by Gary Astleford (penangallan@cox.net)
as of 11-16-00

CLASS AND CROSS-CLASS SKILLS

        Any character may buy any skill as a class skill, except for those specific to a class (ie, Animal Empathy). Some exceptions might be made, depending on the character's concept.
        The reason I'm ignoring this rule is two-fold. First, cross-class skills are a pain in the butt to keep track of, and it's generally easier to look at a skill list and pick the ones you want. Secondly, those classes with the shortest lists of class-skills generally get only two skill points per level (which, IMO, is pathetic as it is, even before you charge them double points for skills outside of their class).

ALIGNMENTS

        I'm loathe to allow players to have characters who are "True Neutral." The reasons are varied, but at the heart of the problem is the fact that I despise the moral ambiguity of True Neutral (TN). Players with TN characters seem to think that they can do anything they want on a whim. The book definition of TN allows for this. This makes characters as likely to be conscientious as diabolic. In some cases, TN characters are worse than the most depraved and evil villains. So, no True Neutral characters. Any other neutral combos are fine.

WEAPON DAMAGE

        I find it strange that Stone/Obsidian weapons would cost so much, yet be harder to hit with than bone weapons. Therefore, I will be using the following factors instead of those listed on the DM screen and in the AOH book for non-metal weapon modifiers and pricing:

Material Hit Penalty Damage Penalty Cost
Composite -1 to hit -0 to damage 50% normal cost
Stone/Obsidian -1 to hit -1 to damage 5% normal cost
Bone -2 to hit -1 to damage 3% normal cost
Wood -3 to hit -2 to damage 1% normal cost

Note : Composite weapons (mentioned in Lynn Abbey's fine novel "Cinnabar Shadows") utilize metal somewhere in their construction, usually in the form of a sharpened metal strip used as a blade instead of obsidian or stone.

WEAPON/EQUIPMENT COMPOSITION (Experimental -- Not Yet Complete)

Material Hit/Damage Modifiers Cost Break Conditions
Steel -0/-0 100% Fumble
Iron -0/-0 90% Fumble, Fail 12+
Bronze -0/-0 75% Fumble, Fail 10+
Copper -0/-0 60% Fumble, Fail 8+
Composite -1/-0 50% Fumble, Fail 6+
Stone/Obsidian -1/-1 5% Fumble, Fail 6+
Bone -2/-1 3% Fumble, Fail 4+
Wood -3/-2 1% Fumble, Fail 2+

Material: The material the item is made out of.
Hit/Damage Modifiers: The respective hit and damage modifiers for a weapon made of that material.
Cost: The cost of a weapon/item compared to a similar item that is made of steel. For example, a bone longsword costs 3% of what a steel longsword would cost.
Break Conditions: The conditions under which a weapon or tool of this material might be damaged.
Fumble -- Indicates a check need only be made when a fumble (natural "1") is rolled.
Fail # -- Indicates a check need only be made when a skill and/or attack roll misses by the listed amount.

SPELL CASTING

        Magic-users are bound by spell components, be they verbal, somatic, or material. The only material component for any priest spell is the priest's holy symbol (his "divine focus"), which must be extended, held aloft, or clutched by the caster to invoke the power. Somatic components should be defined by the player, in addition to verbal components.
        When the player of a wizard character casts a spell that requires a verbal component, he must recite a poem or epithet which must remain constant every time he casts the spell. Usually, these poems are no more than two lines, though GMs may require more lines for more powerful, higher-level spells. They don't have to rhyme.
        When the player of a priest character cast a spell that requires a verbal component (all of them do in my game), he or she must invoke her deity with a "prayer." The prayer need not be pre-planned. If the prayer is spoken with eloquence and conviction, the spell may gain a bonus in effect and/or duration, at the GM's option. This shouldn't happen often -- only when dramatically appropriate. Priests have the option of writing their prayers down, if they so wish.
        Really hard-assed GMs may require priests who cast "Chant" to actually chant the entire time the spell is maintained. This can lead to a confused game where the priest's player is chanting, "Oooh, eeee, oooh, ah ah, ting, tang, walla walla bing bang" over and over and over again. If the player stops to chat with other players, the spell is dropped.
        Optionally, if a verbal component is in any way interrupted -- by another player messing with the caster, or if the caster hic-ups, burps, laughs, loses his concentration, forgets his incantation, stutters, etc -- the spell fizzles. DMs may allow the player to roll a Wisdom check, DC 12, in order to get the spell off as normal.
        Casting a spell should not always require the verbal components to be spoken aloud by the player. Only in times of stress (during combat, or when the spell could change the course of the game) should a GM require that the somatic and verbal components be recited. For example, if a priest is healing the party and must cast Cure Light Wounds six separate times, it's usually enough to make the priest's player recite ONE prayer for the wounded, not six, as this can get tedious for all involved and wastes time that is better spent playing the game.
        As a disclaimer for myself, material components are generally not appropriate at the gaming table. GMs should never force their players to eat live spiders or throw colored sand around. Aside from being messy, this can get dangerous.

CLERICS AND SPELL MEMORIZATION

        Clerics in my game don't have to memorize what spells they are casting each day. Spells are gained spontaneously, when a priest implores his god for aid. As long as the number of spells cast doesn't exceed the maximum number he can cast per day, the priest can cast whatever spell he likes (as long as the gods approve and his request for aid is eloquent enough). If a priest casts his maximum number of spells, he must rest for at least eight hours and pray to his god upon waking.

EXPERIENCE AWARDS

        The following are standard experience awards for player characters in my game. The list is subject to change without notice.

Casting an arcane or divine spell 50 per spell level
Completing an adventure successfully 1000 or more
Defeating a monster/enemy (not necessarily killing it) Varies, divided between PCs
Disarming a trap/opening a lock Varies
Discovering an item's use through trial and error (not IDing it) 10% of item's xp value, 100 xp min.
Escaping from a hostile encounter (and living) Normal XP/2, divided between PCs
Experiencing an event, Minor 10
Experiencing an event, Important 25
Experiencing an event, Life-Changing 50 or more
Finding a concealed door 25
Finding a secret door 100
Meeting a new Player Character 10
Meeting an important NPC 10 or more
Miniature, painted 500 or 1000
Miniature, unpainted 500
Participating in a "prelude" 500
Reading a game-based novel 250
Successful use of a skill (trained or untrained) 25
Unsuccessful use of a skill (trained only) 10
Use of a psionic devotion 25
Use of a psionic science 50
Use of a special ability granted by one's class 25
Unsuccessful use of an ability granted by one's class 10
Writing a character-based story or history 500 + 50 per additional page

WOUND TRACK

        The Wound Track simulates disability caused by wounds. Both NPCs and PCs suffer negative effects from wounds, with few exceptions (noted below). There are six levels of health. Note that in the case of percentages, round fractions up. Ie, 50% of 25 will round up to 13.

OKAY: If the character is unwounded, or above 75% of his maximum hit point total, he is Okay. He suffers no wound penalties, and his actions are unimpeded.
LIGHTLY WOUNDED: A character who has been lightly wounded has lost over 25% of his hit points. He suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls, including to-hits, saving throws, proficiency checks, and attribute checks, as well as a -2 to his morale (in the case of NPCs and monsters).
SERIOUSLY WOUNDED: A seriously wounded character has lost over 50% of his hit points. As such, he is -2 to all rolls, has a -4 modifier to his morale, and a +1 to all initiative rolls. In addition, his movement score is reduced by 25%.
CRITICALLY WOUNDED: Critically wounded characters are bloody messes who have lose over 75% of their hit points. They're literally holding their guts in with one hand and wielding their sword with the other. Penalties for critically wounded characters include a -4 to all rolls, a -6 modifier to morale, and a +2 to all initiative rolls. Movement scores are also reduced by 50%.
MORTALLY WOUNDED: When a character loses over 90% of his maximum hit points, he is mortally wounded. Characters who are mortally wounded who do not get medical attention (ie, healing proficiency, magical healing, or potions) will lose 1 hit point per hour until they are reduced to 0. At this point, they must make a roll against their CON-8 every hour to hang on. A failed roll indicates death. An active character who is mortally wounded has a -8 modifier to all rolls, a -8 to his morale, and +3 to all initiative rolls. His movement score is reduced to a crawling 25% of maximum.
DYING: Anyone reduced to less than 0 hit points is dying. They lose one hit point every round until they reach -10, at which point they expire. In addition, if a PC, NPC, or monster takes more than half its maximum hit points in damage in one hit, it is considered stunned. Stunned characters and monsters lose their actions/attacks for the current round, and are unable to act for one round afterward. I usually allow them to defend, though, so there is no bonus to hit a stunned character or monster. These penalties affect all creatures and characters, with the exception of undead. Undead are already dead, and their sensations of pain and discomfort are somewhat different from those of the living. Therefore, the wound track is not used in the case of undead, intelligent or otherwise.

FUMBLE CHARTS

        Fumbles occur when a character or monster rolls a natural 1 on a to-hit roll. Depending on the attack being made, the player or GM rolls on a chart below. Effects are applied immediately. These fumble charts are based on those appearing in the "Hardwired" supplement for the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game. Of course, they've been modified to work with the AD&D rules.

Hand to Hand Fumble Chart (Roll 1d100)

01-10: Character falls, 1D6/3 rounds to rise.
11-20: Thrown off stride. Lose next attack pulling yourself together.
21-30: All damage from attacks cut in half, rounding down, for 1D6/3 rounds.
31-40: All opponents have +2 to hit the fumbler for one full combat round.
41-50: Weapon dropped. Must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to pick up the weapon in subsequent rounds. If no weapon present, lose next attack instead.
51-60: Character falls. Must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to stand up during subsequent rounds.
61-65: Vision obscured. All die rolls suffer -4 for 1D6 rounds.
66-70: Stumble and twist ankle. All die rolls cut in half next round, and character moves at half movement for 2d10 rounds.
71-80: Lose balance. Character must make a Dexterity check (DC 10 plus environmental modifiers) or fall to the ground. Must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to stand up during subsequent rounds.
81-85: Weapon, if present, breaks (make saving throw, if applicable). If no weapon, fumbling character takes 1d6 damage.
86-95: Fumblers leaves himself open. Opponent automatically adds +2 to his next attack, and gains +2 damage if he hits.
96: A random opponent automatically scores critical success on next attack.
97-98: Roll to hit nearest friend. Roll to hit self if no friend nearby. Damage is halved.
99: Roll to hit self for base damage (modifiers for strength do not apply).
00: Roll to hit self for critical success (basically, character "threatens" himself).

Missile Weapon Fumble Chart (Roll 1d100)

01-05: Character is uncertain of his shot and holds his fire for the rest of the round.
06-10: Character continues to aim; opponents have +2 to hit him due to his stationary position, and he continues to provoke attacks of opportunity from nearby foes.
11-30: If bow or crossbow -- string breaks, and a new one must be installed before weapon can be fired. If sling or staff sling -- sling is dropped or detaches from staff, landing 1d10 feet away. If thrown object -- weapon lands at character's feet. If thrown javelin or spear -- weapon fumbled and dropped. Dropped weapons can be retrieved in subsequent rounds with a successful Dexterity check (DC 10).
31-40: Weapon dropped. Must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to pick up the weapon in subsequent rounds.
41-50: Shot fired, but misses by a mile. Laughable.
51-60: Vision obscured. All die rolls suffer -4 for next 1D6 rounds.
61-70: Lose balance. Character must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) or fall to the ground. If he falls, he must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to stand up during subsequent rounds.
71-75: Character is stung/bitten by an insect (1 point) and loses remaining actions this round.
76-85: Weapon dropped. Must make a Dexterity check (DC 10) to pick up the weapon in subsequent rounds.
86-90: Weapon fires prematurely. Roll 1D100:
        01-15: roll to hit self with an attack bonus of +0;
        16-20: roll to hit random friend with an attack bonus of +0;
        21-25: roll to hit random enemy with an attack bonus of +0;
        26-00: no one is shot at.
91-94: Roll to hit random friend with an attack bonus of +0. If no friend present, roll to hit self with an attack bonus of +0.
95: Roll to hit random friend with full attack bonus. If no friend present, roll to hit self with full attack bonus.
96-98: Roll to hit self with full attack bonus.
99: Roll to hit self for critical success (basically, character threatens himself).
00: Unless when has a string, it breaks. If it has a string, the string breaks. Roll 1d10:
        1-5: String whips exposed skin on arm for 1d3 points of damage;
        6-9: String whips exposed skin on face for 1d4 points of damage;
        10: String whips across face, destroying an eye for 1d6 points of damage.

CRITICAL HITS

        If a critical hit occurs, roll on the following chart to determine any additional effects.

Major Wound Table (Roll 1d100)

        This table is based on the Major Wound table in Chaosium's "Stormbringer" role-playing game. In addition to use when a critical hit occurs, a GM may call for a roll on this table if a character or monster takes more than half its maximum hit points in damage in one hit, as well.

01-50 : Wound causes an impressive scar, but no other ill effects.
51 : Left eye poked out/gouged/crushed/etc. Comeliness -1.
52 : Right eye poked out/gouged/crushed/etc. Comeliness -1.
53 : Nose chopped off/knocked off/destroyed. Comeliness -4.
54 : Left ear cut off/ripped off/destroyed; hearing impaired. Comeliness -1.
55 : Right ear cut off/ripped off/destroyed; hearing impaired. Comeliness -1.
56-57 : Broken/smashed jaw. Lose 1d8 teeth. Comeliness -1.
58 : Severe injury to vertebrae/muscles in back. Reduce lifting/carrying/bend bars scores by half.
59 : Severe concussion and head injury resulting in brain damage. Lose 1d4-1 points of Intelligence.
60-62 : Mild concussion and head injury. Lose 1d2-1 points of Intelligence.
63-64 : Disemboweled/major organ damage. Lose 1d4-1 points of Constitution. Possible delayed fatality.
65-68 : Cleaved/broken ribs. Movement and lifting/carrying scores reduced by half until healed.
69-72 : Broken left arm. 25% chance that it heals improperly, resulting in -2 to all actions with that arm.
73-76 : Broken right arm. 25% chance that it heals improperly, resulting in -2 to all actions with that arm.
77-79 : Left hand and part of arm amputated/mangled beyond repair. Lose 1 point of Dexterity.
80-82 : Right hand and part of arm amputated/mangled beyond repair. Lose 1 point of Dexterity.
83-86 : Broken left leg. 25% chance it heals improperly, reducing Stride score by -2.
87-90 : Broken right leg. 25% chance that it heals improperly, reducing Stride score by -2.
91-92 : Hamstring left leg, making it useless. Stride reduced by -4, dexterity reduced by -4.
93-94 : Hamstring right leg, making it useless. Stride reduced by -4, dexterity reduced by -4.
95-97 : Left leg amputated/mangled beyond repair. Reduces Stride score by 1/2, and dexterity by -4.
98-00 : Right leg amputated/mangled beyond repair. Reduces Stride score by 1/2, and dexterity by -4.

NEW ATTRIBUTE -- STRIDE

        Stride ("Std") is a new (optional) attribute for my game, giving a basic rating for how fast or slow a character is compared to others of his race. I got tired of all characters having the same movement rate, so I decided to modify things a little bit. Depending on the character's Stride attribute, his movement rate is modified, either for good or for ill. Add the character's Stride bonus to his base movement, both in an out of armor. For example, a halfling with a Stride score of 14 has a base movement of 22 feet.