in-6 or a 2-in-6 chance of doing things like detecting secret doors, it is easy to just use this system whenever a random change of success is needed. While the Referee can add modifiers to the die roll according to circumstances, a natural roll of 1 always fails.

For those referees who really want a skill system, it is fairly easy to add a simple skill-like system on top of either of these methods of rolling for randomly determining success or failure.

Background

Characters should select, with the approval of the Referee, a background that represents their race, culture, and their previous (non-adventuring) training/experience. The selection of a character’s background is as important as the selection of a class as a character’s background gives the character a broad base of skills and knowledge. Note that a background is a few words, not an essay detailing the character’s history.

The Referee will consider the character's background just as he would the character's class when deciding if a character will succeed with an action. For example, a character with an “Human (Holy Panamon Imperium) Engineer” background should have a much better chance of damming a creek or building a bridge over it than a character with a “Courtier” background – and an even better chance if that creek is in the territory of the Holy Panamon Imperium where the character knows more about the terrain and likely has contacts who could help. Having an appropriate Background is generally worth a modifier if Referee decides a success roll is required.

Races and cultures are generally limited to those the Referee has defined for the campaign.

For the prior training/experience part of a character’s background, anything that fits the campaign setting may be selected. For example: A few possibilities include: acrobat, alchemist, animal trainer, architect,  aristocratic noble, assassin,  chef, con-woman, desert nomad, goblin exterminator, hunted outlaw, knight  errant, priest, refugee, scout, shaman, shepherd, soldier, spy, temple acolyte, thief, torturer, traveling martial arts pupil, tribal healer, tunnel scout, wandering minstrel, poet, and so on.  This part of a character’s background need not be related to the PCs class, e.g. a player who creates a deeply religious fighter skilled in the arts of vision interpretation, divination and oration might pick 'Prophet' as a background. Backgrounds may not duplicate a class.

Players should discuss their background ideas with their Referee to both to be sure it will be a good fit for both the campaign setting and the group’s play style as well as to be sure the player and the Referee are both on the same general page as to what skills and knowledge the background provides the character. For example, if a player picked a “knight” background, the Referee might be thinking “knight of the round table” while the player is thinking “knight templar.”

Talents

At level 2 (and every 2 levels thereafter), characters may select one narrow area of skill where they are better than average: something they are “Good at.” This talent should be either something directly related to their class or background -- or something they have spent game time and/or money learning. If the player wishes (and the Referee approves), instead of selecting a new talent, a talent the character is already “Good at” be improved to “Expert at” at a later even-numbered level and a talent the character is “Expert at” may be improved a final time to “Master at” at yet a later even-numbered level. The Referee will consider the character's talents just as he would the character's class and background when deciding if a character will succeed with an action.

If the Referee calls for a roll to determine the success of an action, having an appropriate talent with allow a modifier to the die roll that increases the character’s change of success.

- Roll under a Referee-Selected Attribute System: An appropriate “Good at” subtracts 2 from the die roll, an “Expert at” subtracts 4 from the die roll, and a “Master at” subtracts 6.

- Roll 6+ on a d6 System: An appropriate “Good at” adds +1, to the die roll, an “Expert at” adds +2 to the die roll, an a “Master at” adds +3 to the die roll.

Option: the Referee may allow new characters to start the game with one to three talents strongly related to their background at the “Good at” level.

Notes for the Referee: Many players used to more “new school” styles of play want rules-based, mechanical ways to customize their characters. Talents provide a way to do this that does not add much complexity nor restrict characters from trying to do things anyone should be able to try because they failed to select some special mechanical customization feat or skill. Even if you do not desire to use skills in your game, having players select a background for their character can be helpful in defining the character both to the player and the referee. As referee, you should consider the character’s background just like you do the character’s class when determining when something the character does succeeds, fails, or should be determined by a random roll.

Class Special Abilities

Cleric Special Abilities

All Clerics have the following special abilities. The cleric must have a holy symbol of his religion in hand to use these abilities.

Minor Divination - A cleric may spend 10 minutes in prayer asking his deity whether or not a specific action would have generally good or generally bad results from the deity’s point of view. The cleric will have vague feeling of rightness or wrongness. A cleric may do this at most 1 per day (+1 additional time per day every 5 levels).

Minor Healing Prayers - Immediately after combat, a cleric may touch the wounds and pray over a being injured in that combat. This costs the cleric 1 HP and will restore 1d3-1 hit points. This may only be done once per being per combat and takes one minute per being.

Smite - A cleric may imbue his normal weapon with holy power allowing it to hit monsters that normally require silver or even magical weapons to hit. Spending 1 HP before making the attack roll will allow hitting monsters that require silver (or other special non-magical) weapons to hit. Spending 2HP before making the attack roll will allow hitting monsters that require magical weapons to hit.

Notes for the Referee: While the Cleric has a good mix of combat and magical abilities, these special abilities add some nice minor powers. The Smite ability is particularly useful as it means that no party with a cleric will ever be caught fighting creature they cannot possibly hit due to lack of special weapon types.

Fighter Special Abilities

Fighters may select one special ability from this list at levels 3 and at level 6. (Optional: for high powered campaigns, allow fighters to select one ability at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, etc.) Each fighter special ability may only be selected once.

Accuracy - A fighter with this special ability rolls a 1d6+2 for damage (instead of 1d6) with thrown or missile weapons.

Berserker Rage – A fighter with this special ability may go into a berserker rage when in combat. During a berserker rage, the always fighter attacks the nearest foe (determine randomly if multiple foes in range). His ferocity doubles his fighter bonus to his attack roll and his damage. To break off combat (before all foes are dead) the berserk fighter must make a MIND save versus a DC of 10 (plus 2 for every opponent still standing) in order to break off from fighting. Each round the fighter is berserker costs him 2 hp, subtracted immediately after the berserker rage ends. A berserk fighter cannot use any combat stunts nor the Find Weakness, Leadership, or Tactical Expertise fighter special abilities.

Brutal Attack – A fighter with this special ability rolls a 1d6+2 for damage (instead of 1d6) with melee weapons.

Cleave - After a fighter with this special ability kills an opponent, he may immediately make another attack against any still-standing foe. The maximum number of attacks he can make in one round is equal to his level.

Dodging - When not wearing armor, a fighter with this special ability may add 1/2 his level plus 1 for every point of dexterity above 15 to his AC.

Find Weakness - When attacking an unaware opponent, a fighter with this special ability may ignore any AC bonus the opponent has due to armor worn (that is, treat the opponent as AC 9). He is hitting at his opponent’s weak, exposed areas.

Leadership - A fighter with his special ability has a number of Leadership Points per day equal to his level plus one for every charisma point above 13. These leadership points are like bonus HP for the whole party - useable at the fighter’s discretion. For example - James the Mage has 2 HP left and takes 12 damage, which would knock him unconscious and reduce his STR by 10. John the fighter has 15 leadership points, so he lets his leadership absorb the blow rather than let James suffer a major injury. The fighter has only 3 leadership points left, but the James still has 2 HP and is still standing.

Tactical Expertise – A fighter with this special ability has a number of Tactics Points per day equal to his level plus one for every point of intelligence above 13. These points are spent directly before the attack roll of anyone in the fighter’s party, giving a +1 per point spent. Tactics Points can also be spent before any enemy’s attack roll, giving a -1 per point spent.

Unarmed Combat - A fighter with this special ability does 1d6 damage with his bare hands (instead of the standard 1d2 bare handed damage).

Notes for the Referee: Some people feel that the Fighter class is too weak at higher levels compared to the Magic-User and Cleric. These special abilities allow limited mechanical customization of Fighters without greatly increasing their power or making the game more complex to play or GM. Nevertheless, they do increase the power of the Fighter so the Referee needs to carefully consider the needs of her players and her campaign before deciding to use these supplemental rules, especially if the option allowing fighters to select one special ability every three levels is used.

Magic-User Special Abilities

All Magic-Users have the following special abilities. All require the use of a special wand hand-made by the magic-user.

Create Handmade Wand - A Magic-User knows how to create the handmade wand required for Magic-User special abilities. The wand must be made by the Magic-User using it to function. Creating the wand requires a knife, a living tree to cut the wand from, and 12 minus the Magic-User's level hours (minimum of 1 hour) of uninterrupted time.

Magic Dart - A Magic-User can shoot a 1d6-1 dart of magic energy from the tip of their handmade wand once per round provided no other action is taken. They must roll to hit the target normally. Range: short 60; medium 120; long 180. Usable once per round if no other action taken. No saving throw is allowed. Requires pointing a handmade wand at the target and saying a command word. The visible effects (type of dart: metal, fire, ice, lightning, etc.) can be whatever the Magic-User desires; note that these visual effects not affect damage, they only adds color to the ability.

Minor Magic - Magic-Users can cast minor "everyday/non-combat" magic at will.  Attempting something the Referee considers abusive fails and causes the magic-users wand to explode (doing 1d6 backfire damage to the magic-user unless a WIL save is made). Usable once per round if no other action taken. Requires waving a handmade wand is a pattern and saying a command word or phrase.

Some examples: Light a candle or pipe with a flame from the fingertip. Dust things – at first level a minor magic spell might be needed for each shelf or piece of furniture, while at third level a single spell might dust a room and at sixth level might dust the entire floor of a house or tower. Tie or untie a knot. Float coins from the magic-users coin purse to a merchant's hand.

Notes for the Referee: Some people feel that the Magic-User class is too weak and uninteresting to play at lower levels. These special abilities add some magical flavor to the Magic-User without really increasing the power of the class. The Magic Dart ability is no worse than letting a magic-user use a sling (a fairly common house rule), but it has a more magical feel. Minor Magic lets a Magic-User use magic for minor mundane tasks which is fun but generally has no effect on the game except, perhaps, to impress peasants and the like. Note the 1d6-1 damage a magic dart can be either 1 to 5 points or 0 to 5 points at the GM’s option.

Sanity Attribute

If used, rolled just as other stats in the game.

Sanity (SAN) mainly comes into play when faced by intrusions into your mind or particularly horrible sights or revelations. If the referee requests a SAN check, roll 1d20. If the result is greater than or equal to your current SAN score, subtract half the amount by which you failed from your SAN score, rounded up, and roll on the following table:

Table 4.2 Sanity Loss

D6

Effect of Sanity Loss

1

Affected as if by a  Fear spell for (d6 1-2: 1 turn 3: 2 turns         4: 3 turns 5: 1 hour 6: 1d8 rounds)

2

Affected as if by a  Confusion spell for (d6 1-3: 1d10 rounds     4: 1d6 turns 5: 1d6 hours 6: One full day)

3

Catatonic with despair (cannot attack, speak, or cast spells and must be led around by allies) for (d6 1-2: 1 round 3-4: 1 turn     5: 1 day 6: 1 week)

4

Afflicted with horrible maniacal laughter making it impossible to attack or cast spells for 1d4 rounds

5

Faints out of shock for 2d6 rounds

6

Going to be okay, but noticeably shaken up

SAN can be restored, although never over the amount a character initially had, at a rate equal to the character's WIS bonus (minimum of 1) per full week of rest in a safe, relaxing environment. If a character's SAN ever dips below 3, they are permanently insane and likely to either become a threat to themselves or others or retire from the adventuring life altogether to battle their personal demons.

Notes for the Referee: Sanity is generally only included in campaigns which feature eldritch horrors whose mere existence can warp the mind.

Virtues and Vices

Players select six traits from the lists below for their character, at least two virtues and two vices must be selected as no character is perfect. Players can select virtues and vices not on the list with Referee approval.

Players are expected to role play their virtues and vices when they would come into play. However, while they should be apparent in the character’s everyday personality, they need not dominate it to the extent the character becomes a caricature.

Table 4.3 Virtues and Vices

Virtues

Vices

Academic

Arrogant

Austere

Bigoted

Bold

Capricious

Cheerful

Cowardly

Compassionate

Egoistical

Courageous

Fearful

Daring

Hateful

Determined

Hidebound

Fair

Impulsive

Faithful

Insensitive

Friendly

Lazy

Generous

Manipulative

Gregarious

Miserly

Honest

Petty

Hopeful

Power Hungry

Industrious

Rude

Just

Self-Centered

Kind

Spendthrift

Patriotic

Stubborn

Thoughtful

Thoughtless

Thrifty

Vengeful

OPTIONAL CLASSES

The Specialist

Specialists are unique characters that have special knowledge or skills thar can be useful on adventures. In some cases they cannot to anything that any character could not try to do, they just have a better (generally much better) chance of success due to their knowledge and training. There are two subtypes of Specialists: Action Specialists and Scholarly Specialists. Action Specialists can wear light or medium armor, use shields, use any weapon, and fight as a cleric. Scholarly Specialists can wear light armor, use any weapon, and fight as a Magic-User.

Specialists should take a background that covers the area they wish to specialize in. Action Specialists begin the game with 5 talents related to their area of specialization: two at the “Expert at” level and three at the “Good at” level. Scholarly Specialists begin the game with 7 talents related to their area of specialization: one at the “Master at” level, two at the “Expert at” level, and four at the “Good at” level.

Table 4.4 Specialist Progression

Experience

Saving Throw Versus

Thief

Points

Hit

Wands

Paralysis

Breath

Level

Required

Dice

Poison

Rays

Petrification

Weapon

Spells

1

0

1

13

14

13

15

16

2

1,250

1+1

12

14

12

14

15

3

2,500

2

12

14

12

14

15

4

5,000

2+2

11

11

11

13

14

5

10,000

3+1

11

11

11

13

14

6

20,000

4

10

11

10

12

13

7

40,000

4+1

10

11

10

12

13

8

70,000

5

9

8

9

11

12

9

120,000

5+2

9

8

9

11

12

10

180,000

6+1

8

8

8

10

11

11

240,000

7

8

8

8

10

11

12

300,000

7+1

7

5

7

9

10

A specialist requires 120,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A specialist adds one hit die per four levels beyond the 11th.

Notes for the Referee: A campaign that includes the Specialist class must also use the optional Background and Talents rules found in this section. The Specialist class could easily be used for a thief or a ranger. Remember that a specialist normally cannot do anything any other character class could not try to do; they are just far better than the average character at tasks that clearly fall within their area of specialization. For example, anyone can try to disarm a mechanical trap, but a mechanician specialist should be much more likely to succeed and probably has something like Expert at “Mechanical Traps” to further Increase their chances of success. The referee will probably need to work with the player to ensure that both the player and the referee are on the same page as to what the character’s specialization actually covers and that the initial talents selected both match the specialization and are likely to be useful in the campaign. The Specialist class is particularly useful in campaigns set in non-standard settings (e.g. the Renaissance era or sword and planet).

Variant Classes

The referee may allow some, all or none of the variant classes listed below in their campaign.. Each variant class functions very similar to one of the standard classes. This determines whether or not a class can be used by a non-human character and the experience point advancement table for the class. Note: Optional classes have an Experience Modifier of -10% unless otherwise noted.

Acrobats master feats of daring do. They function exactly as thieves, except they receive a -1 to their AC every level and use the Saving Throws of clerics. Acrobats may not wear armor or use shields.

Assassins are professional killers. They may attempt a Death Attack once per day in any situation where they could otherwise backstab. If the attack is successful, the target must make a saving throw or die. They otherwise function exactly like thieves.

Bards are wandering performers and minstrels. They function exactly as thieves, except they may cast Charm Person and Detect Magic once per day. Once per combat they may sing an inspiring song, granting all allies +1 to all attack rolls for 5 rounds.

Cavaliers are mounted warriors. They function exactly as fighters, except they gain a +2 to any Saving Throw when mounted on a horse and gain +1 to-hit and damage with lances.

Druids worship nature. They may track foes in a wilderness environment with a 3+ on d6 and may cast Charm Person as a 1st level spell, though only on animals. They can only wear leather armor, but otherwise function as Clerics.

Illusionist: Magical tricksters. They can cast a limited number of Magic-user Spells as a Magic-user of one level lower. Spells castable are limited to: Charm Person, Light, Color Spray, Phantasm, Invisibility, Dispel Magic and Illusion (3rd Level, as Phantasm but continues for 1d6 minutes after Illusionist stops concentrating on it). Otherwise, they function as thieves.

Monks are wandering mystics. They function exactly as clerics except they receive a -1 to their AC per level and may make unarmed attacks which inflict 1d6 points of damage, which increases by +1 per level. Monks may not wear armor or use shields.

Necromancers master dark magical arts. They function as magic-users, but may also Turn Undead as if they were a Cleric. They gain control of any undead turned for 5 rounds.

Paladins are holy warriors that function exactly as fighters, except they may also cast spells (to a maximum of third level spells) as if they were a Cleric of one level lower than their Paladin level. Experience Modifier: -20%.

Rangers are skilled woodsmen that function exactly as fighters, except they can track foes in wilderness environments with a 3+ on a D6, or a 5+ on a d6 in dungeon or urban environments. They receive +1 to damage against goblin-kind, ogres, trolls, and giants. They can only wear leather or chain armor.

Sage: Scholar of the arcane and esoteric. On a roll of 6+ on a d6 a sage can learn an interesting fact about an object, person, location, etc. For every day spent researching the object, person, location, etc., the sage gets a +1 to the roll. A roll of ‘1’ always means a failure. They can also learn and cast spells from the Cleric Spell List as if they were magic-user spells of two spell levels higher (e.g. a first level clerical spell could be learned as a third level magic-user spell). Otherwise, they function as magic-users. Experience Modifier: -30%.

Swashbucklers are dashing swordsmen. They function exactly like thieves, but attack as a fighter when wielding a melee weapon.

Notes for the Referee: Your campaign and/or your players may need a little more variety in character classes. These variant classes are relatively simple modifications to the core classes, providing variety in a small package. You will probably want to carefully select which of the above variant classes you allow in your campaign. Feel free to create your own variant classes along these lines if your campaign needs them.

OPTIONAL COMBAT RULES

Armor for Everyone

All character classes can wear armor; however, wearing armor has negative effects on the abilities of some classes.

Base Armor Class: Each class has a base armor class that is in effect anytime the character is conscious and not tied up to the point they can't move at all. This base armor class takes into account the character's combat training which allows him to dodge and parry blows.

- Fighter -- Base AC of 5

- Cleric -- Base AC of 7

- Thief -- Base AC of 8

- Magic-User -- Base AC of 9

Any character that is unconscious or heavily restrained has a Base AC of 9..

Armor: Armor subtracts from the character's Base AC when worn. Armor may have side effects for some classes.

Light Armor: -1 to AC. Magic-Users and Illusionists cannot cast their highest level of spells known while wearing Light Armor.

Medium Armor: -2 to AC. Magic-Users and Illusionists cannot cast their two highest levels of spells known while wearing Medium Armor. Thief abilities are halved while wearing Medium Armor.

Heavy Armor: -3 to AC. Magic-Users and Illusionists cannot cast their three highest levels of spells known while wearing Heavy Armor. Thief abilities are unusable while wearing Heavy Armor.

Shield: -1 to AC, only when character is conscious and mobile. Magic-Users cannot cast their highest level of spells known when using a shield -- if they are using a shield and armor the shield adds 1 to the levels of spells they cannot use. Note that a magic-user requires at least one hand free to cast spells.

Examples: An unarmored average fighting man is AC 5 . The same fighting man in plate armor and using a shield would be AC 1.

An unarmored 10th level wizard would be AC 9 and could cast spells normally. If that tenth level wizard wears chainmail, she would be AC 7 but would not be able to cast any of her 4th or 5th level spells. A 1st through 4th level magic user wearing chainmail would not be able to cast any spells at all.

Notes for the Referee: One thing that really seems to sit wrong with some players in early editions are the armor limitations on classes. Some players really want their magic-users to wield swords and wear armor. This optional armor system allows this while still trying to maintain the balance between classes.

Feats of Might

All Fighters (and at the GM's option, certain martially-inclined intelligent enemies) may, if they so choose, when making an attack declare that they wish to attempt a specific Feat of Might. To determine if you were able to perform the feat, at the same time as you roll to attack, roll the same kind of die as your weapon's damage (so a d6, by default). Add any enchantment bonus the weapon has, plus your STR modifier if it's a medium or heavy weapon or your DEX modifier if it's a light or ranged weapon. This increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and every four levels thereafter. If the attack hit and the result is equal to or greater than the highest possible result on the die (so 6, by default) the feat is successful. Whether or not the feat was successful, you still also roll damage if the attack hit.

The following are examples of suitable effects for a successful feat:

Trip: Target is knocked prone.

Disarm: Target's weapon or shield is knocked away in a random direction a number of feet equal to half the damage you dealt.

Reposition: Force your target to move to a new location of your choice, up to a number of feet equal to half the damage you dealt (plus attacker’s STR bonus). Attacker may move with target if attacker desires.

Shield Slam: If wielding a shield, bludgeon your target with it, dealing damage as a shield bash. Target is then forced back from you a number of feet equal to half the damage dealt by the original attack (plus the attacker’s STR bonus).

Disorient: Blow leaves your opponent off-guard. Until the end of his next turn, target is confused.

Hinder: Target is briefly slowed, reducing his speed to five feet until the end of his next turn.

Blind: You spit, throw sand, or otherwise attack your enemy's eyes. Until the end of the next round, he is blinded.

Feint: You quickly feign an attack against your foe. Until the end of his next turn, your enemy is has a negative modifier equal to your level to all actions.

If the movement effect of Reposition or Shield Slam would force the target over a cliff, into a pool of dangerous liquid, or the like, the target gets a Reflex save to stop safely at the edge.

Example: Emma is playing Lillith, a 5th-level Fighter, who isembroiled in combat with a vicious owlbear. When her turn comes, Emma declares that she wants to attempt a Feat in order to Hinder the beast. Lilith is armed with a +1 Scimitar, which is a medium weapon, and has 16 STR. To see if her Feat is successful, at the same time she rolls her usual 1d20 to hit, she also rolls 1d6 (the amount of damage a medium weapon deals) and to that 1d6 she adds +1 for the enchantment of the weapon, +1 from her STR bonus, and +1 for being a 5th-level fighter (this is the same Fighting Class bonus she adds to attack and damage), or +3 altogether. Since the highest possible result 1d6 can show is 6, if Emma's feat roll is a 3 or better and the attack hits, then she can apply the hinder effect in addition to rolling damage normally.

Notes for the Referee: This system can make combat more interesting at the cost of more complexity. If you use this system, you should deny any use of a Feat of Strength and Skill that does not make sense in the situation. If fighters are allowed this option, some fighter opponents (including some intelligent monsters) may use these rules at your option.

Overwhelming Opponents

Each attacker beyond the first against the same target in the same round adds +1 to their attack rolls for each attacker before them. So, a second attack on the same target in the same round by a party member or monster would be at +1, a third attack at +2, etc.

Notes for the Referee: This allows multiple creatures to wear down a more powerful target by overwhelming the target with many attackers. It adds a bit more realism to combat and allows large number of “nuisance” opponents to be a real threat. If you opt to use this rule, remember that opponents that are not within weapon reach of a target cannot attack. Therefore, you as Referee must exercise common sense in applying this rule.

Shield Wall

Characters have and can use shields in battle can form a shield wall. Forming a shield wall grants each person in the wall (including hirelings) to automatically lose initiative in exchange for an additional +1 to AC per adjacent ally (so a max of +2) so long as they remain in formation.

Notes for the Referee: This is a defensive option that will not overpower your games. It’s low complexity as well so it should not make combat more complex.

OPTIONAL MAGIC RULES

Hit Point Powered Magic

Spell Knowledge

Arcane and divine casters can memorize and cast spells from their respective spell lists up to the maximum spell level listed for their character level. Arcane casters record spells they know in spell books. Divine casters record spells they know in prayer books.

Arcane casters start with Read Magic and 1d2 additional first level spells in their spell book (which must be approved by the GM) and can add more spells by finding (or buying) them on scrolls or books and copying them into his spell book.

Divine casters start with 1d2 first spells in their prayer book (which must be approved by the GM) and can add more spells by finding (or buying) them on scrolls or books and copying them into his prayer book.

An arcane caster can memorize up to Level + INT bonus spells and these spells can be directly cast (others spells may be cast via a casting ritual). An arcane caster requires his spell book and 1 hour of time to change the spells he has memorized.

A divine caster can memorize up Level plus WIS bonus spells and these spells can be directly cast (others spells may be cast via a casting ritual). An divine caster requires his prayer book and 1 hour of prayer to change the spells he has memorized.

Memorized spells are not forgotten when cast.

Direct Spell Casting

Casting memorized spells is direct spell casting. Memorized spells can be cast very quickly, even in combat. Ritual magic allow a spellcaster to cast any spell recorded in their spell books (even if not currently memorized) but requires a time-consuming ritual lasting minutes or even hours.

Casting Cost: Direct casting a spell of any kind costs Hit Points. The cost is 1 + the level of the spell being cast if the spell is cast with an implement and 1 + twice the level of the spell being cast if the spell is cast without an implement:

Table 4.5 HP Cost by Spell Level

Spell Level

1

2

3

4

5

6

HP Cost with Implement

2

3

4

5

6

7

HP Cost without Implement

3

5

7

9

11

13

Although there are ways to reduce the cost of casting spells, the casting cost cannot be reduced below 2 Hit Points.

Signature Spells: Both arcane and divine casters select one ‘signature’ spell per spell level from first upward that they prefer to use over any other. These spells are easier to cast due to familiarity, costing 1 less HP to use. Signature spells are always in memory and do not count against the number of spells a caster can memorize.

Implement Use: Spells cast through an implement (a wand or staff for a Magic-User, a holy symbol for a cleric) cost less to use. The implement must either be a magic item or be made by the caster (12 hours, wood, and carving tools needed). The implement must be undamaged and in the caster’s hand at the time the spell is cast. If the Cleric Special Abilities and/or the Magic-User Special Abilities optional rules are in use, the implements described therein also count as implements for the purpose of this rule (and vice-versa).

Combat Casting: In combat, if a character is hit and takes damage (or other effect that could interfere with spell casting like paralysis) before casting a spell, the spell fizzles. The fizzled spell costs caster only 50% of the normal HP casting cost of the spell and the caster loses his action for the round.

Hit Point Recovery: If the optional Hit Points and Wound Points rule is not being used, Healing magic (potions, cure spells, etc.) will not restore hit points spent on casting spells. Hit points spent to cast magic are instead recovered by a full night’s rest.

Ritual Magic

Both arcane and divine casters can perform ritual magic to cast spells of any level (and other special rituals that might be found in old books or scrolls) provided the caster has a written copy of the spell or ritual, any needed materials (mainly required by special rituals), and the time and space needed to perform the ritual.

Performance Cost: Ritual casting of a spell of a level the caster is able to cast normally takes 1 minute per level of the spell being ritually cast. The HP Casting Cost is equal to casting the spell with an implement (spell level + 1 HPs). Ritual casting of a spell of a level the caster is not yet able to cast normally takes 15 minutes per level of the spell and costs 4 hit points per level of the spell being ritually cast. Ritual casting of a special ritual takes as long and costs as many HP as the ritual states (that is, the Referee assigns these as needed when he creates the special ritual). Multiple casters may participate in a casting a special ritual with the HP cost of casting divided among them.

Sacrifices (Optional): One or more beings with human or better intelligence may be sacrificed during ritual magic. Each sacrifice made adds 10 minutes to the ritual and provides 10 plus the being’s level or hit dice in HP to power the ritual. This amount is tripled if the being is truly a willing sacrifice. Some special rituals may require the sacrifice of intelligent beings. The sacrifice of intelligent beings is normally against the law in civilized societies.

Counterspells (Optional)

Arcane spell casters have the ability to disrupt other arcane casters by attempting to counter the spell. Casters can attempt to counter any type of arcane spell; however they get a -1 penalty when countering spells cast by a class different from their class.

The moment that a spell is cast, any caster within range (10 feet per level) and who has not yet acted that round may abandon their planned action to try to counter the spell. In order to succeed the countering caster must make a magic attack roll  and beat a DC equal to 20 + (spell caster's level) at a cost of 3 + the level of the spell being countered in HP. Before rolling they may choose to use their magical energies to improve their chances of success: for each additional 2 HP spent (for each 3 HP spent if the caster is of a different class), their roll gains +1 bonus.

If an arcane caster was casting a spell and stops doing so to counter a spell, the spell the arcane caster interrupted to counterspell costs the caster 50% of the normal casting cost in HP

Metamagic (Optional)

Magic-Users and Clerics may select one metamagic ability from this list at levels 3 and 6. A spell with metamagic abilities applied is cast at a higher HP cost: the standard HP cost for the spell plus the HP cost for all metamagic being applied to the spell. The Referee has the final say as to what metamagic effects do or do not make sense to use with a particular spell. Multiple metamagic effects can be applied to a single spell; however, each metamagic effect after the first adds an additional +1 to the HP cost of the spell.

Empower Spell - All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one-half. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. An empowered spell adds +4 to the HP cost of the base spell.

Enlarge Spell - You can alter a spell with a range of close, medium, or long to increase its range by 100%. Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance, as well as spells whose ranges are not close, medium, or long, are not affected. An enlarged spell adds +2 to the HP cost of the base spell.

Extend Spell - An extended spell lasts twice as long as normal. A spell with a duration of concentration, instantaneous, or permanent is not affected. An extended spell adds +2 to the HP cost of the base spell.

Widen Spell - You can alter an area shaped spell to increase its area. Any numeric measurements of the spell’s area increase by 100%. A widened spell adds +6 to the HP cost of the base spell.

Notes for the Referee: Replacing the “Vancian” fire and forget magic system with some form of spell point system (where spell casting characters have a number of spell points and expend some of those spell points to cast a spell instead of forgetting the spell when cast. Most of these systems actually increase the power of spell casters. This system uses hit points for spell points therefore stays much closer to the power level of spell casters in the original rules. While this rule can be used alone, it works best if the optional Hit Points and Wound Points rule is also used.

Spellcasting as a Skill

Magic-users, clerics and other spell casters don’t memorize spells and forget them when they cast them. Instead, they select a number of spells, from their available spells, equal to their Level +3 (note that if they have less available spells than this, they are stuck with what they have, no spell can be selected more than once). Note that a caster may not memorize a spell of a spell level he could not cast at his level under the standard rules.

Every time they wish to cast a selected spell they must roll a D20, add their attribute modifier (INT for magic-users/illusionists, WIS for clerics/druids/rangers, CHA for bards/paladins) and one-half their level (rounded up), against a Target Number of 10 + the level of the spell being cast. If they equal or beat the Target Number the spell succeeds. If they roll lower than the target number, the spell fails and they cannot cast that particular spell again that day.

Optional: Add +1 to the casting roll for every full round spent casting the spell, to a maximum bonus of the caster’s level.

Notes for the Referee: This optional rule makes spell casters less reliable as casting spells will no longer be automatically successful, but so long as they do successfully cast a spell, they will retain in in memory. If you use this optional system, you may need to adjust the number of spells casters can memorize to fit your campaign. The number in the rule works well in a campaign where magic is not as common as it is in a campaign using the standard rules; for example, a swords and sorcery setting.

OPTIONAL GENERAL RULES

Action Points

All characters have 1 action point per character level. Actions points may be used to simulate a heroic effort by a character or to simulate a lucky break. Action Points recover 1 per day of total rest in safe surroundings.

Heroic Effort: Each action point spent on heroic effort allows the player to roll a 1d6 and adjust any single die roll affecting the character or made as a result of the character’s actions in the character’s favor by the amount rolled. The action point must be expended before the die roll to be adjusted is made.

Luck: Spending one action point for luck will cause a minor bit of good luck to come the character’s way. Spending two action points for good luck will cause a major bit of good luck to come the character’s way. In both cases, the Referee decides exactly what the good luck is, but it should be helpful in a minor/major way to the character’s immediate situation.

Shake Off Fatigue: Recover half your lost hit points instantly. This counts as an action.

Strike Now: The character can take his action right now instead of waiting for his normal turn to act to come up. This cannot be used to cast a spell over 3rd level.

Try Again: Spending two action points allows the character to try any roll again that he has failed. The character must abide by the result of the second roll even if it is worse than the first roll. This simulates the character realizing he is failing and putting everything he has into turning failure into success.

Notes for the Referee: Action points are a way for players to avoid or lessen the effects of truly disastrous die rolls at critical points or to have something lucky/helpful happen by “chance.” While some think they go against the “let the dice fall where they may” old school attitude (and to some extent they do), in reality they turn out to be just another very limited resource for players to manage, which is a very old school thing. If your players complain about bad rolls to the point they are annoyed with the game, adding action points might be something to consider. You can reduce the number of action points characters receive for less heroic campaigns (e.g. gain 1 action point every 2nd level instead of every level).

Deities and Divine Intervention

Characters will find it helpful to follow one of the gods. Although Clerics, Druids, and Paladins have special access to the deities, other classes may receive advice and assistance at times as well. A character may select any deity (or pantheon in some campaigns) to follow from the campaign allowed by the GM.

Divine Intervention: Deities will occasionally assist their followers when petitioned for aid. There is a chance of angering the deity and a strong possibility that the deity will not deign to take an interest in mortal affairs at that time. The petitioner may thus receive aid, suffer harm, or get no response at all. Petitioning for divine intervention more often than once a week results in automatic retribution.

Petitioning for divine intervention can be done at any time provided the character is capable of thought. A d100 roll on the appropriate table using the column for the characters level below will determine the result. Clerics add 5 to their level before consulting the chart.

Table 4.6 Greater Deity

Result

1-5

6-9

10-12

13-16

17+

Retribution

01-80

01-70

01-60

01-50

01-40

No Effect

81-95

71-90

61-85

51-80

41-70

Intervention

96-00

91-00

86-00

81-00

71-00

Table 4.7 Major Deity

Result

1-5

6-9

10-12

13-16

17+

Retribution

01-70

01-60

01-40

01-30

01-20

No Effect

81-90

61-80

41-70

31-60

21-50

Intervention

91-00

81-00

71-00

61-00

51-00

Table 4.8 Minor Deity

Result

1-5

6-9

10-12

13-16

17+

Retribution

01-60

01-40

01-30

01-20

01-15

No Effect

61-85

41-75

31-65

11-55

16-45

Intervention

86-00

76-00

66-00

56-00

46-00

Table 4.9 Demi-God

Result

1-5

6-9

10-12

13-16

17+

Retribution

01-50

01-30

01-20

01-10

01-05

No Effect

51-80

31-65

11-55

11-45

06-35

Intervention

81-00

66-00

56-00

46-00

36-00

Characters may make an offering to their deity before rolling for divine intervention. All offerings musty be in the possession of the petitioner at the time of the request (deities do not accept IOUs). This table lists the die roll modifier for various types of offerings:

Table 4.10 Offering Modifiers

Offering

Die Roll Modifier

Treasure (1000gp)

+1

Each Potion

+2

Magic Weapon/Armor

+Bonus

Magic Scroll (per spell)

+2

Magic Ring, wand, or rod

+5

Magic Staff

+10

Miscellaneous Magic item

+10

Minor Artifact

+15

Minor Artifact

+25

Accept Minor Quest

+10

Accept Major Quest

+20

Intelligent Being Sacrificed

+Level or HD

Only evil deities accept the sacrifice of intelligent beings. A minor quest will take 4 to 8 months. A major quest will take 1 to 3 years. The quest will be imposed by the deity (and need not involve actual questing).

There is an additional modifier of -15 if the character does not regularly donate at least 10% of income to the deity’s temple. Characters who ignore their deity except when in need of help suffer a die roll modifier of -10 to -30 as determined by the GM.

If the result is intervention, the deity will do the minimum needed to answer the request. For Demi-Gods, the maximum would be about the ability of a limited wish spell. For Minor Deities, the maximum would be about the power of a single wish spell. For Major Deities, the maximum would be about the about ability of several wish spells. There is no effective limit for what Greater Deities can do.

If the result is retribution, the petitioner takes his level in D6 of HP damage.

Conversion (Optional): Characters may not willingly change their allegiance to another deity/pantheon except at a full temple of the new deity and then only with a favorable reaction roll from the new deity’s priests (large donations to the temple will give favorable modifications to the roll). Lay people accepted by a new god must spend 1d4 weeks (at their own expense) at the temple learning the basic rituals and dogma of their new faith before they can receive any benefits from that faith. Clerics and Druids must spend 1d6 months (plus their level in weeks) in such study before they can cast divine spells above 2nd level again. Druids can only convert to another nature deity.

Spell Level Availability (Optional): A character’s deity may limit the level of Divine Spells the character may cast. If the character’s deity is a Demi-God, the maximum level of Divine Spells the character has access to is 3rd level. If the character’s deity is a Minor Deity, the maximum level of Divine Spells the character has access to is 4th level. If the character’s deity is a Major or Greater Deity, the maximum level of Divine Spells the character has access to is 5th level. Spell slots for spells of a level the cleric cannot cast may be filled by spells of a lower level which the cleric can cast.

Special Spells by Deity (Optional): Deities may not offer all of the standard Divine Spells (Cleric) to their clerics. They may simply not provide some of the standard spells, substitute special spells for some of the standard spells, or even add additional spells to the standard spells.

Notes for the Referee: Divine Intervention gives characters an expensive way to try to get themselves out of extremely bad situations by paying for a miracle. It doesn’t work all that often (especially for lower level characters), but when it does it is often a memorable moment in the campaign. Note that successful divine intervention need not be splashy and obviously “deities acting in the world” if that is not suitable for the campaign. The spell options allow easy customization of deities so that each deity has a somewhat unique list of spells. The optional conversion rules make it easy to stop characters from switching deities depending on their current needs.

Hit Points and Wound Points

Replace the standard character damage and healing system with the following:

Hit Points (HP) Hit Points are an abstract measure of the amount of damage a character can suffer before falling unconscious and taking severe injuries. If Hit Points reach 0, the character is unconscious and begins to take severe physical injury. Further damage, including any remaining points of damage the attack that reduced hit points to zero, directly reduces Wound Points. Hit Points represent stamina, luck, minor cuts and scrapes, etc. Optional: To avoid confusion, “Hit Points” may be renamed “Fatigue Points.”

Wound Points (WP) All characters have Wound Points equal to their CON. If Wound Points reach 0, the character is dead. Each two points of Wound damage an Adventurer has suffered gives a -1 to all attack, success, saving, and similar rolls. Except for important NPCs, monsters generally do not have Wound Points and are therefore dead when their hit points reach zero.

Critical Hits: A natural attack roll of 20 (that would otherwise hit) is automatically a critical doing maximum damage and doing a number of wound points damage equal to the number of damage dice rolled (normally 1). Most monsters do not have body points, so a critical hit will do maximum damage plus a normal damage roll to them and cause them to lose their next attack.

Recovering Hit Points: All characters recover all hit points after six hours of total rest. If a character has lost Body Points due to wounds, only 50% of total hit points lost are recovered per six hours of rest.

Healing Wound Point Damage: Wound Points lost recover at a rate equal to the character’s STR Bonus (minimum of 1 point regained) per full day of rest. If a character with up to 50% Wound Point damage performs more than very light activity or careful travel during a day, he has a 50% chance of losing an additional Wound Point. If a character with more 50% of Wound Point damaged does anything other than rest quietly in bed during a day, he has a 50% chance of losing an additional Wound Point.

Healing Magic: Cure spells or their equivalent no longer affect hit points on characters (but continue to do so on creatures who only have hit points). A Cure Light Wounds (or equivalent) will cure 1d2+1 Wound Points. A Cure Serious Wounds (or equivalent) will cure 3d2+3 Wound Points. In either case, 1 point will be cured per 10 minutes of rest after the spell is cast (up to the maximum rolled), if the rest in interrupted any remaining points of healing are lost.

Spell Casting (Optional): Casting a spell costs a spell caster hit points: 2 hit points to cast a spell of level 1 to 3, 2 hp to cast a spell of level 4 to 6, 3 hit points to cast a spell of  level 7 or 8, and 5 hit points to cast a spell of level 9. For 5 additional hit points, the caster may try to retrain the spell in memory after casting it, doing so a successful save vs spells. Note: The optional Hit Point Powered Magic rules are a replacement for this optional rule.

Bleeding (Optional): A character who has been reduced to 0 hit points by weapon or other trauma-related damage will eventually bleed out and die if their wounds are not bound. A bleeding character must make a Save every minute or suffer one body point of additional damage. Binding wounds takes 1 minute per point of body damage taken, but no further bleeding rolls are needed (including while the wounds are being bound). Any healing spell cast on a bleeding character will effectively stop the bleeding.

Second Wind (Optional): Once per day, characters may regain 20% of their total hit points (round up) by resting in a safe place for an hour while eating a meal. This amount is reduced by 2 hp per point of body damage (to a minimum of 0 hp recovered).

Monster Wound Points (Optional): Wound Points should generally only be used for player characters and important NPCs. However, if the Referee does not mind the added complexity, monsters may have Wound Points as well. A monster’s Wound Points are equal to twice the number of hit dice the monster has. This option is not recommended as it adds a lot of almost pointless Referee bookkeeping to every combat. If the Referee does not want to use this option, but still feels that the addition of Wound Points gives player characters too much of an advantage over monsters, the Referee may simply increase the HPs rolled for monsters by the number of hit dice the monster has.

Notes for the Referee: The exact meaning and “realism” of hit points has been an issue with some since the publication of the original game in 1974. This optional system clearly distinguishes between actual wounds and other types of damage and is also more “realistic” in that it provides negative effects for actual wounds. However, it makes characters somewhat more capable as their hit points are fully restored by a night’s sleep if they haven’t suffered any wound damage. The optional monster wound points rule is not really recommended except for GMs running adversarial campaigns.

Psionics

Psionics are mental powers which aren’t magic but sometimes duplicate magical abilities. If psionics are used in a campaign, any highly intelligent being has a slight change of being psionic.

Creating Psionic Characters: Characters should check for psionics ability at character creation. Roll a d20 and add the characters INT bonus. On a roll of 20 or higher, the character may opt to have psionics abilities that will manifest as the character goes up levels. If the above roll is successful and the player opts for the character for the character to have psionics, roll 2d6. The result is the maximum number of psionic abilities the character will manifest. Each ability a character can manifest adds -3 to the character Experience Modifier. For example, a character who can manifest 8 psionic abilities adds -24% to his Experience Modifier – which will increase the number of XP the character needs to advance in character level.

Manifesting Psionic Abilities: At character creation and every time a psionic character goes up a level, the character rolls to see if a new psionic ability manifests. Roll 1d20 + INT bonus against a target number of (21 – the maximum number of psionic abilities the character may manifest). On a successful roll, the character manifests a new psionic ability. Roll on the Psionic Ability Table below to determine the new ability. Reroll if the character already has the ability rolled.

Manifesting Psionic Attack and Defense Modes: Psionic characters manifest psionic attack and defense modes as they gain psionic abilities. Specific modes manifest as the character manifests a specific number of abilities. See Psionic Combat below for more information.

Table 4.11 Psionic Attack and Defense Modes Manifested

Number of Psionic Abilities Manifested

Attack Mode

Manifested

Defense Mode

Manifested

1

Mind Thrust

Thought Shield

2

Mind Blank

3

Ego Whip

4

Mental Barrier

5

Psionic Blast

6

Intellect Fortress

7

Id Insinuation

8

Tower of Iron Will

9

Psychic Crush

Using Psionic Abilities: Using a psionic ability is an action. Successful use requires a 1d20 + INT Bonus + Level/2 versus the target number (TN) given in the ability description. Certain abilities also cost HP (even if the attempt is unsuccessful). The power of many psionic abilities is determined by the Ability Level of the specific psionic ability. This is the number of levels the character has possessed the specific ability. Simply recording the character’s level when he gets the ability will make calculating this easy.

Psionic Abilities: The following psionic abilities may manifest. Which abilities manifest should be determined randomly. The Referee is free to create other abilities.

Table 4.12 Psionic Abilities

Roll

Psionic Ability

Roll

Psionic Ability

1

Animal Telepathy

13

Etherealness

2

Astral Projection

14

Healing Trance

3

Aura Alteration

15

Invisibility

4

Body Control

16

Levitation

5

Body Equilibrium

17

Mind over Body

6

Clairaudience

18

Precognition

7

Clairvoyance

19

Psychic Surgery

8

Dimension Door

20

Shape Alteration

9

Domination

21

Telekinesis

10

Empathic Projection

22

Telepathy

11

Empathy

23

Teleportation

12

ESP

24

Suspend Animation

Animal Telepathy: Character can establish 2-way mental communication with an animal. TN is 12. HP Cost is 1 HP per minute. Level of communication depends on the intelligence of the target. Does not require target to obey or be helpful.

Astral Projection: Character can enter a trance and project himself into the Astral Plane. This works like the Astral Spell except that speed of travel and other effects depend on Ability Level. TN is 15. HP Cost is 1 HP per 10 minutes.

Aura Alteration: Character can alter a target’s aura to either to disguise the target’s alignment and level, or to remove a compulsion or charm. Disguise has a TN of 15, costs 5 HP, lasts 10 minutes per Ability Level, can make the target appear as any desired alignment and can modify the character’s apparent level by up to Ability Level levels. Removing a charm, compulsion, or curse costs 10 HP and grants the target another saving roll.

Body Control: Character can adjust his body to exist in unusual conditions (extreme temperatures, hostile/destructive elements like poison gas, water, acid, fire, lava, etc.).TN is 12 for unusual conditions like extreme temperatures, 15 for hostile environments like underwater or lack of good air. 18 for extreme conditions like acids, lava, etc. Costs 1 HP per 10 minutes. Maximum duration is Ability Level x 10 minutes. Reroll Ability check every hour.

Body Equilibrium: Character can adjust his body weight to correspond to the surface he is walking on so as not to sink into water, mud, quicksand, etc. TN is 12.  Costs 1 HP per 10 minutes. Maximum duration is Ability Level x 10 minutes. Reroll Ability check every hour.

Clairaudience: Character can hear at a distance (30 feet + Ability Level x 10). TN is 12 (plus +2 for each foot of material between psionic and target area). Costs 1 HP per minute.

Clairvoyance: Character can see at a distance (30 feet + Ability Level x 10). TN is 12 (plus +2 for each foot of material between psionic and target area). Costs 1 HP per minute.

Dimension Door: Character can teleport up to Ability Level x 20 feet. TN is 12 is target location visible, 15 otherwise. Costs 5 HP.

Domination: Character can force another to do their will. TN to establish is 15 + target’s level/hit dice. TN to maintain for another round is 15 + target’s level/hit dice. Costs the target’s level/hit dice in HP per minute.

Empathic Projection: Character projects an emotional state upon targets. This works similar to the Suggestion spell but is limited to suggesting emotions. TN is 12 if touching a single target, 15 otherwise. Range: 30 feet + (Ability Level x 10). Can affect up to Ability Level targets. HP Cost is 3 per target.

Empathy: Character senses the emotions/emotional needs of the target(s). TN is 15. Cost: 1 HP per minute if a single target, 3 HP per minute otherwise. Range: 30 feet + (Ability Level x 10).

ESP: Character can read the surface thoughts of the target. TN is 10 + target’s level/hit dice. Cost: 1 HP per minute if touching target, 3 HP per minute otherwise. Range: 30 feet + (Ability Level x 10). Searching for specific/deeper thoughts adds 5 to the TN (+10 if the target is specifically hiding them) and doubles the HP cost.

Etherealness: Character can alter his body vibrations to those of the Ethereal Plane, but is only able to carry Ability Level * Ability Level pounds of material with him. TN is 12 + 1 per 20 pounds of weight carried. HP Cost: 1 HP per 10 minutes.

Healing Trance: Character can go into a trance and heal damage they have taken quickly. A maximum of one 1d6 hit points per Ability Level can be healed. TN is 10 + number of dice of hit points to be healed. Trance lasts a number of hours equal to the dice to be healed, and 1 die is healed per hour of trance. HP Cost: dice healed x 2. If the optional Wound Point rules are used, this power operates as follows: Wound Points are healed instead of hit points. A maximum of one WP per Ability Level can be healed. TN is 10 + number of WP to be healed. Trance lasts a number of hours equal to the BP to be healed, and 1 BP is healed per hour of trance. HP Cost: BP healed x 2

Invisibility: Character can turn invisible by making those in range not notice the character. Character cannot attack and maintain invisibility. Range is Ability Level x 10 feet. TN is 12 (or 15 if the targets are highly alert).

Levitation: Character can float in the air. DC to float is 12 and it costs 1 HP per minute. Character can ascend or descend Ability Level feet per minute by making an ability check with a TN of 15. Character can move laterally Ability Level feet per minute by making an ability check with a TN of 18.

Mind over Body: Character can suppress bodily needs like food, water, and sleep for two days per Ability Level. Thereafter the character must spend an equal number of days resting before this ability can be used again. No ability check or HP cost.

Precognition: Character has a vague sense of the future. While using this power the character cannot be surprised and adds his Ability Level/2 (round up) to initiative, combat rolls, and any other d20 rolls where an ability to know what might happen in the near future would be helpful. TN is 15 and the roll must be made each minute the ability is used. HP cost is 5 HP per minute.

Psychic Surgery: Character and target go into a trance to heal target’s damage quickly. Character must be touching target. A maximum of 1d6 hit points per Ability Level can be healed. TN is 10 + number of dice of hit points to be healed. Trance lasts a number of hours equal to the dice to be healed, and 1 die is healed per hour of trance. HP Cost: dice healed x 2. If the optional Wound Point rules are used, this power operates as follows: Wound Points are healed instead of hit points. A maximum of one BP per Ability Level can be healed. TN is 10 + number of BP to be healed. Trance last a number of hours equal to the BP to be healed and 1 BP is healed per hour of trance. HP Cost: BP healed x 2.

Shape Alteration: Character can modify his appearance similar to the Polymorph Self spell.  TN is 12 to make minor changes to appearance (remaining same species), 15 to make major changes (another species of similar size), and 18 to make more extreme changes. Cost is per hour and is based on type of change: 3 HP for minor changes, 8 HP for major changes, and 15 HP for extreme changes. Maximum duration is Ability Level hours.

Telekinesis: Character can move objects up to Ability Level x Ability Level pounds by mental power. TN is 12 (18 if precise control is needed). HP Cost is 3 HP per minute for slow movement, 8 per attack for combat speed movement.

Telepathy: Character can establish 2-way mental communication with an intelligent target. TN is 12 if target is willing, 18 otherwise. HP Cost is 1 HP per minute. 1 minute of telepathy allows an information exchange equal to 10 minutes of talking.

Teleportation: Character can teleport up to Ability Level * 100 miles. TN is 12 if the target location is intimately known to character, 18 if the target location is well known, and 24 if the target is only known from a clear description. HP Cost is 15.

Suspend Animation: Character can virtually stop all body functions for a predetermined amount of time. Maximum duration is Ability Level x Ability Level weeks. Character will not change during this time. A number of days equal to the number of weeks spend in suspended animation must pass before this ability can be used again. No ability check or HP cost.

Psionic Combat: Only psionic characters that have manifested a psionic attack ability can make a psionic attack. The Psionic Attack Roll is 1d20 + INT bonus + number of psionic abilities manifested. The attack is successful if it is higher than the target’s Psionic Armor Class (10 + INT bonus + armor bonuses from a psionic defense mode).

Psionic attacks do psionic damage (see below for amounts). Tally psionic damage separately. If the total psionic damage ever becomes greater than the character’s current hit points, the character falls into a coma and remains in a coma until he has more hit points than psionic damage points and makes a successful save vs Paralysis (may be attempted once per hour). With a night’s sleep, psionic damage “heals” 1d6 + twice the number of psionic abilities manifested, if any.

Psionic Defense Modes: Defense modes increase the character’s psionic armor class when in use. Only one mode can be in effect at one time. Thought Shield costs 0 HP to use and gives a +1 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class. Mind Blank costs 0 HP to use and gives a +2 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class.  Mental Barrier costs 0 HP to use and gives a +4 bonus to the character’s psionic armor class. Intellect Fortress costs 2 HP to use and gives a +4 bonus to the psionic armor class of the character and everyone within 10 feet. Tower of Iron Will costs 3 HP to use and gives a +6 bonus to the psionic armor class of the character and everyone within 3 feet.

Psionic Attack Modes: Mind Thrust costs 1 HP to use and does 1d8 points of psionic damage. Ego Whip costs 2 HP to use and does 2d6 points of psionic damage and the target must make a save vs paralysis or be stunned for one minute. Psionic Blast costs 4 HP to use and attacks everyone in a conic area in front of the psionic doing 1d6 damage to everyone in the affected area, double damage to those in short range (10'), half damage at long range (30'). One attack roll is made and used against all possible targets. Id Insinuation costs 2 HP to use and does 3d6 psionic damage and the target must save vs. Fear or be affected as a fear spell for 1d6 rounds. Psychic Crush costs 5 HP to use and does 4d6 psionic damage and 2d6 physical (HP) damage.

Hit Point Recovery: If the optional Hit Points and Wound Points rule is not being used, Healing magic (potions, cure spells, etc.) will not restore hit points spent on psionic abilities or psionic combat modes. Hit points spent  to use psionic abilities, psionic attack modes, and/or psionic defense modes are instead recovered by a full night’s rest.

Notes for the Referee: Psionics were one of the least used and poorest described abilities in 0e. While the 0e system can be made to work, it does not work well. This psionics system therefore has been made to have similar abilities and power levels to the 0e psionics system, but the implementation is much different. Few campaigns will need psionics, but the system is here for those (like one of the editor’s) that do. While this rule can be used alone, it works best if the optional Hit Points and Wound Points rule is also used.

The Usage Die

The Usage Die is an alternative method of tracking the number of a particular item a character owns (e.g. arrows, torches, etc.). When such a resource is used is used (or once the combat is over for weapons/ammo UD) you roll its Usage Die, a result of 1-2 means the Usage Die for that item is downgraded to the next smallest die:

UD20 ->UD12 ->UD10 ->UD8 ->UD6 ->UD4

When a 1 or 2 is rolled on a UD4, this means the character only has 1 of the resource left.

As a rule thumb, the average number of uses for each UD is as follows: UD4 (2), UD6 (5), UD8 (9), UD10 (14), UD12 (20), UD20 (30). The referee can use this information to assign a Usage Die to expendable items a character finds or buys.

Notes for the Referee: The Usage Die idea is popular in some modern revisions of TSR editions because it “reduces bookkeeping”. The editor finds it just substitutes tracking the current UD associated with each item for tracking the number of each item remaining. It also requires adding a D12, a D10, a D8, and a D4 to the types of dice required for players.

AFTERWORD

Much has been written down and accounted for, but all the words in this book are merely a foundation for what will ultimately be a fantasy game campaign of the referee’s own devising. He is encouraged to create liberally and enthusiastically and to welcome input from his players. Their choices and actions should ring true in the game world so that it thrives and invites further participation. With a living game in motion the referee can derive considerable enjoyment from extending or altering the rules to meet his own particular needs. In this case the referee is cautioned to do so judiciously and with consistency.

Above all, referees and players alike are reminded that this is a game and that games are meant to be fun.

Fight On!

APPENDIX I:

OLD SCHOOL GAMING

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is an “old School” game. It is designed for a completely different style of play than many players who started to play in the last 20 years or so may be used to. This sub-section will give a brief overview of “old school” play.

What is “Old School” Play?

There are two major styles of roleplaying games. The first (and older) style says “Here is the situation. Pretend you are there as your character, what do you want to do?” This style has been superseded over the years with a style that says “Here is the situation. Based on your character's stats, abilities, skills, etc. as listed on his character sheet and your knowledge of the many detailed rules of the game, what is the best way to use your character’s skills and abilities and the rules to solve the situation?” Old school play strongly favors the first style and frowns on too much of the second.

Here are some major points where old school play is often different:

Heroic, not Superheroic: Old school play, especially at low to mid-levels, is about fairly normal people put in situations where they can be heroes, not about extraordinary people doing things that would make a four-color comic book superhero proud – and at first level yet. Just like in the real world, the more a character improves his abilities, the harder it is to improve them further, while new characters may advance rapidly, the higher their level the more effort and time (and XP) it takes to advance to the next level.

Achievement, not Advancement. Many modern games are often all about what special feats, extra classes and special game mechanics the players wish to obtain for their characters as they increase in level. In old school games, a character’s abilities are generally predetermined by his character class, so old school games focus on the things that the characters wish to accomplish in the game world rather than on what game mechanics they want to acquire. Level advancement is often much slower than in modern fantasy RPGs which makes in campaign achievements even more important as a measure of character success.

No Skills: Unlike in most modern RPGs, there aren’t any skills in the standard rules for Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition. Players are intended to have their characters act like adventurers. So don’t search your character sheet or the rules for the perfect solution in Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition. Instead, you just tell the Referee what your character is trying to do. Note that you are assumed to be competent with all common activities associated with your class and background. If you need to keep a door open or shut, you might tell the Referee your character is using a spike to keep the door open or closed. A ten foot pole is your friend for checking for traps. Searching a room means looking in and under objects, not rolling a skill check. While this may seem strange at first, you will quickly learn to appreciate the freedom it gives you. No longer are you limited to the skills and feats on your character sheet, you can try anything your character should be capable of trying. You might not succeed, but the rules generally will not stop you from trying.

Limited Magic Items: Modern fantasy RPGs often assume that magic items are easy to buy and/or to create. In most old school campaigns, magic items are relatively rare and hard to create. Only potions and scrolls are generally relatively easy to create or purchase. Other magic items are seldom found for sale (and are very high priced when they are found for sale) and are usually very expensive in money and time to try to create – often requiring rare ingredients that the characters must quest to find. Therefore characters are generally limited to the magic items they find in treasures or take from defeated enemies on adventures.

No Assumption of “Game Balance”: Old style game sessions aren’t about carefully balanced characters (who are all able to shine equally at all times) who only run into situations carefully designed by the Referee to be beatable by the characters presently in the party and to provide treasure that fits their current level. Instead, part of player skill is learning to evaluate situations so situations well over the party’s current abilities or which will waste the party’s resources for little gain can be avoided. Don’t assume that you can beat every monster that you encounter, running away from monsters too tough to handle can mean the difference between character survival and character death. You can also get creative in how you defeat monsters. Perhaps those goblins you bypassed could be talked into (or tricked into) attacking that giant you know you can’t beat, perhaps killing it for you or at least softening it up so your party has a chance of defeating it and living to tell the tale. Also remember that treasure can be turned into XP, even if you can’t kill the monsters, perhaps you can still acquire some of their treasure. Part of the skill of playing “old school” style is coming up with creative solutions when a direct attack is likely to fail.

It’s Not All About Combat: Many modern fantasy RPGs have made combat the star of the system, combats in these systems are time-consuming and very crunchy with rules for everything. Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition avoids this by having a fast-playing abstract combat system very similar to those in the early versions of the game. And like those early versions of the game, combat isn’t intended to be the main source of fun in Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition. The game is as much about exploration and treasuring finding as it is about combat. Sure, you are going to have to fight things to explore and find treasure, but always remember that combat may not be the best or safest way to handle every situation. Think before you rush into combat. After all, it’s not the only way to earn a good pile of experience – and monsters don’t have to be killed to be defeated (and get XP for them).

Reality/Common Sense Trumps Rules: Old-school games use loose and simple rules that cover average cases and the Referee and players are supposed to apply common sense and their knowledge of how reality works to cover the unusual and edge cases. “Reality/Common Sense” as interpreted by the Referee always trumps the written rules if they conflict. For example, a character has a magic weapon and the rules for that weapon say it always causes its target to fall prone if hit. The character hits a gelatinous cube moving down the corridor toward them with the weapon. The rules say that the target should fall and be in a prone position. Reality, however, says otherwise. Gelatinous cubes don’t have a top and bottom (so prone penalties make no sense) and a 10 foot cube can’t fall when it is moving through a 10 foot corridor. In some modern games, the rules would be applied anyway and the cube would suffer the effects of falling prone no matter how little sense that makes. In an old school game, the Referee ignores the rule because it makes no sense in the specific situation.

Forget “Rules Mastery”: As some of the above differences have hinted, player skill in “old school” style games isn’t about mastering the game rules so you can solve any problem by knowing the right combination of rules from 20 different rule books. Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is designed to be rules light and strongly encourages GMs to make rulings on the spot taking into account specific circumstances instead of trying to hunt up special cases in a stack of rule books. This is faster and helps players immerse themselves in their character and the game world instead of in rule books. Referee rulings will be based on specific circumstances and common sense, not just on the written rules and prior rulings. Just because it requires a certain roll to jump one 10 foot pit does not mean all 10 foot wide pits will require the same roll. After all, all sorts of variables can affect the roll (terrain, weather, lighting, pressure to jump quickly, etc.). Players need to remember that these rules are merely a tool for the Referee. They are just guidelines for the Referee, not something written in stone that the Referee must obey. If something herein does not work right in your campaign (or the Referee just does not like a rule), the Referee is well within his right to change it. Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is not a game for rules lawyers or for those who believe that the game designer always knows what is best.

No Script Immunity: In most old school games, player characters do not have any form of script immunity. Player characters can die, lose equipment, suffer strange magical effects and other often unpleasant consequences if they are not careful or are just very unlucky. On the other hand, there are no rules limiting their success. If they take on an adult red dragon as first level characters and miraculously manage to win, there are no rules about level appropriate wealth or level appropriate magic items to interfere with their becoming rich and probably flush with magic items from the dragon’s hoard.

Not Mentioned does not mean Prohibited: Many people seem to read RPG rules and come away with the idea that anything not specifically mentioned in the rules as allowed is prohibited. While this really doesn’t make much sense given that no set of rules could ever cover everything that characters might attempt to do in an adventure, it seems to be a very common way to view RPG rules. In an old school game like Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition, this is specifically not true: the millions of possible activities not mentioned in the rules are not prohibited, they are up to the Referee to allow or disallow based on his knowledge of how reality works and how his specific campaign world differs from reality. Unless the rules specifically prohibit some action, players should ask their Referee instead of simply assuming it is prohibited because the rules do not mention it.

Styles of “Old School” Play

If you read some “old school” blogs, forums, and web sites, you might get the impression that there is only one “old school’” style of play: a style with expendable player characters who spend all their time in dungeons designed in the style of the old “Tomb of Horrors” module where an adventuring party is only one slipup away from death. This style of play is often shown in early modules.

What most people forget is that these early modules were designed for tournament play where the party that lasted longest and make it deepest into the dungeon was the winner. While a few gaming groups did run their regular campaigns like this and enjoy it, most people did not enjoy such games and the GMs who ran them were often referred to as “Killer GMs” (who often found themselves without players). Instead most home campaigns were a mixture of the following four styles – some campaigns stressing one or two styles over the others.

Power-Gaming: Many players start out playing in this style. Most soon get bored with it and add more and more of other styles. A power-gaming campaign is all about character power. Characters are known by their class, level, special items, and amazing powers and deeds. (“I killed the Demon King with my 15th Level Fighter/Magic-User/Druid. It only took two hits from Thor’s Hammer to knock him out. Then I cut off his head with my vorpal blade.”) There is often a lot of player competition for the most powerful character in campaigns that stress power-gaming. A lot of people look down on this style, but it can be a lot of fun to play a pure power-game in a group of players who all like the style.

War Gaming: This is probably the style old school rules were originally written for. The war gaming style of play is a competition between the player group and the Referee. The Referee sets up tactical battles, puzzles, and the like and the players solve them for treasure and experience. Fudging die rolls and ignoring rules (either for or against the players) is frowned upon as it detracts from the challenge and fun of the adventure.

Characters in pure war gaming campaigns often were expendable and had little personality or goals (beyond staying live and getting rich) as a character with such might be tempted to do things dysfunctional to survival. Published tournament dungeons like Tomb of Horrors could be considered examples of extreme forms of this style. Once the RPG hobby became known outside of the minis and board war gaming community, pure forms of the war gaming style quickly became uncommon.

Role-Playing: A pure role-playing campaign is almost the opposite of a pure war gaming campaign. Player skill, tactics, and rules aren’t really important. What is important is the player’s character and that character’s life in the game. In a pure role-playing campaign, players create the personality of their characters in great detail and players generally have a large emotional investments made in them and do not consider their characters expendable. Players tend to have their characters act within their personalities and within the beliefs they're supposed to hold – even when doing so is not the best thing to do at the time within the game. The object is to live your character’s life in the campaign world. You “win” be having your character achieve his goals, goals which may or may not have anything to do with the game’s goals of exploring and accumulating treasure and experience points. The modern computer game The Sims is an example of this style of play.

Story-Telling: While all campaigns tell a story after-the-fact (that is, you can tell a story based on the characters actions in the game), in a story-telling campaign, the Referee has worked out a story in advance and the player characters are the protagonists. The campaign world usually has a detailed background and back story behind it. Knowing this background may be more important than knowing the rules. Some pure story telling campaigns are little more that single-line railroads where the characters play their almost pre-scripted parts in the story. In other cases, things are more free-form with story flow and events created by interactions between the Referee's basic outline of story events and the actions of individual characters during the campaign. Some people consider the more pure forms of story-telling campaigns boring straight-jackets while others love the idea of being a major part of a real story.

These four major styles of play appeared early in the history of role-playing games. They were first mentioned in a general circulation publication in Glenn Blacow's article “Aspects of Adventure Gaming” in Different Worlds #10 (the October 1980 issue).

The important thing to take from this sub-section isn’t the four styles or their labels (as there are other systems for describing this with their own labels), but the idea that there were many different styles of “old school” play back in the “old school” days – not just the single style stressed in some “old school” blogs, forums, and web sites. Don’t let those sites make you believe that you aren’t playing old school right if your campaign isn’t strongly in the war gaming camp. Most successful campaigns back in “old school” days were a mixture of all four major styles – and a heaping helping of minor styles.

APPENDIX II:

ADVICE FOR THE REFEREE

This appendix provides some useful advice for the Referee. Note that it is just advice and should not be taken as the one true way to do things or even the best way to do things.

Running a Game Without Skills

The greatest change between modern versions and older versions like Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition is the addition character skills in modern versions. If you are used to just allowing players to just say “I’m searching the room. What do I find?” and make search skill roll or just say “I’ll try to persuade the baron to loan us a catapult.” and make a persuade skill roll, running without skill rolls is going to require as much change to your thinking as it will to your players’ thinking.

First, you need to get your players to tell you what their characters are actually doing in the campaign world, instead of talking in terms of what skill they are using. Then you need to learn to listen to what they say and decide if there description of what they are doing a) would most likely solve the problem, b) wouldn’t have a chance of solving the problem, c) might not immediately solve the problem but would provide more info that would help solve the problem, or d) would not definitely solve the problem but has a fair chance of doing so. Only option d would require a die roll.

Let’s take checking a chest for traps as an example. Get the players to describe in general terms how they are going to check the chest for traps. Note general terms are enough, the idea is to see what the characters are doing, not to require them to describe every single muscle and eye movement they make. Having to “click on one exact pixel on the screen” to succeed is boring and frustrating in a computer game, the verbal equivalent of it is even more frustrating in a tabletop game. Don’t fall into the trap of doing it as it turns players off fast.

Let’s say a player says “I’ll look the chest quickly over for obvious traps, paying special to the keyhole, clasp, and anything that looks out of the ordinary. I’m not touching it yet.”

If the chest had a poison needle near the clasp or some holes for poison gas or needles to shoot out of, this should be enough for the character to notice it without a roll, even if he isn’t a Thief or the like. However, if the chest if set to explode (or shoot daggers out of the opening when opened, such a search is not going to discover the trap – again no matter what the character’s class or background as such a trap isn’t visible from the outside. If you are feeling generous, you might have a Thief make roll and if she makes it tell her player that while she doesn’t see a trap, something still doesn’t seem right about the chest.

If the character had said he was then poking the chest with a pole instead of rushing to open it, he might hear something strange if the chest had the above-mentioned dagger trap. Of course, unless he is a Thief or has some strange background, chances are he would not associate the noise with a trap, but rather just that there was something loose in the chest. Again, you might give a Thief a roll, especially an experienced Thief.

As this example shows, it really isn’t hard – unless you choose to make it hard. It’s just different. After a few sessions both you and your players will find that it really isn’t as hard as it looks.

Some players, however, really want die rolls. Because of previous bad experiences with poor GMs, they just can’t trust the Referee enough to handle some decisions being made without die rolls. If your players are like this, you can use “skill” rolls as a safety net. The players will still have to describe what their character does to solve the problem just as above. Once the player describes what his character is doing, the Referee calls for a class/background based “skill” roll as described in the skills section of these rules. The results are determined by your opinion as Referee of the action described and the skill roll. There are basically two situations:

In the first case, you feel that the player has a good plan that should likely succeed. Therefore it will succeed regardless of the result of the roll, but how well it succeeds is determined by the skill roll. A failed skill roll is a minimal success; the character succeeds, but just barely. A successful skill roll means the character's plan succeeds without any major hitches.

In the second case, either the player obviously knows less than his character does about the situation or just comes up with a bad idea that you feel is unlikely to work. You let the skill roll decide the result. A failed roll means the plan fails, while a successful roll means the plan somehow worked after all, but probably not perfectly.

Players who refuse to even try to come up with some type of rational statement about  what their character is actually doing but just want to let the skill roll decide automatically fail.

On Failure

If a character attempts to do something, failure should normally mean no more than that: the character failed to do what he was trying to do. Failure should not normally mean that some worst case disaster has occurred. For example, if a character fails while attempting to climb a cliff, this should normally simply mean that the character did not make it to the top for some Referee described reason and had to return to the ground (or is stuck part of the way up, etc.), not that the character fell to the ground from near the top of the cliff. If failure is going to lead to “disaster” instead of some type of simple failure, the Referee should clearly state this before the character attempts the action so the player can make an informed decision whether or not to proceed..

Impossible Tasks

Unless an action is impossible or completely out of the question under the current circumstances, when a character attempts to do something there should be at least some small chance of success. For example, the Referee might assign a small chance of success to some actions that seem nearly impossible but for dumb luck. In these cases, a roll of 20 on a D20 (or a roll of 100 on a D100) might be an appropriate chance.

Referee as Judge

Although the players can and will make suggestions or dispute rulings, the Referee is and must be the final judge. All suggestions can be heard, but the players must understand that once all considerations have been made, the final ruling will stand. There are rules in this game for many common situations, but there will be many more situations that either could not be covered here or simply were not anticipated. In these instances, the Referee must use their judgment to decide the odds an action will succeed or an event will come to pass.

Having said this, the Referee needs to remember to be neutral in their decisions. The goal of the game is to have fun, whatever fate may await the characters, but the Referee does not take sides with either the characters, the monsters, or the NPCs.

Monsters and NPCs in Play

Only unintelligent monsters should be played unintelligently. Intelligent monsters and NPCs have their own motives, thoughts, and strategies. They will use the same kinds of tricks the PCs might use to gain an advantage.

Monsters and NPCs may form alliances with other monsters and NPCs, and they may hire guards. Monsters are in a fight for survival just like the PCs are, and they should be played by the Referee as if they have just as much to lose as the PCs. Some monsters and NPCs that survive encounters with the PCs may hold grudges, and may hunt the group down or wait for an opportunity to strike from ambush.

Random Rolls

There are many occasions when the Referee will roll for random events/monsters/outcomes to situations. Discretion must always be used, not just to maintain some degree of consistency in play but also to maintain some balance. This is not to say that the players should not be challenged, but occasionally the dice may indicate a result that is wildly inappropriate for the situation. The dice are a tool, not the final authority. Final authority always rests with the Referee. The Referee should usually witness the rolls of the players, but he should consider keeping his non-combat rolls hidden from them. This way, the players cannot guess why the Referee might be rolling at a particular time, or what kind of die is rolled. In fact, he may occasionally roll for no reason just to keep the players on their toes.

Multiple Success Rolls and Probability

Many referees like to break tasks like climbing a high cliff into a number of success rolls, as players tend to enjoy rolling dice and Referees often believe that rolling dice adds tension to the game. There is nothing wrong with doing this provided the Referee understands and accepts the effects requiring multiple successful rolls have on the chance of failure.

For example, let's take climbing a cliff. You have decided that the party needs to roll 15 or less on a D20 (a 75% chance of success) to successfully climb the cliff face and that each attempt will take about an hour. This is one roll and the characters have a 75% chance of successfully climbing you gave them, so the characters will find themselves at the top of that cliff in an hour 3 out of 4 times (i.e., 75% of the time just as you would expect from their success chance).

However, if you decide that the cliff is high enough that two rolls are required, one to reach the midway point of the climb and another to reach the top of the cliff from the midpoint, then the characters will only find themselves at the top of the cliff about 12 times in 20 attempts - their chance of success dropped from 75% to about 56% (75% x 75%). If you require three rolls, the characters will only find themselves at the top of the cliff about 21 times out of every 50 attempts - the chance of success dropped to just over 42% (75% x 75% x 75%). Requiring 4 rolls drops the chance of reaching the top to just under 32% (75% x 75% x 75% x 75%). Requiring 5 rolls drops that chance to about 24% (75% x 75% x 75% x 75% x 75%).

While multiple die rolls for success can fun for some situations and can increase tension, multiple rolls should be used sparing due to the reduction in the chance of success caused by requiring multiple successful rolls to complete the task. When you choose to require multiple rolls you should generally ensure that the result of failing any one roll does not result in a disaster. For example, if you are going to require three rolls to climb a cliff, the result of failing a roll should be something like time lost to having to try another route up the cliff instead characters injuring themselves or worse, falling to their doom.

While this is less of an issue in old school games like Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition as many or even most actions will not require a successful skill roll or series of successful skill rolls to succeed, it is still important for the Referee to understand the effect of requiring multiple successful rolls has on the probability of success.

Ruling Wishes

Wishes represent some of the greatest magic the characters will come across in a game of Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition. In general, the exact wording of a wish should be honored, not the intention of the wish. A carefully worded wish may bring about the desired effect, and a sloppily worded wish could bring doom upon the group.

Ultimately it is up to each Referee to decide how powerful wishes are in the game, and how permanent their effects are. However, here are some guidelines:

- Wishes used for healing or bringing back the recently dead should be immediate and permanent.

- If lesser magic items are wished for, they may or may not be permanent, depending on the Referee’s discretion.

- Special care must be taken with wide sweeping wishes that alter the world too greatly, such as wishing that all orcs in the world die.

- Wishes to increase ability scores or character levels need to be handled carefully.

If wishes are somewhat common in a campaign, the Referee will probably need to develop some set of guidelines for wishes and follow them consistently.

Stun and Paralysis

There are various magic items, spell effects, or other attacks that result in characters being stunned or paralyzed.

Effects that render a character or creature unable to act. Sometimes this is described as “dazed” or “mesmerized.” However, characters in this state are not entirely helpless. Attacks against them are carried out without the benefit of bonuses to AC due to DEX or the use of a shield, but otherwise attacks are handled normally. Attackers gain a +4 to hit stunned opponents.

In contrast, characters that are paralyzed or unconscious are completely vulnerable. Attacks against them automatically succeed. In fact, paralyzed or unconscious creatures may be killed instantly just by declaring the intention.

Disease

Diseases often come from monsters, such as mummies or giant rats, in which case the chance of disease and its effects are described in the relevant creature text. There are a few other instances where disease may be contracted that are explained here.

First, plagues (such as the medieval bubonic plague or Black Death) may occasionally spread across the countryside. A character who comes into contact with plague will need to save against poison to avoid succumbing him- or herself. If the character saves, any future saving throws against the same disease will be made at +4. If he or she fails, then after an incubation period of 2d8 days, he or she will suffer a penalty of -1d6 on all characteristics and against all die rolls for the course of the disease, which lasts a further 2d8 days. If the disease duration roll was “8” then the character dies at the end of this period, otherwise he or she recovers at the rate of 1 point less each day until cured. Further saving throws against the same disease will be made at +4.

Second, certain wounds can become infected. This applies where the Referee feels it appropriate, but generally where a character with an open wound engages in high-risk activity such as exploring a sewer, a saving throw vs poison should be required, or else the character will become infected. The effects of infection in game terms are the same as plague, except that the onset time is measured in hours rather than days.

Making Magic Items Distinctive and Unique

The best way to get players to appreciate their magic items is to make each one unique. There are a variety of ways to do so, the but easiest ways are to name them, describe them, and give them unique powers or combinations of powers.

Named Items: Naming magic items is the simplest way to make them unique. King Arthur did not wield a Sword +3, and neither should any other hero. Very rarely a magic item might be explained away as “a mighty blade” or “a wand of flames”, but more likely they will have a name. However, even a mighty blade is a better descriptor than a sword +3.

The easiest way to name an item is to add a proper name to it that it is associated with. This can be a person who wielded it or to whom it was dedicated or who crafted it (the Waraxe of Durin Thewcleaver), a place where it was created or where it was made famous (the Staff of Cedar Pass), or the god by whom it was blessed or to whom it was dedicated (the Seventh Ring of Irkull the Black). Associating an item to your game world makes both the item and the history of the setting spring to life in the minds of the players. They are far more likely to be interested in the tomb of Durin Thewcleaver (and his history) if they have (or have in the past had) his mighty waraxe.

The more difficult method of naming magic items is to give the magic item a proper name itself, typically associated with the powers of the item. Weapons like Skullsplitter, Shieldbreaker and The Sword of Kings. But don’t be restricted to descriptive names in our own language, look up a few descriptive terms in other languages (preferably that the players don’t speak) and sprinkle them in also (and don’t worry about pronunciation).

Unique Descriptions: Describing magic items in ways that make them stand out will also keep them unique. Add color to your blades, rings and potions. Runic embossments and finery on cloaks, armor and shields. Even potions and scrolls take on a life of their own with odd bottles and containers, strange papers and bizarre inks. Players are more likely to remember their drums of panic made of the skulls of ogres and hill giants.

Unique Powers: Add an additional power to a magic item and it will likely become treasured by its owner.

After all, upgrading from Plate Mail +1 to Plate Mail +2 should be a no-brainer. But what if the Plate Mail +1 also provides a bonus to retainer morale or a +1 on saving throws against petrification and polymorph? Suddenly the magic items are harder to rate against one another based purely on their “plusses”.

This can become a pitfall if not used carefully. While powerful items might combine the benefits of multiple “standard” magic items (like a ring that provides both protection and invisibility), these should be rare and treated by the DM as if they were significantly more powerful than either of the two items on their own. The goal with unique powers is to provide minor powers to an item that make it stand out, not to make it replace two or three other magic items. Simple minor powers include the item never getting dirty; glowing like a candle or even a torch; a weapon that drinks the blood on striking a foe; a ring that improves the wearer’s penmanship; or a cloak that enhances reaction checks in high society.

Cumulative Magical Effects

Magic items that affect different abilities can be combined. In addition, spells can be combined with the effects of magic items. However, two items cannot be used to increase the same ability. For instance, a character cannot wear a ring of protection and a cloak of protection and combine the protective effects – he will only gain the benefits of the greater of the two enchantments.

Guidelines Not Rules

Finally, remember that text in this book are not really “rules” in the normal sense of the word. This book is full of guidelines for the Referee to use as needed to resolve situations that come up during play.. If something herein does not work right in your campaign, change it. The object is to have fun, not be a slave to rules or to players who think being a rules-lawyer is the way to get ahead. In many roleplaying games, the Rules As Written (RAW) are often considered sacrosanct or at least somehow better than those a Referee can come up with himself. This is not true of Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition, so please change anything you do not like or that needs to work differently in your campaign or setting. Remember also that there is no “one true way” to play this game. As long as you and your players are enjoying the game, it does not matter what other people (including members of forums and social media on the Internet) think of the way your group does things. Trying to please people who are not even playing in your game is not only a waste of your time and effort; it’s a sure way to ruin your group’s fun.

Adventures and Settings

There are a large number of adventures and campaign settings available for TSR editions of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG. Playing copies of most of original adventures from TSR can be found in PDF form on DrivethruRPG for  low prices. TSR era adventures can be used with any pre-WOTC edition or retroclone with only very minor conversion.

There are also a large number of free and low cost adventures available in PDF format on the web. A good play to start looking for free adventures is on the Dragonsfoot forum web site (see the link under Old School Internet Resources below.

Many adventures written for early TSR editions are designed with the assumption that ta table will have six (or more!) players. While such numbers were fairly common in the 1970s and early 1980s, they are fairly uncommon today. If the adventure was written for 8 players and there are only 3 or 4 in your campaign, you have number of options (arranged from easiest to hardest on the Referee) :

- Be sure the players know that henchmen and hirelings are available and they will definitely need them.

- Allow each player to have two characters. While modern editions of this game make this hard because of all the options and powers PCs have that a player has to keep track of, the simpler rules and character mechanics of Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition mean that most somewhat experienced players can play two characters without much trouble.

- Use the special rules modifications in Appendix III: Small Adventuring Parties.

- Adjust the opposition to be a better match for the number of players at your table.

Some combination of these options is also a workable solution.

The best settings and adventures, however, are those you create yourself for your campaign. They don’t need to be nearly as elaborate as those produced for use by others, let alone as fancy as those written for professional publication. Many B/X Referee adventure location keys (including those of the game’s original designers) were nothing but room/location numbers with something like “8 hobgoblins, leader has 20gp, trapdoor in floor hides skeleton with silver dagger (animates if dagger touched)” or “Small village, 27 families, 10 orc slaves, Headman: Mongar the Brown (Ftr 4th lvl, +1 sword) Mongar’s wife, Rose is a 3rd lvl Cleric of Odin).” You can do that.

APPENDIX III:

SMALL ADVENTURING PARTIES

Every Referee faces a short player list sooner or later. It may be that half the group calls in just before the session, or a particular game can only get the attention of one or two other players. If the Referee designs his own setting and adventures, small parties need not be a problem as the Referee can design things so that a lone adventurer or a small party have a fair chance of success. However, published adventures are usually designed with a minimum of 4 player characters in mind,

This section provides a set of simple rules modifications that allow you to send just one or two heroes through a level-appropriate old school adventure with some hope of success. These modifications do not require character sheet changes or module conversion. They fit in between the written adventure and the existing character sheet to allow the PC to stand up to challenges and foes that would normally require an entire party of adventurers.

PERILS OF ADVENTURING

There are several reasons why a solo Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition character isn't well-suited to bracing evil in its lair. The mechanics of the game and the resource depletion inherent in hit point loss and spell expenditure are calibrated for an entire party of heroes, and the system makes some basic assumptions about the availability of multiple characters to deal with dangerous situations. There are four major problems inherent in using a single hero to challenge a traditional pre-written adventure.

Hit points deplete too quickly. The biggest issue for a solo adventurer is hit point depletion. A party of six first level fighters has about 6d8 hit points spread out amongst its members, and enemies that go up against that group have to deplete the entire pool before the adventure is an unambiguous failure. Wounded PCs can cycle to the back of the party, the group can choose to behave more carefully when it is depleted, and the party in general has a certain margin of error allowed to it between the first blow and the dying gasp. This is not so much the case when you are a single novice fighter with four hit points.

Even those adventures without much in the way of direct combat have traps, environmental hazards, and other hit point-depleting challenges that would make short work of a lone warrior. Even if the hero has easy access to magical healing, such measures usually take too long to execute in the middle of a swirling melee.

It doesn't matter how many potions of healing you have in your backpack if you don't have time to drink them before being cut down by a mob of foes.

Enemies don't die quickly enough. That same party of six first level fighters is probably throwing 6d8 damage at their foes on a round where everyone rolls well on their attacks. Due to the "focus-firing" habits acquired by most successful adventuring groups, even fearsome creatures such as ogres and minotaurs are likely to die under their blades if the monsters can't cull enough PCs to slow down the incoming damage.

This dynamic changes if there is only a single PC doing the fighting. One missed hit roll means that the enemy is unscathed for the round, and the hero often has to cut through as many as a dozen or more minor foes. By the time enough hits have connected to chop down an ogre or mop up a goblin war party the PC has been riddled by a dozen rounds of enemy attacks. Many old-school systems have rules for multiple attacks or augmented damage for PCs, but these are also scaled on the assumption that a party is involved in the fight. They aren't normally sufficient to make a single warrior capable of facing a foe meant for an entire party.

Instant death and incapacitation effects can wipe out lone heroes. Spells, poisons, monster special abilities and environmental snares often serve to incapacitate solo adventurers in a single die roll. When such luckless victims have four of five teammates around to save them or see to their resurrection, this danger is endurable. When a single failed saving throw is sure to consign a PC to a new career as a harpy's lunch it becomes more difficult to deal with these threats.

Lone heroes lack the wide range of skills and abilities possessed by a party. Many adventures assume that the party is going to have healing magic, arcane discernment, skill at picking locks and defeating traps, and a healthy number of burly warriors. Beyond this, some old-school games involve codified skills that are required for success in certain types of endeavors. A single hero is rarely in a position to have all these abilities to the same degree as an entire party of adventurers. This can stop the hero cold when confronted by some challenge or barrier that presumes access to abilities the character does not have.

All of these challenges can be mitigated by a sufficiently clever Referee and carefully-designed adventure. By tailoring challenges to a PC and keeping them away from dangers that might kill them in a single roll, a Referee can provide fun even to a one-PC party. Still, not every Referee has the time or energy to tailor an adventure to a specific PC, and such an approach makes it very difficult to use existing classic or newly-written adventures without complete rewrites of the material. If a Referee wants to use this existing material with a single PC, whether out of scheduling necessity or the simple novelty of the fun, different measures are required.

SPECIAL RULES FOR SMALL PARTIES

First Special Rule: Damage Dice

For a solo hero game, all damage dice are read in a different way. Instead of their full face value, each die does damage based on the roll; a roll of 1 does no damage, a roll of 2- 5 does one point of damage, a roll of 6-9 does two points of damage, and a roll of 10 or more does four points of damage. If there is a modifier to the damage applied by strength or magic, the modifier can be applied to any single die in the damage roll.

Thus, someone wielding a dread goreaxe + 1 with a + 1 Strength bonus to damage would roll the axe's base 2d6 damage dice and add 2 to the die of his choice. If the final results were then 5 and 6, the hit would do 3 points of damage in total. A magic-user with a -1 Strength penalty flailing away with his dagger would roll ld4 and subtract 1 from the total. If his net result is 0 or 1, then his blow does no damage at all. A hero swinging a poleaxe with no modifiers would roll 1 d 10 and have a much better chance of inflicting 2 points of damage than the warrior slashing with a short sword that does ld6, and might even roll a 10, and do 4 points of damage.

These damage dice rules are used for all effects that inflict a random range of damage on a victim. Fireballs, falls, arrow traps, falling rocks, and anything else that rolls dice of damage will use the interpretation of those rolls given above.

If an effect does a flat amount of damage, then one point of damage is done for each four full points given in the text. Thus, if the adventure states that touching a cursed bronze statue automatically inflicts 10 points of electrical damage on the blasphemer, only 2 points of damage are done to the luckless hero. Caltrops that automatically inflict 1 point of damage on those who cross them round down to zero, being too trivial a danger to threaten a lone hero.

Second Special Rule: Inflicting Damage

Damage received by PCs is taken off their hit points as normal. If a fighter with 6 hit points is struck by an ore's spear, the ore rolls ld6. If a 4 is the result, for example, then one point of damage is done and the lone fighter has 5 hit points left.

Damage received by NPCs counts as a full hit die for each point. Thus, if that same ore is hit by the fighter's sword and a 3 is rolled on the damage dice, one full hit die of damage is done to the ore. Since the ore is only a 1 hit die creature to begin with, it falls dead, skewered by the blade of its foe.

Monster hit dice are rounded to the nearest whole number. Thus, creatures with½ hit dice, 1-1 hit dice, and 1+2 hit dice all count as 1 hit die creatures. High-level NPCs are assumed to have hit dice equal to their levels.

When fighting enemies of equal or lesser hit dice, the PC can roll a Fray die representing their mighty hewing, punching, kicking, biting, object-hurling, and other assorted fisticuffs or short-ranged combat spells delivered toward an enemy that does not clearly outclass them in skill. This is a separate die that can be rolled once per round. This die always does damage regardless of the hit roll, so it is best to use a die of some different color than the others so it can be easily identified. Fighters roll ld8 for their Fray die, clerics, thieves, and other non-strictly-martial classes roll ld6, and magic-users and similar sorcerous classes roll ld4.

The damage from a Fray die can only be inflicted on foes with equal or fewer hit dice than the hero- more experienced enemies are just too canny to be maimed without a focused attack. The exception is the Fray die of magic-users. Their eldritch bolts can harm any foe, even one of greater hit dice.

A hero who wishes to do something other than make an attack roll in a round can still roll their Fray die against any foes within reach, representing the murder they might be wreaking incidental to their other activities.

If enough damage is done to a monster to kill it, the PC can spend the rest of the damage injuring any other foe within range of equal or worse armor class. For example, an armored hobgoblin priest and his bodyguard of goblin warriors sets upon a hero. The hero swings his halberd against a goblin and hits for 2 points of damage. He also rolls his Fray die of ld8, and which does an additional point of damage that does not require a hit roll to land. Goblins only have one hit die, so his flailing fray strikes down one of them. The hero then spends the remaining 2 points of axe damage chopping up another two goblins. He cannot spend the halberd damage on the hobgoblin priest, because the priest has a better armor class than the foe he struck with his attack. Likewise, if one of the goblins was perched up on a balcony or shooting from across an open field, it would be too far away from the melee to be threatened by the warrior's halberd or Fray die.

Third Special Rule: Healing

Healing dice and effects are treated just if they were "reversed" damage dice, healing as many hit dice of injury as they would have inflicted points of damage. Thus, a curative potion that the module indicates will heal 1 d6+ 1 damage would be rolled as a "reversed" damage die, curing from 1 to 2 hit points for a hero.

After every fight or occasion of injury, a solo hero can take five minutes to bandage their cuts and catch their breath. This first aid will cure up to two points of damage, though it will not heal them above their total before the combat or injury, nor will it repair damage suffered from Defying Death.

Fourth Special Rule: Defying Death

Any time the hero is confronted by a failed saving throw against a death spell, a sleep-murdering assassin, a withering energy drain, an inescapable snare, a hopeless situation or an insurmountable barrier, they may choose to Defy Death. This lucky evasion lets them escape the effects of their calamitous situation, bypass an otherwise unavoidable condition, or get past barriers that would stop them cold, though it dangerously taxes their reserves of luck.

When a PC Defies Death, they suffer one damage die for every level they possess. The first time they dodge doom during a game session, they roll ld4 for each level. The next time, they roll ld6, then 1 dS, and then 1d10 for each further attempt to dodge their fate. If the damage inflicted by this taxing of their luck would reduce them to O hit points, they are instead left at 1 hit point and whatever doom they were trying to slip affects them normally.

It is up to the Referee to decide what situations and negative effects can be dodged. When combat is dodged, it usually means the PC has successfully fled an otherwise inescapable situation. When some arcane barrier is overcome by a PC with no access to Dispel magic, it might mean the hero recognizes the ward and knows how to spoil its effect. When a furious mob that has caught the hero in an alleyway is dodged, it might mean some local official is an old friend and rides in to disperse the crowd. The Referee is the final arbiter of what can be evaded and the form chat evasion takes.

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Fifth Special Rule Experience and Henchmen

A lone hero earns only a quarter of the normal experience points for their deeds, reflecting the fact that they have fewer hands to divide the treasure.

Henchmen and retainers can be employed as normal, but they are treated as monsters for purposes of combat damage. A minion with 1 hit die is slain by one point of damage.

GMs should feel no particular obligation to send henchmen along with a solo adventurer. The extra bodies to soak up monster attacks aren't as crucial with these rules, and it can prove cumbersome to keep track of them all. In the same vein, GMs should be careful about including more than one PC in an adventure when using these rules- they might turn out to be far more fearsome than the adventure expected of its heroes.

Enduring Protagonists (Optional)

For some GMs and players, their intention is to play a single heroic PC through a number of adventures. They want to explore this particular hero's tale, and aren't interested in death or other ruinations that would otherwise terminate the PC's tale before they were done playing him or her. For these campaigns, here's an optional rule for protagonists meant to survive the worst the world can dole out.

An enduring protagonist always has maximum hit points for their class and level. Furthermore, zero hit points doesn't mean death. Instead, they are left for dead, lost in the swirl of battle, or make a hairs-breadth escape from death by some unlikely coincidence.

This good fortune comes at a price, however. The hero must retreat to lick their wounds and recover their strength. If the mission they were attempting to accomplish is time-sensitive, they will fail as time runs out while they regain their strength. If the task had no time pressure, then they realize that they were overmatched and must go pursue some other adventure before they can come back and make a second try at their goal.

Protagonists who wish to make a second try at a time-sensitive goal may choose instead to be captured by their foes, or their bodies stripped of belongings while they lay in seeming death, or otherwise substantially inconvenienced in exchange for being allowed to continue their attempt to stop events in time. Such determined heroes regain all lost hit points but must then manage an escape from their captors or scavenge some gear to replace their now forever-lost harness. GMs are advised to allow only one such second chance for any given adventure.

Automatic Initiative (Optional)

Losing initiative can take down even the mightiest warrior when a dozen goblins get lucky hit rolls with their javelins. To even the balance, you might optionally decide to simply let the hero automatically win initiative checks. The might still be susceptible to ambushes and other surprise attacks, but when facing foes in open battle they will always win initiative.

Aside from the combat value of this alacrity, it also gives a hero time to Bee if faced by overwhelming opposition. In a party of standard size the monsters would usually busy themselves butchering one or two of the less fortunate members while the others are with only one hero, that kind of delaying action is impractical, and so it can be necessary to give them a more overt opportunity to run for their lives.

Extra Fray Dice (Optional)

While perhaps not so much an optional rule as it is a game tool, a Referee can always hand a hero extra fray dice for actions or situations that are particularly beneficial to them in combat.

A thief who leaps from ambush on an unwary bandit patrol might get not only his backstab multiplier on his regular damage, but also an extra couple of fray dice to represent the havoc she wreaks before the bandits realize what's happening to them. A warrior lashing out at a pack of ores might gain an extra die from the brilliant sunlight that dazzles their bloodshot eyes. A halfling with a knife creeping up through the undergrowth on an unwary sentry might roll another three or four fray dice to ensure the poor human's doom.

Any bonus is the GM's choice, to be given as the situation recommends. As a general guide, one die should be given for a helpful but not overwhelming circumstance, two dice for a very advantageous situation, and three or more for a perfectly-planned coup. Only the best circumstance should be considered, so as to avoid giving undue benefit to a half-dozen trivial edges.

Guideline: One Pair of Hands

A few adventures are written so as to practically require more than one adventurer to overcome certain obstacles or challenges. A vault may require two keys to be turned at once, or a stretch of badlands might be lethal to any group that fails to post a watch overnight.

For these situations, just elide the parts of the challenge that would otherwise require two people. Put the two keyholes adjacent to one another, for example, or arbitrarily decide that the pantherish senses of the lone heroine awaken her as some foe steals close to her lonely campsite. This may result in a challenge that is easier than what the adventure's author originally expected, but the other difficulties faced by a solo adventurer should be more than enough to compensate for the lack.

WHAT IT ALL MEANS

The damage conversion and the Fray die ensure chat the PC is much slower to go down during combat and much more dangerous toward monstrous foes. Every round, the PC will usually do at least 1 HD worth of damage to any enemy of equal or fewer hit dice thanks to the fray die, and has a chance of doing more with their regular attack. A hero with a +1 weapon or a +1 modifier to the damage roll is guaranteed to do at least 1 HD in damage.

A typical novice fighter with 5 hit points and AC 4 from chain mail and a shield might run into a melee with four ores during his exploration. Every round, his fray die can be expected to kill one of them, with a 1-in-6 chance of killing two. With a 1d6 sword in hand and a +1 Strength bonus, the fighter has an excellent chance of delivering 2 points of damage with every hit, leaving it possible chat a lucky round might kill all four ores at once.

Every round, the ores can take a swing at the fighter, doing from 0-2 points of damage on each successful hit. It's a dangerous situation for the fighter, but he needs to be hit at least three times before he's in peril of his life. Compared to a lone hero using the usual rules for old-school combat, the fighter will probably win the engagement rather than being rapidly reduced to stew meat by orcish spears.

Against more fearsome foes, things get uglier for him. Against an ogre with 4 hit dice and a 1d6 club, he can't use his Fray die because the ogre has more hit dice than he has levels. Furthermore, the ogre's club is much more likely to result in the high damage roll that would inflict two or four points of damage on him. Still, it won't take more than about four hits for him to bring down the brute if he can stay alive long enough to deliver them. If he were to confront the beast at second level, with another 4 or 5 hit points of his own, the odds would be much worse for the hulking creature. A fourth-level solo hero would chop the brute down in two or three rounds, with his Fray die helping the monster to its well-deserved grave.

Instant-death poisons, death spells, inescapable pit traps, and mind-controlling sorceries chat would leave a hero helpless are best answered by Defying Death. That particular rule is meant to take the finality out of "save or die" situations by converting a failed save into damage instead. Because the number of dice scale evenly with the level of the character, there's no level at which a PC can just wave away these threats- they're always going to eat about one hit point for each PC level, and if doom is dodged too often at the table it becomes more and more likely chat the bigger dice are going to be returning two or four points of damage each.

These solo rules are intended to fit PCs for classic adventure without any need to change either them or the written module. A single canny 1st level thief with a good hit point roll and a little caution can dare the perils of Quasqueton with a reasonable hope of survival, and a 3rd level fighter with a stout sword arm has a decent chance of standing fast against the perils of the sand-swept Lost City. If you use the Enduring Protagonist optional rule, you can start a game with a first-level PC and still have reasonable expectations of seeing high levels with the hero.

SMALL PARTY RULES SUMMARY

Inflicting Damage

When reading damage dice, don't count the usual totals. Instead, count each die as given on the table below. If you have a bonus to your damage roll, add it to one die of your choice before comparing it to the table.

Table III.1 Damage

Die Result

Damage Done

1 or less

No damage

2 to 5

1 point of damage

6 to 9

2 points of damage

10 or more

4 points of damage

All damage dice are read this way, including damage done by spells, traps, and environmental hazards. Thus, a 5d6 fireball would do anywhere from 0 to 10 points of damage.

Taking Damage

A PC takes damage as normal and will die at zero hit points. Monsters and NPCs lose one hit die for each point of damage inflicted. Thus, an ore would be killed by 1 point of damage, and an ogre by 4. Hit dice are rounded to the nearest whole number. When enough damage is done to kill a particular target, any left-over damage can be inflicted on any other victim within range with equal or worse armor class.

The Fray Die

Every round, the PC can roll one die to inflict damage on any enemies of equal or fewer hit dice, representing their martial hewing and smiting or the smaller combat spells of a trained sorcerer. Fighters roll 1d8, magic-users roll ld4, and all others roll ld6. Magic-user Fray dice can affect any foe- even those more powerful. This damage is automatic and does not require a hit roll. The fray die need not be targeted at the same enemy as the PC's attack, and a PC need not attack in a round in order to use their Fray die.

Healing

After every battle or source of injury, the hero can take five minutes to bind their wounds and catch their breath, healing up to 2 hit points of the damage they incurred in that battle or event. Harm from Defying Death cannot be mended this way.

Healing spells and magic acts like "reversed" damage dice, with the totals rolled healing chat many lost hit dice or hit points. Thus, a 1d6+1 healing spell will heal from 1 to 2 points of damage.

Defying Death

When the PC is hit by a save-or-die effect, caught in a snare they cannot possibly escape alone, trapped by mobs of foes, or brainbent by a malevolent sorcerer, they can attempt to Defy Death. Any potentially adventure-ending challenge or danger can be dodged at the GM's discretion, though it inflicts a toll on a hero's luck and resilience.

To Defy Death, the hero rolls one d4 damage die for every level they have, taking the damage as described above. Thus, a 3rd level fighter would roll 3d4 when he wanted to Defy Death. If the damage reduces chem to 0 hit points, they retain 1 hit point but suffer the full effects of the doom.

If the dodge didn't exhaust them, they escape it through some means decided by the GM. It may be that they threw off the magic at the last moment, found crumbling handholds in the wall, or happen to know what marks to cut to deactivate the magical barrier around their goal.

The more often a hero Defies Death, the harder it gets. The second time they dodge doom during a single session, they start rolling d6s. The next, d8s, and then finally d10s if they continue to evade doom. As the die sizes increase, dodging doom risks inflicting even more damage on their future prospects. Sooner or later, their luck is fated to run out.

EXAMPLE SOLO COMBAT ENCOUNTER

The mighty-thewed fighter Nanok the Bold finds himself embroiled with six goblin warriors and their savage witch-priestess. Trusting in the steel of his armor and the edge of his father's axe, Shinji hurls himself into the fray.

Nanok is a level 1 fighter with 5 hit points, a + 1 Strength modifier, a hand axe+1, and AC 2 from his plate armor and shield.

Against him stand six goblins with 1 HD each, AC 7, and spears that do ld6 damage. The witch-priestess has more experience, and has 3 HD, AC 6, and a dagger that does 1d6 damage.

Nanok wins initiative and decides to cull some goblins first. He rolls to hit AC 7 and succeeds. He rolls 1d6 for the hand axe's damage and gets a four; adding his Strength and the axe's magical bonus to that results in six, which the table shows as 2 points of damage to the goblins. This kills one of them outright, and the excess damage spills over to kill another one within reach of his red-stained axe.

He also rolls his fray die of 1d8, getting a three, for 1 point of damage. He'd like to do something about that witch-priestess, but he can only apply the fray die to equal or inferior foes. One more goblin goes down as his backswing staves in its skull.

The goblins are driven on by the priestess and refuse to flee from the terrible warrior. Instead, all three attack, and by luck two of them hit the fighter. They roll 1 and 6 for their spears, doing zero and 2 points of damage. Nanok is down to 3 hp.

The witch-priestess now unleashes her sorcery, striking Nanok with a spell of inexorable Sleep. This would end Nanok's tale on the spot, so the Referee allows him to Defy Death. Nanok rolls 1d4 as a damage die and takes 1 damage as he shakes off the spell.

Hard-pressed, Nanok fights on, this time smiting the priestess with his axe, inflicting another 2 points of damage. The witch is left with 1 HD left as Nanok's Fray die slays another goblin. Will victory be his, or shall his gnawed bones yellow in the wild?

APPENDIX IV:

RANDOM TABLES

The following tables are useful examples of the random tables that can help the Referee create adventure material. These tables are useful as they are, but may need changes to suit the GM’s campaign.

DUNGEONS ON THE FLY

No matter how prepared a Referee  is, there will be times that material has to be created on the fly determine a game. The following optional tables may help. Even if you don’t like the result as written, the result may give you an idea for something else. These tables have been deliberately kept simple and general, so they will require Referee interpretation.

“Monster Rating” is used in some of these tables. A monster’s Monster Rating is equal to its hit dice plus one for each special ability it has.

Random Dungeon Generation

If you do not have time to prepare a dungeon in advance, use the following procedure:

1. Get a sheet of graph paper. (Non-graph paper will do in a pinch.)

2. Grab a handful of d6s.

3. Roll the dice all at once and let them land where they will on the paper. (It may help to have a box to keep the dice constrained to the paper.)

4. Everywhere a d6 lands is a room. (Assign room dimensions to taste.) The number of exits from that room is based on the value of the d6:

1-2:      1 exit

3-4:      2 exits

5-6:      3 exits

5. Add hallways connecting the rooms to taste.

6. In order to determine what to fill a room with, roll a d8:

1-3:      Empty

4:      Empty save for treasure

5:      Monster

6:      Monster and treasure

7:      Trap

8:      GM Special (or roll again)

Quick Random Treasure Generation

Generating treasure from the standard tables can be a time-consuming procedure that can require many different rolls. The following system is much faster. It can be used to generate the treasure belonging to a large group of monsters or a single powerful monster. Note that no magic items are generated in these tables. If you believe a magic item or magic items would be in the treasure, add them.

First, determine the type of treasure hoard by rolling 1d6 (or by selecting the most appropriate type) on the following table:

Table IV.1 Quick Treasure

D6 Roll

Hoard Type

Contents

1

Sentimental

75gp, 1 piece of art

2

Dilettante

75gp, 5 gems, 3 pieces of art

3

Traveler

100gp, 20 gems

4

Collector

100gp, 12 pieces of art

5

Banker

500gp

6

Old Hoarder

300gp, 15 gems, 6 pieces of art

Second, make adjustments to the hoard based on the owner as described below:

Monsters with a Monster Rating of 4 or less, commoner families, and simple merchants:

- Gems are worth 10 gold (Blue Quartz, Malachite, Tiger eye)

- Art Items are worth 25 gold (bone dice, gold bracelet, small mirror)

Monsters with a Monster Rating of 5 to 10, nobles, and popular businesses:

- Multiply gold by 10

- Gems are worth 100 gold (Amber, Coral, Jade)

- Art Items are worth 250 gold (box of turquoise animal figurines, silk robe, silver necklace)

Monsters with a Monster Rating of 11 to 16, royalty, great wizards, great merchant houses:

- Multiply gold by 100

- Gems are worth 1000 gold (Emerald, Opal, Sapphire)

- Art Items are worth 2500 gold (gold music box, old painting, eyepatch with mock sapphire eye)

Monsters with a Monster Rating of 17+, liches, and old dragons

- Multiply gold by 1000

- Double the number of gems, and each one is worth 5000 gold (Diamond, Jacinth, Ruby)

- Triple the number of art items, and each one is worth 7500 gold (gold child-sized sarcophagus, jade and gold dragon chess set, jeweled gold crown)

Random Magic Items

To quickly make magic items, decide between a spell item which reproduces a spell from the spell lists, or a bonus item which provides a +1 to +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls (weapons), or AC (armor and shields.)

There are three kinds of spell items:

- Consumables: Single use items such as potions or scrolls.

- Renewable use: Either 2d20 charge or 1d2 charges that renew daily..

- Constant use: Provides a continuous effect.

Use the following guidelines when distributing items or estimating their price should the party try to sell them:

Table IV.2 Quick Magic Items

Rarity

Monster Rating

Wholesale

Value †

Spell Levels

Armor Bonus

Weapon Bonus

Common

1-4

100gp

Minor Magic

-

-

Uncommon

2-6

500gp

1st

-

+1

Rare

4-10

5000gp

2nd-3rd

+1

+2

Very Rare

8-16

20,000gp

4th-5th

+2

+3

Legendary

17+

100,000gp

6th

+3

-

† Divide by 2 for renewable use and by 10 for consumables

RANDOM NPC PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES

NPCs created on the fly often seem similar. Use the following tables as needed to create more random NPCs. Note that common sense should always override random rolls.

Base Personality (roll 1d8):

1:       Cranky

2:      Jock

3:      Lazy

4:      Peppy

5:      Smug

6:      Snooty

7:      Sweet

8:      Roll twice.

Area of Expertise (roll 1d6):

1:      Communication

2-3:      Subterfuge

3:      Knowledge

5-6:      Physical

Social role (roll 1d6):

1-3:       Productivity

4-5:       Military

6:      Sovereignty

Motivation (roll 1d8):

1:      Love

2:      Hate

3:      Greed

4:      Ambition

5:      Fear

6:      Need

7:      Idealism

8:      Cynicism

DUNGEON FURNISHINGS

Dungeon design is addressed thoroughly in the core rules. However, the following tables may be useful for fleshing out special areas or adding odds and ends to underground areas.

Random Traps

Use this table for designing traps. Some creativity will need to be employed to make the traps appropriate for the situation and abilities of the PCs.

Table IV.3 Random Trap Determination

D100

Trap Type

D100

Trap Type

01-06

Arrow trap^1

41-43

Lightning bolt

07-08

Collapsing ceiling 5

44-53

Pit (10’ deep) 2

09-10

Compacting ceiling

54-63

Pit (locks shut)2

11-12

Compacting walls

64-67

Portcullis trap 5

13-14

Dropping ceiling

68-72

Room^6

15-19

False door 3

73-78

Scything blade

20-23

Falling stones

79-83

Sliding pit^2

24-25

Flooding passage

84-88

Sliding pit (locks shut) 2

26-27

Flooding room

89-94

Spear trap^1

28-30

Fire ball

95-98

Swinging ball/block

31-40

Gas^4

99-00

Teleporter

1Poisoned on a roll of 1 on d10

2Roll d10; poison spikes, 1; spikes, 2-3; flooding, 4

3Roll d10; pit trap, 1-2; poisoned needle, 3

4Roll d10; blinding, 1-2; confusion, 3-4; fear, 5; poisonous, 6; sleep, 7-8; slowing, 9-10;

5Roll d6; blocks passage ahead 1-3; blocks passage behind 4-6

6Roll d10; flooding, 1-2; elevator, 3-4; collapsing, 5-6; spiked, 7-8; compacting, 9-10

Atmospheric Details

The following tables can be used to add atmosphere to otherwise bare or uninteresting areas. These atmospheric details need not be explained in any way, or if they inspire the imagination they could lead to additional unique encounters or mysteries.  Roll once or more times on the table below for any given area. Different dice rolls should be used for rolling for odors or tactile atmospheric details.

Table IV.4 Random Atmospheric Details

d12

Odors

Tactile

Visibility (d6)

1

Damp

Breeze, cold

Dusty

2

Decay

Breeze, dry

Foggy

3

Earth

Breeze, humid

Misty

4

Excrement

Breeze, warm

Obscured (gnats, etc.)

5

Ferrous

Breeze, wet

Smokey

6

Leather

Downdraft

Steamy

7

Mold

Numbing wind

8

Musky

Prickly draft

9

Ozone

Side draft

10

Sea Air

Static charged air

11

Smoke

Unnaturally still

12

Sulphur

Updraft

Table IV.5 Random Sounds

D100

Sound

D100

Sound

01

Barking

53-54

Panting

02

Bell chiming

55

Paper crinkling

03-04

Buzzing

56

Pounding

05-06

Cackling

57-58

Rattling

07

Chains rattling

59-60

Ripping

08-09

Choking

61-62

Scratching

10-12

Chuckling

63

Sizzling

13-14

Coughing

64

Slapping

15-16

Creaking

65-67

Slithering

17-19

Door breaking

68-69

Snapping

20-21

Door shutting

70

Sneezing

22-23

Door slamming

71

Snorting

24-25

Dragging

72-73

Sobbing

26

Farm animal (random)

74

Spitting

27-28

Fire crackling

75-76

Stone sliding

29-30

Footsteps, walking

77-78

Talking (indiscernible)

31-32

Footsteps, running

79-80

Tapping

33

Giggling

81

Thunder

34

Glass breaking

82

Wailing

35

Gong pounding

83-84

Water bubbling

36-37

Grating

85-86

Water dripping

38-39

Gurgling

87-88

Water flowing

40-41

Hissing

89

Water splashing

42

Hooves clopping

90-91

Water trickling

43-45

Laughing

92-94

Whispering

46

Leaves rustling

95

Whistling

47-48

Moaning

96-97

Wind whistling

49

Musical instrument

98-99

Wood splintering

50-52

Name spoken

00

Yelling (indiscernible)

11111

Table IV.6 Miscellaneous room contents

D100

Contents

D100

Contents

01

Ashes

53-54

Potion bottle, empty

02

Axe, bloody

55

Rope, hemp, rotten

03-04

Bandages, bloody

56

Sack, large, rotten

05-06

Blood, dried

57-58

Shield, cracked

07-08

Blood, puddle

59-60

Shirt, stained

09-10

Blood, wet smear

61-62

Skeletal part (random)

11-12

Bones, broken

63

Skeleton, animal

13-14

Boot, chewed

64-65

Skeleton, human

15-16

Candles, partly burned

66-67

Skin, furred, dry

17-19

Cart, broken

68-69

Skin, tattooed, dry

20-21

Cobwebs

70

Skull, animal

22-23

Dagger hilt

71

Skull, human

24

Desiccated corpse

72-73

Skull, humanoid

25-26

Excrement

74

Slimy ceiling

27-28

Figurine, small wood

75-76

Slimy floor

29-30

Firewood

77-78

Slimy wall

31

Grappling hook, rusty

79

Spikes, iron, rusty

32-33

Grave marker

80-81

Stain, indiscernible

34

Helmet, cleaved

82

Stain, water

35

Holy symbol, ruined

83-84

Stones, large

36-37

Incense and burner

85-86

Stones, small

38-39

Key

87-88

Sword, long, broken

40-41

Lantern, broken

89

Tooth, large sharp

42-43

Manacles, rusty

90-91

Torch, partially burned

44-45

Map, illegible

92-93

Warning (chalk on a wall)

46

Mirror, small, broken

94-95

Water, puddle

47-48

Mold

96-97

Water, droplets on wall

49-50

Moss

98-99

Waterskin, empty, rotten

51-52

Mushrooms (in offal)

00

Withered flowers or herbs

hhhhh

Special Encounters

When designing a dungeon, there are areas that contain unique encounters or areas. The following tables can be rolled on or chosen from to help design these unique places or objects. Care must be taken to create objects or areas that cannot be abused by the players, and in some cases effects associated with these encounters should be temporary or limited in use. Roll or choose from the Random Features Table first, then roll or choose on the Random Characteristics Table. If rolling randomly, not all results will make sense, so the referee will have to roll again or alter the interpretation of the results. Specific details of the effects are left to the design of the referee, such as duration, damage dealt (if appropriate), trigger mechanisms, etc.

Table IV.7 Random Features Table

D100

Result

D100

Result

01-03

Alcove

51-53

Painting

04-05

Altar, large

54-56

Passage

06-07

Altar, small

57-59

Pedestal

08-10

Archway

60-61

Pillar/column

11-12

Barrier, invisible

62-65

Pit

13-14

Basin, stone

66-67

Platform, stone

15-17

Bust sculpture

68-70

Pool, artificial

18-20

Ceiling

71-72

Pool, natural

21-22

Ceiling, domed

73-74

Portcullis

23-25

Chest, wooden

75-76

Room

26-28

Container (jar, pot, etc.)

77-78

Rug

29-31

Door (50% secret)

79-80

Shelf, inset to wall

32-33

Fireplace

81-82

Sphere, glass

34-36

Floor

83-84

Stairway

37-38

Fountain

85-87

Statue

39-40

Fungus

88-89

Tapestry

41-42

Gate, iron

90-92

Vault

43-45

Idol

93-94

Vegetation

46-48

Mirror, large

95-97

Wall

49-50

Monster

98-00

Well

Table IV.8 Random Characteristics Table

D100

Characteristic

D100

Characteristic

01-02

Ages (25% decreases)

51

Illusionary

03-04

Alters alignment

52

Increases ability^4

05-06

Animates an object

53

Increases gravity

07-08

Attracts

54-55

Invisible

09-10

Attacks

56-57

Levitates

11-12

Bestows a curse

58-59

Moves

13-14

Burns

60

Nullifies magic

15-16

Causes fear

61-62

Pivots

17-18

Causes geas

63

Points

19-20

Changes^3

64

Poisons

21-22

Collapses

65

Polymorphs

23-24

Condenses

66-67

Produces an object^2

25-26

Consumes

68-69

Reduces

27-28

Decreases ability^4

70-71

Replaces

29-30

Decreases gravity

72-73

Repulses

31

Disintegrates

74-75

Reveals lies

32-33

Duplicates object

76-77

Reverses gravity

34

Duplicates person

78-79

Sinks

35-36

Emits a gas

80-81

Sliding

37-38

Emits a slime or ooze

82-83

Slopes (up or down)

39

Enlarges

84-85

Speaks^1

40-41

Fake

86-87

Spins

42

Flesh to stone

88-89

Steals

43-44

Freezes

90-91

Stone to flesh

45

Grants a language

92-93

Stretches

46

Grants opposite wish

94

Suspends animation

47

Grants a wish

95-96

Teleports

48

Heals

97-98

Twists

49-50

Heats

99-00

Withers a body part

1Roll d4; with intelligence, 1; a preprogrammed message, 2; tries to convince the party to take an action, 3; tries to lead the party into a trap, 4

2Roll d8; gold coins, 1; fool’s gold, 2; magic item, 3; food, 4; gems, 5; water, 6; wine, 7; oil, 8

3Roll d6; skin color, 1; eye color, 2; hair color, 3; race, 4; sex, 5; height, 6

4Roll d6; STR, 1; DEX, 2; CON, 3; INT, 4; WIS, 5; CHA, 6

Specialty Room Furnishings

The following tables can flesh out the contents of alchemy or magic-user labs.

Table IV.9 Alchemy or Magic-User Furnishings

D100

Item

D100

Item

01-02

Alembic

51-52

Jars, glass

03

Aludel

53

Manacles, wall mounted

04

Anthanor

54-55

Molds, Casting

05-06

Beakers, glass

56-57

Mortar and pestle

07-08

Bellows

58-59

Oil lamp

09-10

Bottles, glass

60-61

Parchment/Paper

11-12

Bowls, glass

62

Pelicans

13

Bowls, wooden

63

Pentagram

14-15

Brazier

64

Philosopher’s Stone

16

Calcinary furnace

65-66

Pipettes

17-18

Cage, large

67

Pots, ceramic

19-20

Cage, small

68-69

Pots, copper

21-22

Candles

70

Pots, iron

23-24

Cauldron

71-72

Prism

25

Circle, protection

73-74

Quills

26

Circle, summoning

75

Retort

27-28

Coal

76-77

Rods, iron stirring

29-30

Crucible

78

Sand bath

31

Crystals, quartz

79

Scale, balance weight

32-33

Cucurbit

80-81

Spatula

34

Cupel

82-83

Spoons, measuring

35-36

Cups, measuring

84-85

Stands (for hot glass)

37

Cylinders, glass

86

Still, glass

38-39

Dishes, glass

87-88

Stoppers

40

Dissolving furnace

89-90

Tar, sealing

41-42

Flasks, glass

91-92

Tongs

43

Funnels, glass

93-94

Tripod

44

Furnace

95

Tubing, glass

45-46

Hourglass

96-97

Tweezers

47-48

Incense

98-99

Vials, glass

49-50

Ink, vials

00

Water clock

Use the table below for randomly determining the contents of jars, pots, or other vessels in a lab.

Table IV.10 Random Container Contents

D100

Contents

D100

Contents

01-03

Amber

51-53

Leaves

04-06

Ashes

54-56

Locusts

07-09

Bark

57-60

Minerals, powdered

10-12

Blood, powdered

61-64

Oil, essential

13-15

Bone, chips/hunks

65-67

Powder

16-18

Bones, small animal

68-70

Mummy, small animal

19-21

Charcoal

71-73

Needles, bone

22-24

Cloth, cotton

74-76

Sap/resin

25-27

Eggs, exotic pickled

77-79

Salt, crystals

28-31

Entrails, pickled

80-82

Seeds

32-35

Eyes, dried

83-85

Sinew

36-38

Fat/grease

86-88

Skin, dried

39-41

Fingers/toes, dried

89-91

Slime

42-44

Flower petals, dried

92-94

Teeth

45-47

Fluid, putrid

95-97

Tongue, pickled

48-50

Hair, humanoid

98-00

Urine

The following table can be used for determining which torture devices are present in a torture room or some other location.

Table IV.11 Torture Chamber Furnishings

D20

Devices

D20

Implements

1

Breaking Wheel

1

Brazier

2

Cauldron, large

2

Cage, large

3

Chair, spiked

3

Chains

4

Copper Boot

4

Clamps

5

Crocodile Shears

5

Cleaver

6

Crocodile Tube

6

Garrotes

7

Guillotine

7

Hooks, iron

8

Head crusher

8

Iron, branding

9

Heretics Fork

9

Balls, large iron

10

Iron coffin

10

Knives, various

11

Iron Maiden

11

Manacles

12

Judas Cradle

12

Nails

13

Knee Splitter

13

Oil, barrel

14

Lead Sprinkler

14

Pliers

15

Pear of Anguish

15

Rope

16

Pendulum

16

Saw, large

17

Rack

17

Spikes, iron

18

Spanish Tickler

18

Wedges, iron

19

Thumb Screws

19

Wedges, wood

20

Tongue Tearer

20

Whips

RANDOM TAVERN PATRONS

It is a law of gaming nature that at some point players ask about what sorts of people are in a tavern. The following tables can be used to jumpstart the creative juices so that this question can be answered on the fly in a colorful way. This is meant to be a mental springboard, and the referee should flesh out tavern patrons to whatever degree is necessary based on the situation.

Table IV.12 Tavern Patrons

D20

Race

D100

Class

D4

Sex

1-2

Dwarf

01

Assassin

1-2

Male

3-4

Elf

02-11

Cleric

3-4

Female

5

Gnome

12-26

Fighter

6

Half-Elf

27-28

Illusionist

7

Half-Orc

29-37

Magic-User

8-10

Halfling

38

Monk

11-20

Human

39-81

None^1

82-85

Paladin

86-90

Ranger

91-00

Thief

1Roll for a profession.

Table IV.13 Random Professions

D100

Profession

D100

Profession

01-03

Animal Trainer

56-59

Huntsman

04-05

Armorer

60-62

Lapidary/Jeweler

06-09

Baker

63-66

Lorimer

10-12

Blacksmith

67

Mapmaker

13

Bookbinder

68-69

Mason

14-16

Bowyer/Fletcher

70-73

Miner

17-20

Brewer

74-76

Potter

21-23

Butcher

77-78

Roper

24-26

Carpenter

79-81

Seafarer

27-28

Chandler

82-84

Shipwright

29-33

Cooper

85-87

Spy

34-35

Coppersmith

88-90

Tailor

36-46

Farmer

91-93

Tanner

47-50

Fisher

94-96

Thatcher/Roofer

51-54

Furrier

97-98

Woodcutter

55

Glassblower

99-00

Vintner

The following table may be rolled or chosen from more than once for an individual, and should be used as inspiration when describing or role-playing an NPC’s personality and/or motives.

Table IV.14 Random Tavern Patron Traits

D100

Trait

D100

Trait

01

Agreeable

51

Narcissistic

02

Aloof

52

Naughty

03

Angry

53

Noisy

04

Apologetic

54

Nosy

05

Armless

55

Neutral

06

Arrogant

56

Oafish

07

Bald

57

Old

08

Beautiful

58

Optimistic

09

Boisterous

59

Ornery

10

Brawny

60

Pathetic

11

Callous

61

Pessimistic

12

Chaotic

62

Picky

13

Childish

63

Pious

14

Cold

64

Polite

15

Cranky

65

Porcine

16

Crazy

66

Predatory

17

Crippled

67

Pretty

18

Dark

68

Private

19

Dastardly

69

Proud

20

Despicable

70

Quarrelsome

21

Dour

71

Quiet

22

Drunken

72

Quick

23

Elegant

73

Quirky

24

Evil

74

Ragged

25

False

75

Regal

26

Flattering

76

Rich

27

Flatulent

77

Righteous

28

Friendly

78

Riotous

29

Frightened

79

Ruthless

30

Good

80

Secretive

31

Gross

81

Sick

32

Hairless

82

Silent

33

Hairy

83

Simple

34

Haggard

84

Stern

35

Haughty

85

Stupid

36

Helpless

86

Surly

37

Injured

87

Timid

38

Jesting

88

Tired

39

Joyous

89

Treacherous

40

Knowledgeable

90

Trustworthy

41

Large

91

Twisted

42

Laughing

92

Untrustworthy

43

Lecherous

93

Unwell

44

Legless

94

Uppity

45

Little

95

Ugly

46

Loud

96

Vain

47

Middle-aged

97

Venerable

48

Miserly

98

Wasted

49

Mousey

99

Weak

50

Murderer

00

Willful

LEGAL INFORMATION

OPEN GAME LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

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15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Delving Deeper Reference Rules v2 Volume 1: The Adventurer's Handbook Copyright 2012, Cameron Dubeers and Simon J. Bull. Delving Deeper Reference Rules v2 Volume 2: The Referee's Guide Copyright 2012, Cameron Dubeers and Simon J. Bull. Delving Deeper Reference Rules v2 Volume 3: The Monster & Treasure Reference Copyright 2012, Cameron Dubeers and Simon J. Bull.

Delving Deeper Reference Rules v3 Volume 1: Heroes & Magic Copyright 2014, Simon J. Bull. Delving Deeper Reference Rules v3 Volume 2: Delving & Exploration Copyright 2014, Simon J. Bull. Delving Deeper Reference Rules v3 Volume 3: Monsters & Treasures Copyright 2014, Simon J. Bull.

Delving Deeper Reference Rules Hypertext Copyright 2014, Simon J. Bull.

Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008,Matthew J. Finch

Swords & Wizardry Complete Rules, Copyright 2010,Matthew J. Finch

Swords & Wizardry Light Rules, Copyright 2016 Erik Stiene

Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Rules, Copyright 2016, Erik Stiene

Fiends & Falchions, Copyright 2017, David Eynon

Microlite74 Ultimate Edition, Copyright 2017, Randall Stukey

Microlite81 Advanced Expanded Tablet/Digest Edition © 2018 Randall S Stukey

BX Advanced Gold Edition © 2018, Randall S. Stukey

Tarnhelm’s Terrible Tome © 2013, Randall S. Stukey

The Black Hack  © 2016, David Black

Solo Heroes © 2014 Kevin Crawford

Dungeon Delving Undying Light  © 2018, Randall S. Stukey

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition SRD © 2021, Randall Stukey

Dungeon Delving Brown Box EditionTablet-Digest © 2021, Randall Stukey.

16. DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY

The names "Dungeon Delving", "Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition", and all proper nouns, plots, story lines, locations, characters, art, and trade dress are designated as Product Identity.

17. DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT

All text and tables in this document, with the exception of all material specifically excluded in the declaration of product identity, are designated as Open Game Content.

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition Character Sheet

PLAYER:______________________________________________

NAME:________________________________ALIGNMENT:______

CLASS:______________________________RACE:____________

LEVEL:______ XP:______________________  XP ADJ:______

ATTRIBUTES

Secret Doors: ________

HIT POINTS

STR:______

Force Doors:  ______

INT:______

Listen:       ______

WIS:______

Subterfuge:   ______

Max HP:  _______

DEX:______

Surprise:     ______

Hit Dice:_______

CON:______

Loyalty Adj:  ______

HP Adj:  _______

CHR:______

Reaction Adj: ______

Shock:   _______

SAVING THROWS

ATTACK ROLLS

LANGUAGES

Poison         ______

AC

2   ______

Wands & Rays   ______

3   ______

4   ______

Petrification  ______

5   ______

6   ______

Breath Weapon  ______

7   ______

MOVEMENT

8   ______

Spells         ______

9   ______

Combat: Initiative: ____ Missiles: ____ Damage: _____

Armor:  AC: ______ Type: ____________________________

Weapons: ____________________________________________

____________________________________________

_________________________________________________

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

COINS:

EQUIPMENT:

SPELLS:

NOTES:

Other RetroRoleplaying Games

BX Advanced      $9.95

Dungeon Delving Undying Light Edition      $3.99

Microlite20 Comprehensive Edition      $7.50

Microlite74 Basic Digest/Epub      $1.99

Microlite74 Extended Digest/Epub      $3.99

Microlite74 Standard Digest/Epub      $2.99

Microlite74 Swords & Sorcery 2e Digest/Epub      $6.99

Microlite74 Ultimate Edition Digest/Epub      $9.95

Microlite78 First Edition Lite (Second Edition)      $7.50

Microlite78 First Edition Lite (Tablet/Ebook)      $4.95

Microlite78 First Edition Lite Expanded Second Edition (Tablet/Digest)      $9.95

Microlite81 Advanced Expanded Edition (Digest/Ebook)      $9.95

Microlite81 Complete Digest/Epub      $7.50

BX Advanced (no Art)      PWYW

Dungeon Delving Undying Light Edition (PWYW Version)      PWYW

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition (No Art)      PWYW

Microlite20 Comprehensive Edition (No Art)      PWYW

Microlite20 RPG Collection (2020 Edition)      PWYW

Microlite2020 Complete      PWYW

Microlite2020 Old School Edition Complete      PWYW

Microlite74 Basic      PWYW

Microlite74 Companion I: Optional Rules      PWYW

Microlite74 Companion II: Treasure      PWYW

Microlite74 Companion III: More Optional Rules      PWYW

Microlite74 Companion IV: Bestiary of Monsters      PWYW

Microlite74 Companion V: First Edition Spells      PWYW

Microlite74 Extended      PWYW

Microlite74 Light vs Dark      PWYW

Microlite74 Standard      PWYW

Microlite74 Swords & Sorcery      PWYW

Microlite74 Swords & Sorcery 2e (No Art)      PWYW

Microlite74: Perilous Adventures      PWYW

Microlite75 Basic      PWYW

Microlite75 Extended      PWYW

Microlite75 Standard      PWYW

Microlite78 First Edition Lite      PWYW

Microlite78 First Edition Lite (Second Edition NO ART)      PWYW

Microlite81      PWYW

Microlite81 Advanced      PWYW

Microlite81 Complete      PWYW

Microlite81 Extended      PWYW

Tarnhelm's Terrible Tome      PWYW

Prices correct as of February 2021.                         PWYW = Pay What You Want

Find and download our games at our page on DrivethruRPG

RetroRoleplaying at DrivethruRPG

Dungeon Delving

Brown Box Edition

Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition offers a well-organized retroclone of the three little booklets in the brown box published in 1974: the original fantasy roleplaying game. Rules that are accessible, easy to learn and use, and fast in play.

The core rules of the Dungeon Delving Brown Box Edition are based on arguably the most accurate the three major retroclones of the 1974 original edition (0e) of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game. The editor has added a fourth section with a large number of optional rules and appendixes with information on old school play, advice for the Referee, guidelines for using published adventures designed for large player groups with small player groups, and a selection of random tables for the use of the Referee.

Referees can easily design their own dungeons, town, and wilderness or use published adventures and settings designed for 0e, B/X, or (with a bit of conversion work) 1e. Hundreds of published adventures both from the 1970s and 1980s and from OSR publishers today are available for use. All a player needs is paper, pencil/pen, and dice.

Published by

RetroRoleplaying.com

http://retroroleplaying.com/

Table of Contents

Preface

Section I: Heroes & Magic

Introduction

About These Rules

Common Terms

Player’s Supplies

The Dice

Preparation for Play

Player Characters

Alignment

Determination of Abilities

Prime Requisite Abilities

Explanation of Abilities

Classes

The Cleric

The Fighter

The Magic-User

The Thief (Optional Class)

Changing Class

Other Classes

Beyond Level 12

Non-Player Characters

Hirelings

Mercenaries

Retainers

Enlisting Monsters

Retainer Loyalty

Reaction and Morale Checks

Relatives

Cost of Upkeep

Equipment

Magic

Spell Casting from Memory

Spell Casting from Scrolls

Reversible Spells

Spell Books

Creating Spell Scrolls

Researching New Spells

Cumulative Magic

Spells By Level

Explanation of Spells

1st Level Cleric Spells

2nd Level Cleric Spells

3rd Level Cleric Spells

4th Level Cleric Spells

5th Level Cleric Spells

1st Level Magic-User Spells

2nd Level Magic-User Spells

3rd Level Magic-User Spells

4th Level Magic-User Spells

5th Level Magic-User Spells

6th Level Magic-User Spells

Section II: Delving & Exploration

Preparation for the Campaign

The Referee’s Supplies

Creating a World

The Start of Play

Legend and Rumors

Angry Villagers

Hireling and Retainer Loyalty

The Dice

Creating a Dungeon

Populating a Dungeon

Empty Rooms

Monsters

Tricks and Traps

Treasure Guarded by Monsters

Treasure Guarded by Traps

Unguarded Treasure

Underworld Exploration

Underworld Encounters

Wandering Monsters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Behavior

Avoiding Monsters

Maintaining Freshness

Combat

Melee

Overbearing

Missile Fire

Morale

Healing

Mounted Combat

Jousting!

Mounted Men Attacking

Attacking Mounted Men

Shooting at Mounted Men

Saving Throws

Saving Throws for Magical Items

Wilderness Exploration

Time and Movement

Visibility

Resting

Weather

Becoming Lost

Strongholds

Fords

Settlements

Wilderness Encounters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Surprise

Low visibility

Speed

Seafaring Exploration

Time and Movement

Reserves

Resting

Visibility

Weather

Strong Winds

Storms

Becoming Lost

Settlements and Strongholds

Encounters at Sea

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Seafaring Combat

Missile Fire

Ramming

Melee

Swimming

Drowning

Aerial Exploration

Time and Movement

Visibility

Resting

Weather

Becoming Lost

Settlements and Strongholds

Aerial Encounters

Surprise

Encounter Distance

Monster Reaction

Evasion and Pursuit

Aerial Combat

Missile Fire

Melee

Falling

The Campaign

Specialist Hirelings

Constructing a Stronghold

Mass Battles

Artifacts

Enchanting Magic Items

Other Worlds

Section III: Monsters & Treasures

Monsters

Summary of Monsters

Explanation of Monsters

Treasures

Treasure Types

Explanation of Treasures

Maps

Armor and Shields

Miscellaneous Magic Items

Miscellaneous Weaponry

Potions

Rings

Spellbooks and Scrolls

Staves & Wands

Magic Swords

Section IV: Optional Rules

Introduction

Experience Modifier

Optional Character Creation Rules

Advantages and Disadvantages

Sample Advantages

Sample Disadvantages

Allegiance

Alternative Advancement System

Attributes

Background and Talents

Background

Talents

Class Special Abilities

Cleric Special Abilities

Fighter Special Abilities

Magic-User Special Abilities

Sanity Attribute

Virtues and Vices

Optional Classes

The Specialist

Variant Classes

Optional Combat Rules

Armor for Everyone

Feats of Might

Overwhelming Opponents

Shield Wall

Optional Magic Rules

Hit Point Powered Magic

Spell Knowledge

Direct Spell Casting

Ritual Magic

Counterspells (Optional)

Metamagic (Optional)

Spellcasting as a Skill

Optional General Rules

Action Points

Deities and Divine Intervention

Hit Points and Wound Points

Psionics

The Usage Die

Afterword

Appendix I: Old School Gaming

What is “Old School” Play?

Styles of “Old School” Play

Appendix II: Advice for the Referee

Running a Game Without Skills

On Failure

Impossible Tasks

Referee as Judge

Monsters and NPCs in Play

Random Rolls

Multiple Success Rolls and Probability

Ruling Wishes

Stun and Paralysis

Disease

Making Magic Items Distinctive and Unique

Cumulative Magical Effects

Adventures and Settings

Appendix III: Small Adventuring Parties

Perils of Adventuring

Special Rules for Small Parties

First Special Rule: Damage Dice

Second Special Rule: Inflicting Damage

Third Special Rule: Healing

Fourth Special Rule: Defying Death

Fifth Special Rule Experience and Henchmen

Enduring Protagonists (Optional)

Automatic Initiative (Optional)

Extra Fray Dice (Optional)

Guideline: One Pair of Hands

What it All Means

Small Party Rules Summary

Inflicting Damage

Taking Damage

The Fray Die

Healing

Defying Death

Example Solo Combat Encounter

Appendix IV: Random Tables

Dungeons on the Fly

Random Dungeon Generation

Quick Random Treasure Generation

Random Magic Items

Random NPC Personality Attributes

Dungeon Furnishings

Random Traps

Atmospheric Details

Special Encounters

Specialty Room Furnishings

Random Tavern Patrons

Legal Information

Open Game License