Mechanics

Updates

Advantage and Disadvantage

Some skill tests and combat situations give one side or the other an advantage. In play, this is represented by an advantaged or disadvantaged to hit or skill roll, depending on the situation.

Coinage

Combat Sequence

This is the general process for round by round combat resolution.

  1. Declare / start casting.
  2. Roll initiative.
  3. Side 1 move, missiles, spells, melee in order.
  4. Side 2 move, missiles, spells, melee in order.
  5. Go to 1.

Notes:

Cost of Living

The following listings outline the cost of living at three base levels. Costs shown are per day. Note that high can go higher. Much higher.

Food / Drink:

Room in an inn:

Rented room (paid per month):

Death and Dying

Druid Identify Plant/Animal Ability

Generally, this ability applies to mundane plants and animals, not creatures most people would call monsters.

Experience

We'll be using modified experience rules for this game. The LL XP for things you kill and loot you bring back tends to turn every adventure into a kill all the things extravaganza. Instead, I'll be awarding experience for:

To avoid the usual LL "now we can buy the town" problems, cash treasure will be somewhat less common than usual, but treasure in the form of valuable resources may be more useful anyhow.

Guns (tentative)

Black powder weapons are cumbersome and require powder and shot. Matchlock weapons also require a slow match to fire.

WeaponCost (GP)ShotMeleeRangePenWeight
Matchlock pistol151d61d225' (3)182 lbs.
Matchlock horse pistol181d61d425' (4)184 lbs.
Matchlock musket201d81d650' (5)178 lbs.
Wheellock pocket pistol201d6125' (3)191 lbs.
Wheellock pistol181d61d230' (3)182 lbs.
Wheellock horse pistol201d61d430' (4)184 lbs.
Wheellock musket251d81d660' (5)178 lbs.
Dragon181d81d420' (2)193 lbs.
Blunderbuss251d101d620' (3)198 lbs.
AccessoriesCost (GP)WeightEffect
Slow match5 CPN/ABurns 1 hour, required for matchlocks
Musket shot (20)11 lbs.Shoots things
Pistol shot (30)11 lbs.Shoots things
Blunderbuss shot (20)11 lbs.Shoots things (used in dragon too)
Bayonet22 lbs.+1 melee damage when attached (*)

(*) Muskets and blunderbusses only.

Misfires

Gunpowder weapons are temperamental. They have a chance of misfiring when used.

Healing

Languages

General

A few points about language and how it deviates from the rules as written:

Druid Specialty Languages

Druids learn some nature-focused languages beginning at level three. The list in the book is not really applicable. Here is a revised list. Note that the languages of animals tend to be primitive and limited, focused on their survival needs.

More choices may be added as the game progresses.

Magic Detection

Divine and arcane spell users (magic users, clerics, illusionists, druids), can detect magic without using a spell. This ability requires a full round of concentration, and the caster must touch or hold the thing being examined. This method is not foolproof. Some enchantments resist detection. A detect magic spell always works.

Movement

Example 1: 12 move = 120 feet per turn exploration = 40 feet per round combat = 24 miles per day on a flat road

Example 2: 9 move = 90 feet per turn exploration = 30 feet per round combat = 18 miles per day on a flat road

Characters can move at exploration pace per round in combat, but they lose all dexterity bonuses to AC, and any enemy that sees them gets a free attack as they pass.

Oil Flasks

It takes one round to prepare (uncap and insert a wick) an oil flask for throwing. Unprepared flasks may be thrown, but the resulting oil pool must be lit by another source. Hurled flasks have a range of 10/30/50 feet. Misses are treated as grenade-like missiles (1d8 direction, 1d4 x 5 feet distance). Broken flasks cover a 5-foot diameter area and do 2d8/1d8 damage (round one/round two).

Secret Doors

All characters have at least a 1 in 20 chance of spotting a secret door when searching an area. This chance is modified by the character's base attribute bonus for Intelligence or Wisdom, whichever is higher. Thieves gain a +1 bonus per three levels, Monks and Assassins a +1 bonus per four levels.

Spell Use

This is how spells work for all caster characters.

All spell recovery is based on being well-rested (8 hours sleep) and doing recovery (1 hour of prayer/memorization). All spells are used upon casting. Thus a 1st level Magic-User can cast one spell per day.

Clerics and Druids

Clerics pray for spells each day. They may pray for any spells of appropriate level, and each spell slot represents one casting (i.e. if they wish to cast Cure Light Wounds twice per day, it takes two slots). A cleric's deity may or may not grant desired spells.

When a cleric gains a level that provides access to new spell levels, they can automatically pray for appropriate spells.

Magic-Users and Illusionists

Magic-Users an Illusionists have a spell book, which contains their known spells. They may memorize any spell stored within as many times as they have appropriate spell slots.

Magic-Users and Illusionists only learn new spells by copying them from other sources. They may copy spells up to two levels higher than the highest level spell they can cast. Copying spells they cannot cast due to level may result in catastrophic failures. Magic-Users and Illusionists cannot copy each other's spells. Other sources include:

We will be using the spell learning probability from the AEC, with the modification that a spell caster can attempt to learn a spell they failed to comprehend when they gain a level of experience.

Elemental Blast

A magic user can permanently replace one of their first level spell slots with Elemental Blast. This ability lets the spell caster fire a blast of elemental energy with a 30-foot range at a single target as a ranged attack. Hitting requires a successful to hit roll and the target receives a saving throw versus spell to halve damage. Missile attack adjustments apply. Elemental Blast does 1d4+1 damage, and gains a +1 damage bonus every 2 levels (1d4+2 at 2nd, 1d4+3 at 4th, etc.) The magic user must select their element when they first take Elemental Blast, one of fire, air, water, or earth.

The type of blast chosen may have a minor effect on the target: fire may light flammable materials, air may stir up dust, water may soak the target, and earth may break delicate objects.

Spell Rulings

Saving Throws

In most cases, spell targets are allowed a saving throw. Saves either negate the spell effect or halve the damage it causes.

Confusion

Confusion, Greater

Hypnotic Pattern

Produce Flame

Sleep

Web

Weapon Variants

Some weapons do not match the standard LL rules:

In general, if you want to reskin a standard weapon with a different name (backsword for long sword, for example), it's probably OK. Just let me know and record the original weapon on the character's sheet.