BXDMG (WIP): Camping

In support of my continuing work towards a BX DMG, here's where my Camping rules stand. As always, if you think something seems off or could use some tweaking, please let me know in the comments section.

Camping

Establishing Camp

Establishing camp typically requires about 6 turns (1 hour). This includes finding a suitable campsite, unloading equipment, preparing sleeping areas, gathering fuel, building a fire if desired, tending to animals, and making any necessary preparations for the night. Larger groups, poor terrain, or elaborate camps may require additional time at the DM's discretion.

Campfires

Gathering firewood is a normal part of establishing camp. The table below lists the approximate amount of wood required to maintain a fire throughout an 8-hour night, along with the intervals at which it must be replenished.

Fire Tending Intervals, Weights, and Log Counts for an 8-Hour Night

(Calculated using standard dense camping logs weighing roughly 4 lbs. each)

* Much jungle wood is green and damp, making it harder to ignite and producing heavy smoke.

† Above the tree line, firewood is generally unavailable.

‡ Fires require carried fuel or rare sources such as scrub, deadwood, or animal dung.

• Abundant: Enough fuel for any campfire can be gathered as part of establishing camp. 
• Moderate: Enough fuel for a small or medium fire can normally be gathered; a large fire requires additional time or luck. 
• Sparse: Enough fuel for only a small fire can normally be gathered. Medium or larger fires requires additional time (1d4+4 turns) spent searching for and/or carrying fuel. 
• Very Sparse: Only scattered fuel is available. Gathering enough for even a small fire requires significant effort (+3d4 turns beyond time required for establishing camp), and success is not guaranteed (chance at DM’s discretion based on locale). 
• None: No usable firewood is available unless it is carried or discovered by chance. 

Smoke from a campfire may be visible for miles during the day, while its glow can be seen at considerable distances after dark, especially across open terrain or from higher ground. Larger fires are easier to spot and more likely to attract unwanted attention. While some creatures avoid fire and light altogether, others may be drawn by its warmth, curiosity, or the scent of food. The DM should adjust Wandering Monster tables accordingly.

A fire should always be extinguished before breaking camp unless there is a reason to leave it burning. Dousing the fire with water or covering it with earth usually ensures it’s completely out, leaving only cooled ashes behind. A hastily abandoned firepit, scattered ashes, or discarded fuel may also reveal the party's recent presence to anyone passing through the area.

Watches 

A proper watch allows resting companions to recover while maintaining vigilance against danger. Typically, the night is divided into shifts as the party desires, ensuring at least one alert character remains awake at all times. Sleeping characters are generally unaware of approaching threats unless awakened. 

Sleeping & Rest

A long rest requires 8 hours. At least 6 of those hours must be sleeping. The remaining 2 hours can be spent on light activity like reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. A character can only benefit from one long rest in a 24-hour period. If interrupted before completion, the PC must start the rest over to benefit from it. 

Characters may sleep in armor, but doing so is uncomfortable and prevents proper rest. A character who sleeps in armor does not get the benefit of a restful sleep. (E.g., a cleric who sleeps in their armor will not be able to memorize spells until they get a full night of restful sleep.)

As long as a spellcaster gets their 6 hours of restful sleep and doesn’t exceed 2 hours on watch, they will successfully complete the long rest and recover all of their spell slots. A spellcaster’s long rest is automatically interrupted by the following conditions:

• They participate in combat, even for a single round.
• They take damage or fail a saving throw.
• They move their equipment to or camp spot 5'+ feet or more.
• They walk more than 30’.
• They undertake a similar adventuring task.

Elven Meditative Trance (Optional): Elves do not sleep. Instead, they need to spend 4 hours a day in a deep, meditative trance. During this time, they achieve the same level of rest and mental renewal that a human gets from 6 hours of regular sleep. In this state, their eyes are closed and they are semiconscious, limiting any perception to sound and touch only.

Breaking Camp

Breaking camp typically requires 2–4 turns (20–40 minutes) to extinguish fires, pack equipment, strike tents, load mounts, and prepare to travel. It takes 1–2 additional turns for the party to cover up or remove signs of their stay (e.g., erasing tracks, dismantling firepits, scattering ashes, etc.) in order to make it more difficult for others to discover or follow them.

BXDMG (WIP): Light & Vision

In support of my continuing work towards a BX DMG, here's where my Light & Vision rules stand. (BTW, you'll note a reference to Campfire rules. I'm still working on those, but should have them up here next week some time.) As always, if you think something seems off or could use some tweaking, please let me know in the comments section.

Light & Vision

Vision depends upon the amount of available light. Creatures relying on normal sight require illumination to see clearly. Darkness conceals hazards, obscures monsters, and limits exploration. Managing light is therefore one of the most important aspects of dungeon adventuring.

Every location falls into one of four light levels.

• Bright light allows creatures with normal vision to see clearly. Color, movement, writing, tracks, and fine details are readily visible. Examples of bright light include: daylight, sunlit rooms, a magical light spell, within a few feet of a campfire, close to a lantern.

• Low light provides enough illumination for ordinary travel but not for careful observation. In low light, characters can walk safely, recognize creatures, fight normally, and navigate familiar terrain. However, in low light, small details become difficult to notice. Examples of low light include: twilight, the light of a full moon, the outer edge of torchlight, or a large chamber faintly illuminated by distant fires. The DM may, at their own discretion, require extra time, appropriate ability checks, and/or modifiers in order to notice hidden details.

• Dim light barely illuminates the surroundings. In dim light, characters can usually distinguish walls, doorways, large objects, movement, and silhouettes, but cannot reliably distinguish facial features, colors, writing, hidden doors, fine mechanisms, tracks. Under such conditions, the DM should only describe uncertain shapes rather than precise details (e.g., “Something crouches beside the pillar,” rather than “an orc stands beside the pillar.”) 

• Darkness provide no useful vision whatsoever. In darknesss, creatures relying on normal sight are effectively blind. They cannot read, search, identify creatures, fight accurately, or detect most hazards visually. Other senses function normally.

Typical Light Sources

Light Source	Bright	Low	Dim	Duration
candle	5'	10'	15'	6 turns (1 hour)
torch	15'	30'	45'	6 turns (1 hour)
hooded lantern	20'	40'	60'	24 turns/4 hours (1 flash of oil)
bullseye lantern*	30'	60'	90'	24 turns/4 hours (1 flash of oil)
campfire, small	20'	40'	60'	See “Campfires" (p.00).
campfire, medium	30'	60'	80'	See “Campfires" (p.00).
campfire, large	40'	80'	120'	See “Campfires" (p.00).

*A bullseye lantern illuminates only its forward cone. It typically has a fixed convex lens and a static internal mirror that shines line in an arc of approximately 45°.

Special Lighting Conditions

LIGHT OVERLAPS: When multiple light sources overlap, use the brightest available illumination. Natural lighting does not “stack” to create brighter light. Several torches do not double their radius, but they may eliminate shadows or illuminate a larger area.

BLOCKING LIGHT: Light does not pass through closed doors, solid walls, heavy curtains, thick fog, or dense smoke. Corners cast shadows. A single torch rarely illuminates an entire dungeon chamber.

CONCEALING LIGHT: Light advertises a party's presence. In dark underground passages, a torch or lantern may be visible from hundreds of feet away down a straight corridor. Monsters often notice the light before they hear approaching adventurers.

CARRYING LIGHT: A character carrying a light source usually occupies one hand. The may prevent the use of two-handed weapons, bows, and shields (if the shield hand carries the light). Lanterns may be hung, placed on the ground, or set upon furniture when circumstances allow.

EXTINGUISHING LIGHT: Light sources may be extinguished by circumstances such as a strong wind, deep water, deliberate action, lack of fuel, or magical darkness. Relighting a torch or lantern generally requires one combat round if suitable flame is available.

Extraordinary Vision

While infravision is a standard extraordinary form of vision in the game, some campaigns may feature additional forms of sight. These optional abilities may be assigned to monsters, player ancestries, or magical effects at the DM’s discretion. Unless otherwise noted, these abilities function only to their listed range.

Infravision

Infravision allows a creature to perceive differences in heat rather than visible light. Warm-blooded creatures, recently disturbed objects, open flames, and lingering heat sources appear as varying intensities of brightness against cooler surroundings. Infravision functions best in complete darkness and becomes increasingly unreliable in brightly illuminated areas or near powerful heat sources such as large fires, lava, or furnaces. 

Infravision cannot normally see through solid objects, detect hidden doors solely by sight, read writing, distinguish colors, or recognize paintings or heraldry. It merely reveals heat patterns rather than visible detail.

Heat Interference: Infravision functions by detecting heat rather than visible light. Nearby heat sources—including torches, lanterns, campfires, lava, and similar sources—reduce or negate its effectiveness by masking the subtle temperature differences it normally detects. Creatures carrying a light source generally rely on ordinary vision instead of infravision until the light is extinguished.

Ultravision (Optional)

Ultravision allows a creature to perceive ultraviolet light naturally present in sunlight, moonlight, and starlight. Even on a moonlit night or beneath an overcast sky, creatures possessing ultravision can often see remarkably well outdoors. It is most useful for night travel, recognizing distant movement across open terrain, tracking beneath moonlight, and recognizing distant movement across open terrain. 

Ultravision functions only where the sky is visible or where ultraviolet light is otherwise present. It provides no benefit underground or within enclosed structures where ultraviolet light is absent. 

Ordinary torches, lanterns, candles, and similar light sources neither improve nor hinder ultravision.

Darkvision (Optional)

Darkvision allows a creature to see in complete darkness without relying upon heat. Within its listed range, darkness is perceived as though it were dimly lit. Objects remain visible but lack fine detail and appear only in shades of gray. Darkvision does not reveal color, not does it improve vision in fog, smoke, magical darkness, or other effects that specifically block sight. Because darkvision is unaffected by heat, it functions normally around fires or lava.

Low-Light Vision (Optional)

Creatures with low-light vision make exceptionally efficient use of even the faintest illumination. Whenever at least a small amount of natural or artificial light is present, they see as though the illumination were one step brighter; that is, dim light appears as bright light and low light appears as dim light.

Low-light vision simply makes existing light go farther. The creature's eyes are exceptionally sensitive, allowing it to make use of illumination that would be insufficient for normal sight. Because it is still seeing visible light, everything appears in full color. A creature with low-light vision can distinguish painted heraldry, identify the color of potions, appreciate artwork, and notice bloodstains just as well as a human standing in bright daylight—provided there is at least some light available.

Low light vision does not provide any benefit in complete darkness.

Supernatural Visual Abilities

The vision types presented above describe the natural means by which creatures perceive the world. Some monsters, magical beings, and enchanted individuals possess additional supernatural forms of sight that transcend normal vision. Abilities such as seeing invisible creatures, perceiving through illusions, viewing the true forms of shapechangers, or seeing through solid objects are not separate vision types, but extraordinary powers granted by magic, divine favor, or other supernatural means. Unless an ability specifically states otherwise, extraordinary vision supplements a creature's normal forms of sight rather than replacing it.

Visibility Conditions

These can occur under any light level.

Shadows are areas receiving little direct illumination, such as the space behind pillars, beneath furniture, in deep alcoves, or at the edge of a light source. Shadows are not a separate light level, but represent locations where concealment is possible despite nearby illumination.

Glare occurs when an exceptionally bright light overwhelms the eyes, making nearby details difficult to distinguish. Direct sunlight, polished mirrors, magical radiance, or intense reflections from water, snow, or ice may produce glare at the referee's discretion.

Smoke scatters and absorbs light, reducing visibility even in brightly illuminated areas. Thin smoke obscures distant objects, while thick smoke may reduce visibility to only a few feet or create conditions equivalent to darkness.

Fog and mist diffuse light, making distant objects appear indistinct or disappear altogether. Even under bright illumination, visibility may be severely limited by dense banks of fog.

Dust, ash, and blowing sand fill the air with countless suspended particles that obscure vision and soften detail. Dense clouds may reduce visibility dramatically until they settle or disperse.

Heavy rainfall reduces visibility by masking distant objects behind a curtain of falling water. Wind-driven rain may further limit sight and make identifying creatures or landmarks difficult.

Dense vegetation (e.g., hanging vines, dense hedges, and closely packed trees0 blocks lines of sight regardless of the available light. Creatures may remain partially or completely obscured behind vegetation even in broad daylight.

Heat distortion (e.g., intense heat from lava, roaring fires, furnaces, or similar sources) creates shimmering air and overpowering thermal radiation. Such conditions may make distant objects difficult to discern and greatly reduce or negate the usefulness of infravision.

Extreme cold reduces temperature differences between surrounding objects, diminishing the contrast upon which infravision depends. Although warm creatures remain visible, subtle heat signatures and environmental details become more difficult to distinguish.

Magical darkness suppresses and absorbs light beyond natural means, creating an area of supernatural blackness. Unless an ability or spell specifically states otherwise, creatures relying on ordinary vision—and often even extraordinary vision—cannot see within it.

A NOTE FOR THE DM: This information is intended to shape exploration, not to impose layers of modifiers. Rather than worrying about precise mechanical penalties, consider what the characters could reasonably perceive under the available illumination. Bright light reveals the world clearly, while dim and low light obscure details, create uncertainty, and leave room for surprise. For example, in lower lighting conditions, describe silhouettes instead of identities, movement instead of certainty, and vague shapes instead of obvious dangers. Used in this manner, light becomes more than a measurement—it becomes a tool for building tension, atmosphere, and prompting meaningful player decisions.

House Rule: Sharing Potions

 

Something my players have tried (off and on again) is splitting potions—particularly if many in the party are in need of healing. In furtherance of my BXDMG, I thought I'd go ahead and set out how I intend to handle this from now on...

[The parenthetical note "(see below)" in the last line of the first section is a placeholder for the actual layout of the BXDMG; this section will be followed by the Potion Miscibility rules from RS1 Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain.]

Sharing Potions

In general, it takes the full dose of a potion for its properties to take take full effect. This is especially true when other factors are taken into consideration, like age of the potion and settling of its ingredients. The size of the dose is never in question (it is the full phial, with the exception of ointments and salves which have a prescribed number of applications), only the duration of that dose is to be determined (1d6+1 turns, except where indicated by the potion). Two different characters each imbibing half of a potion might have completely different consequences, except for poison potions, which are always deadly, regardless of how little is imbibed.

When PCs choose to share a potion, roll 1d6 on the following table for each PC to determine the effects of the partial dose on that PC.

1. Potion has full effect for half duration (1d3 turns + 5 minutes).
2. Potion has half effect/strength for full duration (1d6+1 turns).
3. Potion has half effect for half duration.
4. Potion has no effect; if other portion of dose is consumed within 1d6 rounds of the first portion, there is a 50% chance the potion will have full effect for full duration; otherwise, it still has no effect).
5. Imbiber must save vs. poison or be nauseated (–1 on all "to hit" rolls and saving throws for 1d6+1 turns) unless the potion is neutralized (neutralize poison); the potion has otherwise no effect.
6. Imbiber must save vs. poison or die at the end of 1d6+1 turns, unless the potion is neutralized (neutralize poison); ; the potion has otherwise no effect.

Partial doses are subject to the effects of Potion Miscibility (see below), regardless of the result on the table above, for the duration indicated for each result.

Partial Applications of Magical Ointments/Salves/Balms

If a PC attempts to use less than a full prescribed portion of an ointment, salve, or balm, it will have no effect; however, the partial application will "start the clock" on the duration of the ointment, salve, or balm. Should the remainder of the prescribed amount be applied before that duration has expired, it will work as intended, but only for the remainder of the original partial application's duration. 

Coming soon—recharging wands, rods, and other items.

Simplifying Magic Resistance for B/X

In furtherance of my new d30 project mentioned in recent posts, I'm working on a demons encounter table. As a fan of Tom Moldvay's approach to creating a clear hierarchy for monsters with different strengths (a la Basic's dragons and many of his creatures in Lords of Creation), I'm attempting something similar as I adapt (and expand) the demons from the various AD&D resources. 

Something B/X doesn't really accommodate in its RAW, but I'm also not willing to fully abandon, is the concept of Magic Resistance as a stat for demons (even at very low levels/Hit Dice). 

Eric Diaz over at the Methods & Madness blog wrote about this a couple of years ago. I agree with Eric that only a few creature types should have this kind of magic resistance, and I do generally like the suggestions he's made for handling this. That being said, neither quite fits my personal style or house rules approach, so here's what I've come up with...

Magic Resistance

Some creatures (most notably demons and other supernatural entities) possess an innate Magic Resistance that disrupts spellcasting around them. When a spell is cast upon such a creature, there is a chance the magic simply fails in its presence.

Essentially, Magic Resistance (MR) permits a “preemptive” Saving Throw for a creature with this trait against magical effects. If the MR check succeeds, the creature ignores completely the spell or effect; if the check fails, the creature is affected normally by the spell or effect.

To resolve Magic Resistance, start with a base target of 10, add the caster’s level, and then subtract the creature’s Magic Resistance rating (typically 1–20) to determine the final number needed on a d20 roll (made by the DM for the creature). If the roll result meets or exceeds this number, the spell or effect fails against the creature, otherwise, the spell or effect affects the creature normally. A spell or effect with a target chance of 1 or less will always fail against the creature and a spell with a target chance or 20 or higher will always succeed.

• Cast Against/Direct Interaction: MR functions against targeted spells (e.g., charm person, magic missile) and, if successful, negates the spell entirely.
• Area Effect: If MR succeeds against an area effect, the resistant creature inside the area can ignore the effect entirely, though it affects others around them normally unless they are also magic resistant.
• Proximity: MR does not affect any spell simply because it is cast nearby; the spell must target or affect the creature directly.
• Environmental Magic: MR is not effective against indirect magical consequences (e.g., Earthquake causing a ceiling to fall, or a magical charm causing a rock to fall), only the direct energy of the spell.
• Duration: The resistance is innate, always active, and even applies to beneficial spells (e.g,. even a cure light wounds spell cast against a magic-resistant creature would require a check to see if the spell succeeds, regardless of the wishes of the magic-resistant creature).
• Ongoing Effects: For spells or effects that persist or repeat (e.g., cloudkill, wall of fire), Magic Resistance is checked once per round of exposure; a successful check negates the effect for that round only.
• Magic Items: Magic Resistance also applies to spells or spell-like effects produced by magic items (e.g., wands, rods, staves, scrolls). Instead of using caster level, the DM should apply a flat adjustment based on the item’s strength: weak items (e.g., most wands) are treated as +5, intermediate items (e.g., most rods) as +10, and strong items (e.g., staves) as +15.
• Standard Saving Throws: Even if a Magic Resistance roll fails, the resistant creature is still permitted any standard Saving Throw to avoid or adjust consequences of a spell or effect as prescribed by that particular spell or effect (e.g., if a Magic Resistance roll fails against a hold monster spell, the resistant creature is sill permitted the standard save vs. spells to avoid the effect).

Silvered Weapons Information

One of my long-term projects is to continue collecting and expanding my house rules into a sort of "BX DMG."  A lot of these were compiled into RS1 Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain (like the manufacture of holy water, arming and disarming traps, and alchemy rules), But there are a lot of cool things I have planned for this future edition (like information for creating campaign-specific pantheons to support thing like this worksheet).

Today's information comes via my home campaign, where they players were a good distance from civilization and found themselves facing a den of werewolves. They realized that they were significantly short on silver ammo and tried to improvise. With a bit of hindsight, it turns out that what I allowed them to accomplish in the field was far from reasonable, even in the context of a game. 

So, to that point, below are my revised house rules for silvered weapons.

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SILVERED WEAPONS

In many campaigns, there are creatures may only be harmed by silvered weapons. Although it is ultimately up to the DM to determine which creatures are affected by silvered weapons, these typically include: lycanthropes and other shapechangers, certain demons & devils, a number of undead, and a selection of fey and spirits.

A silvered weapon is one whose striking surfaces have been plated, bonded, or inlaid with sufficient silver to count as “silver” for purposes of overcoming specific creature defenses. 
Silvering a weapon does not make it magical. It merely allows the weapon to strike creatures vulnerable to silver. 

PROFESSIONAL SILVERING

Silvering Normal (Mundane) Weapons
Any normal, non-magical weapon may be silvered, assuming there is access to a properly equipped forge and a qualified smith (a master weaponsmith, silversmith, or white-smith). In small settlements, such equipment and/or expertise may not be available.

Standard professional silvering methods include:

• silver plating or bonding onto the striking edge
• silver inlay along cutting surfaces
• partial surface alloying
• reinforced edge wrapping

The time and cost required to silver a weapons is based on the weapon’s maximum damage. 

The base cost in silver pieces equals 100 sp (10 gp) × the weapon’s maximum damage. For example, a weapon that deals 1d4 damage (maximum 4) costs 400 sp (40 gp) to silver, while a weapon that deals 1d8 damage (maximum 8) costs 800 sp (80 gp). This cost includes both material and skilled labor. The silver used represents enough precious metal to properly plate or bond the striking surfaces. 

The time required to silver a weapon equals one day per 2 points of maximum damage (rounded up). Work cannot be rushed without risk of failure. Particularly large or complex weapons may require additional time (at the DM’s discretion).

Pre-Silvered Weapons

In larger towns and cities, merchants may occasionally offer weapons that have already been silvered. These are typically produced in small batches for resale rather than commissioned individually.
Pre-silvered weapons are sold at approximately 75% of the normal custom silvering cost. This reduced price reflects simpler workmanship, thinner bonding, or less refined finishing compared to bespoke work ordered from a master smith.

In regions plagued by creatures vulnerable to silver, demand for silvered weapons increases sharply. Prices for both stock and bespoke silvered arms may rise accordingly — sometimes well above the standard rates (2–3× or more) — or, in heavily fortified settlements, modestly decrease if production is common and competition among smiths is strong. Availability should reflect local fear, trade routes, and access to silver.

While fully functional against creatures vulnerable to silver, such weapons may be somewhat less durable than custom-silvered arms at the DM’s discretion (see Limitations of Silvered Weapons, below). Availability is never guaranteed and should depend upon settlement size, trade activity, and local demand.

Silvering Magical Weapons

As a rule, magical weapons resist alteration. The enchantment binds the material in a fixed mystical state. Attempts to silver a magical weapon generally fail unless special research, ritual, or rare alchemical silver is employed.

The DM may allow such work in exceptional cases, but the work should require significant cost (5,000–10,000 gp or more), substantial downtime (1–2 months at a minimum), and a high risk of permanently damaging or diminishing the weapon’s enchantment (50% or greater).

IMPROVISED SILVERING BY PLAYER CHARACTERS

Characters without access to a silvering resource may attempt to silver weapons themselves. Such efforts are not likely to succeed without the proper equipment and expertise.

To work with silver, it must be brought to full melting temperature. A campfire alone is insufficient unless carefully enclosed and fed with sustained airflow. At a minimum, a small clay furnace, charcoal fuel, and improvised bellows (or steady forced air) would be required for silver to reach workable heat; this might make melting silver to a workable state in the field possible, but far from guaranteed. 

At most, and only with the required heat and equipment, the DM may permit the casting of rudimentary silver slings bullets and the forming of silver arrowheads in the field. Additionally, unless the character (or characters) working the silver have any significant expertise, the resulting silver ammunition is incur minor to major penalties to both “to hit” and damage rolls (–1 to –3) due to flaws in the workmanship. 

LIMITATIONS OF SILVERED WEAPONS

Silvered weapons require occasional maintenance to remain effective.

Silver is softer than steel. Even when properly bonded, a silvered weapon is less durable than an untreated steel weapon. Whenever a silvered weapon rolls a natural 1, it takes a significant amount of damage. After 3 such instances, the weapon no longer counts as silvered. It must then be re-silvered to restore its status as silvered.

Even in the absence of such critical fails, any silvered weapon that has seen significant use during a full adventure is considered to have incurred the same amount of damage as a single failed “to hit” roll with that weapon.

Silver ammunition has lower recovery rate than standard ammunition. Assuming the standard recovery rate for ammunition (non-magical sling bullets and arrows) is 50%, the recovery rate for silver ammunition in good enough condition to be used again is 25%. If not recoverable for re-use, there is 50% chance of recovering the raw silver from the lost ammunition (usually 1–2 sp for a silver arrowhead and 4–5 sp for a silver sling bullet 1 sp for a silver arrowhead and 2 sp for a silver sling bullet).

Now Available! Old School Adventures™ Accessory RS1: Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain

 

Bring additional dimensions to your classic fantasy gaming! This 64-page book presents players and DMs alike with information to expand the playability and possibilities in their campaigns. It's a cornucopia of information on all aspects of the game including characters, spellcasting, adventures, encounters, monsters and dungeon mastering. This is truly an indispensable resource for the the classic edition Dungeon Master (BX, OSE, LL).

Get the PDF at DTRPG. >> 

Get a trade paperback print copy from Lulu.com. >>

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• detailed and expanded Ability Score information

• character background generation

• dual-axis alignment information, including alignments for all standard B/X monsters

• detailed language information

• new cleric options for petitions, manufacture of holy water, and turning based on the Hit Dice of the undead creature

• new options for demi-humans establishing their own clans, including the acquisition and use of clan artifacts

• new combat options for fighters

• new magic-user options for cantrips, point-based spellcasting, manufacture of spell scrolls, and familiars

• new thief options for finding, disarming, and setting traps

• a system for creating custom character classes

• expanded weapon and armor information

• expanded weapon and armor information

• full rules for hiring and using henchmen, hirelings, mercenaries, and specialists

• comprehensive alchemy rules, including descriptions for 64 different potions, and potion miscibility information

• information about animal training

• new rules for lore checks, reactions, object saving throws, unarmed combat, invisibility, morale, sanity & madness, the effects of alcohol & drugs, and poison use

• expanded information to assist with monster encounters, and rules for monsters as tribal spellcasters

• information about adventuring on the various Planes of Existence

• details about creation and campaign use of artifacts 

• And much more!

Get the PDF at DTRPG. >> 

Get a trade paperback print copy from Lulu.com. >>

Paperback has cream interior pages.

Coming early 2023... Old School Adventures™ Accessory RS1: Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain (a B/X Rules Supplement)

So just about the time we finished editing this earlier this year, I decided I wanted to just fold this into a much larger "B/X DMG" with all kinds of additional stuff (e.g., all the thieves' info from In Alley & Shadow, plus I'm working on information about creating pantheons, clerics establishing orders, how to structure settlements and encounters, etc.—you know, the kind of stuff that is the 1e DMG, just for BX). But that's a meaty bite to chew, especially with the demands of work, life, love, other projects, etc. 

So instead, I'm releasing nearly as originally planned. I say "nearly" because I had originally planned to print it as a saddle stitched book to make the feel of the original B/X rulebooks. However, time conspires, so it will be a perfect bound book instead. I'm waiting on proof copies (will take a couple of weeks), and will look to release it just before my new work semester starts in full force (2nd-3rd week of January). 

Here's the finalized Table of Contents. 

Coming Soon... In Alley & Shadow (Dragon Horde Zine, Volume II, Issue 2)

 

This has been in the works for a while, and we're in the final round of edits and tweaks. 

Here's a look at the goodness inside...

CHARACTER INFORMATION 

• New Character Class: Spy
• New Character Class: Varlet 
• d30 Alias Characteristics 
• New Magic-user Spells: Spells of Stealth & Subterfuge
• New Cleric Spells: Spells of Truth & Revelation
• House Rule: Thieves’ Ability to Find/Disarm Traps
• House Rule: Setting & Resetting Traps

EQUIPMENT

• Spy Equipment
• Chains, Keys, Locks, and Manacles

THE ADVENTURE

• A Detailed Look at Locks
• Clandestine Communication: A Guide to Ciphers, Symbols, Codes, and Cants

DM INFORMATION

• A Basic Guide to Thieves’ Guilds
• d30 Thieves’ Guild Names
• d30 Thieves’ Guild Events
• Assassins’ Fees
• Spy Missions 
• Crime & Punishment
• Building Better Bandit Encounters 48
• d30 Bandit Lair Locations

NEW ADVENTURE

• The Tomb of 13 Thieves: An adventure for 5–7 characters of 3rd–5th level

MAGIC ITEMS

• Designed for Deception

NEW PETTY GODS

• Patrons of Trickery & Treachery

B/X House Rule: Thieves' Abilities Adjustments by Dex/Int

The title to this post pretty much says it all.

B/X House Rules: Potion Miscibility

 In working on the layout for Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain, I realized I had waaaaay too much room for illustrations in the Alchemy section. So I asked myself, "What additional content could I maybe put in that section?" 

Being a fan of Chris Stogdill's d30 Potion Miscibility Table (I've used it often in my games),  I decided a Potion Miscibility Table was the perfect addition. Also, I had completely forgotten the 1e DMG included one. 

I like the 3d6 roll vs. the d% used in the DMG because it's more B/X to me. Also, in this table, the chance of the "Poison" result on 3d6 is 1 in 216 (vs. the 1 in 100 chance from the DMG). The same is true of the "Discovery" result.

Anyhoo, here's my B/X adaptation of the Potion Miscibility rules. 

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Potion Miscibility

The composition of a potion is a complicated thing. The alchemist can spend weeks preparing the ingredients just so, then combining them in perfect balance. The composition of one potion is not always compatible with another. The miscibility of potions should be tested when either of the following occurs: 

1. the commingling of two (or more) potions
2. a creature still under the effect of one potion consumes another

It is suggested that, under such circumstances, a 3d6 roll be made on the Potion Miscibility Table (or a similar table of the DM’s own design) to determine the outcome of the commingling: 

Additional Considerations

The following considerations should be taken into account when using the Potion Miscibility Table.

• Contradictory potions (e.g., a potion of growth and a potion of diminution) will normally cancel each other out, but may cause additional miscibility effects. 
• A potion of delusion may be commingled with any other single potion without the effects of either being affected.
• Combining oil of slipperiness and oil of etherealness has a 50% chance of causing the imbiber to lost in the Ethereal Plane for 5d6 days.
• If three or more potions are combined, subsequent rolls should be affected by a negative modifier. (The modifier is at the discretion of the DM, and should be based on the similarity/dissimilarity of the potions’ effects.)

B/X House Rules: Custom Character Classes

I gained a couple of pages in the layout for Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain (the B/X house rules book I've been working on), and have decided it needs a Custom Character Classes appendix.

The overall system is one that's familiar (from both Dragon Magazine and 2e), but I've tried to make it more "Moldvay-like" (as much as I could). 

This is a pretty rough draft (I know there are some issues) but I'm doing a beta of it regardless. I appreciate any input people are willing to provide.

Download the Beta PDF of Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain "Appendix A: Custom Character Classes" >>

Please let me know your thoughts. For shorter comments, feel free to use the comments boxes below. If you'd rather give longer input (e.g., in a text document), or even mark up the PDF, I've set up a FileDrop you can use. Make sure to include your name (as you'd like it to appear in credits) so I can add your name to the Thanks section.

Use this link to access FileDrop. >>

Thanks!

B/X House Rules: Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain

So this is the final table of contents for Fang, Faith, and Legerdemain... 

Everything is written (but not edited), except the Dice Mechanics page. (There's some math to be done!)

B/X House Rule: The Effects of Alcohol & Drugs

There's a player in my bi-weekly game who's character seems obsessed with finding something to drink every time they visit a town or stay in someone's roadside cottage. So I figured it was time I prepared some drinking rules in case his character gets slipped a Mickey and some shit goes down while the character is in their altered state.

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Alcohol

Every time a character consumes an alcoholic beverage there is a chance it will affect them based on their Constitution and the strength of the beverage.

For each alcoholic beverage a character consumes, the Potency Rating of that drink is totaled with all the other drinks that character has consumed to produce their Intoxication Score. A PC can sustain an Intoxication Score equal to their Constitution without being affected. Should they consume in excess of that amount, the difference between the amount consumed and their Constitution determines their Potency Excess which, in turn, determines their State of Intoxication. 

A character’s State of Intoxication affects their performance as outlined by the Intoxication Table below:

Every turn a drunken character remains in a Stupor, they must save vs. poison or pass out for 1d4 hours. Additionally, the result of this roll is modified by their total Potency Excess minus 8 (e.g., a character with a Potency Excess of 10 would suffer a penalty of –2 on the roll).

A character’s Constitution score determines at what rate their Intoxication Score is reduced. The rate of recovery is doubled while the character is sleeping.

If a character awakens from a full-night’s rest after drinking, or has not had a full night's rest since they were drinking, and their Intoxication Score is still greater than 0 (zero), they will remain exhausted until their next full-night’s rest. While exhausted, they suffer a –2 penalty on all “to hit” rolls and saving throws, a +2 penalty to Armor Class, and their movement is halved.

Drugs

Generally, narcotics will have the same effects on a character’s State of Intoxication (as above). However, at the DM’s discretion, these substances may have additional effects on a character’s Morale, Ability Scores, Attack Level, etc. Furthermore, strong stimulants have a 5% chance per use of permanently reducing a character’s Constitution score by 1 point. Mild stimulants are rarely produce this sort of harmful effects.

B/X House Rule: PC Astrological Alterations

I, like many others my age, bought a copy of what is generally agreed-upon as one of the most convoluted products ever put out by our hobby—the Bruce Galloway monstrosity Fantasy Wargaming: The Highest Level of All. Also like many others who bought it, I read it (well, skimmed it from time to time), but never attempted to play it. 

For all of its pages, and it's intriguing visual look (including that whole hardback thing), the one thing that struck me most—and is ultimately the reason I coughed up the (what I seem to remember as) $25— was the idea that a character's astrological sign could change their attribute scores. 

I always wanted to include that in my D&D games, but since the attributes didn't quite jive between rulesets, I never took the time to work it out. Until today!!!!

I was looking for a reason to use my 12-sided zodiac die. After finishing the chart, I went digging for that dodecahedron and it turns out I misremembered it. It is a planet symbol die, not a zodiac one, so it doesn't quite match up (Mercury and Venus are each attached to 2 signs, and the die features north and south nodes for the moon, which are not directly tied to any of the signs). 

Oh well, guess I'll have to buy a zodiac die or two. 

Here you go! 

B/X House Rule: Object Saving Throws

I've often felt like I needed Object Saving Throws in my games, and have long been enamored of how they appeared in the old AD&D DM Screen. Since I've been putting a lot of house rule things up lately, no reason not to share this too!

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It is generally assumed that if a character or creature survives, anything they are are wearing or carrying also survives. If a special form of damage kills the character (e.g., dragon breath or magical disintegration), their normal equipment is also considered destroyed. 

At the DM’s discretion, magic items or items standing alone may be permitted a saving throw to avoid being destroyed. Magic items receive a bonus equal to their best bonus (e.g., a sword +1/+2 vs. lycanthropes would receive a +2 bonus on its saving throws). A roll of 1 always fails. 

How an object is affected should consider both the object and the type of damage inflicted (e.g., a crushing blow would shatter glass, but tear or rip cloth). The notations below are only guidelines, and the DM may adjust the numbers as they see fit.

Notes on Item Types

Wood/Rope. The number may be adjusted up or down based on the hardness or softness of the wood, or the strength/thickness of the rope. A fall does not normally harm rope, regardless of the height.

Liquids/Potions. This assumes that the container in which the liquid or potion is held remains intact. If the container is destroyed, it is assumed the liquid or potion held inside is also lost.

Soft Metal/Jewelry. This includes silver mirrors and pearls of all sorts.

Hard Metal. If a hard metal object that has been exposed to extreme cold is struck with sufficient force (10 hp or more in a single blow), there is a 50% chance it will be shattered/damaged/destroyed.

Notes on Damage Types

Fall. This is based on the object falling approximately 5' and coming into contact with a hard surface (e.g., stone). Softer surfaces provide a bonus of +1 to +5 (based on how soft they are). Falls from a greater height should penalize the roll by –2 for each additional 5' fallen. 

Crush. The item is struck by a weighty object falling on it or hitting it (e.g., a giant’s club or a thrown rock). 

Strike. The item is struck by fairly-heavy object or a normal-strength opponent. 

Magic Fire. This includes all varieties of magical fire (e.g., dragon breath, the spells fireball, wall of fire, etc.). For normal fires, adjust the target number by –3.

Magic Frost. This includes all varieties of magical cold (e.g., white dragon breath, the spells cone of cold, wall of ice, etc.).

Lightning. This includes both magical electricity (e.g., blue dragon breath, the spells lightning bolt, etc.), and large scale electrical effects (e.g., the “shock” of a giant eletric eel). For smaller discharges (e.g., a normal-sized electric eel, spells like shocking grasp, magical traps, etc.), all objects save on a 2 or better except liquids/potions, which require a roll of 10 or better to avoid being ruined.

Acid. This assumes the object is immersed or submerged in a considerable volume of a strong acid (e.g., black dragon breath) for an amount of time substantial enough to affect the item.

Disintegration. This is the magical effect. Non-magical items should not be permitted to make a save against disintegration (except as otherwise indicated by the spell or effect).

BX House Rule: Manufacturing Holy Water

There has been some discussion in my bi-weekly game group about the possibility of making their own holy water, so I had to do a little research. I've created a B/X house rule for making holy water based on the information in the 1e DMG.

The good news for the cleric is there is a clairvoyant NPC that can send a message for the party to have a stoup made dedicated to the cleric's deity—Morbagallicus. The bad news is the cleric is a couple of levels shy of being able to cast 3rd level spells. 

But, then again, by the time the stoup is finished, the cleric might have gained a couple of levels!

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A cleric (or paladin, or similar divine spellcaster) may create holy/unholy water under the following conditions:

1. They possess or have access to a approriate blessed/cursed vessel (a “stoup”) in which the holy/unholy water will be created.
2. The character is capable of casting 3rd level cleric spells.

Holy/Unholy Water Receptacles

The stoup/vessel for creating holy water consists of 2 parts:

1. the font: a finely-crafted repository of wood (with a base, pedestal, chest-like holder, and lid) carved or engraved with the holy/unholy symbols of the deity to which the vessel has been dedicated.
2. the basin: a metal bowl placed within the font which holds the water to be blessed.

A cleric may only create holy/unholy water in a vessel dedicated to their deity. The amount of water they may create depends on the metal used for the basin.

All fonts and basins are made to order, taking 4-10 (2d4+2) weeks to be designed and constructed. 

Basins in combinations of metal may be available (at DM’s discretion), with costs and capacity adjusted accordingly (e.g., a silver basin chased with gold and set with gold handles).

Generally, the stoup must be housed in a religious structure, and each structure is limited to having a single stoup. 

Procedure/Ritual

The ritual for creating holy/unholy water takes 1 hour to perform, and requires the cleric use the following: a purify food and water spell (or reverse), a bless spell (or reverse), and a 3rd level spell slot for the ritual that creates the holy/unholy water. The ritual must be performed uninterrupted, and if the cleric does not have the available spell slots for all three spells, the ritual cannot be completed. The ritual may only be performed once per week, and immediately after the cleric must rest for at least 8 hours.

Portable Stoups (Optional)

The DM may opt to allow the use of portable stoups. The suggested cost and capacity for such stoups is outlined below:

The encumbrance of a portable stoup is a number of coins equal to the font cost for the stoup (e.g., a portable silver stoup has an encumbrance of 200 coins). 

Performing the ritual to make holy water outside a structure dedicated to cleric’s deity (even a structure dedicated to a similar or companion deity) takes the cleric an entire day, during which time they may not undertake any other adventuring or perform any other activities. The standard period of 8 hours is required as normal.