Access to the three little books from 1974 is recommended but not required. This document contains all you need to play in my game.
These rules deviate slightly from the original in a number of ways, including:
Each characters has a class: fighter, cleric, or magic-user. Most characters are human, but you may play an elf, dwarf, or hobbit.
If you’d like to play another type — ask! Any character should begin the game relatively weak and gain power through experience. If you want to play a dragon, play a hatchling.
Characters start as a set of six basic attributes scored 3–18. For each ability, roll 3d6 and record the total. After rolling all six ability scores, the player may swap two if desired.
Optionally, instead of rolling, the player may arrange the following scores as they wish: 17, 14, 12, 10, 8, and 6.
High or low ability scores grant some bonuses or penalties. For example, a 16 Constitution score gives a +2 bonus on a roll to recover after resurrection from death.
| Score | Modifier |
|---|---|
| 3 | -3 |
| 4–5 | -2 |
| 6–8 | -1 |
| 9–12 | 0 |
| 13–15 | +1 |
| 16–17 | +2 |
| 18 | +3 |
Clerics are militant crusaders, jovial friars, or cunning hunters of the undead.
Each morning, they pray for their daily spells. A cleric may swap out a prepared spell for the Turn Undead spell at any point during play.
Clerics use any armor, but only blunt weapons.
At ninth level, clerics establish a temple or shrine of their own, attract devotees, and collect tithes.
Whether seasoned soldier, retired gladiator, or haughty duelist, a fighter lives by martial prowess.
Fighters use any weapons or armor.
At ninth level, fighters become lords of their own domain, clearing wilderness to build a castle, raising an army, and levying taxes.
Necromancers, mad scientists, and devil wranglers harness arcane energies for their own occult purposes.
These magic-users wear no armor, and lack expertise in any weapon demanding more skill or strength than a simple dagger.
Magic-users begin their day by wrestling incantations from the pages of spell books into their brains. Once cast, a spell escapes the magic-user’s mind completely, unusable a second time without further sleep and study.
Elves are outsiders. Psychologically and physiologically alien, they walk the human world as tourists.
Their nature lets them cast spells while wearing armor and bearing arms, but distances them from the immediacy and urgency of experience that drives mortal men. After third level, elves keep only ¼ the experience points they earn.
Elves ignore aging and fear effects, Sleep, Charm, Hold, and ghoul paralysis.
Dwarves are flesh and blood, but also ore and stone. They love full beards, rich brew, and masterful craftwork.
Dwarves act as fighters. They make saving throws with a +4 bonus due to their innate fortitude and magic resistance. Dwarves know about stonework, gems, engineering, and metalwork; the referee would tell the player of a dwarf when a dungeon passage slopes subtly up or down, for example. On 1–2 in 6, dwarves notice secret doors simply by passing near them.
After attaining level 6, dwarves suffer a 50% reduction in subsequent earned experience.
Nasty hobbitses, we hates them. Nevertheless, some players insist.
They act as fighters. Hobbits attack at +3 to hit using missile weapons. On 1–5 in 6, they hide in shadows or any natural cover, as if invisible while motionless. Hobbits make saving throws with a +4 bonus due to their innate fortitude and magic resistance.
After third level, hobbits keep only ¼ the experience points they earn.
Choose an Alignment: Law, Chaos, or Neutrality. Law promotes the order of civilization, while Chaos favors a world beyond mortal reason. Law and Chaos do not necessarily correspond neatly to Good and Evil.
Characters amass experience points (XP) by finding treasure. After accumulating enough experience points, a character advances to a higher level, gaining additional hit points, more daily spells, better saving throws, etc.
| Level | Experience Points | Hit Dice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 2 | 600 | 2 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 3 | 1,800 | 3 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 4 | 5,400 | 4 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 5 | 16,000 | 5 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 6 | 32,000 | 6 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 7 | 64,000 | 7 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 8 | 128,000 | 8 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 9 | 256,000 | 9 HD + Constitution modifier |
| 10 | 400,000 | +2 hp |
| 11 | 500,000 | +2 hp |
| 12 | 600,000 | +2 hp |
| 13 | 700,000 | +2 hp |
| 14 | 800,000 | +2 hp |
| 15 | 900,000 | +2 hp |
| 16 | 1,000,000 | +2 hp |
Hit Points (hp) represent a combination of health, stamina, and luck. Characters temporarily lose hit points by through the damage and fatigue of combat, but regain them with rest and healing. A character’s maximum hit points increase only when the character gains a level.
When advancing from first through ninth level, characters roll an additional hit die, plus any constitution modifier, to add to their total hit points. At level ten and above, characters gain only two additional hit points per level. All hit dice are d6. However, fighters roll two hit dice, and choose the higher roll.
Characters advance one level per session at most. Reduce the experience award of a character who would gain more levels so that their XP totals halfway to the second level.
Player characters start at first level with an attack bonus of +1, which they add to their d20 attack rolls. Fighters gain an additional +1 per level (e.g., a fourth-level fighter gets +4 on each attack roll). Other classes, including non-human fighters, gain an additional +1 at levels three, six, nine, twelve, and fifteen. A sixth-level cleric, for example, gets an attack bonus of +3.
Monsters attack with a bonus equal to their hit dice.
Most weapons do 1d6 damage on a successful hit. A fighter wielding a martial weapon, such as a longsword, does 1d8 damage. Fighters who forgo a shield in order to wield a two-handed weapon, such as a polearm, deal 1d10 damage. A fighter wielding two weapons also makes one attack roll for d10 damage.
With proper rest and nutrition, characters naturally heal 1 hp per day.
Of all standard gear, armor is the heaviest and most important. This makes armor the primary factor for encumbrance and movement.
However, when a character hauls something bulky or heavy, movement drops to the next lower movement tier. A fighter in plate dragging a statue, for example, falls to 30′.
Furthermore, every 400 coins of treasure carried drops the character’s movement by one tier.
The referee checks for wandering monsters every real hour of play time. The odds depend on the movement rate of the party. The referee adds an additional wandering monster check at 1 or 2 in 6 when the characters do something that might attract monsters, like bash a door or roast a kobold.
| Armor | AC | Movement Rate | Wandering Monster Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked | 10 | 180′ | 1 in 6 |
| Shield only | 11 | 180′ | 1 in 6 |
| Leather armor | 13 | 120′ | 2 in 6 |
| Leather & shield | 14 | 120′ | 2 in 6 |
| Chain mail | 15 | 90′ | 3 in 6 |
| Chain & shield | 16 | 90′ | 3 in 6 |
| Plate mail | 17 | 60′ | 4 in 6 |
| Plate & shield | 18 | 60′ | 4 in 6 |
| +Encumbered | 30′ | 5 in 6 |
In the ascending armor class system (shown above), a higher AC number indicates better protection. The traditional descending AC system has lower numbers for better armor. Use the table below for reference, or calculate the difference from 19.
| Ascending AC | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descending AC | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Each new character starts the game with 3d6 × 10 gold pieces to buy equipment. One gold piece (gp) is worth 10 silver pieces (sp) or 100 copper pieces (cp).
Chain mail 30 gp, Leather 15 gp, Plate mail 75 gp, Shield 10 gp
Axe (battle) 7 gp, Axe (hand) 3 gp, Club 0 gp, Dagger 3 gp, Flail 8 gp, Mace 5 gp, Morning Star 6 gp, Polearm 7 gp, Spear 2 gp, Staff 1 gp, Sword (long) 10 gp, Sword (short) 8 gp, Sword (two-handed) 15 gp, Warhammer 5 gp
Arrows (twenty) 5 gp, Arrow (silver) 5 gp, Axe (hand) 3 gp, Bolt (crossbow, thirty) 5 gp, Bow (long) 40 gp, Bow (short) 25 gp, Case (30 bolt capacity) 5 gp, Crossbow (heavy) 25 gp, Crossbow (light) 15 gp, Quiver (20 arrow capacity) 5 gp, Sling 2 gp, Spear 2 gp, Stones (20) 1 gp
| Missile Weapon | Range |
|---|---|
| Crossbow | 240′ |
| Long bow | 200′ |
| Short bow or sling | 150′ |
| Spear | 75′ |
| Hand axe, dagger, or bottle | 40′ |
Backpack 5 gp, Case (map/scroll) 3 gp, Crowbar 5 gp, Dog 20 gp, Falcon 20 gp, Flint and Steel 5 gp, Garlic 10 gp, Grappling Hook 5 gp, Hammer 2 gp, Helmet 10 gp, Holy Symbol (wood) 2 gp, Holy Symbol (silver) 25 gp, Lantern 10 gp, Mirror (small steel) 5 gp, Oil (lamp) 2 gp, Pole (10′) 1 gp, Rations (trail, 1 day) 1 gp, Rations (dry, 1 day) 3 gp, Rope (50′) 1 gp, Sack (small) 1 gp, Sack (large) 2 gp, Shovel 5 gp, Spellbook (blank) 100 gp, Spikes (iron, dozen) 1 gp, Stakes (wood, dozen) 1 gp, Tent 20 gp, Waterskin 1 gp, Wolfsbane 10 gp
Henchmen and hirelings work for the player characters, although they are non-player characters (NPC’s) controlled by the referee.
Hirelings are normal humans with a single hit die and no attack bonus — regular folks looking to pick up a gold piece or two as a porter or link-boy. They work for a fixed rate, do not share in treasure, and gain no experience. Commensurate with their wages, hirelings tolerate only limited risk. Employers bear the cost of any gear, weapons, and armor.
Like hirelings, experts do a particular short-term job for an agreed fee. Unlike unskilled or semi-skilled hirelings, experts earn their pay by domain knowledge or craft mastery. Typical expert wages include: alchemist 250 gp/week, armorer 25 gp/week, animal trainer 125 gp/week, engineer 200 gp/week, mercenary (+1 attack bonus) 7 gp/week, sage 500 gp/week, ship captain 50 gp/week, ship navigaor 35 gp/week, ship crewman 3 gp/week, spy 500 gp/mission.
Henchmen have personal loyalty to a player character. They work for a half-share of found treasure. Accordingly, they have a character class, and earn experience.
| Player Character Charisma | Max. Henchmen | Loyalty Score Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | -3 |
| 4–5 | 2 | -2 |
| 6–8 | 3 | -1 |
| 9–12 | 4 | 0 |
| 13–15 | 5 | +1 |
| 16–17 | 6 | +2 |
| 18 | 12 | +3 |
Henchmen tolerate greater risks than hirelings (but not abuse). Each henchman has a loyalty score. Initially, the loyalty score equals d6+7, plus the player character’s charisma modifier.
A henchman’s loyalty score modifies morale checks.
The referee might bump up or down a loyalty score from time to time, depending on the player character’s long-term treatment of the henchman.
| Henchman Loyalty Score | Morale Check Modifier |
|---|---|
| 3 or less | Malcontent. Desertion or betrayal inevitable. |
| 4–5 | -2 |
| 6–8 | -1 |
| 9–12 | 0 |
| 13–15 | +1 |
| 16–17 | +2 |
| 18+ | Always stalwart. Morale never waivers. |
A failed morale check due to an extreme situation or demand triggers an immediate loyalty score adjustment. A malcontent henchman might not return for the next delve, might run away immediately, or might even scheme against the player character — biding time until the best/worst opportunity for betrayal.
Magic spells are grouped by “spell level,” ascending from less dangerous first-level spells to fantastically potent fifth and sixth-level spells. Clerics and magic-users cast a limited number of spells per day. The number of spells they cast of a given spell level depends on their character level.
Magic-users replenish expended spells by studying their spell books after a night’s rest. Clerics pray each morning for their spells.
Clerics stop gaining additional spells after level 10.
| Character Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 4 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
New magic-users start the game with a spell book containing Read Magic/Languages, one spell rolled at random, and one spell chosen by the player. Upon gaining the ability to cast a higher tier of spells, assume the character, by hook or by crook, acquires a new spell book containing one chosen and one random spell of that level. Additional spells must be researched by the character, found in dank dungeon vaults, or looted from the corpses of enemy casters.
Woe for the magic-user who loses his spell books! The cost of recreating a spell book matches that of researching its spells, although the time is less and success assured.
Magic-Users conduct research to create original spells.
The minimum uninterrupted research time to create the spell equals the spell’s level in weeks. During this period, the magic-user forgoes adventuring to sequester herself in her laboratory. For an equal number of game sessions, the player assumes the role of an alternate character or NPC henchman.
The magic-user’s chance of success depends upon how well she funds the research. Costs in lab glass, exotic substances, and consultations with sages reach staggering totals, especially for high-level spells. For each 10% cumulative chance of success, the cost for first-level spells is 1,000 gp, second-level 2,000 gp, third 4,000 gp, fourth 8,000 gp, fifth 16,000 gp, and sixth-level spells cost 32,000 gp.
After the minimum number of weeks, the player rolls percentile dice to check the success or failure of the research. Success means the magic-user adds the spell to her spell books, and can share it (or not!) with other mages. Failure means the research drags on for at least one more week, at the end of which the player makes another roll. After a failure, the magic-user may increase funding to improve chances of success on the next check.
The few days between delves into the dungeon allow a magic-user enough leisure to scribe one scroll. The cost of fast inks, spare quills, and blotting sand from distant shores depend upon the spell’s level. A scroll with one first-level spell costs 100 gp. The cost doubles for each spell level, so scribing a sixth-level spell costs 3,200 gp.
Only spell casters invoke scrolls, but drinking a potion affects any type of character. A magic-user or cleric may formulate any spell they know as a potion, so long as that spell targets the caster. Brewing a potion takes one week. The material costs of potions match that of scrolls. Magic-users require the aid of an alchemist to brew potions.
Charm Person affects living bipeds of about human size or smaller, such as hobgoblins and dwarves. Should the unfortunate creature fail its saving throw, it believes the caster a close, trusted friend. Range: 120′; duration: until dispelled.
The magic-user senses enchantments on places, people, or things. This reveals any magic items secreted nearby. Range: 60′; duration: 20 minutes.
Hold Portal freezes the position of a door or gate. Creatures with magic resistance unhinge the spell with minor effort. Range: referee’s discretion; duration: 2d6 turns.
With the brightness of a torch, Light illuminates an area with a radius of 40 feet around a person or object. Range 120′; duration: 2 hours.
The spell allows a caster to comprehend either mystical writing on items and scrolls, or mundane foreign tongues. The caster also understands lost, ancient, or encrypted scribblings. Range: caster; duration: instant.
Sleep puts enemies into an enchanted slumber. No saving throw is permitted. It affect up to 3d6 hit dice worth of creatures with fewer than five hit dice each.
The magic-user detects the thoughts of other beings. Stone thicker than two feet, or even a thin sheet of lead, blocks the spell. Range: 60′; duration: 2 hours.
The object of Invisiblity, whether a person or a thing, becomes undetectable by normal sight or darkvision. An invisible creature cannot be attacked without knowledge of its presence and approximate location, and those attacks suffer a -4 penalty to hit. Range: 240′; duration: until dispelled or attack.
Detect Invisibility reveals invisible creatures and objects to the caster. Range: 10′/caster level; duration: 1 hour.
Knock unlocks and unbars all doors, gates, and portals within its range, including secret doors and doors held or locked by normal magic. Lock is like Hold Portal, but permanent. Lock may be temporarily overridden by Knock, or bypassed by any monster with magic resistance or a magic-user three or more levels higher than the Lock caster. Range: 60′; duration: instant.
This spell directs the caster (as the crow flies) toward an object the caster describes. The magic-user must have seen the object or an object of its general type: stairs, gold, etc. Range: 90′; duration: 1 minute per level.
This spell paints a realistic illusion. Those who behold and believe the illusion (saving throw) suffer real damage from any phantasmal assaults. The illusion disappears when hit (AC 10). Range: 240′; duration: until dispelled.
Web weaves ten cubic feet of strands that stick any creature of roughly human strength for 2d4 turns and any creature of giant strength for two rounds. Flame destroys the web, burning anyone trapped for d6 damage. Range: 10′; duration: 8 hours.
Lets the caster see or hear (choose when casting) through solid objects. The spell cannot penetrate more than two feet of stone and even a thin layer of lead blocks it. Range: 60′; duration: 2 hours.
Dispel Magic completely dispels most enchantments and spells. Range 120′; duration: 10 minutes.
A missile blazes from the magic-user’s finger to engulf the target in a furnace-like eruption. The 20′ radius blast conforms in shape to the volume available. Damage is 1d6 per caster level. A successful saving throw halves damage taken by the target. Range: 240′; duration: instant.
Soar with a movement rate of 120 feet per round. The referee rolls the duration of the spell without disclosing the result to the player. Range: touch; duration: d6 turns + 1 turn/level.
A ten foot wide bolt of lightning arcs 60 feet from the fingertip of the caster. Anyone in its path suffers 1d6 points of damage per level of the caster, though a successful saving throw halves damage. The bolt always extends 60 feet, even if it must ricochet backward from something that blocks its path. Range: 60′; duration: instant.
Water Breathing imbues the target’s lungs with the ability to wring oxygen from water. Range: 30′; duration: 2 hours.
Charm Monster acts like Charm Person, but affects any creature. For monsters 3 HD or fewer, it charms 3d6 individuals. Range: 60′; duration: until dispelled.
This spell confuses people and monsters, making them act randomly. Roll 2d6 every turn to determine the creatures’ behavior. Range: 120′; duration: 2 hours.
| 2d6 | Confused Behavior |
|---|---|
| 2–5 | Attack caster and his allies |
| 6–8 | Stand baffled and inactive |
| 9–12 | Attack each other |
The caster creases the universe to slip herself, an object, or another being from one precise point within the spell’s range to another such point without traveling through the space between. Range: 10′ casting, 360′ teleport; duration: instant.
The caster announces which form he chooses when casting.
Polymorph Other turns another being within 60 feet into a different type of creature (such as a dragon, garden slug, or newt). The polymorphed creature gains all the abilities of the new form, but keeps its own mind and hit points. This transformation lasts until dispelled.
Polymorph Self gives the magic-user the form and attributes (use of wings, for example) of any object or creature, but not its hit points or combat abilities. This lasts for one hour plus one additional hour for each caster level.
The caster announces which form she chooses when casting.
Wall of Fire ignites a wall that keeps burning while the caster concentrates on it. Creatures with three or fewer hit dice cannot pass through the wall, and no creature sees through it. Crossing the fire inflicts d6 points of damage (no saving throw), and undead sustain twice that damage. The caster raises either a straight wall 60 feet long and 20 feet high, or a 20 foot high circular wall with a 15 foot radius.
Wall of Ice conjures a 6 foot thick wall of ice. The caster chooses either a straight wall 60 feet long and 20 feet high, or a 20 foot high circular wall with a 15 foot radius. Creatures with 3 or fewer hit dice cannot affect the wall, but creatures of 4+ hit dice smash through it by taking d6 damage. Fire-based creatures take 2d6 damage. The wall blocks fire-based spells and effects.
The caster conjures an invisible, magic eye that roams up to 240 feet from its creator, relaying what it sees. The eye follows a path the magic-user wills, at speeds up to 120 feet per turn. Range: 240′; duration: 1 hour.
The spell animates 1d6 dead bodies as skeletons or zombies per level of the caster above 8th. Corpses remain animated until destroyed or dispelled. Range: referee’s discretion; duration: permanent.
The magic-user summons a 16 HD elemental, and binds it to his command. Each type of elemental may only be summoned once per day. The elemental obeys while the caster concentrates; even momentary loss of concentration unleashes the elemental on a murderous rampage. Range: 240′; duration: until dispelled.
The caster psychically petitions planes, powers, and geometries of the beyond to ask affirmative or negative questions. The spell’s effectiveness and peril depends on how distantly the caster chooses to project her mind.
| Plane | Insanity | Right | Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–2 | 3–11 | 12–20 |
| 2 | 1–4 | 4–13 | 14–20 |
| 3 | 1–6 | 7–16 | 17–20 |
| 4 | 1–8 | 9–17 | 18–20 |
| 5 | 1–10 | 11–18 | 19–20 |
| 6 | 1–12 | 13–19 | 20 |
This arcane lobotomy renders a target Magic-User’s mind inadequate to contain spells. Save with a -4 penalty. Range: 240′; duration: permanent until dispelled.
Magic Jar rehouses the caster’s life essence, intelligence, and soul into an object within 30 feet.
From within the jar, the magic-user can grasp out to possess the body of any creature within 120 feet that fails its saving throw. The caster’s soul retreats to the jar whenever it desires or if the possessed body dies.
While inside the magic jar, the caster survives destruction of his original body, but destruction of the jar dooms the soul to oblivion.
The spell ends when the magic-user returns from the jar to his own body.
This spell whisks the caster or another person to a distant place. Success depends on how well the magic-user knows the destination.
Second-hand knowledge of the location, like from a painting or map, gives a 25% chance of success. Failure results in death.
If the caster has glimpsed but not studied the destination, the chance of failure is 20%. Half of failures place the traveler 1d10 × 10 feet below the intended location, risking death from materialization within a solid substance. The other half of failures place the traveler 1d10 × 10 feet above the targeted location, risking a deadly fall.
If the caster is familiar with the place or studies it carefully, the chance of failure falls to 5%, with 1 in 6 failures arriving below and the rest arriving above the target location. In either case, the arrival is 1d4 × 10 feet low or high.
The caster calls down rain or drains it away, parches the ground or freezes the air, calms the waves or swirls up a cyclone.
The caster atomizes one specific target — a door, a peasant, a statue — into a scant shower of dust. Magical materials ignore disintegration, and living creatures get a saving throw. Dispel Magic fails to restore the pile of dust to its original form. Range: 60′; duration: permanent.
The caster imposes a mission on the subject, winds him up and (failing a saving throw) speeds him on his course. A victim who ignores the task altogether slowly withers and dies. Range: 30′; duration: until complete.
This spell summons an Invisible Stalker with 8 HD. The stalker completes one task by command of the magic-user, regardless of how long, twisted, or bloody a road it must travel to reach that goal. Dispel Magic does not banish the stalker; kill it to end its mission.
Reincarnation snatches a soul from death, and wraps it in a living body. The type of body exceeds the caster’s control (referee’s choice!), but its alignment matches the soul’s. Range: touch; duration: instant.
This spell transforms flesh into stone or stone into flesh, as desired by the caster. The target avoids petrification with a successful saving throw. Range: 120′; duration: permanent.
A dagger (†) denotes spells that an evil cleric may cast in reverse (e.g., Cause Light Wounds).
This spell heals 1d6+1 hit points of damage. Range: touch; duration: instant.
The caster detects any evil creatures within range, or individuals with evil enchantments, intentions, thoughts, or auras. Things like poison are not inherently evil, and not detected. Range: 120′; duration: 1 hour.
Protection from Evil creates a ward around the caster that blocks attacks from magical monsters, like invisible stalkers, elementals, and demons. Other attackers suffer a -1 penalty to hit, and the caster gains +1 on saving throws.
Lawful Clerics “turn” undead, driving away the abominations or destroying them outright.
When attempting to turn the undead, roll 2d6 and consult the table below. A result equal to or greater than the number shown means all undead flee for 3d6 rounds.
| Undead CR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T | D | D | D | D | D |
| 2 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T | D | D | D | D |
| 3 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T | D | D | D |
| 4 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T | D | D |
| 5 | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T | D |
| 6 | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T | T |
| 7 | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | T |
| 8 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | T |
| 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| 10+ | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
“T” turns undead. “D” destroys undead. “–” means the undead is too powerful to turn.
The recipient gets a +1 bonus to attack rolls and morale checks. Range: touch; duration: 1 hour.
The caster influences either 1d4 persons (with the same stipulations as Charm Person) or a single person who saves at -2. Range: 180′; duration: 90 minutes.
Nothing within fifteen feet of the target makes a sound. If cast on a moving thing, like a person, the effect follows. Range: 180′; duration: 2 hours.
The caster can converse with animals. The animals might or might not be helpful, but they do refrain from attacking unless the caster says something grossly offensive. Range: 30′; duration: 1 hour.
Cure Disease cures the recipient of any magical or natural disease. Range: touch; duration: instant.
The spell instantly swells d6 creatures to several times (3d4) their natural size, with corresponding increases in hit dice. Range: 120′; duration: 2 hours.
This spell undoes one curse afflicting a person or object. Range: touch; duration: instant.
The cleric whispers three questions to a recently deceased spirit, and gets answers. Clerics of less than seventh level contact those who died within the last three days. Clerics of less than eleventh level contact those who died within the last three months. Answers from spirits often come as riddles or in an otherwise cryptic form.
Cure Serious Wounds heals 3d6+3 hit points. Range: touch; duration: instant.
This spell counteracts poisons and venoms, but does not bring the dead back to life. Range: touch; duration: instant.
This spell works like Protection from Evil, but covers a 10′ radius area and anyone in it. Range: 10′; duration: 2 hours.
The caster can speak with plants. They obey commands as far as possible (e.g. — twisting or bending aside to ease passage, etc.). Range: 30′; duration: 1 hour.
Higher powers grant answers to three questions the cleric poses. Constant interrogation by mortals irritates higher powers, who rarely welcome more than one interview per week. Once per year, the higher powers tolerate a double-strength Commune spell composed of six questions.
Dispel Evil works against items, spells, or agents of Evil. It also disrupts evil sendings, like dreams or spectral hunting-beasts. Range: 30′; duration: 10 minutes.
Insects rush to join a buzzing, clicking 8,000 cubic foot biomass (20′ × 20′ × 20′), and swarm where the cleric directs. Any creature of fewer than 2 HD flees the creeping storm in terror (no saving throw). This spell only works outdoors. Range: 480′; duration: 1 day.
Provided it has not lain dead too long, Raise Dead allows the cleric to breathe life back into a corpse. The base time limit is four days, but for every caster level higher than 8th, the time limit extends another four days. Characters of frail constitution might not survive the ordeal; even the robust require two weeks of recuperation before they fully shrug off the chill of the grave. Raise Dead only succeeds for human-like beings.
“Exploration turns” last ten times longer than combat turns. Each character takes a single complex action or two simple actions during a turn — two moves; one move and lighting a torch; rigging a pulley; etc.
During exploration, the referee considers how far the characters see in the gloom, how long light sources burn before exhausting their fuel, and what sounds echo to or from nearby monsters.
| Light Source | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Candle | 10′ radius | 1 hour |
| Torch | 40′ radius | 1 hour |
| Lantern | 30′ radius | 12 hours |
| Bullseye Lantern | 80′ cone | 12 hours |
To score a hit during missile fire or melee, the sum of the attacker’s d20 to-hit roll, base attack bonus, and any situational bonuses must equal or exceed the target’s armor class. The attacker rolls damage after a hit, and deducts the damage rolled from the target’s hit points. Any character or monster reduced to zero or fewer hit points dies.
A group of player characters or monsters, having stumbled into a disadvantageous situation, may try to evade the encounter, so long as the other side hasn’t surprised them.
Pursuit differs for monsters and player characters.
If monsters take flight, the players decide whether to pursue. Player characters may or may not catch them. Faster player characters always overtake slower monsters. Faster monsters always escape slower characters.
When player characters flee monsters, the referee consults the Monster (Re)actions table; the monsters give chase on a “hostile” result. Monsters never catch fleeing adventurers. Characters wind up 1–3 moves from where the chase began, at a place picked by the referee. Players must reorient themselves. When evading slower pursuers, players chose the cardinal direction where the chase ends. The confused desperation of flight from faster pursuers leaves characters disoriented; the referee rolls the cardinal direction in secret.
Monster reactions may be modified by the situation, rumors about the player characters, bribes, player character charisma, allegiances or antipathies with other dungeon factions, etc.
| 2d6 | Monster (Re)action |
|---|---|
| 2–6 | Hostile — immediate attack! |
| 7–9 | Uncertain, wait and see, possibly receptive to bribes |
| 10–12 | Positive, possibly even helpful |
Some effects, like the petrification caused by a medusa, call for a saving throw. A successful save avoids or reduces harm (e.g., “save for half damage”). To make a save, the target must equal or exceed its saving throw score with a d20 roll.
The saving throw score depends on the character’s level. For saving throws by monsters, treat the monster as if it has levels equal to its hit dice.
| Level/HD | Saving Throw |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | 14 |
| 4–7 | 12 |
| 8–11 | 9 |
| 12+ | 6 |
Rather than having a single saving throw score, some referees prefer several types of saving throws. Saving throw types, if used, reflect the sort of dangers characters encounter. These might be general fantasy types (e.g., Death/Poison, Petrification/Paralysis, Wands, Dragon’s Breath, Spells) or dangers specific to the campaign world (e.g., Science Rays, Ectoplasm/Toxic Goo, Cosmic Madness, Voodoo Curses, Hallucinogens, Meteors). Furthermore, some character classes might excel at particular types of saves (e.g., fighters get +2 to save versus action hero situations).
Player characters only run when the players decide they run. However, the sensitive nerves of henchman and hirelings, as well as monsters and non-player characters, sometimes fail in the face of adversity.
The referee decides when to check morale. A morale check might happen after the first wound, or after the first death, or when only a minority remain standing. Any round where one side clearly comes off worse than the other threatens morale.
The referee rolls 2d6 to test morale. A result of 6+ means they stay in the fight. The referee might apply a 1–2 point bonus or penalty to the morale roll, depending on circumstances. Remember to add the loyalty modifier when checking morale for henchmen.
One side can attempt to grapple and subdue the opposing side, rendering them incapacitated but otherwise unharmed. In a grapple, each side rolls all its hit dice and sums the results. The side with the highest total wins.
For example, four 1 HD dwarves try to grapple a 6 HD cave ape. The dwarves roll 4d6 for a total of eleven. The ape rolls 6d6 for a total of seventeen. So, the dwarves pile onto the simian, but it sends them flying.
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