That 1d6 Dungeon You Always Wanted

Or rather, the one one I always wanted. I thought that for one of the sub-levels of Scadwrath Castle, I'd do something quite silly and off-the-wall. After all, the setting Moog is a very silly, gonzo place and this just struck me as something that should be there, someplace. The idea is that, maybe I want to hide something in this dungeon, or maybe the baddies have kidnapped a princess and spirited her away in one of the six sectors (there is no shortage of princesses available for kidnap/rescue cosplay in the city of Vermistadt, which lies above this massive dungeon, if that's the sort of thing your adventurers are into). So, roll a d6 and that's where the goodies/Rod of Seven Parts/Princess Buttercup (you get the idea) is/are located.

Now, I originally got this idea from Zach S's awesome city street idea in his Vornheim book. Seriously, you must have that book. Go buy it here if you don't already have it. And yes, yes I grock the whole architectural impossibility of it all, but hey, there are massive, cyclopean stones here, eldritch magic, etc.  There are 5 levels here keyed up for you to do as you will with it. There's even an exit to wherever over there near areas 45 & 87. Hell, I don't even know where that goes. I color coded them so it's easier to see where one level ends and a new one begins.

Like the other maps for Scadwrath Castle, there are plenty of pools, statues, etc. so you can have fun bedeviling the poor saps who wander into the place. The checkerboard floors (constructed from marble one supposes) are of course harmless, but placing a trap on just one of them will scar your players for life. You can chuckle with maniacal glee from that point forward as they pointlessly take all sorts of time to circumnavigate a pretty, but otherwise normal floor whenever they encounter them in the future.

As for the backstory and the key, yes, I will probably provide a fully keyed version at some point and may do the entire thing (12-ish levels not counting the upper works of the castle itself) just so my kids can put it to good use some day. The maps are part of a massive, active dungeon complex that lies beneath the gonzo city of Vermistadt. It's basically a 0E or 1E WHFRP city that sprung up over a series of ruined dwarves mines and ruins. The castle, belongs to a mysterious and powerful duke who maintains his own little duchy within the city walls. Part of the complex houses his Shadow Born undead legion which he keeps in top fighting shape by throwing a never ending stream of eager and obviously, slightly deranged adventurers at them. The adventurers who fall in the initial levels just unwittingly signed up for long term service in his Grace's legion, but hey, there's an awesome dental plan. Consider it a Roach Motel for greedy adventurers, thinning the herd so that only the truly epic delvers can pass on into the higher levels of experience.

So, yeah, use it as you please, but of course I retain copyright on it (as well the other stuff on this blog) for print purposes, etc.

Link to pdf download is HERE. The original was drawn is the weird little square sketchbook I have lying around. It's roughly 8" x 8" so, you may need to adjust your printing accordingly.

To All the House Rules I've Loved Before

I'm sure many of you DMs out there are tinkerers like myself. I do the same thing in my professional life to be honest. I can rarely leave good enough alone and I seem to always be tinkering with classes that I've taught for 10+ years just to see if there's a better way to do things. I suppose it should come as no surprise that I've tinkered around with most ideas for house rules at one point or the other. Shields Shall be Broken, Critical Hits & Fumbles, the d30 rule, you name it, I've pretty much tried it.

Shields Shall be Broken I found this one to be very flavorful, but it's just a bit too cumbersome really. In essence, this is a get-out-of-jail free card for your fighter types. Now, I'm all for making fighter types more attractive, but our group grew tired of it very quickly. I do think it's one of the best bennies you can throw to low level fighters, but what about orcs, hobgobs, and other mooks? Shouldn't they exploit the rule also? In the end, it started to become a joke in our groups and seems no different than situational giving your melee combatants additional hit points.

The d30 Rule I still like the hilarity of this one and could probably be talked into using it again sometime. The one thing that bugs me the most though is that occasionally, it makes a mockery of your Big Dramatic Chapter Ending Battle. Surely this could be fixed by giving your Big Bad Evil Guy d30 Immunity or the like, but to me, that seems a little inelegant. I mean, your players are going to want to save the roll 'til the absolutely most critical moment of the evening. No doubt they're going to feel a bit cheated when every Boss Monster happens to be wearing his Cloak of d30 Immunity. It's a fun rule, I'm sure others have found a work-around for the issues our groups had with it, but it just made for too many anti-climactic moments in our games so we stopped using it some time ago.

Critical Hits & Fumbles OK, so I get that EGG completely hated the notion of these, but to me, they're still fun and make combat more varied and exciting. They've been around since, oh, I don't know, the early 80s I guess, and I always enjoyed using them if and when you can find the sweet spot for using them in your game (that is to say, the implementation that makes combat more exciting without overwhelming the PCs). If my Google Fu is correct, it was Dragon Magazine Issue 39 that brought us that lovely Good Hits and Bad Misses article and that was the first time I used them (much to the consternation of my dubious players at the time). I modified it though so that we only used the chart on a natural 20 or a 1 just for simplicity (and still do). Initially, after much bloodshed and hilarity, it became apparent that allowing every scrubby kobold a chance at beheading the PCs is simply too much (or maybe not depending on what you're trying to achieve with your game).

I do agree that the 3.X solution is quite elegant (certainly one of the things that 3.X got right), but it adds more dice rolling than I really want in my Old School games. Over the years, I've tried the absolutely murderous Rolemaster Charts, took a shot at adapting the hysterically gory WFRP 1E criticals, the Paizo critical & fumble cards (which I quite like for d20 sorts of games), and now have arrived full circle back to the good ol' charts from Good Hits and Bad Misses. I think the sweet spot for old school play is simply saying this rule applies to all PCs, Named NPCs and Boss Monsters. I warn my players that most encounters, but certainly not all, will contain a Boss Monster, a leader type who won't always self-identify, but will usually become apparent that he has a tub-load of HPs and seems to be better at fighting than the other scrubs. Needless to say, this make something like a Boss Ghoul with 3 shots at dropping a 20 on you an enemy that even experienced characters will respect.

Death & Dismemberment I've tried a couple different versions of these charts and finally got around to making my own. It makes for a very gritty campaign as PCs and followers will lose limbs and the like as well as having very funny (or serious I guess if your group looks at it that way) death scenes. This does give low level guys a bit better odds at survival unless of course the bad guys are the carnivorous types that immediately begin chompin' on fallen PCs, provided of course that someone in the party survives the encounter to bind their wounds. When characters are bleeding out due to this rule, I allow anyone to apply first aid simply by moving to them (in lieu of attacking or casting a spell).

The one thing that bugged me about the other charts was that a guy would hit the ground and on some rare results, would simply spring back up with renewed energy to continue the fight. On most results though, the character would fall to the ground gravely wounded, their fate uncertain until someone could get to them to check out their condition. I decided that for my campaign, I didn't like the idea of a character jumping and getting right back into the fight, so I devised a series of modifiers for the roll and developed new benefit for those lucky enough to roll an 11 or 12. It works for my Gonzo Old School Setting of Moog, so try it out if you like the idea of the Oscar Scenes for your characters and their followers.

PDF download of Death & Dismemberment for Moog is HERE.

Binding Wounds After Combat I'll confess that I have no idea where I got this one. I know that some folks use a d3, but I like the d4 and I allow any character to do the wound binding (only once per combat in which you have taken damage and immediately afterwards). It's particularly useful at low level when many clerics may have little (if any, depending on which rule set you're use) healing and helps the party keep exploring rather than the old "hey, we're out of healing, guess it's time to head back to the pub for pints lads" paradigm that occurs otherwise. This rule is essential I think when playing in large groups or with kids or newbies. It also takes care of the situation, that I find to be all too familiar if I'm being honest, where no one wants to play the Cleric.

Saving Throw as an Indicator of Class-Related or Race-Related Skills, Knowledge, etc. Another one that I'm not really sure where it came from, but I use it in every old school game I run. In my games, characters are generally "adventurers". The ranger knows the stuff that rangers know. Thieves know the best place to pawn stolen goods and the like. If players want to add a bit of background by utilizing the secondary skills chart from the 1E DMG, that's fine by me.  I usually play with the conceit that Magic Users and Elves know about ancient mysteries in much the way that Gandalf or Elrond would. I will typically use the Paralysis save unless I'm playing S&W White Box which has only 1 save (which I love, love, love). It's not perfect by any means and yes, dwarves and halflings in this sort of situation tend to benefit from their superior saves, but you can limit that by deciding that their breadth of knowledge isn't quite as extensive as other races. I certainly find it adequate at representing a workable set of skills without becoming overburdened  by a full blown d20 set of skills.

PDF for 20 Zombies Now Available

© Charlie Adlard
 Outstanding artist of The Walking Dead comic book

Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to include an illustration of my own for the first page of the pdf. I think the illo ended up looking like a Charlie Adlard drawing stumbled into a B/X illustration (with apologies to EO and the wonderful Mr Willingham), in a funny sort of way. I had hoped to complete it sooner but band practice for all of our St Pat's gigs and other stuff just seemed to get in the way (including the Dice Drop table which I needed for a 1E start up session).

The Download is at MediaFire HERE.

So, there it is, enjoy and fill those halls with loads of zombies you evil necromancers.

Let There Be Zombies; 20 Delectable Zombies for Your Campaign

PDF Download from MediaFire HERE.

I loves me some zombies and I’m quite sure that a lot of other DMs share my fondness for the Restless Dead. So to that end and in spite of the fact that the bog standard B/X or AD&D Zombie is already made of complete and utter win, sometimes you may enjoy throwing your players a curve ball. Maybe the old ruined keep was once home to a perverse cult of necromancers and the zombies therein are substantially different than the run-of-the-mill variety. Perhaps the zombies found dwelling in the Forbidden Crypts of Omeror, Petty God of Gratuitous Bloodshed and Violence are of a particularly vile strain. Or maybe a glowing green comet just struck that small village lying in the path of the hapless heroes.

1. Rabid Zombies: The zombies in this dungeon are not undead (can’t be turned) so much as they are “stricken by some bizarre disease” that fills them with a hatred for the living and a desire to spread their disease through blood, which they freely belch and spew. All combatants within 5’ of these fellows need to save each round vs poison or contract the disease. Failure means conversion to a Rabid Zombie within 2d6 rounds (DM takes control). The disease requires both a Cure Disease and Remove Curse to cure those afflicted. Rabid Zombies fight in a berserk fashion and add +2 to attacks. Consider 2HD***** for awarding experience.

2. Bloated Zombies: These poor wretches are filled with all sorts of unpleasantness and explode in spectacular fashion when a killing blow is landed. All living creatures within 30’ of the exploding zombie are covered by vile substances and fluids requiring a save vs poison. Failing this save results in violent sickness, throwing up, etc. Those sickened fight at -2. Missile fire, undead turning and spell casting are impossible during this period of illness, which lasts for a full turn. The Bloated Dead are hefty fellows and have HD 3+2. The DM should count them as 3HD** for awarding experience.

Liam (age 7) renders a particularly gruesome Minecraft Zombie

3. Rotting Dead: Sharing the same shuffling, brain-dead characteristics of the standard zombie, your PCs in their initial encounter with the Rotting Dead will surely be reminded of a certain zombie subtype created by a well-known vampire many, many years ago. These zombies are quite sturdy in spite of their withered and rotting appearance and have 4HD. Any blow of 5 or more HPs removes an arm/claw, which continues to fight on its own (doing a d6 of damage on a successful hit). A Rotter that loses both arms, still fights on by biting viciously. Claws are Scrubs (any blow of more than 2 points rolled on a damage dice destroys them, otherwise place a wound token, glass bead, etc. beside the mini, or make a note if you’re rolling without miniatures) but fight as 4HD monsters. Award experience as 4HD***.

4. Stirge Zombies: Possessing a ferocious thirst for mortal blood and attack with great ferocity these grizzly undead can make for a very dangerous encounter and are often confused with vampiric spawn. Any successful hit by 5 or more indicates that the zombie has become attached to its victim just like a Stirge. On subsequent rounds of combat, 1d3 of blood loss is inflicted and the undead will continue to pummel their victim at +4 to hit. Stirge Zombies may only be removed after their demise or by making a successful open doors roll, which causes a d3 damage of torn flesh. Consider 2HD*** for awarding experience.

5. Relentless Zombies: Whatever Hell-wrought energy that animates these zombies gives them a superior toughness. They are 3+3HD creatures and Regenerate 3 HPs per round. They can withstand tremendous abuse (bashing weapons do a mere 1 point of damage) and enjoy the effects of a Stoneskin spell when first attacked. Given their Hellish nature, these undead turn as Mummies. Consider 4HD** for awarding experience.

6. Brain-Hungry Zombies: The dreaded hordes of Omeror, Petty God of Gratuitous Bloodshed and Violence hunger for the flesh of the living, particularly brains and other squishy bits. These fiends are very dangerous to hirelings and the like as their predatory senses guide them to attack the weakest members of a party. Woe to anyone who falls unconscious during melee since d3 of the Brain-Hungry zombies will immediately begin to feed on the poor unfortunate (thus killing them). These undead are not all that different from the standard undead variety, though they are considerably slower with a Move 60/20. The key difference though is that a “headshot” is required to finish the Brain-Hungry Zombie. They will remain at 1 HP until someone succeeds in a headshot, thus dispatching them. Any Brain-Hungry that is successfully targeted by a headshot must save vs Paralysis or be slain, regardless of HP totals. Consider 2HD* for awarding experience.

Clare (age 4) gets into the action with this awesome Green Zombie

7. Brain-Dead Zombies: These beings aren’t really undead at all, but are rather dead bodies animated by evil, possessing spirits. Unlike other undead, they have no connection with the Negative Material plane and are in fact a construct similar to a flesh golem, only far weaker. To further confuse the issue, they are not overtly hostile and only shamble around out of curiosity. They will attack if the PCs become aggressive, but they are otherwise content to follow the PCs at range. Creepy no doubt, but otherwise harmless. Play these as normal zombies with the only change being their immunity to turning. Experience as 2HD*.

8. Voodoo Zombies: Victims of devilish Ju Ju these are living humans who only vaguely resemble zombies. Still, there is enough similarity that PCs will initially be confused. They are of course immune to Clerical turning, but fight as a 2HD Berserker in every fashion. Consider 2HD* for awarding experience.

9. Frenetic Zombies: Some unknown, yet Hellish energy animates these restless undead. They are very fast (Mv 150/50), add +1 initiative (even if group init is used), and have an AC of 6 due to their agility. Due to their speed, they get 2 attacks per round (d6), but are a bit less sturdy than the standard Zombie (1HD +4). Consider 1HD*** for awarding experience.

10. Rapidly-Decaying Zombies: These undead are in an advanced state of decay and are literally falling to pieces as they attack the PCs. The first hit from weapon or spell, causes a random limb or other bit to fall to the floor with a sickening splat. The zombie of course, ignores all damage from this first blow. Any successful turning attempt destroys these creatures as they literally fall apart in their attempt to flee. Consider 2HD* for awarding experience.

11. Legions of Hell Zombies: Hell spawn zombies have a particularly evil aspect about them and each encounter features an additional number of zombies which are Newbs (Any successful attack that rolls more than a 1 on the damage dice will slay Newb.)  even though they attack at full value, etc. Newbs are indistinguishable from the regular monsters of their type, and kindly DMs may or may not allow extra attacks for fighters if they are only engaging Newbs. Add 100% to the normal zombie encounter numbers, all of which are Newbs. Hell Zombies are menacing in the extreme and this in addition to their numbers will cause all henchmen and hirelings to check morale at a -2 penalty (-25% for OSRIC) or flee as per a Fear spell. Standard experience award.

12. Knights in Rotting Satin Zombies: These undead fellows are quite often confused with animated statues or similar. Once engaged in melee, it becomes quite obvious from the stench that they are indeed undead of some sort. These zombies are identical to the standard zombie, except they have AC 3 and move of 90/30. Consider 2HD** for awarding experience.

13. Flaming Zombies: My son Connor’s idea… These shambling fellows are the product of some fire-obsessed necromancer and their combustible animating fluids cause them to smolder in an alarming fashion as they shuffle toward the hapless PCs. Striking them with edged weapons of any sort will cause them to spark and begin to burn violently for d6 turns at which point the flammable necromantic fluids expire, leaving the zombie to continue its undead existence as a normal zombie (should it survive the efforts of the PCs that is). While burning, they do an extra d6 damage and will set things alight much as a Produce Flames spell (bad news for PCs toting lanterns or flasks of oil). Consider 2HD** for awarding experience.

14. Acid Zombies: Connor again… These deliciously-decaying zombies are quite obviously in an advanced state of decay and have an odd, stringent odor about them. They are in fact animated via some bizarre, Herbert Westian fluid that is itself a very potent acid. Each blow from a weapon of any sort will create a splash effect that potentially ruins both the weapon that struck them and the armor of the splashed victim (normal save for those items vs Acid, does not affect magical items). Those splashed by the viscous reanimating goo suffer d3 damage from incidental acid. Consider 2HD*** for awarding experience.

15. Gelatinous Zombies: Extended exposure to some unknown vile, briny substance has played havoc with the necromancy which animates these unfortunate souls. The resultant undead creature though bloated, vile and thoroughly revolting in both aspect and odor, is actually a rather weak example of its kind. Damage from Jelly Zombies is a mere d3 and their AC is one point worse than the standard Zombie. Such is the revolting nature of these creatures that PCs suffer a similar effect to that experienced when fighting Ghasts. Consider 2HD for awarding experience.

16. Zombie Giants: Typically only encountered alone, in pairs or triplets, these ghastly nightmares are often turned loose into the world by powerful necromancers to wreak vengeance on the living. Zombie Giants are usually of the Hill or Stone variety in life and share the same HD, Move, AC & Damage abilities that they possessed before being animated. Some unknown Hellish energy drives them to collect the corpses of their fallen foes, stuffing them into their garments, bags, etc. all to be used in later encounters. They employ these bodies as both missiles to be hurled at opponents who do not close with them (doing 3d6 damage out to 150’) and as makeshift melee weapons when battle is joined. The sickening damage caused by these “weapons” can cause a random disease (save once at the end of combat, and only once, vs poison if stricken by either missile or melee attack) and extreme nausea to anyone within 10’ of the Zombie Giant or anyone stricken by one of the disgusting missiles (a failed save equates violent, disabling  nausea). Victims are unable to take normal actions other than movement and may save vs poison at the start of each subsequent round at -2, success indicating that the victim has “emptied their tummy” and may fight on as normal). Note that the disease effect and the nausea effect can only be triggered once per combatant no matter how many times they are hit. Zombie Giants carrying d6+2 of their special weapons and will close to combat once there supply is down to a single corpse. Of course, they are more than happy to restock with the PCs’ limp bodies should the opportunity present itself. Experience should be awarded as per the HD of the original Giant w/ 4 special abilities (as an example, the B/X Hill Giant converted to a Giant Zombie would be worth 8HD**** for calculating XPs).

17. Zombie Hordes: Yet another favored troupe of the Necromancers of Omeror, Petty God of Gratuitous Bloodshed and Violence, these undead minions seek to wear the PCs down through weight of numbers, overpowering them and pulling them to the ground in order to more readily dine upon their innards. A true Zombie Horde is represented by an additional 400% zombies added to the encounter and the entire group of zombies are considered Scrubs (any blow of more than 2 points rolled on a damage dice destroys them, otherwise place a wound token, glass bead, etc. beside the mini, or make a note if you’re playing without miniatures). Zombie Hordes are pathetic combatants and attack in a swarming manner. Opponents engaged by 2 or more Horde Zombies take automatic damage (d2 if the PC is wearing chain mail or better, d4 if less than chain mail) though from the sheer weight of numbers. At the end of each round, if a target is engaged by 2 or more Horde Zombies, they must make a save adjusted by any Str bonus (Petrify/Paralysis seems the likely saving throw, individual DMs may decide some other means is appropriate). Failure means they are pulled to the ground where the Horde Zombies can really get at them, with damage rising to d6+2 and d10+2 according, once again, to the relative armor of the victim. Tackled victims may fight from a prone position OR attempt a saving throw (as above) to rise to their feet. Individual Horde Zombies attack for only d3 damage if unable to gang up on an individual. Horde Zombies are very difficult to Turn, being Turned by clerics and the like as if they were 5 HD undead and then only ½ the normal number will flee. You really do have to mow these guys down. Consider 2HD** for awarding experience.

18. Cyborg Zombies: Yet another example of a creature that ostensibly, looks like a zombie, but is actually something else entirely. These zombie-look-alikes are in fact a very advanced Animated Statue (Iron type see p 98 LL) with zombie skin stitched over the iron frame and then slathered in blood and gore. Of course, being statues, they’re immune to Turning and will certainly puzzle your PCs as their weapons become jammed into the armature of the creature. Particularly diabolical DMs, or those who have higher level PCs no longer concerned with common zombies, may decide that perhaps the underlying armature is in fact a Command Cyborg from Mutant Future (MF p. 68).  Experience should be awarded based on the actual creature used (either animated statue or the Commando Cyborg which will require some XP calculations on the DM’s part).

Connor's (age 10) wicked Flying Zombie

19. Flying Zombies: One final idea by Connor… Surely the result of some delirious necromancers fevered dreams, these wretches possess rudimentary wings, mere strips of necromantic skin stretched from wrist to ankle, allowing them to attack from above the hapless PCs. Due to their agile nature and speed, these undead gain a +1 to initiative and unlike the common zombie do not strike last in the round. Flight speed is 150’ (50’). Consider 2HD** for awarding experience.

20. Doom Zombies: The apex predator of all zombie kind, the Doom Zombie is occasionally mistaken for a ghoul due to the ferocity of their attack. They are however a zombie and in fact, a variant of the dread JuJu Zombie. Doom Zombies are superb combatants with M 120 (40) AC 5 HD 5+3 Attk 3 (d3, d3, d8, special) and possess all the characteristics of undead. Unlike standard zombies, they roll initiative normally and are immune to electrical, cold and magic missile attacks in addition to the standard undead spell immunities. Any opponent struck by both claw attacks will be savagely bitten for an additional 2d4+2 damage. Most frightening of all is the Doom Zombie’s delayed Regeneration ability. A Turn (10 minutes) after being dispatched, if the bodies are not completely burned, disintegrated, or the heads removed, they will bounce back up at 50% of their original HP total and ready for more carnage. Some Hellish magic imbues the Doom Zombie with the ability to track the living and they will pursue PCs with unerring accuracy (90%) often doing so after the initial encounter once they have reanimated. Such is the strength of the necromantic magic that created them, they are turned as a 6 HD Undead. Truly they are fearsome foes and wily necromancers will often include them within a pack of normal zombies to disguise their true nature. Other zombies will of course follow the Doom Zombies. A skilled cleric may discern them from the standard zombie by their more substantial bulk and the leathery nature of their hides. Consider 5HD***** for awarding experience.

Just a final note on Newbs and Scrubs, this is a trope that I developed and it is clearly derived from both Savage Worlds and 4E D&D. It certainly makes combats entertaining and may puzzle your PCs the first time you use it. Alert them to the fact that some of the creatures you are using have special qualities that are keyed to minimum weapon damage. Alternatively, if you’ve only a few players, you can simply watch the damage dice they roll. The number on the damage dice is key here so total damage is irrelevant. It simply comes down to “did you roll a 1 or a 2”. Newbs die in droves and Scrubs very nearly so.

Cultural Weapon Choices

A lot of my posts are directly related to the campaigns I run, primarily B/X D&D with bits from 1^st ed AD&D. Of course, given the fact that my players range in age from young 20-somethings to 40-somethings, it’s just much easier to base our game on Labyrinth Lord since it is currently in print. This particular entry stems from my desire to add a bit more flavor to our campaign, some granularity without adding too much fuss and muss. Would it work for the average OSR campaign? Sure, if the DM wants to reward players who subscribe to cultural norms, this idea should do just that.

The idea here is that cultures (in my campaign, the various sub-races of humanity, demi humans, etc.) often gravitate toward weaponry and styles of combat that they perceive as being best, even when there may exist other choices that would otherwise be superior. There should certainly be some cultures that place great emphasis on the spear and shield maybe, or perhaps the short sword (gladius for example), or even the hand axe (the franciscan throwing axe). Now certainly, the DM could go a step further and make actual variants of each of these, but that certainly makes the game a bit more complicated and you’ll need to seed some of those into your game world loot tables. This technique makes the weapon immediately superior to other hand axes for instance and that’s fine, but what if we viewed it in different terms?

What if instead of, or even in addition to, a plausible tweak to the weapon itself, we offer a tweak that suggests that these cultural fighting styles actually have meaning? That is to say that Aesclepius who is a fighter having spent his entire young life in a culture that valued the spear and shield approach to battle, followed up by a short sword when the fighting gets incredibly close and personal. The idea here is to allow a form of weapon specialization to reflect that, gained at 2^nd and 7^th level and available to fighters (or in my Avelorn campaign, everyone in the fighter column). There is no double specialization so you would be forced to choose 2 different weapons (which need not be chosen from the cultural list). You receive a very simple +1 to hit (which is plenty really), but if you follow your cultural bias choosing a weapon from those listed, you receive a +3% XP bonus for choosing one cultural weapon and then a +2% XP bonus should you choose the 2^nd one at 7^th level. Here’s a collection of the cultural weapons in my Avelorn Campaign:

Star Elves (Elf Class)
long sword, short sword, long Bow

Moon Elves
Elven sword, long bow, spear

Sea Elves
Elven sword, Sea bow, Dragon spear

Human, Volkyr
Sea bow, Dragon spear, long sword

Human, Thugee
Thugee axe, battle axe, great sword

Human, Theban (Ardrois)
spear, short sword, long sword

Dwarf
battle axe, short sword, crossbow

Dwarf, Bhakshani
battle axe, great axe, hand axe

Dwarf, Guild
battle axe, spear, crossbow

Halfling
sling, short bow, short sword

Of course this list could go on to great length given the needs of your campaign, and it’s not a major benefit, but certainly the choice of two of the cultural weapons would be the equivalent of an extra boost in your prime requisite. The weapon spec aspect of it could be as robust as the 1^st ed version in UA if you like (that’s more than I want, but YMMV). This approach represents a small incremental improvement for fighters, but the effect will encourage your players to contribute to the sense of place that you’re trying to establish in your setting, and they get a nice little bonus for doing so. Add a small smattering of special weapons (like the Dragon spear and Thugee axe that I mention above) and you’re starting to get those little details that enhance a campaign without adding too much complexity.

Averlorn House Rules and Clarifications for B/X D&D UPDATED 1/17

Here are the current house rules that we're using in our B/X + AD&D (LL/AEC is our clone of choice) game. We've now move beyond the village of Hommlet and are exploring the area.

ABILITIES: Create 3 or 4 characters by rolling 4d6 drop the lowest. Choose the best set of stats and retire the other characters. Abilities for Prime Reqs may be adjusted as per p. 7 LL Choosing a Class. This approach that produces relatively heroic OD&D characters, yet makes Rangers, Paladins and others quite rare and "fun to shoot for" when rolling up a new dude. Characters with a total of “0” in ability bonuses may be considered hopeless and re-rolled.

HIT DIE: Basic Hit Dice as per AEC

HP AT FIRST LEVEL: Reroll 1s & 2s for a primary character at first level. After that reroll 1s at every level.

SECONDARY SKILLS: Pick 1 or roll 2. Alternatively, ignore this and your PC had a very average upbringing and began life as a wandering adventurer at an early age

SIMPLE ALIGNMENT: You can have Good or Neutral tendencies, but keeping it simple is cool.

RACE AS CLASS: Dwarf, Elf, or Halfling can use either option (essentially choosing a B/X character or a 1e AD&D character). NPCs, hirelings, etc. are almost always racial class for simplicity.

DEATH AT 0 FOR EVERYONE BUT...: PCs, NPCs, Boss Monsters, Big Scaries, etc. (let's call 'em Star Players) get a chance to hang in there via the Death & Dismemberment roll (we'll use my own chart from Moog with death usually occurring at -10, thus allowing your friends time to save you). Recovery times for nasty wounds may be greatly reduced by various healing spells. Cure Serious for instance will completely heal a broken limb.

NO SHIELDS FOR ARCANE CASTERS: Arcane spell casters need to travel light, hands at the ready to cast, etc. This brings some degree of balance to the Elf class.

VARIABLE COMBAT DAMAGE: As per the B/X Companion, p 24, basically, use the weapon you find to be most fluffy, damage is determined by class and weapon size.

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: The Fighter Column gains weapon spec at 2nd level, then again at 7th level but may not double specialize. One of the weapons chosen MUST be a cultural weapon detailed in the Player's Guide (or ask your DM). Bonus for all weapon spec is +1/+0.

SET SPEAR & LANCE ABILITY: As per RC all members of the Fighting Column may do this though halflings may not use the lance attack.

FIGHTER COMBAT OPTIONS: As per RC, kicks in at relatively high level, 12th for most of the Fighting Column, 11th for Elf and Halfling class.

THE FIGHTING COLUMN MAY CLEAVE: Swinging again is fun and heroic in HtH, though only once per round and you must be in range. Mooks are 1hd or less, at 5^th level, 1+ hd creatures get added to the list. At name level, you may cleave a number of time per round equal to 1+ your DEX bonus.

20 IS A CRIT FOR STAR PLAYERS: Max Damage. 1s always miss and always fail a saving throw.

DWARF, ELF & HALFLING CLASS: switch over to the RC level system (and benefits therein) once they achieve a level beyond their LL progression.

HIGHER LEVELS FOR DEMIHUMANS: May advance beyond LL AEC limits at a 50% penalty to bonus points, applied BEFORE any bonus from Prime Req.

RITUAL SPELLCASTING: From Beyond The Black Gate 2010 Compendium, available to both divine and arcane casters.

DWARVES & BATTLEAXES: Like peanut butter and jelly, dwarves may use them and in the hands of a dwarf, it functions as a Bastard Sword.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING: +1 to hit and you will hit with whichever weapon you consider to be your main weapon (stating so at the beginning of combat)

TWO-HANDED WEAPON: +1 Damage, strikes last when using individual initiative.

LEVEL DRAINING: New save each day to remove a lost level.

IDENTIFY SPELL: All wizards have this one and after handling an item for a day, they discern all of its properties. The Elf class has some ability here as well needing a 5 or 6 on a d6 and may try on subsequent days if they fail to identify the item.

CHARGING: You need at least 10 feet of space, straight line required and a clear path to your target. You receive +2/+2 and lose your Dex bonus to AC, or a flat -2 whichever is higher. Both penalties and bonuses last until the start of your next action.

MOVING PAST READIED OPPONENTS: Isn't really supported in the rules. Doing so triggers an attack from enemies just as if you'd fully retreated from combat (including the bonus). You may avoid this by making a Dex roll on 4d6 (your Dex stat or less).

DECLARING ACTIONS: Only spellcasting need be announced and you do not have to name the spell until you cast it it. Losing the spell due to combat damage causes you to lose a spell of your choice.

MOVEMENT: Simple movement here. All PCs can move 30 feet in a combat round, double that if they charge or hustle (which is simply a move and do nothing else sort of action). Running has its own rules, but for our purposes in combat, you run at either 120' (leather or less), 90' (chain or less), or 60' (heavier than chain mail) depending on your armor.

ENCUMBRANCE: Simple rules here. Your Max load is 160 pounds and coinage weighs very little in our game. Carrying over 100 pounds of loot will reduce your combat speed to 20 feet and your run to 60'.

Humans, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, and Bleaker Goblins of Averlorn

HUMANS: Humans are among the most numerous of the “civilized” races and tend to be the dominant race in most political circles. Humans are broken down into 3 racial subtypes: the Ardrois of the city states, the sea-fairing Volkyr of the Archipelago, and the Thugee of the North. The three strands of humanity have substantially different cultures, technology, religious beliefs, etc. Their appearance and even body types are all markedly different. Humans of all sorts are found throughout the land and though they get on well with most races, humans view dwarves as trusted allies. The Thugee hold a deep resentment for elves of all sorts and their hatred for giants is unrelenting. Both of these beliefs seem to stem from deeply held religious principles.

HALF-ELVES: The elven gene frequently resurfaces in later generations in the lands of Averlorn so pure ½ human, ½ elven mixes are quite rare. Considering their mixed heritage, half-elves are welcome among both parent races. In fact, among certain cultures, they are viewed as favorite sons, chosen by the Gods for great deeds.

HALF-ORCS: Orcs are strange creatures in Averlorn being not so much a product of evolution, but rather born of sorcery from a forgotten past. Even today, many of their number are created by despotic wizards who use them to defend their domains. As a result, half-orcs are not at all uncommon since the parent orc race has no females, and breeding stock is found among whatever local populace of humans or humanoids is at hand.

BLEAKER GOBLINS: Often regarded as a bizarre mix of goblin and gnome, these creatures are found in the cities of Averlorn. They are a clever race, inventive and given to magical research and other intellectual pursuits. Bleaker goblins, which obviously share a distant ancestor with the common goblin, differ from their goblin cousins in that they have the large bulbous nose so characteristic of gnomes. Additionally, males sport thick beards (they curiously lack an accompanying moustache) and eyebrows, which they wear in a variety of imaginative styles, though always neat and trim. For such small creatures, they hold their kind in high regard to the point of being viewed as arrogant bores by most other races. No one would dispute their skill as spell casters, scholars and inventors, the problem seems to be that they are perhaps to much aware of their own perceived superiority.

Players should use the base gnome for bleaker goblin creation except that they enjoy a +1 save modifier to spells and devices rather than the +2 of their gnomish cousins. Their ability modifiers are +1 DEX, +1 INT, and -1 CHA. They make spectacular thieves and are unlimited in advancement. They may also advance to 12^th level magic user, perhaps even higher with exceptional intelligence. Most bleaker goblin PCs or NPCs will be a multi-class character with levels in either illusionist or magic user.

Halflings and Gnomes of Averlorn

HALFLINGS: Halflings are considerably different in Averlorn than in most settings. Though a few live a gypsy-like existence wandering from village to village, most are decidedly urban, making their way in the cities and towns of men and dwarves. Halflings are seen as pests by most humans and given their associations with rats of all sorts—which serve as both the halfling cow and dog at the same time— humans find them extremely unsavory creatures.

Halflings adore the lowly rat to the point of obsession and keep them as pets, admiring their tenacity and adaptability. Their close affinity to these creatures grants them virtual immunity to the diseases associated with vermin of all sorts. Halfings in The Hovels borough of Grand Oryx have bred giant rats to extreme proportions and use them as mounts for select dignitaries and sheriffs. They are prohibitively expensive, surly and short lived, but every self-respecting halfling considers them a “must have” status symbol.

In game play, Halflings gain a very limited version of the 1^st level druid spell Animal Companion at 2^nd level. This spell takes an hour or more “to cast” and is really, a spell like ability rather than an actual spell. They can make an attempt once per day and of course, they are limited to rats and giant rats. A Halfling may keep up to 2 + CHA bonus of rat pets. Of course, their human and elf associates will be thoroughly disgusted by this cultural trait, but Halflings won’t be deterred by ignorant and petty squeamishness.

GNOMES: The gnomes of Averlorn are very magical creatures, cousins of the fae and masters of illusions and trickery. Gnome communities can be found in both forests and hills, but very rarely in the cities of men. In game play, gnomes with an 18 INT enjoy unlimited advancement in the Illusionist class and gain a 15% bonus to learn any illusionist spell. Upon achieving name level as an Illusionist, gnomes may attempt to cast magic user spells from scrolls with a base 60% + Illusionist Level. Whether or not the attempt is successful, the individual spell is removed from the scroll.

Dwarves and Elves of Averlorn

Players may choose from the standard races in LL or AEC. Note that the Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling in LL are the setting default and all NPCs will be drawn from these rules, with but rare exception. Players on the other hand may choose for example, a Dwarf thief by using the rules given in AEC.

DWARVES: Dwarves prefer the company of humans and together, these two races flourish in the great cites of the world. In addition to the “traditional” Tolkien-esque dwarves of the PHB, there exists throughout Averlorn two dwarven subtypes, unique to the setting which are described below. Those are the Guild dwarves of Grand Oryx and the Bhakshanni who dwell in the remote mountain ranges of the world.

Guild dwarves are among the most skilled engineers, inventors, and craftsman in all the land. They guard their secrets jealously and are responsible for the odd mix of technology levels found throughout Thebos where they are most numerous. There are 2 sub-races of dwarves. Guild Dwarves do not use the ability modifiers of their more rural cousins, but are of a more urban, educated and refined nature. They possess INT +1, CHA -1 as ability modifiers and may rise to 9^th level in either Magic User or Illusionist classes. They may of course choose to useone of these in tandem as a mutliclass character along with the allowed races on p. 7 of the AEC. Players who wish to play some strange combination of classes for their dwarf, say Cleric/Assassin or similar, should choose to be a Guild Dwarf.

The Bhakshanni are primitive race of dwarves, regarded as barbaric savages by the more civilized peoples of Averlorn. As such, there is a considerable roleplaying penalty (-2) associated with playing a Bhakshanni, but to reflect their barbaric nature, they may (and often do) choose the Ranger class. Bhakshanni are immensely strong for their size and may ignore the first 25 pounds of any load they are carrying. Additionally, upon gaining a new level, Bhakshanni characters may re-roll their STR ability and adopt the new roll if it is higher than their current stat.

ELVES: Elves are quite numerous in Averlorn and though most other races struggle to identify the various sub-races and castes, these differences have an impact on characters within the setting. Elves frequently intermingle with the other races in the cities of Averlorn, drawn to the great repositories of learning and diversity of experience so often found therein. Most will eventually return to their forest homes after a time and on the whole, elves lead somewhat isolated existences. Elves are well-liked among most races since they are generally congenial and kind, the aggressive and warlike Mountain elves being a notable exception. However, the enmity that exists between elves and the Thugee (the Northmen of Averlorn) is long standing and encounters are usually a “no quarters asked, none given” sort of affair.

No other race is as attuned to the flow of magical energies as the elven people. It defines them and as such, those arcane spell casters within eleven communities occupy the highest order of their society. These beings are known as High elves or Star elves and are fearsome masters of all of the elements. All characters created using the basic LL rules for an elf are considered Star elves as are those using the Magic User rules from AEC (even as multiclass characters). Upon gaining a new spell level, Star elves automatically gain a spell of their choosing from the new level without rolling to learn it. These may be chosen from either LL or AEC. Star elves are adept at learning rare magics and may add a 15% bonus to their chance to learn a spell from sources such as Unearthed Arcana, etc.

Another sub-race among Eleven society is that of the priests and clerics who are known as Moon Elves. Moon Elves are great healers and may reroll any 1s or 2s when casting healing spells (though they must accept the subsequent roll of the die). Moon Elves are a very handsome race, gregarious and entertaining. They possess fine voices, play a number of musical instruments and know at least 2 additional languages. Their knowledge of folklore, legends, and history are the envy of most human scholars and they are often sought for advise in matters of obscure and forgotten lore.

Yet another order of Elven society are Sun Elves which account for all other types of characters, Fighters, Thieves, etc. Unlike the Star and Moon castes, Sun Elves are noticeably different even to outsiders. Sun Elf swordsmen are rightly feared and throughout the land exceptional individuals are highly desirable as mentors for the sons of the wealthy and privileged. To reflect this skill, Sun Elves get +1 to hit with either bows or swords as chosen by the player upon creation. When wielding the slender Elven long sword, those Sun Elves who are specialized in long sword, and any Sun Elf of 7^th level or higher, gain a +1 on individual initiative rolls. Sun Elves are paragons of Elven fitness and reroll their STR and DEX (+1 as per the standard AEC rules) stats at every new level, adopting the new roll if it is higher than their current stat.

Three other variants of the elves of Averlorn live in communities all to themselves and bear decidedly different appearances to other elves. The common Wood Elf, the Sea Elf, and the aloof, sky-fairing Mountain Elf have darker complexions and are considerably more muscular. Scholars assert that these three sub-races are in fact an offshoot of a fourth, the vile and wicked Drow, but the issue has never been settled.

Wood Elves make fantastic archers (+2/+1), among the most gifted in the know world in fact. Wood Elf players may play Rangers (without a level limit of any sort), speak an additional humanoid tongue and have uncanny range with a bow (50’ added to every range increment). Wood elves are also unlimited in their advancement in the fighter class.

Sea Elves live in small villages near the Great Banks and in small kingdoms in the Archipelago. They are occasionally seen in other lands since they have a tradition for wandering and travel within their culture. They are very hardy folk and may re-roll their CON ability at each level (and ignore the -1 CON modifier after 2nd level), increasing this ability should a higher number result. Like Moon elves, they possess a gift for languages and know at least 2 additional languages. They possess expansive knowledge of geography and all nautical matters and are unlimited in their advancement of the thief class. Sea Elves enjoy a unique relationship with dragons and even evil dragons may negotiate with them rather than attack.

Mountain elves enjoy a well-earned reputation for violence. Given their raiding nature, they are often known as Sky Devils, and this reputation for pillage and plunder results in a -2 penalty in any and all social skills, apart from those with other elves. Mountain Elves are closely related to Sea Elves and enjoy the same increasing CON rule, the same knowledge of geography and the 2 additional languages. Mountain elves make fine fighters and assassins and enjoy unlimited advancement in those classes. Skilled warriors, they are +1/+1 with all weapons. Mountain Elves have a great deal of experience with griffons and hippogriffs and are adept in their interactions with such beasts whether they're already tame or found in the wild.

Averlorn House Rules for LL AEC (ONLINE GAME)

ABILITIES: 4d6 drop the lowest, assigning them in order (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA). Abilities for Prime Reqs may be adjusted as per p. 7 LL Choosing a Class. This is a relatively simple approach that produces relatively heroic OD&D characters, yet makes Rangers, Paladins and others quite rare and "fun to shoot for" when rolling up a new dude.

HIT DIE: Use the advanced ones in AEC (will be phased out in future campaigns)

HP AT FIRST LEVEL: Rerolls 1s & 2s for a primary character at first level. After that, well, it will all balance out as you go along.

SECONDARY SKILLS: Pick 1 or roll 2.

SIMPLE ALIGNMENT: You can have Good or Neutral tendencies, but keeping it simple is cool.

RACE AS CLASS: Dwarf, Elf, or Halfling can use either option. NPCs, hirelings, etc. are always racial class for simplicity.

DEATH AT 0 FOR EVERYONE BUT...: PCs, NPCs, Boss Monsters, Big Scaries, etc. (let's call 'em Star Players) get a chance to hang in there via the Death & Dismemberment roll HERE

SHIELDS SHALL BE SPLINTERED: Can be used by Star Players, basically you can allow your shield to soak an attack that would otherwise hit and damage you. Your shield is shattered of course. Very realistic and fluffy. Magic Shields (which are quite rare) can do this as well and even though it no longer will function, it retains its magical nature and could be repaired. This may require a master smith and considerable outlay of coin.

NO SHIELDS FOR ARCANE CASTERS: Arcane spell casters need to travel light, hands at the ready to cast, etc. In truth this is simply to limit their access to the previous house rule.

VARIABLE COMBAT DAMAGE: As per the B/X Companion, p 24, basically, use the weapon you find to be most fluffy, damage is determined by class and weapon size.

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: The Fighter Column gains weapon spec at 2nd level, then again at 7th level but may not double specialize. One of the weapons chosen MUST be a cultural weapon detailed in the Player's Guide (or ask your DM). Bonus for all weapon spec is +1/+1.

SET SPEAR & LANCE ABILITY: As per RC all the Fighting Column may do this though no halfling may use the lance attack.

FIGHTER COMBAT OPTIONS: As per RC, kicks in at relatively high level, 12th for most of the Fighting Column, 11th for Elf and Halfling class.

THE FIGHTING COLUMN MAY CLEAVE: Swinging again is fun and heroic in HtH, though only once per round and you must be in range. Mooks are 1hd or less, at 7^th level, 1+ hd creatures get added to the list. At name level, you may cleave a number of time per round equal to 1+ your DEX bonus.

20 IS A CRIT FOR STAR PLAYERS: Double damage by rolling the damage dice a 2nd time BEFORE adding any bonuses. Alternatively, PCs (and PCs only) may choose to make an extra attack on anyone within reach. Against the Undead, the 2nd option is your only option.

DWARF, ELF & HALFLING CLASS: switch over to the RC level system (and benefits therein) once they achieve a level beyond their LL progression.

HIGHER LEVELS FOR DEMIHUMANS: May advance beyond LL AEC limits at a 50% penalty to bonus points, applied BEFORE any bonus from Prime Req.

RITUAL SPELLCASTING: From Beyond The Black Gate 2010 Compendium, available to both divine and arcane casters.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING: Roll your damage type (the highest of the two weapons usually) and take the higher roll. Secondary weapon must be small (ie dagger or the like), also adds +1 to Parry.

DWARVES & BATTLEAXES: Like peanut butter and jelly, dwarves may use them and in the hands of a dwarf, it functions as a Bastard Sword.