Zombie Dice and All-Purpose Spellcasting

[The following rule utilizes the Zombie dice from Zombie Dice, a game published by Steve Jackson Games. Zombie dice, which will hereafter be referred to as dZ, have the following faces: brain, footprints, and shotgun blast (abbreviated here as simply blast). The distribution of faces varies by color. A green dZ has 3 brains, 2 footprints, and 1 blast. A yellow dZ has 2 brains, 2 footprints, and 2 blasts. A red dZ has 1 brain, 2 footprints, and 3 blasts.*]

Twelve years ago (!), I posted an article entitled "Zombie Dice and Spell Interruption." Today, I would like to offer another method of using Zombie dice with spellcasting.

Each time a spellcaster casts a spell, the caster must roll 1dZ. If the casting is not interrupted, the caster rolls a green dZ. If the casting is interrupted, the caster rolls a yellow dZ. If the casting is interrupted through injury to the caster, the caster rolls a red dZ. The result of the roll is compared to the table below:

dZ	Effect
brain	The spell is cast and retained.
footprints	The spell is cast and forgotten.
blast	The spell is disrupted and forgotten.

All of this presumes that the baseline magic system is Vancian, i.e. the caster may memorize a certain number of spells of each allowable spell level; once cast, a spell is forgotten and cannot be cast again until it is re-memorized. Contrarywise, with this rule, there is always a chance that a spell may be cast and retained in the memory, cast and forgotten normally, or disrupted and forgotten.

One could also give the caster the option to cast in standard Vancian fashion (spells cast are always forgotten, but never disrupted unless interrupted) or risk the Zombie dice method on a case by case basis.

* Standard six-sided dice may be substituted as follows:
"Green" d6: 1-3 = brain, 4-5 = footprints, 6 = blast.
"Yellow" d6: 1-2 = brain, 3-4 = footprints, 5-6 = blast.
"Red" d6: 1 = brain, 2-3 = footprints, 4-6 = blast.

Magical Spell: Globe of Quietude

The idea for this spell may or may not have been inspired by a loud vehicle that disturbed my sleep last night.

Globe of Quietude

Spell Class: Magic-User
Spell Level: 3
Range: Special
Duration: 1 hour

This spell create a sphere of silence 8 cubits* in diameter centered on any being or object the caster can see or hear. If the target is unwilling, a successful saving throw will cause the globe of quietude to bounce to the next nearest being or object and so on until a target accepts it or fails its saving throw. Inanimate objects are not entitled to a saving throw. Once the globe hits its mark, it will move with its target, nullifying all sound within its area of effect. The globe of quietude persists until it expires, is cancelled by the caster, or is dispelled.

Unlike the clerical spell silence 15' radius, which prevents sound from issuing from its area of effect whilst permitting external sound to enter it, the globe of quietude is a barrier to all sound within its confines.

* 12 feet or 4 m.

We Are Sorry to Interrupt This Spell

I have come to the conclusion that spell interruption makes no sense in the context of Vancian spellcasting. In the Dying Earth stories by Jack Vance, it may take hours to memorize a few spells, but once a spell is in the magician's mind, coiled like a spring, all he or she needs to do is utter a few syllables to unleash it. I imagine the effect being as immediate as the killing words in Dune. Ritual spellcasting, on the other hand, is another matter. Spells cast ritually are not memorized (at least, not in the same manner), but the casting time is greatly extended, affording ample opportunity for interruption. Coupled with an additional cost (such as possible hit point loss or temporary attribute reduction), ritual spellcasting becomes a viable method of extending the spellcaster's usefulness without resorting to power inflation (in theory, I should add, as I am currently playtesting it with Swords & Wizardry White Box). Dispensing with the idea of spell interruption for memorized spells helps me in two other ways. First, since I am no longer using the complicated combat round sequence of post-OD&D, I no longer have to worry about requiring spellcasters to commit to a spell before initiative is rolled—they are as free to cast or not cast as anyone else who is free to use or not use a weapon. Why does this matter to me? It matters because the game flows better, and when the game flows better, my players and I enjoy it more. Second, it preserves the value of memorized spells in contrast to ritually cast spells. And since I'm using Brendan's Simplified Spell Progression (i.e., reduced spell capacity), it's all the more important that the memorized spells become the reliable ones.

(I probably ought to note here that I am not observing the variable casting times of certain editions of Dungeons & Dragons. In my campaigns, memorized spells are cast instantaneously, whereas ritually cast spells have a uniform casting time of one turn [ten minutes].)

Here, then, are my latest revised rules for ritual spellcasting...

Ritual Spellcasting Variant 3

The standard rules of normal spellcasting apply (verbal and/or somatic components only; casting time of 1 round; memorization of all spells in 1 hour after 8 hours of sleep), but spellcasters may also cast any currently unmemorized (or unprayed for) spell that they are qualified to cast (i.e., are of a high enough level to cast) with the following restrictions:

1. Casting time is increased to 1 turn, after which the spellcaster makes a saving throw vs. magic. If failed, the caster loses 1 point of strength per level of the spell. Strength lost in this manner is fully recovered after 8 hours of sleep.
2. The casting must be uninterrupted. If it is interrupted, the spell is disrupted, but the caster must still make a saving throw or lose strength as described above.
3. Material components must be used. Magic-users may use either a magic circle with candles or incense, or an alchemical catalyst to be imbibed, poured, or otherwise destroyed. Clerics may use items appropriate to their religion and culture such as censors, holy water sprinklers, bells, chimes, gongs, prayer wheels, candles, bonfires, etc.
4. For magic-users, the book containing the spell must be available to consult during the casting. For clerics, a holy symbol, holy book, or sacred object must be present.

Bloat Not Lest Ye Become Bloated

The version of Dungeons & Dragons I prefer is Basic/Expert D&D plus whatever spells, monsters, and secondary skills I wish to import from AD&D. I have no need of rules bloatation devices. The beauty of Labyrinth Lord is that it combines the Basic and Expert rules into one rulebook, and then offers the Advanced Edition Companion so you can add what you like, just as we did it in the 1980s. My only reservation about this approach is that it occasionally allows AD&Disms to creep into the game unless one is vigilant. Take, for example, the description of the iron golem from the AEC: "Only weapons at least +3 or better can damage iron golems." This is the sort of thing that leads to an excessive proliferation of magic items, which leads to a trivialization of magic, which results in a watering down of the wondrous. In short, it detracts from the fantastical in a fantasy setting. It's a mundanization of the fantasy world. (Mundanization, from the verb mundanize, or mundanisation, from the verb mundanise, depending on your spelling preference. I think I just made it up.) Why? Because players will be worried that their magic weapons are not magical enough. They will become obsessed with upgrading their arsenal of magic weapons as if they were nothing but obsolete software. "A sword +2? Bah! I need at least +3! I might need to fight an iron golem."

Perhaps it's an oversight, or maybe it's just a way to convert Labyrinth Lord into a full-scale Advanced Bloated Labyrinth Lord (Positive Material Plane help us), but I know I will be ignoring any advanced bloatery I detect and replacing it with a suitable basic/expert solution. In this case, "Only magic weapons can damage iron golems." Ah, much better.

(See also Magical Spell: Ensorcel Weapon and Clerical Spell: Sanctify Weapon for other alternatives to magic weapon bloatification.)


N.B. For those who play in my games, any creature affected only by magic weapons is affected by any magic weapon regardless of its enchantment. There are more magical properties in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are embodied by combat bonuses.

Table: Charge Capacity

In Dungeons & Dragons, certain magic items have charges, which are depleted whenever their powers are activated. As I was posting my latest wand of wonder spinoff (q.v.), I had occasion to compare the rules concerning the number of charges possessed by magic items presented in Basic/Expert D&D and the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide.

Let's look at the Dungeon Masters Guide first. Rods, staves, and wands encountered during the course of an adventure typically have a number of charges as follows:

rods — 50 charges minus 0 to 9 (d10-1)
staves — 25 charges minus 0 to 5 (d6-1)
wands — 100 charges minus 0 to 19 (d20-1)

Basic/Expert D&D differs from this and from itself. According to the Basic rulebook, "Unless otherwise specified, a wand, staff, or rod will contain 1-10 (1d10) charges when found." Now that's a difference! In contrast, the Expert rulebook states "Unless specified otherwise, a wand has 2-20 (2d10) charges and a staff has 3-30 (3d10) charges when found, and each use of a power will use 1 charge." Either way, the difference in wand charge capacity between Basic/Expert D&D and AD&D is vast. I propose something a little different.

For each rod, staff, or wand, the charge capacity is determined randomly.* This is the maximum number of charges this particular magic item can have. Once the charge capacity is known, the exact number of charges can be generated.

Charge Capacity

Roll 1d4

1. Maximum 16 charges (roll 4d4)
2. Maximum 36 charges (roll 6d6)
3. Maximum 64 charges (roll 8d8)
4. Maximum 100 charges (roll 10d10)

Those who dislike rolling that many dice can use the following table:

1. Maximum 16 charges (roll 1d4 x 4)
2. Maximum 36 charges (roll 1d6 x 6)
3. Maximum 64 charges (roll 1d8 x 8)
4. Maximum 100 charges (roll 1d10 x 10)

The advantage, as I see it, is an increase in the middle range and an elimination of one charge wonders.


* This can vary by category (e.g. wands), type (e.g. wands of lightning), or individual item (e.g. the wand of lightning I inherited from my great grandmother) as desired.

Magic Item: Wand of Annoyance

Some wands with random effects are more reliable than others. The wand of annoyance may not possess the most impressive offensive powers, but one can be reasonably sure it will inconvenience an enemy.

Targets may save vs. wand (or your edition's prevailing category) to avoid effects completely.

Concise Shield Rules

These are my final rules on shields.* As usual, they are adapted from Shields Shall Be Splintered.


Normal Shields

All shields improve the wielder's armor class by 1 against attacks coming from an appropriate direction, i.e. the front or the shield flank.

Any shield may be used to absorb the damage from an attack after the damage has been rolled and announced, but the shield is thereby destroyed.

Large shields may be used to absorb the damage of spells, breath weapons, and the like in the same manner. Small shields may not.

Shields of normal construction are no defense whatsoever against ballistae, catapults, trebuchets, cannon, or firearms.


Magic Shields

Magic shields usually improve the wielder's armor class by an additional +1, +2, or +3.

Any time a magic shield is used to absorb the damage from an attack, its bonus decreases by one. Once the bonus is reduced to 0, it loses one magical ability (if any) per attack absorbed. Once it has lost all magical properties, it functions as a normal shield.

Magic shields are effective against all weapons. If used to absorb the damage from a siege weapon (including artillery), the shield is destroyed regardless of its degree of enchantment and the defender is thrown clear.


N.B. "Small shields" refers to bucklers and other small handheld shields. "Large shields" refers to heaters, kites, tower shields, round shields, etc.


* Until such time as I grow weary of them.

Fixing Charts

I changed my armor class chart. Finding no evidence of studded leather armor ever having actually existed, I jettisoned it. It joins banded mail and ring mail as armor types I do not allow. Leather armor returned to its place at AC 7, and padded armor remains at AC 8. I dropped lamellar armor and laminar armor from AC 4 and included the following note below the chart instead: "Lamellar and laminar armor vary in armor class depending on the material used. If metal, the armor class is 4, otherwise it is 6." This has the nice effect of placing one standard armor type at each armor class. (For a Renaissance game, full plate is AC 2.) I omitted my new helmet rule from the chart as I haven't playtested it yet. I like it; it makes sense to me, but I don't know if it works. We shall see. After all that tinkering with shield rules, I think I'm back to the Basic/Expert standard, but I'm keeping my variant of the Shields Shall Be Splintered rule with the following proviso: it only works with large shields. Bucklers will not protect you from dragonfire! [See Concise Shield Rules.]

I also changed my weapon charts again. I upgraded the spear to 1d8 damage, the lance to 1d10 damage, and the pole arm to 1d12 damage. It makes the distribution of weapons by damage-causing capacity rather more symetrical: four 1d4 weapons, eleven 1d6 weapons, eleven 1d8 weapons, four high damage weapons (two 1d10 weapons and two 1d12 weapons). I changed "halberd" back to "pole arm." It's more versatile, like "sword," which I really like.

Table: Magic Helmet Abilities

Some magic helmets confer a bonus to the wearer's armor class beyond any normal improvement they may provide (q.v.). Some have a different kind of enchantment as well (or instead). Roll as needed on the following table to generate nonstandard magical helmet abilities.


Magic Helmet Abilities

Roll 1d20

1. Amplifies wearer's voice at will.
   
2. Can be used as an alarm if removed and activated. Anything that moves directly in front of it up to a designated distance will cause the helmet to emit a loud noise until deactivated. The noise will be that of a horn, a ghostly moaning, or a human voice shouting.
   
3. Enables wearer to breathe in any environment and grants immunity to poison gases.
   
4. Enables wearer to fly.
   
5. Enables wearer to polymorph self once per day.
   
6. Enables wearer to project two magic missiles once per day.
   
7. Enables wearer to resist cold.
   
8. Enables wearer to resist fire.
   
9. Enables wearer to see in all directions.
   
10. Enables wearer to see in darkness.
    
11. Enables wearer to speak and comprehend any language.
    
12. Enables wearer to teleport once per day.
    
13. Enables wearer to use telepathy.
    
14. Enables wearer to use X-ray vision for one round per day.
    
15. Grants immunity to any spell or attack that would render the wearer unconscious.
    
16. Grants immunity to any spell or attack that causes blindness or visual hypnosis.
    
17. Grants immunity to mental attacks, both magical and psionic.
    
18. Helmet's bonus applies to all saving throws vs. magic.
    
19. Helmet's bonus applies to all saving throws vs. petrification.
    
20. Helmet's bonus applies to all saving throws.
    

Use Your Shield

This is my third attempt to make sensible shield rules incorporating both Shield Saves and Shields Shall Be Splintered (and now my own Use Your Helmet rules).

All shields improve armor class by 1 vs. mêlée and missile attacks if they are carried only (not wielded), i.e. if they cannot be actively used to block an attack, but the attack is coming from an appropriate direction. For example, if the shield is being worn on the back, it would improve the defender's armor class against attacks from the rear; or if the shield is being carried normally and the defender is surprised, the defender could benefit from the shield's armor class improvement, but would be unable to actively block any attacks.

If wielded, there is no improvement to armor class, but the wielder may use the shield to attempt to block blows by making a saving throw. Fighters roll their most favorable save; non-fighters roll their least favorable save. A successful save blocks the attack and deflects the damage. Blocking can only be attempted if the wielder is both aware of the attack and in a position to defend against it.

The number of mêlée attacks that can be blocked depends on the size of the shield. Small shields can block one attack per round; large shields can block three attacks per round. A saving throw must be made for each blocking attempt.

The number of missiles that can be blocked also depends on the size of the shield. Small shields can block one missile per round; large shields can block any number of missiles per round (but only one saving throw is necessary). Missile attacks can only be defended against from one direction at a time.

The defender may opt to sacrifice the shield. The defender suffers no damage, but the shield is destroyed by the attack. This tactic may also be used against area effect attacks such as dragon breath, fireballs, lightning bolts, etc.

Shields of normal construction are no defense whatsoever against ballistae, catapults, trebuchets, cannon, or firearms.

Magic shields are effective against all weapons. When carried, they generally improve armor class by +1, +2, or +3 beyond the normal improvement afforded by shields. When used to block, the magical bonus is transferred to the wielder's saving throw. All missiles except cannonballs can be blocked by magic shields (if the saving throw is successful). Magic shields can be sacrificed to defend against any damage-dealing area effect attack or weapon including cannon. (In the case of cannon, the shield is destroyed and the defender is thrown clear.)

Optionally, a magic shield may be sacrificed twice. The first sacrifice nullifies its enchantment. The second sacrifice destroys the shield itself.

[Edit: See Concise Shield Rules for my current perspective.]

Use Your Helmet

What is a suit of armor without a helmet? Answer: less effective. What is a helmet without a suit of armor? Answer: better than nothing. The same can be said of a shield and it improves one's armor class with or without armor, yet the helmet is nothing without a corresponding suit of armor and its absence results in a penalty. The inconsistencies of Dungeons & Dragons do not surprise me, but that doesn't mean they are not worth addressing.

If any historical argument needs to be made for assigning protective value to the helmet alone, one need only look to history. On the battlefields of ancient Greece, often the only protection a soldier had was a helmet, a shield, and possibly greaves. On the battlefields of the two World Wars (and many other wars of the modern era), a soldier had no protection but a helmet. If the helmet is insignificant alone, why is it the one piece of protection that is considered indispensable in warfare from the distant past to the present?

The 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide provides no guidelines for use of a helmet without a corresponding suit of armor, but it does state that the lack of a helmet will attract more attacks to the head, which will have an armor class of 10. It's odd that no other missing piece of armor should likewise incur an armor class penalty. Basic/Expert D&D does not address the subject of helmets at all (as far as I can tell).

I propose that helmets should be treated as shields in that each should improve one's armor class by 1. The armor class rating for suits of armor should apply to the suits themselves. Armor class represents the character's protection in general. The exception to this is if hit location rules are in effect, in which case each hit location will have a separate armor class based on its protection.

Helmets, of course, restrict one's senses depending on the style of helmet, and they may have to be removed or tilted back or require the visor to be lifted to facilitate certain activities.

Table: Magic Shield Abilities

Most magic shields confer standard magical benefits and a bonus to the wielder's armor class. A majority will improve armor class by +1, although a few confer a bonus of +2 or even +3. Some shields have nonstandard enchantments as well. Roll as needed on the following table to generate nonstandard magical shield abilities.


Magic Shield Abilities

Roll 1d20

1. Acts as an extra eye as long as it is held or worn.
   
2. Any blocked mêlée attack rebounds on the attacker unless the attacker makes a successful saving throw to dodge.
   
3. Any blocked missile attack ricochets at the attacker unless the attacker makes a successful saving throw to dodge.
   
4. Any spell or ray attack is reflected back if the wielder makes a successful save against it.
   
5. Blinds opponents if sunlight is available. Opponents must save vs. magic or suffer -2 penalties to both Armor Class and attack rolls as long as they are facing the shield.
   
6. Can be used as a raft on any liquid surface (including lava).
   
7. Causes fear in opponents when the wielder strikes it repeatedly with a weapon for one full round. Opponents must save vs. magic or flee for two turns.
   
8. Creates a cylindrical wall of force if it is placed horizontally on the ground and stepped upon.
   
9. Creates a flat wall of force if it is set vertically on the ground.
   
10. Enables wielder to resist cold as long as it is held or worn.
    
11. Enables wielder to resist fire as long as it is held or worn.
    
12. Grants protection from evil as long as it is held or protection from evil 10' radius if it is placed on the ground.
    
13. Levitates if it is held or placed horizontally; obeys wielder's mental commands.
    
14. Paralyzes with fear (as a hold person spell) any opponent who gazes on it.
    
15. Prevents injury or death from falling by acting as a featherfall spell.
    
16. Projects a hammer of force (range and damage equal to a throwing hammer) when used instead of a normal attack. Acts as a magic weapon equivalent to shield's bonus. Must roll "to hit."
    
17. Shield's bonus applies to all saving throws vs. area effect attacks.
    
18. Shield's bonus applies to all saving throws vs. magic.
    
19. Shield's bonus applies to all saving throws.
    
20. Wielder cannot be knocked down if standing on solid ground.
    

Magic Shield Benefits

[This article is an expansion of Shield Defense.]

Magic shields have benefits beyond the increased improvement to armor class. Although "shields of normal construction are no defense whatsoever against ballistae, catapults, trebuchets, cannon, or firearms," magic shields are. Against all weapons, magic shields confer their armor class bonus. All missiles except cannonballs can be blocked by magic shields (if the saving throw is successful). Magic shields can be sacrificed to defend against any damage-dealing area effect attack or weapon (including cannon). (In the case of cannon, the shield is destroyed and the defender is thrown clear.)

Optionally, a magic shield may be sacrificed twice. The first sacrifice nullifies its enchantment. The second sacrifice destroys the shield.

Shield Defense

This is a variation of the rules presented in Your Shield Is Your Friend, which in turn incorporates rules found in articles by other writers (Shield Saves and Shields Shall Be Splintered):

All shields improve armor class by 1 vs. mêlée and missile attacks.

All shields enable the wielder to attempt to block successful attacks by making a saving throw. Fighters roll their most favorable save; non-fighters roll their least favorable save. A successful save blocks the attack and deflects the damage. Blocking can only be attempted if the wielder is both aware of the attack and in a position to defend against it.

The number of mêlée attacks that can be blocked depends on the size of the shield. Small shields can block one attack per round; medium shields can block two attacks per round; large shields can block three attacks per round. A saving throw must be made for each blocking attempt.

The number of missiles that can be blocked also depends on the size of the shield. Each successful save blocks all of the missiles that would otherwise strike the wielder in a single round. A failed save blocks none. The size of the shield determines the penalty to the saving throw. Small shields can block missiles at a −2 penalty per missile; medium shields can block missiles at a −1 penalty per missile; large shields can block any number of missiles without penalty.

The defender may opt to sacrifice the shield instead of rolling. The defender suffers no damage, but the shield is destroyed by the attack. This tactic may also be used against area effect attacks such as dragon breath, fireballs, lightning bolts, etc.

Shields of normal construction are no defense whatsoever against ballistae, catapults, trebuchets, cannon, or firearms.

[Edit: See Concise Shield Rules for my current perspective.]

Your Shield Is Your Friend

Shields are tragically undervalued in Dungeons & Dragons and its offspring, so it is my duty to correct this oversight by borrowing the wisdom of OSR brethren and tinkering further with it. The wisdom I am borrowing is from Shield Saves and Shields Shall Be Splintered. Without further ado:

All shields improve armor class by 1 vs. mêlée attacks.

All shields improve armor class by 1, 2, or 4 vs. missile attacks. (Small shields improve by 1, medium shields improve by 2, and large shields improve by 4.)

All shields enable the wielder to attempt to block successful attacks after damage has been rolled. The wielder chooses which successful attack to block and makes a saving throw. Fighters roll their most favorable save; non-fighters roll their least favorable save. If the saving throw is successful, the blow was blocked and the damage is deflected. Otherwise, the damage is sustained.

All shields allow the wielder to attempt to block one successful mêlée attack per round. In addition, the wielder may attempt to block missile attacks as follows: small shields may block one missile per round, medium shields may block two missiles per round, and large shields may block four missiles per round.

The defender may opt to sacrifice the shield instead of rolling. The defender suffers no damage, but the shield is destroyed by the attack. This tactic may be used against area effect attacks such as dragon breath, fireballs, lightning bolts, etc.

[Edit: See Concise Shield Rules for my current perspective.]

Table: Weapon Ranges 2

[The following is an expanded version of the basic table of weapon ranges.]

The following table can be used to determine the range (in feet) of any spell, effect, or unusual weapon in a random manner. Use it whenever you create a new spell or device and you can't decide on its range, or to replace the range of an existing spell or device in order to promote unpredictability or variety. For ray guns, spells, or spell-like effects, just use the number in boldface as the maximum range. For most ranged weapons, use the numbers given for short, medium, and long range.


Weapon Range

Roll 1d20

1. 5-10 / 11-20 / 21-30
   
2. 5-15 / 16-30 / 31-45
   
3. 5-20 / 21-40 / 41-60
   
4. 5-25 / 26-50 / 51-75
   
5. 5-30 / 31-60 / 61-90
   
6. 5-35 / 36-70 / 71-105
   
7. 5-40 / 41-80 / 81-120
   
8. 5-45 / 46-90 / 91-135
   
9. 5-50 / 51-100 / 100-150
   
10. 5-55 / 56-110 / 111-165
    
11. 5-60 / 61-120 / 111-180
    
12. 5-65 / 66-130 / 131-195
    
13. 5-70 / 71-140 / 141-210
    
14. 5-75 / 76-150 / 176-225
    
15. 5-80 / 81-160 / 161-240
    
16. 5-85 / 86-170 / 171-255
    
17. 5-90 / 91-180 / 181-270
    
18. 5-95 / 96-190 / 191-285
    
19. 5-100 / 101-200 / 201-300
    
20. Roll again.
    

Multi-Class Advancement 2

My recommendations in the previous article were based on the assumption that I would be following my standard rule of not imposing level limits on demi-human characters, but perhaps there is a way of preserving level limits in such a way that it does not discriminate against them. Therefore:

Any character, human or demi-human, who has but a single class, has no limit to the level he or she may achieve (and any character can choose any class).

Any character, human or demi-human, who is multi-classed, is limited to the 9th level of experience in any class.

In summary, any character can be multi-classed regardless of species, but will have the same level limits. Any character can be single-classed in any class and will have no level limit.

This does not mean that all classes are equally common to all species. Player characters are exceptional. Non-player characters may very well conform more closely to the D&D standard.

Multi-Class Advancement

I am not the fan of multi-classing that I was when I started playing Dungeons & Dragons in the previous century, but some players are enamored of it and I feel an obligation to appease them rather than to proselytize. I'm just happy to find players willing to give older editions a chance. However, I am not willing to refrain from tinkering if it suits me. Lopsided level advancement for multi-class characters has never felt right to me, and on a purely practical level it's a nuisance. Gaining half-hit dice and half-bonuses are a consequence that I cannot abide. Moreover, there is no in-game excuse for such an arrangement. Unless experience is allocated to the class with which it was earned on a case by case basis (which is a level of bookkeeping in which I refuse to engage), then there are only two alternatives worth considering.

The first is what I call equal level advancement. This means that a multi-class character does not advance until enough experience has been earned to increase all of the character's classes by one level. In other words, instead of dividing earned experience amongst the character's classes (as is done in traditional lopsided level advancement), the experience costs of all of the classes are added together. When enough experience is earned, the character's level increases in all of his or her classes simultaneously. The multi-class character is recast as a single class with multiple facets. If it doesn't matter how the experience is earned, then this is the logical extension.

The second alternative is the OD&D (and Labyrinth Lord Original Edition Characters) method originally used for elves, but we could expand it to include any combination of classes and open it to any player character species. I'll call it separate level advancement. The multi-class combination must be declared when the character is created. [Edit: Or not. Why should it be? Perhaps a character initially plans to be single-classed, but has a change of heart or circumstances.] At the beginning of each adventure, the multi-class character decides which class to operate as, and all experience earned will be applied to that class only. Classes may be switched only between adventures. Characters may freely use the abilities of the class in which they are currently operating and any class in which they have previously gained one or more levels. If there is a difference in saving throws or attack rolls, the best one is used. Armor restrictions, however, remain in effect: thiefly skills cannot be used when wearing armor heavier than leather, and magical spells cannot be cast when wearing non-elven armor.* Of course, the benefits of being multi-classed will not be felt at first level, but the rate of advancement in each class can be customized to taste. If one wanted to be a dabbler in magic at first level, and then lead the life of a swashbuckling thief forever after, that would be a viable option. Likewise, one could alternate as a fighter or a magic-user indefinitely.

This second alternative has the possibility of unbalancing the game, but I'd argue that multi-classing is inherently unbalanced. I'd rather do away with it, but I fear I'm in a minority.

In either equal or separate level advancement, I would take a cue from the Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion and allow nearly any class combination for any species (including human).


* Some say that magic-users cannot wear armor, but elves can. In truth, any spellcaster can wear elven armor, but no spellcaster (including elves) can wear non-elven armor. Elves just have a much easier time obtaining elven armor than non-elves do.

Cure This and That

If clerics can cast cure disease, why is there disease in your game world? Wouldn't all diseases eventually be eradicated? Wouldn't all those tables about diseases in the Dungeon Masters Guide be rendered useless except in areas where there are no clerics?

Assuming that there are Lawful clerics in your campaign world, why are they not constantly surrounded by ailing people seeking their healing powers? The clerics are peripatetic, you say? They take to the road to spread their faith? That wouldn't stop them from being mobbed by the sick wherever they go. That wouldn't stop the mobile sick from following them, nor would it prevent the newly cured and saved from tagging along. Imagine your small party of adventurers — a thief, a fighter and henchman, a magic-user, two hirelings, a cleric, and several hundred of the faithful in various states of health — embarking on a journey to raid the tomb of the lich duke. It will get very crowded down there, and you can forget about stealth. The conscience of a truly Lawful cleric would not permit him or her to leave a community where there are people in need of healing. So much for the adventuring cleric.

Well, the D&D cleric is more of a spiritual warrior who is needed to defeat great evil, you say. That explains the cleric's assignment, but it doesn't explain how he or she will avoid being constantly surrounded by the sick and injured unless the cleric's identity is kept secret. Could a cleric be sent on a mission in disguise? It's possible, but unlikely to work. How can a moral healer turn away a wounded friend or even a stranger in need? As soon as someone gets stuck with an arrow it will be cure light wounds here and neutralize poison there. There will be miracles all over the place, and miracles have a way of grabbing the public's attention.

What exactly is the rationale behind a class of individuals who routinely work miracles? At least in Empire of the Petal Throne it made sense: a secretive and jealous priestly caste that had few humanitarian instincts. In Dungeons & Dragons, however, it is much less clear. The cleric class is based on the Christian priesthood, more or less, apparently with elements of Bram Stoker's (or Peter Cushing's) Van Helsing. Imagine what the world would have been like if every medieval priest had been a spellcaster. Imagine what a typical fantasy world in fiction would be like if every priest were a spellcaster. It would certainly alter the balance... of everything.

This is not a rant about whether the cleric class ought to exist. It's a proposal that perhaps it ought to exist differently. For my own campaigns, I'm taking a cue from Roger the GS inspired by FrDave and replacing cleric with prophet. Prophets are not nearly as numerous. They are not necessarily members of the clergy and their talents are not necessarily as well advertised. Being very scarce, there is no institution surrounding them and no expectation of how they will react when encountered. In fact, they are usually not even identifiable as prophets unless they introduce themselves. My own prophet class will have a number of other differences, but just the change of name and what it entails has a profound impact on the game world.

Incidently, I revisited this conundrum when a new player heard me mention a "cleric" and thought I meant a secretary. That's another benefit of the name change.

Healing and Constitution

Constitution, as the attribute that represents one's hardiness, ought to have an influence on the speed at which one recovers from wounds. Therefore, any bonus derived from one's constitution shall be added to one's normal daily rate of hit point recovery, which in the case of Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord is 1d3 hit points per day of rest. Penalties for low constitution do not apply under normal circumstances. If, however, any of the wounds were caused by the undead, then the penalties are applied as follows: −1 penalty = 1 hit point per day of rest; −2 penalty = 1 hit point for every two days of rest; −3 penalty = 1 hit point for every three days of rest. The frail and sickly are especially vulnerable to attacks by the undead and correspondingly take longer to recover from an encounter with such.