100 days of B/X (part III - B11 to B14) - alignment, costs, language

Continued from here.

B11 - Alignment.

Too much time has been spent on the subject. Here, the "cosmic forces" are not even mentioned, and alignment is just a measure of how trustworthy and altruistic you are. Law is explicitly similar to Good and Chaos explicitly similar to Evil. It doesn't work much better or worse than other versions of D&D. 

Because of that, alignment languages do not make sense here.

In addition, alignment is kept secret for Chaotics and Neutrals, but Neutrals have little reason to hide their alignment, and Alignment Language could be tested anyway...

B12 - Cost of Weapons and Equipment

The costs are very strange by medieval standards, but they make sense to make the game a bit more interesting and challenging, as PCs cannot carry much treasure at once.

One tip for remembering how much a coin is worth is The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16): one silver coin per day of work is a decent, standard wage for an ordinary laborer.

Armor is too cheap compared to other items, while garlic is ridiculously expensive, perhaps due to a typo. Plate armor costs about a dozen cloves of garlic, which I discussed before. These outliers have been fixed and simplified.

B13 - Language

This is purely setting-specific IMO. I don't think B/X (and D&D in general) is great in this aspect. Maybe a percentage of all intelligent creatures should speak Common anyway, to allow for more roleplaying and social interaction. I don't think it is an issue that needs to be changed or explored much in a minimalist game, anyway.

Not much to add to the player character creation example. It seems as always that the PC rolled a bit well for his stats, but not by much. Most of this has been covered in the last post.

B14 is the character sheet.

I'll stop here because B15 describes spellcasting and probably deserves a post of its own.

Anyway, here is my version.

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Equipment

Most items are simplified because items are not the focus of the game. Weapons, armor and shields received more attention to make combat more diverse and interesting. Ordinary clothes are assumed and not counted.

Currency

The usual currency in this game is coins of various metals. For simplicity’s sake, assume all coins have similar weight, and each metal is ten times more valuable than the next in the list. 

1 platinum piece (pp) = 10 gold pieces (gp) = 100 silver pieces (sp) = 1,000 copper pieces (cp).

A gold coin is enough for hot meal, a cold beer or a night in a collective room. Copper pieces are rarely worth carrying for adventurers, but are common currency in hamlets etc. A common laborer will earn rough 1 gp per day and eat cheaper food.

100 coins weight one “item” (i.e., roughly 3 pounds).

Quick equipment selection (optional)

Instead of picking equipment, it is easier to give starting characters a predetermined selection. Each is worth about 105 gp. Feel free to add 10 gp to each character for saving everyone’s time if you want.

Fighter (96 gp equipment + 9 gp spare, 19 weight)

Light armor, light shield, large weapon, medium weapon, backpack, bedroll, camping gear, healing kit, rations × 3, rope, torches.

Thief (100 gp equipment + 5 gp spare, 16 weight)

Light armor, daggers × 2, sling, sling bullets, lock picks, backpack, bedroll, rations × 3, rope, grappling hook, torches.

Cleric (101 gp equipment + 4 gp spare, 16 weight)

Light armor, light shield, medium weapon, holy symbol, backpack, bedroll, rations × 3, healing kit, torches.

Mage (83 gp equipment + 22 gp spare, 16 weight)

Staff, daggers × 2, sling, sling bullets, grimoire, backpack, bedroll, rations × 3, rope, healing kit, hooded lantern, oil × 3, steel mirror, blank book, torches.

Miscellaneous equipment

Food (one day): Fresh (1 gp, weight 1), must be eaten within a week. Rations (2 gp, weight 1/3) last for one month. A hot meal or cold beer in a tavern costs 1 gp.

Common tools (5 gp, weight 1): backpack (holds 10 weight), bedrolls (winter bedrolls: 10 gp, weight 2), blank books, block and tackle (requires rope), board game, camping gear (flint, small blade and hammer), chain (per feet), climbing gear (for wood surfaces or similar; stone climbing gear is 10 gp, weight 2), clothes (winter clothing: 10 gp, weight 2), cooking tools, crowbars, fishing tools, grappling hook, hammers, healing kits (10 uses), hooded oil lantern, hunting traps, merchant's scale, musical instruments (small, like drums, horns, trumpets; larger and more complex instruments cost 10 gp or more), rope (silk, per 20 feet), shackles, steel mirror, winter blankets.

Heavy tools (5 gp, weight 3): caltrops (enough for 10 square feet), shovel, pick, iron spikes (30), tent (1 person).

Cheap tools (1 sp, weight 3): 15 torches, 10' pole, 20 candles (weight 1).

Expensive tools (25 gp, weight 1): holy symbol, lock picks, grimoire, and luxury versions of common items (that might be 10% better or give you a +1 bonus to a test).

Liquids: water for one day (usually free, weight 1; weight 2 in very hot weather), pint of oil (1 gp, weight 1/3 — can be lit and thrown 20' for 1d6 fire damage), holy water (25 gp, weight 1/3 — can be thrown 20' for 1d8 damage against undead, demons, etc.).

Skills & tools

Skills will often require tools such as a healing kit, climbing gear, lock picks, etc. Improvised tools will often cause disadvantages. Some tasks will be impossible without tools or made with a -10 penalty (GM's call).

Melee Weapons

In the case of melee weapons, the damage, price, and weight are determined by size. 

Size Damage Price (gp) Weight

Small (S) 1d4 3 1/3

Medium (M) 1d6 5 1

Large (L) 1d8 10 2

Great (G) 1d10 20 2

Small weapons can be used in the offhand and thrown (10 feet). E.g., dagger, dart, sap.

Medium weapons are used in the main hand and can likewise be thrown (10 feet). E.g., short sword, hand axe, light mace.

Large can be used in one or both hands (+1 damage when used with both). E.g., longsword, dane axe, heavy mace.

Great weapons must use two hands to attack. Two-handed sword (zweihänder, claymore), great axe, lucerne hammer, maul, most polearms, etc.

Ranged Weapons

All ranged weapons require ammunition and two hands to operate.

Weapon Damage Price (gp) Weight Range

Sling 1d4 2 1/3 40'

Short bow 1d6 20 1 60'

Long bow 1d6 30 2 70'

Crossbow 1d8 40 2 80'

Crossbows are slow. You must spend one round (or attack, if you have several) reloading between shots.

Ammunition costs:

• Arrows or bolts. 20 for $5, weight 1.

• Sling bullets. 30 for $1, weight 1.

Armor and shields

Armor comes in three types: light (+2 AC, 40 gp, weight 5), medium (+4 AC, 160 gp, weight 10), and heavy (+6 AC, 360 gp, weight 15). Unarmored characters have AC 10. The Dexterity modifier is always added to AC.

Shields

Shields may be light (AC +1, 10 gp, weight 2) or heavy (AC +2, 24 gp, weight 4; AC +4 against missile weapons). If used offensively, they deal 1d2 damage. Reinforced shields, made mostly of iron or heavy wood, add 50% to weight and cost; they are somewhat tougher but grant no extra bonuses to AC.

Languages

Every character begins to play knowing how to speak Common plus one additional language. Non-human characters have their extra language determined by their ancestry, while human characters may freely choose their extra language from the available list. Characters with positive modifiers in Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma may select further languages as described in the Modifiers chapter.

In most settings, characters begin the game illiterate. A character may learn to read and write by trading one of their available language slots for literacy rather than an additional spoken language.

The languages available to characters depend on the setting. Some common languages are Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Halfling, Goblin, Draconic, Celestial, and Infernal. Common is the most widely spoken tongue across all peoples. Celestial and Infernal are the languages of angels and devils respectively, Draconic is used by dragons and sorcerers, and Goblin is used by goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, and similar peoples. Other languages may include Thieves' Cant (a secret, coded language used by criminals and rogues to communicate secretly in plain sight), trail signs and sign language. In some settings there might be dozens of languages (sometimes even in the same kingdom) and a few alphabets.

Trading Languages

After selecting Common and their first additional language, a character may trade every three further languages for one skill of their choice instead. Spellcasters may choose one extra spell in place of a skill. For example, a character with five extra languages from high ability scores could end up with Common, Elvish, Goblin, Literacy, and one skill.

Alignment Languages (Optional)

If the setting uses alignment languages, each character may select the language of their alignment (Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic) for free, in addition to their other languages. The GM should confirm whether alignment languages are in use before character creation begins.

"Tragic Characters"

If you rolled your charters and the sum of all abilities is below 63, you can re-roll the smallest ability score once and take the best result. Repeat this until the result is 63 or greater. Alternatively, re-roll all abilities at once.

Skills & Checks

Skills

Certain characters gain skills through their ancestry, class, or talents. Skills allow characters to accomplish impressive feats that would be very difficult for the untrained.

A skill is calculated using the highest relevant ability score plus the character's level, minus 10. For example, a level 3 character trained in Alchemy with Intelligence 13 has a skill of 6 (i.e., 13 + 3 − 10). To test a skill, roll 1d20 and add your skill level; a result of 20 or more is a success. A natural 1 always forces a second roll; if that roll also fails, a mishap occurs at the GM's discretion.

 Alchemy (Int/Wis). The character can identify potions, poisons, and similar substances. Mishap: the substance is misidentified or accidentally imbibed.

 Athletics (Str/Dex). Covers climbing steep surfaces, jumping long distances, swimming in extreme currents, and other hard physical feats. Mishap: the character falls midway if climbing, falls prone and takes 1d6 damage if jumping, or risks drowning if swimming.

 Awareness (Cha/Wis). The character's general alertness to their environment, such as noticing an ambush or suspicious behavior.

 Decipher (Int/Wis). The character can attempt to decipher unfamiliar languages, codes, and scripts. Mishap: the text is misread.

 Find (Int/Wis). The character can search for hidden doors, concealed objects, and things hidden in plain sight.

 Healing (Int/Wis). The character can heal 1d4 HP per person immediately after combat, and 1 HP per person once per day just before sleep. Mishap: the patient loses 1 or 1d4 HP instead.

 Hear (Wis). In a quiet environment, the character can listen at doors or detect approaching sounds.

 Locks & Traps (Dex/Int). Covers picking locks and finding and removing traps. Picking locks requires thieves' tools and may only be attempted once per lock. Finding and removing a trap each require a separate roll and may only be attempted once per trap. Mishap: the lock and lockpick are broken, or the trap is triggered.

 Lore (Int/Wis). Covers history, myths, legends, and arcane knowledge. Mishap: the character recalls confidently but incorrectly, and the GM provides false information.

 Nature (Int/Wis). Covers tracking, hunting, foraging, and wilderness survival. Mishap: the character becomes lost, follows a false trail, blunders into a monster, or unknowingly gathers something poisonous.

 Persuasion (Cha). Twice per encounter, the character may re-roll a reaction roll or morale check, taking the better result. Mishap: the attempt backfires; take the worse result instead.

 Sleight of Hand (Dex). Covers picking pockets and similar feats of manual misdirection. Mishap: the attempt is noticed immediately and with certainty.

 Stealth (Dex). Covers hiding in shadows and moving silently. Attacking or moving breaks concealment. Mishap: the character makes a conspicuous noise or is spotted in plain sight.

Unskilled Characters

The GM may decide that certain tasks are simply impossible for the untrained. Alternatively, an untrained character uses their raw ability score minus 10. A character with Intelligence 13 attempting an Alchemy roll would roll as if he had Alchemy 3 (i.e., 13 − 10). I prefer to err on the side of “there is always a chance”, noticing that unskilled attempts are often dangerous.

Ability Checks and Unskilled Tasks

If a task is easy and could be accomplished by an average person with some effort (e.g., breaking down a door or climbing a rope) it is rolled using the raw ability score alone, with no penalty. For example, 1d20 + 13 for a character with Strength 13. If the character has a relevant skill, they may add their level to this roll as well.

Alignment

The universe hangs in the balance of the cosmic struggle between Law, the infinite unifying principle of order and conformity, and Chaos, the unrelenting entropic force of freedom and change. It is up to you to pick a side or remain neutral.

You can choose to be Lawful, Chaotic, Neutral, or Unaligned, unless your class or other features require a specific alignment. Alignment is not a straitjacket for behavior, but a summary of your philosophy, worldview, and sympathies.

Lawful characters believe in heavenly order. There are divine laws, legitimate rulers, and faithful prophets, though also false idols and usurpers. Unholy magic is better left alone, the undead must be destroyed, and other aberrations with them. Some Lawful creatures are very dangerous, because the universe has mysterious rules the mortal mind cannot fully comprehend. To defy Law is to bring destruction upon the world.

Chaotic characters believe in freedom and chance. There are no legitimate kings or queens, no perfect doctrines, no reasonable taboos. The universe is ruled by randomness. The strong rule the weak with power and lies, as it always has been. People and magic are just tools for the clever. Even demons may cut good deals if you’re smart enough. 

Neutral characters believe in Balance. Both Law and Chaos are inimical to humankind, as each vision of paradise would turn this world into a living hell. The gods of Neutrality, if they exist at all, are bound by nature and want to preserve reality as it is. Life is more important than order or freedom.

Unaligned people and creatures are agnostic about this struggle, whether because they don't fully understand it, feel they cannot affect it, or simply don't care.

People don't always act in accordance with their alignment, and it is often hard to distinguish one from another. All alignments contain good and evil people. A Lawful character may wage war against other Lawful sects for religious or mundane reasons or choose justice over mercy without exception. Chaotic characters may cooperate with Neutral or Lawful ones to achieve a common goal. A Neutral character can pray to the Lawful gods against the hordes of Chaos in a moment of need.

Lawful and Neutral beliefs are more common amongst humankind, though Chaos is often worshiped simultaneously, or in secret.

Many nonhuman creatures identify as forces of Law, Chaos, or Neutrality. It is often hard to say if they're telling the truth. As a rule, Lawful creatures are somewhat more predictable, since they have rules to follow (though those rules often contradict each other).

Hit Points as Dodge / short term exhaustion

Short post today.

D&D HP is abstract, I know. But what if it weren’t?

I used to think mild bleeding would be the closest analog. But in my experience it doesn’t hold up.

I’ve had broken bones; they don’t work like HP damage at all. Same for disease.

In practice, HP loss basically: 

A) Make you closer to death, but; 

B) With the same effectiveness in attacking, running, etc., as if you were unscathed.

When I broke my foot, I was IMMEDIATELY out of any possible fight (which probably means 0 HP), but I also could run effectively, etc. Breaking an arm meant I couldn’t fight at all, but maybe I could still run.

Exhaustion didn’t leave me wounded or ready to attack either. But maybe slower to dodge? In other words, an slower reaction time (your running speed and accuracy remain similar). That works.

Boxers and MMA fighters accumulate damage, bruises, etc., but a similar thing happens in BJJ: as you get short-term exhaustion, you get gassed out and more vulnerable to an attack. But you STILL could get a lucky punch (although a “lucky submission” doesn’t happen as often, people DO win with late submissions after taking a great beating).

In AD&D, IIRC, marching too makes you temporarily lose levels; it works even better as it affects your attacks, spells and skills.

But HP as short-term exhaustion that makes you slower to dodge is easier and still makes sense.

You can STILL carry “wounds” from one day to another, but in this case the 5e method of recovering all HP in a day or two makes more sense, as short-term exhaustion cannot usually be carried for a long while.

And a trained fighter/adventurer can recover faster.

So maybe HP is a combination of accumulated internal/external damage AND short-term exhaustion. AND long term exhaustion... Guess we’re back to the abstract. Sigh. At least we are not using luck and plot armor in our definition.

Well, at least thinking of HP as exhaustion rather than just wounds easily explains why you can lose HP from starvation, dehydration, sleep deprivation, etc. (although Constitution damage seems to work better for those purposes, especially to disallow high-level PCs to survive two weeks without water as most people die after in day, both extremes sounding absurd for adult humans).

And this keeps 0 HP = open yourself to serious wounds, which is why we need a random table to make results more diverse, as they are in real life (a serious wound can take days, months or years to recover... IF you survive).

Realism, you ask? Nope; I'm into verisimilitude + fun.

100 days of B/X (part II - B1 to B10)

Part I.

We have all read B/X many times. Now I'll re-read it with a critical eye, looking for things I don't like and have house-ruled away, to create my new version.

It is a minimalist (or almost minimalist) version, and I'll mercilessly cut every part that is not used often to enhance the fun of my games.

I still want to make it COMPATIBLE, at least vaguely, to TSR D&D, for several reasons - I like playing classic modules, and I'm very used to the numbers, procedures, monsters, etc.

I'll skip huge swaths and just focus on the most interesting bits. If you have never read B/X, I'd recommend taking a look for yourself (for the reasons explained here).

Here we go!

B1 - credits and art, skipped.

B2 - Foreword and acknowledgements. 

"Those rules [original D&D] were written for people with a background of gaming experience. This revision was designed to be easily read and used by individuals who have never before played a role playing game. In the half-dozen years since the original rules were published, the TSR staff has answered thousands of rule's questions. The answers helped find problem areas in those rules, areas which could either stand minor improvements or were difficult for novice gamers to understand. This revision was aided not only by the collected gaming experience of TSR personnel but by the gaming experience of the thousands of players and DMs who sent us letters in the mail."

My house rules (and this series of posts, of course), are meant for people with a background in D&D, so I will not teach how to roleplay. But, like B/X, they are based on problems that emerged from my real experiences with the rules, and I should probably start my own foreword with that.

B3 - How To Use This Book, Definitions of Standard D&D Terms.

Not much to comment on here for the reasons explained in B2. Basic covers levels 1-3, mostly dungeon adventures, while Expert covers levels 4-14, and the Companion (which never appeared for B/X) would take characters to 36th level. As I explained in another post, levels 1-20 work much better, although anything beyond 15 has to be added to B/X instead of adapted. I will consider it.

One thing to note is that the wilderness is too deadly for 1st-level PCs and becomes too easy around 8th level, which also needs to be taken into account.

B4 - "At the start of the game, the players enter the dungeon..." interesting advice and probably too often ignored. The "caller" is explained here but I don't use it my games.

Use of the Word "Level" explains the confusion created by the lack of a good thesaurus when the word "level" was used in the game, since characters, dungeons, spells, and monsters are all divided into levels that are not necessarily compatible (e.g., a level 5 MU can get a level 3 spell in dungeon level 4). Later editions dropped monster levels, but it's the use that makes the most sense when compared to PC levels ("A monster's level is equal to the number of Hit Dice").

I'll skip "How to Use Dice," but the section below is interesting because it never really explains how to win or what the game's actual goals are, beyond the obvious goal of having fun. Not great, IMO, but I'll skip this is my game too.

B5: PART 2: PLAYER CHARACTER INFORMATION

This section explains the creation of PCs. Not much to add here; I find 3d6 in order too harsh (and not even used in the basic modules anyway), equipping characters too boring (it could be replaced by starting packages, which I'll leave as an option), and the rest can be simplified. See my version below.

B6: Character Abilities, Ability Score Adjustments, Hit Points and Hit Dice: nothing to comment here. 
It is interesting that Charisma and Constitution cannot be changed, as they are useful to all PCs. But, to be honest, I wouldn't see a problem with reducing them to 9 to raise prerequisites. However, I find the whole idea of prerequisites an unnecessary complication, so I'm skipping it.

1st-level HP is a problem that is often house-ruled away because most players do not want PCs starting the game with 1 HP. But since I don't treat 0 HP as immediate death in my games, I won't change it.

B7: Bonuses and Penalties Due to Abilities.

I love the simple -3 to +3 bonuses and penalties, so I'll probably keep them. I'm replacing the maximum number of retainers and morale with something else, and since there is no separate magic save for now, Wisdom and Charisma will grant additional languages like Intelligence does.

Still, every ability score matters, since I'll be using a roll-under system for skills.

B8: Character Class Tables

One of my main reasons for creating my minimalist version of B/X is that I dislike looking up tables. I'd much rather have a 7th-level fighter gain a +7 attack bonus and +7 to saving throws. It works surprisingly well, being essentially Target 20 with a few twists of my own.

Thief abilities are described here. I've turned them into skills because that solves several problems. Skills are based on ability score minus 10 (minimum 0), plus level, giving starting thieves roughly a 15%-20% chance of success, which I find reasonable.

Backstab is NOT described here, and I won't be turning it into a skill. It will remain a special ability.

B9-B10: Character Classes

Here things start to get a bit tricker. I will add cleave and multiple attacks to fighters. Turn undead will be simplified to 1d6, with results that are not dissimilar to B/X (or even RC on higher levels). Thieves and mages are similarly simplified, but spellcasting will be dealt with in its own chapter. Clerics will be nerfed as they are too powerful.

Things such as dwarves and elves will be treated separately from class. For now, I'll keep many of the same special powers and maybe give humans a few ability points, but I might change this later, as I don't find these powers neither interesting nor sensible.

Magic-users and clerics get "taboos" to avoid using some weapons and armor, but these are a lot less restrictive than the originals.

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MY VERSION:

Here are how my corresponding house-ruled version looks so far, without much formatting. I will share the whole PDF later on.

1. Introduction

This is a minimalist version of classic/OSR games. It functions as a toolbox, not a complete game. It has no spells or monsters, for example; it only replaces character rules.

This game assumes:

• You are familiar with classic/OSR games.

• You are looking for a quicker, easier version (or reference book) that still fits perfectly, with little conversion needed.

• You want more options with less complexity.

• You want to keep the d20, six abilities, saving throws and other traits of the classic games.

In short, this game has:

• A single d20 mechanic. To do almost anything, roll 1d20 plus ability bonus/penalty and other modifiers, try to hit a DC (usually 20).

• Attack rolls use a similar system, adding attack bonus (AB) and hitting the target's AC.

• A single saving throw, although some classes and races will have certain bonuses. To make a saving throw, roll 1d20, add your level and any appropriate bonuses. The DC is usually 20, but see "miscellaneous rules".

• Ability checks work in a similar manner. "Roll under" is optional and not assumed.

• Spell slots and Vancian casting are replaced by a similar check.

• Ability scores have some additional functions.

• Identical XP tables for all classes. You can replace XP with "milestones" or some other form of advancement if desired.

• No prime requisites. No XP bonuses due to high ability scores, etc.

• Four classes, four races. Race is separated from class. Any race can pick any class, barring setting limitations.

• No level and class limitations for elves, dwarves, etc. Some aspects of these races have been changed to compensate.

• Fewer armor/weapon limitations. These have been reduced to a minimum.

• Streamlined skills and checks. Percentage skills, 1-in-6 checks, etc. are replaced by a d20 roll, which includes thieves' skills.

• Advantage/disadvantage is optional. Advantage means you roll two dice and pick the best one; disadvantage means the opposite. This replaces +4/-4 modifiers if you dislike these (or if passing/failing a check would be impossible and you want to make it possible).

• Fighters, experts and mages replace other terms (fighting-man, magic-user, etc.) for short.

• Minimal added crunch (note to self). Document must be 60 pages or less (including rules on PCs, monsters and GMs). Appendixes with more options (but avoiding new mechanics) are permitted.

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The Basics

When a character tries to do anything that carries a risk of failure, roll 1d20, add your modifiers (usually a skill), with 20 or more signifying success. A "hard" difficulty is assumed; the GM may set other difficulty numbers (DC) for particularly easy or hard tasks, as indicated in the table below.

Notice that a DC of 18 is similar to 1-in-6 chances or a 15% chance, making it easy to convert tasks from other systems to this one (e.g., if you have 3-in-6 chances of getting lost, avoiding it is an "easy" check).

Natural 1

A natural 1 is an automatic failure and, when attempting something risky, means potential disaster (DM's call). Roll again, with a success meaning you barely avoided disaster (but still failed to reach your goal and might suffer a small setback defined by the GM).

The table below provides suggested Difficulty Classes (DCs) for common tasks.

Difficulty	DC	% Chance	Equivalent
Very Easy	8	65%	~4-in-6
Easy	11	50%	~3-in-6
Medium	14	35%	~2-in-6
Challenging	18	15%	~1-in-6
Hard	20	5%	—
Very Hard	25	—	—
Nearly Impossible	30	—	—
Epic	35	—	—
The Stuff of Legend	40	—	—

A failure after rolling a natural 1 is called a mishap.

For example, when you are climbing, rolling a natural 1 means you risk a mishap, such as falling halfway through. This does not usually apply to attack rolls.

Natural 20

A natural 20 may mean a special success or critical hit, depending on the GM and the circumstances.

In combat, I treat a natural 20 as an automatic hit, with maximum damage (e.g., 9 instead of 1d6+3).

Saves and Magic

Optionally, the GM may rule that a natural 20 and natural 1 have similar results for saving throws and magic rolls.

Trying Again

You can usually try again, depending on the consequences of your failure.

Even if a natural 1 caused you to break your lock picks, you can try again if you have a second set, etc. This requires time, and some rolls can only be attempted once a turn, once a day, etc.

Everything Else

Use your favorite game as written, adapting to d20 when necessary.

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2. Player Characters

How To Create A Player Character

There are seven steps to create a player character, using an "AABCDEF method" for easy memorization.

A starting character can be a blank slate, shaped entirely by adventure. Backstories are welcome, but what defines your character is what they do, not past glories.

Every character needs a reason to adventure and to keep adventuring. If that reason is lost, find a new one, or retire the character and create another.

• Abilities. Roll 3d6 six times to find out your character's abilities. Roll in order or assign to taste. If the sum of all abilities is 60 or less, you can discard and roll again. Alternatively, assign either 14, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 7, or 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8 to your ability scores.

• Ancestry. Choose an ancestry. This will affect your ability scores.

• Bonuses. Check the Bonuses and Penalties table and record any modifiers tied to outstanding ability scores.

• Class. Pick a class. This determines your HP, attack rolls, saving throws, and any special abilities. Note all of these down.

• Details. All characters start at 1st level with 0 XP. Record both on your sheet. Pick any additional languages and skills you can.

• Equipment. Every character starts with 3d6×10 gp. Browse the Equipment and Weapons table and outfit your character within your budget, writing down your purchases and any money left. Record your Armor Class (AC) based on whatever armor you chose.

• Finishing Touches. Choose an alignment, write down any physical details or background you find appropriate, and give your character a name. Don't get too attached.

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Abilities

Each ability score tells you something different about your character:

• Strength measures raw muscle power and physical force. Characters with high Strength are better suited to the fighter class.

• Intelligence reflects the capacity to learn, retain knowledge, and solve problems. High Intelligence favors the mage class.

• Wisdom represents intuition, common sense, and sound judgment. High Wisdom suits the cleric class well.

• Dexterity captures speed, agility, and fine motor control. A character with high Dexterity excels in the thief class.

• Constitution combines overall health and endurance. It influences every class by potentially modifying the number of hit points a character has.

• Charisma is a blend of appearance, personal magnetism, and leadership. It shapes how monsters and NPCs react to the character.

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Ancestries

There are four ancestries: Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and Human.

1. Dwarf

A sturdy and enduring folk, renowned for their skill in mining, smithing, and stonework. They are typically stout in build, about 4' tall, long-lived, and known for their stubbornness and loyalty.

• +1 to Strength or Constitution (random).

• Favored weapon (+1): axes, maces, and crossbows.

• Darkvision 60'.

• Bonus: +4 to the Find skill to detect structural abnormalities (hidden passages, moving walls, built-in traps, recent changes, etc.).

• +2 to all saving throws.

• Limitation: cannot use great weapons and must use two hands for large (1d8) weapons such as a longsword.

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2. Elf

Elves are an ancient and graceful people, attuned to magic and the natural world. They are almost as tall as humans but thinner. They are long-lived to the point of near-immortality and carry themselves with an otherworldly air that other races often find either enchanting or unsettling.

• +1 to Intelligence or Dexterity (random).

• Favored weapon (+1): swords and bows.

• Bonus: +4 to the Find skill to detect hidden doors. +4 to the Hear skill.

• Darkvision 60'.

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3. Halfling

Halflings are a small and nimble folk, cheerful by nature and surprisingly hardy for their size (about 3'). They have a reputation for going unnoticed when they wish to, and for a love of comfort, food, and the occasional unexpected adventure.

• +1 to Constitution or Dexterity (random).

• Favored weapon (+1): all ranged weapons.

• Bonus: +4 to the Stealth skill.

• +2 AC against attacks from large creatures (larger than human-sized).

• +2 to all saving throws.

• Limitation: cannot use great weapons and must use two hands for large (1d8) weapons such as a longsword.

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4. Human

Humans are the most widespread and adaptable of peoples, found in every corner of the world and in every walk of life. What they lack in the innate gifts of other ancestries they make up for in ambition, versatility, and sheer variety.

• +1 to three random different ability scores.

• Favored weapon (+1): choose two of swords, axes, maces, spears, small weapons, bows, crossbows, slings, etc. Alternatively, choose a bonus language.

• Bonus skill: choose one skill.

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Bonuses and Penalties

Each ability score has a corresponding bonus or penalty.

Score	Adjustment
3	-3
4-5	-2
6-8	-1
9-12	No adjustment
13-15	+1
16-17	+2
18	+3
19*	+4
20*	+5

Strength adjustments apply to melee attack and damage rolls.

Dexterity adjustments apply to ranged attack rolls and Armor Class.

Constitution adjustments apply to hit points gained per hit die.

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma adjustments grant additional languages. For example, if your adjustments are -1, +3, and +2, you gain four additional languages (minimum zero).

Level 1 characters cannot start with an ability score above 18. If an ability reaches 19 during character creation, lower it to 18 and add 1 point to another random ability.

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Classes

There are four basic classes: Cleric, Expert, Fighter, and Mage.

The Expert replaces the traditional Thief; while his default skills lean toward thievery, he may trade them for others.

When choosing a class, look at your highest abilities and consider which classes they favor. A score of 13 or above in a relevant ability is a good indicator.

As a rule of thumb:

• Strength favors Fighters.
• Dexterity favors Experts.
• Intelligence favors Mages.
• Wisdom favors Clerics.

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1. Cleric

With the power granted by your deity, you protect the innocent and weak from the forces of darkness, fight against the dying of the light, and smite the wicked creatures that roam the earth.

Class Features

• HD: 1d6
• Attack Bonus: level / 2 (round down)
• Saving Throw: level + 2
• Spellcasting: level / 2, round down (see the Magic chapter)

Turn Undead

Clerics can repel or destroy undead by brandishing their holy symbol.

The undead must be visible and within a 60-foot radius of the cleric.

Turning can be attempted once per minute, in lieu of an attack.

Turned undead flee by any means available and will not harm or contact the cleric for one minute.

To turn undead:

1. Roll 1d6.
2. Add the cleric's level.
3. Subtract the target's HD (for example, 2 for zombies).

A result of 5+ succeeds.

A result of 10+ destroys the undead permanently.

The roll result also indicates the total HD of undead affected (minimum one creature, maximum 10 HD).

Examples:

• A result of 11 against zombies destroys 5 zombies.
• A result of 11 against skeletons destroys 10 skeletons.

In mixed groups, lower-HD undead are affected first.

Taboo

A cleric must use blunt weapons and cannot use edged weapons (including swords, bows, spears, etc.).

A cleric who breaks this or other taboos appropriate to their alignment or deity may lose supernatural powers until atonement is made. Specific consequences depend on the setting.

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2. Expert

Your shadowy past no longer matters. You chose a life of adventure, and the skills you developed will come in handy.

Class Features

• HD: 1d6
• Attack Bonus: level / 2 (round down)
• Saving Throw: level + 2

Skilled

You gain seven bonus skills:

• Athletics
• Decipher
• Hear
• Find
• Locks & Traps
• Pick Pockets
• Stealth

(See Skills below.)

Backstab

When backstabbing (see the Combat chapter), you may use your backstab bonus instead of your combat bonus.

In addition, add your level to any damage dealt with a successful backstab.

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3. Fighter

You might call yourself a knight, barbarian warrior, soldier, or ranger, but it makes no difference. Your main skill is violence, a useful talent in this perilous world.

Class Features

• HD: 1d8
• Attack Bonus: level
• Saving Throw: level + 3

Cleave

When you reduce an opponent to 0 HP with a melee attack, you may immediately make an additional attack against another opponent within range.

The maximum number of attacks gained this way is equal to your level.

Extra Attack

Fighters gain:

Level	Attacks
7	3/2 attacks
15	2 attacks
20	3 attacks

3/2 attacks means you attack twice in the first round, once in the second, twice in the third, and so on.

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4. Mage

Common folk fear you because you dare to cross the boundaries of morality and superstition.

When adventurers descend into the abyss of ancient ruins, you are the one who knows what lurks below.

Class Features

• HD: 1d4
• Attack Bonus: level / 2 (round down)
• Saving Throw: level + 1
• Spellcasting: level / 1, round down (see the Magic chapter)

Taboo

A mage cannot cast spells while wearing armor or using a shield, as these interfere with the flow of mystical energies.

Additionally, a mage requires one free hand to cast spells.

A two-handed weapon does not prevent spellcasting, since it may be momentarily held in one hand while casting.

100 days of B/X (part I)

Have you noticed that there's only about 100 days left until the end of the year?

I realized that by chance, and it made me a little anxious. I still have a few goals for 2026 that are far from being completed.

It hasn't been a total failure, though. I read almost all the books I had planned to read (and wrote several reviews here), wrote a few posts and pages of my new setting (which I also shared here), among other things. The two most difficult tasks were meditation and finishing writing a few (short) books. I had planned to meditate for just 10 minutes a day, and I couldn't even manage half of that consistently.

Well, 100 is a nice round number, and if I can complete just 1% of what's left each day, I should be able to finish some of those goals quite easily. I'll need to meditate for 20 minutes a day, and if I write less than a page a day, I can easily finish my latest neoclone (a minimalist version of B/X that I've been discussing for years), which should end up at under 100 pages, many of which are already written.

Maintaining that kind of consistency is certainly a challenge for me, but perhaps the challenge itself can serve as motivation to keep trying. And if I fail, at least something good will come out of it: in January 2027, if I'm not satisfied enough to publish it on DTRPG, I'll make the unfinished document available here on the site instead. Maybe I'll do both, who knows. Also, I'm running a campaign so I can play-test some rules in real time.

Or maybe I'll just vow to abandon the project after that, or at least leave it aside for 2027. This can't go on forever.

AI did this.

Now that I've shared this with all of you, I'll feel pressured to make at least some effort in that direction. I can't promise I'll write every day, but I'll try to keep up the pace, maybe seven pages a week, and so on. 

I plan to READ and COMMENT on B/X, page by page, just as I already did with almost the entire AD&D DMG, while also examining point by point which aspects I'd like to change.

(Actually, that may be the hardest part: deciding what I prefer. Ascending or descending AC? Roll high or roll low? Skills? Doesn't matter. I'll make an effort to reach a decision within a finite amount of time.)

In any case, I'll share as I go and welcome your comments and opinions.

What about you? Do you have any "end-of-year resolutions" for the next 100 days? Any books to read or projects to finish? Let me know in the comments!

Single saving throws

It's been a while now that my D&D-style games have used a single saving throw.

Original D&D's saving throws, with their more concrete categories like spells, death ray, and petrification, always seemed a bit limited to me, and since the 2000s (with 3rd and later 4th edition) the idea of having a save for reflex, another for willpower, and another for physical resistance made more sense. 5th edition, with its ability-based saves, seems even more direct, removing the need for the reflex/will/fortitude "middlemen."

But even that distinction eventually became somewhat pointless to me.

First, let's discuss the method behind saving throws against dangers such as like petrification, spells, etc. Contrary to what many claim, they don't actually distinguish well between classes. Thieves, for example, are NOT particularly good against breath weapons, but they are against spells, and dwarves, with their short legs, once they reach high level, end up dodging dragon fire better than they resist spells.

Also, paladins have better saves dues to divine favor, and dwarves/halflings because they are small/hardy. So you can barely tell what the saving throws really are within the game-world.

Without actually looking at the tables, you cannot explain the rhyme or reason for saving throws. Even if you can, it is a rationalization rather than a reason.

Even in Basic and AD&D, saving throws were eventually affected by ability scores, adding yet another layer of complexity (first by Wisdom, than by Dex etc.). The idea of using a dexterity check as a saving throw also shows up very early in the game's history.

Optional rule in the Rules Cyclopedia

But let's say the original saving throws actually did something closer to what the classes suggest: maybe fighters more resistant to petrification, thieves dodging breath weapons, and wizards avoiding enemy spells.

The first problem would be edge cases like fireballs, which are spells AND supposedly can be dodged (and probably avoided by armor too).

The second is that this simply doesn't match the fiction found in Appendix N. Conan resists spells not by "blocking magic," but by being tough. Likewise, a dragon's breath can be dodged by a thief, but it can also be blocked, at least partially, by armor or a shield, or avoided with a spell. Remember: in Chainmail / OD&D, it's powerful fighters, not intelligent characters, who are able to detect invisible people (which could ALSO be a saving throw IMO).

In short, dangers don't correspond, in any precise way, to how characters actually avoid them, neither in fiction nor in reality.

On top of that, the differences between saving throws within the same class are minor, and can be summarized, as pointed out long ago on Delta's blog, as a bonus ranging from +0 to +4 applicable across all classes (which is roughly equivalent to a DC in contemporary D&D). So the tables are an unnecessary complication.

Of course, saving throws organized by danger category also fail to explain edge cases like avoiding falling into a pit, crossing a river with a strong current, or dodge a falling rock (which maybe should be handled as a trap instead, an altogether different mechanic). I'd also have to consider how PCs would deal with the lasers, radiations and psychic powers of my current setting.

A single saving throw also helps resolve several difficulties in one roll. For example: can you spot the trap before reaching it? And if you do reach it, can you avoid falling in? Or if you're bitten by a snake — can you see it coming, dodge during the attack, resist the venom in your own bloodstream through natural antibodies, or even mystically alter your breathing, power through it, and so on.

While I don't remember the exact 3e or 4e rules on the matter, I like that in 5e they at least tried to give the Fighters better saves altogether with the Indomitable feature.

My last attempt at having more than one save was diving then into Mental and Physical, but even that was not necessary. Does armor help or hinder your physical defense against dangers that can be dodged? Most D&D editions do not seem to take this into account. Do we even need a physical defense other than AC?

Well, maybe for poison. But even then, unless you use "save or die" poisons you don't need Constitution to affect it. Just save "save or lose 3d6 HP" and your Constitution and level are already taken into account to see if you'll survive or not. What about a form of radiation there bypasses HP? Well, is there any reason to think bulky fighters would resist radiation any better than mages?

Maybe we need a mental save for Charm etc.? Not a great idea either. In which setting or game would it make sense to a mage or other creature to easily mind-control a T-Rex of limited intelligence?

So, basically now I got every PC to have a single saving throw number. They are not always the same: fighters get a +3 bonus, thieves +2, wizard +1 (and yeas that means they are frailer against fireballs). Monsters work similarly to fighters, most of the time (so we barely need the 5e thing where monsters can resist 3 times, or the AD&D thing where monsters have a chance of ignoring spells - which might be an issue for another post).

It is been working very well so far, and that's probably what I'm going with from now on.

My question: do you see any advantage in having several saves?

One (single magic item) to rule them all

I've been thinking for a while now about the excessive multiplication of magic items in D&D. 

Whether through random tables or official modules, players quickly become overloaded with items. And this ends up stripping away all the special character these items should have. Many times I've asked myself (and others) if this aligns with the literary works that inspired D&D (Appendix N etc). 

Sometimes Moorcock's works are cited, since Elric has several magic items and so does Corum. there are examples on Tolkien too. But I think there's a distinction to be made there:

It seems like most of these stories have just one magic item that clearly stands out above the rest: Stormbringer, in Elric's case, Excalibur, in King Arthur's case, or the Holy Grail, in other Arthurian stories, or The One Ring, in Tolkien's case, the decks of cards in the Amber series, and so on.

And D&D-based literature seems to follow the same line, from The Crystal Shard, which gets its own book, to Dragonlance, which lends its name to an entire series.

Of course, even when there's just one protagonist item per campaign or setting, there are several other items as well. In Tolkien's case, for example, we have Andúril, the (quite powerful) Palantíri, and even Sting and mithril armor. Stormbringer itself has its twin sister sword, which gets less attention in the book.

However, what definitely does not happen in most of the literature mentioned is the constant accumulation of magic items by a single character, or quickly swapping those items for better ones. Every magic item carries a story, which is why simply discarding it seems to diminish its value and importance.

In addition, such legendary items should play a central role, not something you find in a random dungeon or that is easily traded. Think of the Arkenstone in The Hobbit, which has monetary value but also a sentimental/historical values that may cause or resolve a war, and ends up feeling more relevant than The One Ring at least for this book.

So why do D&D PCs get so many (disposable) items?

One of the reasons this happens is that, in older versions of D&D, magic items worked as a way of making PCs not only more powerful but also more unique. Often, equipment was what differentiated one character from another, in the absence of feats or even talents that could be chosen with new levels. Two tenth-level fighters, for example, would differ greatly from one another depending on the items they carried.

Now that modern D&D has feats and new class talents as you level-up (well, even BECMI and AD&D eventually got their skills, proficiencies, etc.), the magic item treadmill feels unnecessary.

But having only "meaningful magic items" is not an easy thing to apply at the table, precisely because D&D players are so used to, and expect, receiving more and more magic items. 

Another problem is that D&D wizards essentially have no clear ceiling on their power. A D&D wizard with enough XP has more power than a Palantír (or a dragon, making dragonlances somewhat pointless), so many magic items may become worthless as wizards level up.

Maybe one way would be to separate legendary items from more disposable ones more clearly. Something I've been using in my (science-fantasy) campaign is making some of the supposedly "magic" items mass-produced. You could do something similar by saying that a +1 sword is just better quality and can be safely traded for a +2 sword without any regard for its story or "magic".

Since I don't like writing a post about a problem without at least trying to offer a solution, here are a few attempts:

Multiplication. A magic sword that doubles or even triples its damage, for example. If a regular sword deals 1d8+1 damage, the magic sword deals 2d8+2. But if the character, for whatever reason (strength, proficiency, etc.), deals 1d8+5 with a common sword, the magic sword deals 2d8+10. That way, it's ALWAYS meaningful, but it's far more dangerous in skilled hands.

Absolutes. Items that simply bypass the rules in an absolute way: this item is completely immune to magic, or it's basically indestructible like "the One Ring", or it simply negates any possibility of resurrection, or ignores armor completely. D&D itself already has a few items like this, they just need to be part of the setting's history instead of thrown into a lsit of artifacts.

Items that grow with the character. The longer the character keeps the item, the more they learn from it and bond with it. Something I've suggested before, but which would also work with sentient items like Stormbringer, or mysterious items like the Claw of the Conciliator, whose effects, even by the end of the book of the same name, aren't 100% clear (which is also the case with The One Ring and Stormbringer).

Minimalist Magic Item table

I've spent a lot of time trying to finish this table. Probably too much time, honestly. It’s one of those things that works exactly as I wanted once it’s done, but just by looking at it, you can’t really see the amount of effort I put in. This is my Dark Fantasy Magic Items in minimalist form (although I think that book is still worth a read at $1.49; it has some additional stuff). 

After polishing it quite a bit, I am almost satisfied with the result.

The idea is this: anyone can create a table with 1,000 magical items (a single d1000 table or d10 versus d100 etc). Since you’ll never use more than a few dozen (maybe not even that many) in a campaign, you’ll never really know the true value of the table. If the results don’t make sense to you, you’ll just think you got unlucky when rolling.

What I wanted was a table that could be easily judged by anyone at a glance. For example, you can easy see how common is a magical dagger compare to a magic ring or rope.

I could also have a table meant purely for inspiration, with a completely abstract and open format, where you combine an effect with an item, no direct relation between the two. The problem is when the effects often don’t fit the items very well, so you end up with armor that deals extra damage or axes that make you move faster, etc. 

I had the impression this was the case in Shadow of the Demon Lord.

Or, ideally, I'd have a big list of common, uncommon, rare, legendary magic items... with sub-tables and elaborate descriptions, maybe prices too. I think this is what 5e does, maybe AD&D too. But it wouldn't be really "minimalist", would it? Anyway, I want to fit mine in a page or two.

The table below boils down to about 10 categories of objects and 20 categories of effects. Since the objects are divided in practice, we end up with more than a thousand possible combinations of effects and items. The difference is that I tried to make it very clear which effects fit best with which objects, so that most of the items you generate using the instructions will actually make sense, and "common" magic items will be, well, actually common. In fact, I toned don't some of the more fantastical and looney tunes effects (e.g., portable hole) to fit my favorite genres of fantasy (low fantasy, dark fantasy).

To illustrate the tables, I included a few items as examples at the end of the post.

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Magic Items

The most common magic items are listed below with their usual effects. You can replace the effects (or alter them, if you roll 1-4) using the effects table, below. It is recommended you do that when you roll an odd number in the first d20, at least until you need more variety.

 

1–2. Apparel. A piece of clothing. Sometimes it only affects an specific part of the body. Examples [1d8]: 1 amulet (+1 to all saves), 2 belt (your Strength becomes 18 or gets a +3 bonus, whichever is better), 3 boots (+10’ movement, i.e., walk 25% faster), 4 bracers (like belt), 5 cloak (+1 AC and saves), 6 gloves (+4 to manual tasks such as picking locks, pockets, etc.), 7 helmet (+4 vs. mind effects), 8 GM's choice.

3–4. Armor or shield. +1 AC. Roll 1d4 for type: 1 light, 2 medium, 3 heavy, 4 shield.

5–6. Potion. Restores 1d6+1 hit points.

7–8. Ring. Rings can do almost anything. Roll on the effects table.

9–10. Scroll. Contains a common random spell, anyone can cast. Roll 2d6, keep the lower die, for its level.

11–12. Tool. A magic tool that resembles an ordinary object but is supernaturally more efficient. Examples: Roll 1d6: 1 rope (you can command it to climb walls, tie itself, etc.), 2 lantern (burns without fuel for up to 10 hours on command), 3 bag (weighs one unit but holds 10 units without changing size or weight), 4 key (once a day, it can open any ordinary lock), 5 tinderbox (creates flame on command like a strong modern lighter), 6 waterskin (creates water on command, up to a gallon a day).

13–14. Wand / rod / staff. Cast one spell (see Scroll, above). Roll for maximum charges (wand 1d6, rod 2d6, staff 3d6). Casting spends charges equal to the spell's level; regain one-third of maximum (round up) at dawn.

15–16. Weapon. +1 to attack and damage. Ammunition comes in a bundle of 3d6 pieces, each expending its magic on a hit. Weapon type: 1 axe, 2 spear, 3 hammer/mace, 4 bow or crossbow, 5 ammunition, 6 polearm. See below for size if needed.

17–18. Sword. +1 to attack and damage. Roll for size if needed: 1 dagger (1d4), 2–3 medium (1d6), 4–5 long (1d8), 6 two-handed (1d10).

19–20. Special. Either roll 1d20 on the Effects table, then invent an unusual object to carry it (19) or roll for the object, then give it a remarkable or combined effect (20).

 

 

Magic Item Effects (d20)

Some effects fit some items better. Entries 1-4 can fit almost anything (if you don’t have an obvious effect, a roll of 1-3 might require you to roll twice); 5-6 are ideal for weapons; 7 (spells) are better left for scroll and wands, although magic swords can sometimes cast spells; 8-15 are mostly passive defensive and they can work well for armor or potions or apparel; 16-17 are more “mental” and better suited to helmets, necklaces and similar; 18 and 19 are rare and are only an easy fit for scrolls (summoning) and big apparel or amulets (transformation). 20 is for all items.

If the effect does not fit the item, decide what to do, randomly or otherwise.

E.g.: 1d6: 1-2 be creative and make it fit or allow it to be weird, 3-4 roll again, 5-6 fall back to the ordinary effect.

 

1. Cursed. The item carries a curse that may manifest at the worst possible time.
2. Temporary. The item becomes mundane after being used 2d6 times.
3. Powerful. The item is unusually strong. For a numeric bonus, roll 1d20: 1–10 the effect is +2, 11–16 +3, 17–19 +4, 20 +5. Similarly, a d6 becomes 2d6 to 5d6, and a 50% reduction becomes 1d20 × 5% (minimum 60%).
4. Conjuring. The item seems to return or appear from out of nowhere, as the owner conjures it with a word or gesture. Alternatively, it is very easily concealed, foldable or very light. If it’s a thrown weapon, it returns to your hand instead.
5. Elemental attack. Deals an extra 1d6 damage of one type. Roll 1d8: 1 acid, 2 cold, 3 fire, 4 lightning, 5 necrotic, 6 poison, 7 psychic, 8 radiant.
6. Hatred. Deals an extra 1d6 damage against one type of creature. Roll 1d12: 1 aberration, 2 beast, 3 celestial, 4 construct, 5 dragon, 6 elemental, 7 fey, 8 fiend, 9 giant, 10 humanoid, 11 monstrosity, 12 undead.
7. Spells. Cast one type of spell. Roll 2d6 and keep the lower die for the spell's level, the higher die for maximum charges. Casting spends charges equal to the spell's level; regain one-third of maximum (round up) at dawn. Alternatively, simplify "magic missile, three charges" to something like "cast magic missile three times a day" when desired. Best left to rings, wands, staves, and scrolls.
8. Protection from element. Reduces incoming damage of one type by 50%. See entry 5 for type.
9. Protection from creatures. Reduces damage or attacks from one type of creature. See entry 6 for type.
10. Protection (saving throws). +1 to all saving throws.
11. Defense. +1 to Armor Class.
12. Augmentation. Raises one ability score by +3, or sets it to a fixed value (18), whichever is better. The stat affected is usually physical and adequate to the item in question. If necessary, roll 1d6: 1 Strength, 2 Dexterity, 3 Constitution, 4 Intelligence, 5 Wisdom, 6 Charisma.
13. Resilience. 50% resistance to a hazard or condition. Roll 1d8: 1 poison, 2 fear, 3 charm, 4 sleep, 5 exhaustion, 6 disease, 7 petrification, 8 an environmental hazard (hunger, thirst, drowning, suffocation).
14. Movement. Move faster or in new ways. Roll 1d8: 1 fly, 2 climb any surface, 3 swim, 4 burrow, 5 walk on water, 6 ignore difficult terrain, 7 leap great distances, 8 slip free of grapples, shackles, and cages.
15. Misdirection. Disguise yourself, your movement, or your actions. Roll 1d6: 1 invisibility, 2 silence (move without sound), 3 impersonate someone, 4 create illusions, 5 leave no traces, 6 pass as another kind of creature.
16. Perception. A supernatural sense. "Keen" versions of ordinary senses grant advantage. Roll 1d8: 1 darkvision, 2 keen hearing, 3 keen smell, 4 blindsight, 5 detect invisible, 6 see auras or magic, 7 detect lies, 8 truesight.
17. Communication. Understand or speak across barriers. Roll 1d8: 1 all humanoid languages, 2 all spoken languages, 3 all written languages, 4 one exotic tongue (celestial, infernal, draconic, sylvan), 5 speak with animals, 6 speak with plants, 7 telepathy, 8 understand any language you hear.
18. Summoning. Call or create a creature to serve you. It looks friendly and possibly loyal but is not enslaved. Roll 1d6 for HD, 1d6 for number of creatures (limit total to 10 HD), and see entry 6 for creature type.
19. Transformation. Turn into a creature, usually an animal. Roll 1d12: 1 insect or spider, 2 rat, 3 owl, 4 snake, 5 wolf, 6 fish, 7 cat or tiger, 8 ape, 9 bear, 10 hawk or eagle, 11 boar, 12 a monster (see entry 6 for type).
20. Special. Roll twice and combine, invent something unexpected, or make the item especially noteworthy with multiple functions.

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Examples:

- Cloak: grants flight.

- Heavy armor +1 AC.

- Potion of cold resistance.

- Scroll holding a 2nd-level spell and a 3rd-level spell with 5 charges (this is a special result; I'd probably change this to a single 5th level spell, or replace it by two separate scrolls)

- Spear +1, +1d6 lightning damage.

- Two-handed sword +1 (1d10).

So far, these are cool if a bit ordinary. I haven't changed a thing. Let's try a few more:

- Helm that allows the wearer to see magical auras.

- Light armor that raises Dexterity by +3 (or sets it to 18) [I could change this, but since its is light armor, I think the Dex boost makes sense].

- Potion of healing.

- Belt of Strenght.

- Scroll of Levitate

- Shield that reduces damage from fiends by 50%.

I didn't even need to re-roll anything. Last pass, with some die rolls:

- 19, 6, 11 - Now this requires some input. I'd say it is a holy symbol that makes you a monster slayer (+1d6 damage to monsters) while you carry it. Maybe a sigil, tabard, etc.

- Level 1 scroll.

- 6, 2, 13 - We could stop at 6 and make it a healing potion, or roll on the second table and make a potion with 2d6 uses that protects you from fear.

- 8, 13, 5 - A ring of protection from disease.

- 16, 6, 17*, 11*, 14*, 6, 12 - A "mace of communication" sounds funny but doesn't quite work for me at first, so I re-rolled three more times (roll with asterisks were discarded) until I got a mace that causes additional 1d6 damage to undead. I could have stopped at a +1 AC weapon, come to think of it.

- Ring of Constitution.

As you can see, no "Legendary" status items, these would require rolling more 20s. But almost all the results are perfectly usable with little effort. I'll probably tinker a bit more with it before I finish my Old School Minimalist PDF (if I ever do), but at least I think I've found the right path here. Or almost...

Did I miss any obvious cool item or effect?

"Serious" fumbles I can enjoy

As I’ve said before, I usually don’t like fumbles or critical failures in combat, at least in more "serious" campaigns; they make fighters look foolish.

Worse, the higher level a fighter gets, the more attacks they make; if every natural 1 is a fumble, fighters end up failing far too often. When you’re rolling 4 or 5 attacks per round, one of them is almost guaranteed to be a ridiculous blunder. Critical failures do happen in real life, but not nearly as often as a single die face suggests.

The idea of a saving throw to confirm whether the fumble actually happens is a decent (mathematical) fix; but with multiple attacks and multiple saves you end up with lots of rolls that don’t lead anywhere.

Instead of focusing on the character, we could focus on the weapon or the environment. Keep fumbles, but only in situations that are genuinely risky; and the effects shouldn’t make the character look like an idiot, but highlight the limitations of the weapon or the setting instead.

For example, a longsword needs space to be effective. In a cramped tunnel it still works (you can use half-swording, etc.), but it’s suboptimal; that could cause the fumble. You could even build a table of things that might go wrong on a natural 1, but only if it makes sense in context. If there’s no additional danger, then nothing funny happens.

Another option is to give the enemy an opportunity to strike with an advantage; maybe you overextend, make a reckless swing, and miss, opening yourself up to a counterattack. That way the focus isn’t on your “stupid mistake,” but on the danger you’ve exposed yourself to.

Let's try to combine both ideas. Here is how an actual rule I might use would look like:

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When you roll a natural 1 on an attack, it is always an automatic miss. In addition, it can cause serious consequences if you’re in a risky situation:

• Close allies: If an ally is too close to your target (e.g., shooting into melee or attacking a grappled foe), roll again to see if you hit your ally.

• Tight spaces: If the area is too cramped for your weapon, you strike a wall and take a –4 penalty on your next attack with that weapon.

• Flails and chains: If you’re using a flail, roll again to see if you hit yourself (half damage).

• Fragile weapons: If you’re using a low-quality weapon or one unsuited to the target (e.g., a common blade against a stone creature), your weapon may break or lose its edge (–1 damage until repaired).

• Dangerous stunts: If you’re attempting a dangerous stunt, such as jumping form a higher point etc., you failed catastrophically. Fall prone, take damage, save for half.

• In all cases: You lose your footing, expose yourself, and take –2 AC until the start of your next turn, unless you spend an attack to regain balance.

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By the way, this is the best rule I have for "shooting into melee". Being  a good archer improves your chance to hit an ally close to targe (an incompetent archer is more likely to miss both entirely), and this also takes into account your ally's armor.

Zothique revisited, and more Ashton Smith

I have wondered many times (and even tried to investigate as best I could) why Clark Ashton Smith is not in the Appendix N. Not only because his stories, genre, and era would make him a perfect candidate, but because he would be even MORE fitting than most of the books that are actually listed there.

He is certainly a precursor, considered one of the three giants of the "weird" fiction genre alongside Lovecraft and Howard, both of whom receive prominent placement in the Appendix. Clark Ashton Smith has a touch of Howard's sword and sorcery, a measure of Lovecraftian horror, but blends genres more freely than either (including also a larger dose of humor and imaginative worldbuilding).

His tales, like few others of his era, genuinely feel like D&D adventures, something that would only be matched by the later works of Leiber and Andre Norton (Leiber was influenced by Smith, although Norton's toad-like beings might be an indirect influence). He is one of the most important originators of the Dying Earth genre, which would go on to shape Jack Vance, himself a major influence on Gygax. In the same vein, Smith's ornate and vivid prose likely had an enormous influence on Gygax's writing style, perhaps also filtered through Jack Vance.

The Zothique stories are among Clark Ashton Smith's most impressive work. I recently reread the entire cycle, and truly each one of them could stand on its own as a D&D adventure. Dunsany's stories have a similar effect, but many of them seem to build toward a single climax of maximum strangeness, whereas the Zothique tales are more often defined by a succession of unusual situations, traps, monsters, and obstacles. His protagonists, too, are very D&D-ish: not legendary heroes like Conan or the largely outmatched humans of Lovecraft, but brave, sometimes foolish, often selfish, adventurers that live or die based on skill and sheer luck.

(They are also sometimes found in parties, or with hirelings/servants, which is rare except for Tolkien).

Could it be that Gygax simply did not know Smith? Given his enormous influence, I find that unlikely; several elements of D&D appear to be directly inspired by the author, such as the Geas spell (also adopted by Vance), and the rich vocabulary for the dead and undead: ghouls, liches, necromancers, and more. Another hypothesis, perhaps more plausible, is that Gygax simply was not a great fan (which, again, is odd given his influence and proximity to R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, and H. P. Lovecraft , some of "the most immediate influences upon AD&D"). 

Maybe Smith was simply less popular, which seems to be the case. This is the most likely explanation I have so far.

At least the Zothique stories point to another reason, one that seems rather obvious in hindsight but that I may have overlooked because I am already a dark fantasy reader: many of the stories are too dark, and a significant number involve acts that constitute or suggest necrophilia (though not explicitly) alongside torture, alcoholism, cruelty, decadence, revenge, and so forth, sometimes with no heroic characters to serve as counterweight.

Even so, the Zothique cycle strikes me as particularly grim, and not all of Smith's stories follow the same tendency. It now seems worth revisiting his other tales (equally impressive and equally suited to D&D) to determine whether this explanation is sufficient, or whether another reason might yet be found. For now, the mystery remains.

The Face in the Frost (review)

The Face in the Frost, by John Bellairs, is a somewhat odd book to include in the Appendix N. Apparently, Gygax was a big fan of it (though he said he read it after D&D was created), as mentioned on Dragon magazine #22; it is also mentioned in the DMG itself (thanks to @John_Cyrano, on X).

Dragon #22

DMG

The whole book has a certain young adult fiction vibe; a blend of satire, oneirism, and postmodernism. The first thing I noticed is that it spends long paragraphs describing the setting: the rooms and chambers of a house, the plants, the locations, the roads, even the weather conditions and clothing. The few action scenes, however, are described in an extremely rushed manner. In a way, it's as if the common criticisms of Tolkien's work had been made flesh: pages go by describing details that seem non-essential to the story. That's not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, the landscapes are so vividly described that you can often picture yourself inside the story, or at least inside its physical world, even if the action itself isn't very exciting.

All in all, the book has many strengths: it is well written, the descriptions are beautiful, there is plenty of humor, and it even manages to blend (in a postmodern way) fantasy with history, constantly keeping you uncertain about the exact relationship between the world of the story and our own. The worldbuilding, however, is not very developed, but merely hinted at, perhaps as a running joke.

The book has its cool moments, like a stroll through a dark fortress, but some boring ones too, and seems to point to a great climax that never truly arrives. What the book lacks, essentially, is action. The characters are charismatic, but not especially memorable. In fact, I often thought the book had to have some prequel that would explain why we should care about these people.

The magic bears little resemblance to D&D, despite Gygax's comments, but it is a postmodern mess of religion, tarot, and randomness. There are very few monsters or warriors. The most obvious comparison is with Terry Pratchett's Discworld, which shares a similar, somewhat satirical sense of humor, but managed to develop the form with greater success.

Overall, a fun but ultimately unsatisfying read, and not one of the strongest entries in the Appendix N.