House Rules and OD&D

[Finarvyn]

From the onset, OD&D has encouraged "house rules". Many of our games involved a DM saying "oh, grab some die and roll it and tell me what it says" with the DM making up a result on the fly based on high/low. Heck, we could have been flipping a coin.

Many of the rules we use in my campaigns have been with us for so long that I can no longer even remember if they are real rules or something we came up with. Those are the best kinds of house rules, because they seem to fit the game so naturally that if they aren't in the rulebook they should have been.

Anyone have any special house rules to share?

[Finarvyn]

I'll start.

Binding Wounds

After every battle, each player is allowed to roll a d4 to "bind wounds" and recover a few hit points. It is assumed that no character can surpass maximum HP by doing this, and no character can regain more HP than were lost during that battle.

The rationalle here was that in my low-level, low-magic campaigns there were never enough HP or healing potions to go around. This helped keep characters alive and conserve the Cleric spells for later in the adventure when things grew more dire.

I have no idea where we got this rule, but we use it all of the time.

[Finarvyn]

Here's another one:

"Zap" Spell:

In my low-level campaigns, some of the Magic-users (okay, my wife) complain that they don't have much to do. They get a couple of spells and then they are done for the adventure.

My solution is a "free" spell called Zap.
1. The mage has to roll to hit with Zap.
2. Zap does d4 damage upon hitting.
3. Essentially, there are no limits to how many of these a character gets.

The net effect is a lot like allowing a Magic-user to use a sling, but it has a more magical "feel".

As an alternate, sometimes I tie the Zap spell in with the Magic-user's wand so that if they lose the wand they lose Zap.

As an alternate, allow the character to have as many Zap spells as they have Intelligence points.

[crimhthanthegreat]

admin said:

I'll start.

Binding Wounds

After every battle, each player is allowed to roll a d4 to "bind wounds" and recover a few hit points. It is assumed that no character can surpass maximum HP by doing this, and no character can regain more HP than were lost during that battle.

The rationalle here was that in my low-level, low-magic campaigns there were never enough HP or healing potions to go around. This helped keep characters alive and conserve the Cleric spells for later in the adventure when things grew more dire.

I have no idea where we got this rule, but we use it all of the time.

This is a great rule, and as our campaign is very deadly with a lot of TPK's we do something somewhat similar. We houserule that all clerics have a general range of field medic skills and that the wiser fighting-men (Wisdom 13 and up) also have a general range of field medic skills. Immediate application of these skills will save anyone that is unconscious at zero hit points and restore them to 1 or 2 hitpoints. (If you were at less than 0 hp then you are dead). Continued use of these skills will add an extra 2 hps to your daily healing rate. Also for clerics from 2nd level on up they get an extra healing spell in addition to the normal number of spells. IMC this is not nearly as liberal as it sounds.

[crimhthanthegreat]

admin said:

Here's another one:

"Zap" Spell:

In my low-level campaigns, some of the Magic-users (okay, my wife) complain that they don't have much to do. They get a couple of spells and then they are done for the adventure.

My solution is a "free" spell called Zap.
1. The mage has to roll to hit with Zap.
2. Zap does d4 damage upon hitting.
3. Essentially, there are no limits to how many of these a character gets.

The net effect is a lot like allowing a Magic-user to use a sling, but it has a more magical "feel".

As an alternate, sometimes I tie the Zap spell in with the Magic-user's wand so that if they lose the wand they lose Zap.

As an alternate, allow the character to have as many Zap spells as they have Intelligence points.

I really like this and I am going to start using it immediately.

I generally allow 1st level magic-users to be able to magically start cookfires and the like anytime they want/need to and to be able to creat a small candle light source twice per day for 5 minutes/level with the number of times per day increasing by 1 every third level.

[crimhthanthegreat]

One of my house rules is that any fighter that grew up anywhere other than in an urban setting automatically knows the how to hunt, trap, fish and track. How well he can do these things is tied to his wisdom. There is nothing in writing, but when someone fishes or whatever I roll a 2d6 (or I have them roll it) and adjust for wisdom and tell them how they did. I keep (mostly in my head) track of how their supplies are holding out and go from there. You don't want to run out of food and water IMC.

[meepo]

I run 3LB + Greyhawk, so here are my house rules:

• HIT POINTS: All Player Characters receive the maximum number of hit points for their class at first level.
• MAGIC MISSILE: For every three levels beyond the first (fourth, seventh, etc.), an additional missile is created by the same spell.
• DAMAGE: All weapons do D6 damage. I prefer this to the Greyhawk variable weapon tables.
• DAMAGE: When using a two-handed weapon or two single-handed weapons (Fighting Men & Thieves only; the offhand weapon must always be of equal size or smaller than the main hand), roll 2 six-sided dice and discard the lower die for damage.
• CRITICAL HITS: Whenever a 20 is rolled in combat, maximum damage is
automatically inflicted.

[murquhart72]

Bonus XP for my GF, because I'm a fan of favoritism ;D

[tgamemaster1975]

We allow clerics to have a spell at 1st level instead of waiting to 2nd level.

[WSmith]

themattjon said:

Bonus XP for my GF, because I'm a fan of favoritism ;D

That was a nice laugh for first thing in the morning.

[tgamemaster1975]

wsmith said:

themattjon said:

Bonus XP for my GF, because I'm a fan of favoritism ;D

That was a nice laugh for first thing in the morning.

I'm with the themattjon on this, if your GF or in my case Wife plays you gotta give her some perks.

[calithena]

Payback can be hell when you kill her character though.

[serendipity]

You think that's bad? Try killing her daughter's character. (gulp)

[philotomy]

tgamemaster1975 said:

I'm with the themattjon on this, if your GF or in my case Wife plays you gotta give her some perks.

Years ago, when my wife was my girlfriend, I let her have an 18 Cha for her magic-user, and I gave her a Staff of Wizardry when she was 7th level.

[philotomy]

I generally don't use much from the Supplements, except for cherry-picked items and spells. I like to keep modifiers to combat rolls and armor class very rare; a +1 bonus is a big deal (this will help explain some of the house-rules).

Edit: Over time, my list of house-rules has been pruned down, using even fewer rules from Holmes and Supplement I.

All hit dice are rolled for each level, but max. hit points may not go down when advancing a level (although they can stay the same).

A fighter, elf, or hobbit may wield two weapons and make a single "to hit" roll. If the dual-wielding PC has a Dex of 13 or greater, he rolls 2 damage dice and takes the higher value. If his Dex is 12 or less, he does the standard 1 die of damage.

A 2-H weapon wielded by a fighting man, dwarf, or elf takes the highest of 2 damage dice.

Spell-casters of any level can create scrolls, given the time and materials. Costs are per the Holmes rules (100 gp and 1 week per level), and players should note that sometimes materials may be in short supply or unavailable for purchase. The costs given are an abstraction.

Spell-casters may have spell special effects.

A PC with a magic armor and a magic shield uses the higher of the two bonuses in any situation where the shield may be used. (Rather than rolling to see if the shield bonus is used.)

I'm using a 10 second combat round.

I'm using a combat sequence based on Swords and Spells.

[tgamemaster1975]

When I first started playing I remember the first rule that I knew was a house rule was this:

If you roll a natural 20 roll again, on the second roll a 19 was double damage and a natural 20 was an auto kill if your opponent was no more than two hit dice above your level, otherwise it was "only" double damage.

[philotomy]

philotomy said:

"High level" is 8. 10 is the normal maximum for mortals. Exceeding 10th level is possible, but requires special status of some sort (magical longevity, lichdom, divine or infernal intervention, etc).

Elven PCs have limits of F4/MU8.
Dwarven PCs are limited to F7.
Halfling PCs have limits of F4/T8.

Given the level limits, above, do you think MU8 and T8 is too high for Elves and Halflings, respectively? I've been considering dropping it by 1 or 2. If I did, only humans could achieve full "superhero" levels. The human thief is a prime consideration, here. As it is with the above level limits, the human thief suffers in comparison to the Halfling. Dunno, just thinking out loud...

[meepo]

That's pretty much exactly what I do, but of course you knew that, Phil.

Elves 4/6 F-M
Dwarves 7 F
Halflings 4/6 F-T

AKA My Holmes Companion! I just really like the game at the level 9 range. Very comfortable, name-level action, but without introducing level 6 (and above) spells.

Welcome aboard, by the way! Glad ya made the trip!

Edit: updated Holmes Companion to level 9

[Finarvyn]

meepo said:

AKA My Holmes Companion! I just really like the game at the level 8 range. Very comfortable, nearly name-level action, but without introducing level 5 spells.

Meepo -- that's one sweet little doc you have there, and really packed with info for only a 4 page PDF.

I "exalt" you for this!

[meepo]

admin said:

meepo said:

AKA My Holmes Companion! I just really like the game at the level 8 range. Very comfortable, nearly name-level action, but without introducing level 5 spells.

Meepo -- that's one sweet little doc you have there, and really packed with info for only a 4 page PDF.

I "exalt" you for this!

Thank ya kindly!

I did take a few liberties here and there (Raise Dead namely, and any expansion past level caps) but stayed as close to OD&D as I could. Or at least the kind of OD&D I play (3LB+Greyhawk).

I came up with this last year because I felt the sweet spot of D&D was just pre-name level. And I love Dungeon Crawling. What made me smile was someone on ENWorld came up with something similar recently for 3.5 D&D. Even though we were editions apart in our choice of game, we both thought that there was a nice cutoff where the power levels start to get crazy. Of course in his game, it gets unmanageably crazy whereas mine, I just like gritty combats with lower hit point totals and dragons (and other high powered beasts) to remain constant, terrifying threats to the PC's!

[philotomy]

meepo said:

That's pretty much exactly what I do, but of course you knew that, Phil.

Elves 4/6 F-M
Dwarves 7 F
Halflings 4/6 F-T

AKA My Holmes Companion!

Doh! I'd forgotten that your Holmes Companion had tweaked the level limits...here I am reinventing the wheel, again... I've been jiggering with house rules, etc., and overlooked that.

(For those who don't know, my OD&D game was kicked off because of a DF discussion where Meepo talked about his rules expanding Holmes, and I adopted his Holmes Companion as my baseline, and went from there. Very inspiring stuff!)

[meepo]

philotomy said:

(For those who don't know, my OD&D game was kicked off because of a DF discussion where Meepo talked about his rules expanding Holmes. Very inspiring stuff!)

Why thanks, and right back at you! Your OD&D campaign journal on Dragonsfoot was one of the few things that kept me going through my dry spell since last year. ;D In fact, I've tweaked a few things based on your experiences and house rules that you came up with.

So thank YOU!

[thorswulf]

I'm not sure it's a house rule but I do this when anybody has had a crappy run of dice throws. I used to play D&D with some older guys, and one day one of the guys had had nothing but bad rolls on his 20 sider. Now his character was about 10th level or so, and this really made him pissed off. He finally yelled a stream of obscenities at it, threw it out into the living room where it bounced off a few walls and rolled under an end table. When he picked it up it had landed on 20. So if this ever happens in my game, I'll let the player keep it. Obviously the great Dice Gods are fickle and who are we being mere mortals to argue with providence?