Sunday, March 15, 2020

"Super-Official" Super-Casual House Rules

Here is the "official" list of house rules for the Super-Casual Pulp Campaign I've started recently. Hopefully this will be easier for my players and I to reference than the post linked above and the various notes I've scribbled here and there. I plan to update this post if I add or change anything.
Additions from the Rules Cyclopedia
  • My B/X + RC Reference Sheet is in effect.
  • The Mystic class uses the house rules found HERE.
  • Page 19: Magic-Users may wield the following weapons: dagger, staff, blowgun, flaming oil, holy water, net, thrown rock, sling, whip. (Note that staves do 1d4 damage per hit; see page X25.)
  • Page 130: To generate ability scores at character creation, roll 3d6 eight times and keep the six best scores. Assign these scores to the character's abilities in the order of your choice.
  • I'm going to start the campaign with the default rule that 0 HP=death. However, if that eventually gets old due to high attrition, I'd be willing to use the "Keeping Characters Alive" variant rule from page 266 of the Rules Cyclopedia.
Major Changes
  • For PCs, Fighters and Thieves are combined into a single class, as explained HERE.
  • Replacements for dead PCs each start at a level based on their players' Checkpoints, as explained HERE.
  • Brand new players joining the campaign in progress will make characters starting 2 levels below the least experienced living PC.
  • Players don't have to roll for HP. They can just take the maximum possible amount each level.
  • No more spell memorization! Spellcasters are still limited by their spells per day, but if they have a particular spell in their own spellbook (or general repertoire for Clerics), and they have an unused Spell Per Day (or "spell slot") of the appropriate level available, they can cast the spell as if they had memorized it. This goes for NPCs as well.
Misc. Default B/X Rules to Ignore
  • Page X4: Wielders of two-handed weapons no longer lose initiative automatically.
  • Page B17: The spell "Read Magic" is removed from the game. Scrolls, runes on wands and magic items, and other typical magical writing that normally requires the use of this spell can instead by read automatically by any Magic-User/Elf. This skill is considered a basic part of a Magic-User's/Elf's training. Essentially, every Magic-User/Elf is under the permanent effect of a "Read Magic" spell at all times.
  • Page B19: PCs are no longer required to rest for one turn after every five turns of movement.
  • Page B20: The optional encumbrance system is not used.
  • Page B21: Unlocked dungeon doors are no longer considered by default to be "stuck" and only capable of being opened with a d6 roll modified by strength. (At the DM's discretion, "open doors" checks may still be used to force open certain locked doors or doors that are specifically selected by the DM to be stuck.)
Other Notes for Players
  • You may play as any class from the Rules Cyclopedia, or any class from one of the Gazetteers or Creature Crucibles or other official Basic D&D books, but I reserve the right to make changes to these classes first.
  • If you want to play a class you found on a blog or something, I'll probably allow it, but run it by me first, please.
  • If there's a rule or something in the Rules Cyclopedia or another supplement you'd like to try out, feel free to ask me about it.

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