House Rules

Use the Advanced Labyrinth Lord rules (or the free, no-art rules), with the exceptions noted below.

Character Creations

Roll 3d6 for each ability score. Arrange the scores as desired.

New first-level characters start with maximum hit points.

Fighters

When rolling hit dice for single-class fighters, roll two dice and keep the higher result.

Single-class fighters deal d10 damage with a single-handed weapon or d12 with a two-handed weapon.

Elves

A classic/basic elf character may wear armor while casting spells. However, they use the attack bonus of a magic-user, not a fighter.

Single-class, advanced-style elves follow the attack bonus and armor restrictions of their class.

Magic-Users

When magic-users gain a level, they may choose one new spell and select another by random roll. A magic-user only learns other spells by adventuring (pilfering enemy spell books or discovering dusty scrolls) or from a non-player character.

Weapons and Damage

Use class-based damage. When wielding a single-handed weapon, a character causes damage equal to their class hit die.

Single-class fighters deal better damage: d10 with a single-handed weapon or d12 with a two-handed weapon.

For unarmed combat or improvised weapons, use one die smaller. A cleric engaged in fisticuffs deals d4 damage, for example.

Attack Rolls

d20 + Attack Bonus + Other Modifiers ≥ ascending AC hits

i.e.:

d20 + Attack Bonus + Other Modifiers ≥ 20 - descending AC hits

Fighter (and Monster) Attack Bonus

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Attack +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10
Level 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Attack +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 +16 +17 +18 +19 +20

Clerics, Magic-Users, Thieves, Etc. Attack Bonus

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Attack +0 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +4
Level 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Attack +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8

Critical Hits and Misses

On a natural attack roll of 20, the attack causes double damage and triggers a morale check for the opponent.

On a natural attack roll of 1, non-magical weapons break. For magical weapons, roll another d20; the weapon breaks only on another result of 1.

Encumbrance

Armor determines movement rate. For a reasonable amount of gear, don’t otherwise track encumbrance, except that every 500 coins carried drops movement by one tier.

Armor AC AAC Movement
Naked 9 11 180′
Shield only 8 12 180′
Leather armor 8 12 120′
Leather & shield 7 13 120′
Chain mail 5 15 90′
Chain & shield 4 14 90′
Plate mail 3 17 60′
Plate & shield 2 18 60′
+Encumbered 30′

Evasion and pursuit

Scroll Scribing and Potion Brewing

In a week, assuming they do not ceaselessly adventure or travel, a spell caster of any level can create a scroll of a spell they know, or a potion of a spell they know that targets the caster/imbiber.

Spell Lvl Potion/Scroll Cost
1 100 gp
2 200 gp
3 400 gp
4 800 gp
5 1,600 gp
6 3,200 gp
7 6,400 gp
8 12,800 gp
9 25,600 gp

Experience Awards

Characters earn 1 XP for each gold piece worth of treasure recovered.

These are things likely lead to a treasure:

Retainers, Linkboys and Porters

Since retainers attach to a particular player character, all the retainers of a player character share a fraction of the XP equal to that awarded to a player character — up to half. This XP is not deducted from the total awarded to the player character; it’s additional XP for the retainer.

Between all a player character’s retainers, divide a full XP share by the number of retainers plus one.

No. Retainers XP multiplier
1 0.5
2 0.333
3 0.25
4 0.2
5 0.166
6 0.142
7 0.125

For example, a player character has two retainers. The character earns 910 XP, and each retainer receives 300 XP (910 × 0.333).

If a player designates one retainer as the party’s linkboy, and the linkboy forgoes participating in combats, the party will always (circumstances permitting) have light.

If a player designates one retainer as the party’s porter, and the porter forgoes participating in combat, assume the porter carries a reasonable amount of any routine equipment costing less than 10 gp. The party may forgo tracking ammunition.


See also adventures, monsters, spells, treasure, and ref sheet.

Paul Gorman, 2019–2020.