Ilzarion Specific Rules: 4 Classes of initiative: (Fast to slow) d6 + dex = 1hand weapons, natural attacks d6 (no benefit from dex) = Spell casting d6 -3 + dex = 2weapon style, 2 handed ranged weapons d6 -3 (no benefit from dex) = 2-handed weapons Moving through friendly squares is permitted in combat, so long as you end your move in an empty square. (unless wrestling etc) ====================================================== Aaron's Rules Cyclopedia Errata and Companion Document* ====================================================== * Aaron Oliver, not Aaron Allston who compiled and developed the Rules Cyclopedia itself. April 7, 2010 -- Version 33 Distribute this document freely as long as it remains unaltered and no money is exchanged. Also feel free to print it out, even though you'll be using gobs of ink and lots of paper.... I am not in any way affiliated with TSR or WotC, nor is this document in any way official. The intent of this document is to basically "complete" the Rules Cyclopedia.... There are various contradictions, omissions, and errors in the Cyclopedia which need to be fixed. There are also instances where the rules don't quite cover some situations that may need to be addressed, or there are loose ends or holes in the rules that need patched. Also, I have found that in many places the Cyclopedia re-words certain descriptions and mechanics that are taken from the Mentzer-edited sets, and when enough care wasn't taken in doing so, the rules were changed from how they are supposed to function. This document will hopefully cover most of those things, so that other rulebooks won't need to be referenced when using the Cyclopedia. I try to avoid just coming up with a lot of "house rules," and instead I gather rules from whatever sources are available and try to adjust them, when needed, so that they all work together. In some cases, creating a few extra rules can't be avoided in order to fix certain problems or holes in the current rules. Where D&D lacks sufficient rules, I have borrowed a few rules from AD&D. And of course, I have also thrown in some suggestions which I think are good. I do try to refrain from including extensive unnecessary suggestions, but as this document has grown, I have included more of these suggestions where I feel they are useful. I suppose that in a grander sense, after all the time I've spent compiling this Document, it has become something I can leave behind as a small legacy. Something that will perhaps live on beyond my own limited years. A small mark I've left in the world. A scribble on the wall that says, "I was here" to show that I once existed.... And when you read my little mark on the wall, you should also take a moment to remember the life and legacy of Gary Gygax, 1938-2008. Without him, this game would not exist. The sources I have referenced most are: The 1983-1986 Mentzer-edited Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters, and Immortals sets The 1991 D&D Game Rulebook The 1979 1st Edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide by Gary Gygax The 1979 Holmes-edited Dungeons & Dragons rulebook The 2002 Unofficial D&D Rules Cyclopedia Errata The 6/27/03 Wizards of the Coast 3rd Edition D&D FAQ The 3/25/05 Wizards of the Coast D&D FAQ version 3.5 The 1985 Book of Marvelous Magic by Frank Mentzer I have tried to cite my sources with page numbers when possible. I would also like to mention the Classic D&D Forum at Dragonsfoot.org as an excellent resource. If you'd like to discuss any of the rules herein, Dragonsfoot would be the best place to go. You can even find Frank Mentzer there and ask him questions directly. He's been invaluably helpful in clarifying many things I've put in this document. http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=15 The most recent version of this document should be available at this address: http://RCerrata.redirectme.net That should redirect you to the current location: http://web.newsguy.com/a_doom/RCerrata If that location changes, the redirection should take you to the new address, assuming the free redirection service continues to function, and I modify it properly :) Failing that, you'll just have to check Dragonsfoot forums. In most cases I have (improperly) capitalized things, such as spell names or character classes, in order to set them apart as game terms. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ If this header doesn't look correct, please turn off Word Wrap or make the window wider ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ======================================= Page 9, Adjustments for Ability Scores: ======================================= High Wisdom and Saving Throws ----------------------------- The bonus or penalty for Wisdom is always applied to Saving Throws vs. Rod, Staff, or Spell, but it can also apply to other Saving Throws too, such as vs. Magic Wands, vs. Death Ray or Poison, or vs. Paralysis or Turn to Stone if the attack is caused by a spell effect or a magic item which produces a spell effect. Bonuses and Penalties --------------------- The possibility exists for scores to be lower than 3 or greater than 18. For example, some monsters have Intelligence scores that can be higher than 18, or a character could have his Constitution reduced below 3 from magical aging attacks. If you want to determine the appropriate adjustments for such scores, you can use the table found in the Players' Guide to Immortals, page 30: _______________________ Bonuses and Penalties for Ability Scores _______________________ Ability Score Adjustment ----------------------- 0 -5 1 -4 2-3 -3 4-5 -2 6-8 -1 9-12 No adj. 13-15 +1 16-17 +2 18 +3 19-20 +4 21-23 +5 24-27 +6 ... _______________________ The table continues all the way up to 100, but that's far beyond the scope of this document, as there is no way for mortal Player Characters to ever have a score higher than 18. ========================================================= Page 14, 18, Clerics/Avengers Turning/Controlling Undead: ========================================================= There are a lot of holes that need to be patched in the description of Turning Undead here, and it needs to be altered to be in line with the Control ability of Avengers (p.18, Avengers, paragraph 4), which also needs to be balanced. The following is just taking the actual rules from various places and combining them all so everything works together, with a few slight changes to Clerics. Holy Symbols ------------ First off, the third paragraph states that a Cleric does not need a Holy Symbol to Turn Undead, but this was not found in any of the Mentzer sets, and Frank has stated that a Cleric absolutely does need a Holy Symbol in order to Turn Undead. Should a Cleric find himself without a Holy Symbol, he could fabricate a rough one for himself, but Frank suggests this will cause a penalty of -4 to any rolls involved in Turning. There is also the 5 gp "inexpensive Holy Symbol" found on the Adventuring Gear Table in the entry for page 69, which Frank suggests should inflict a -2 penalty to Turning rolls. A character with the appropriate General Skills could create these (e.g., Crafting, Art, Metalworking, etc.). The high-quality 25 gp Holy Symbol would be something created by a Cleric's church. As with Holy Water, the specific creation process is never described, so is left up to the DM (perhaps it could be treated similar to creating Magic Items as described in Chapter 16). Suggested Rules --------------- Chaotic Clerics and Avengers cannot Destroy undead, but they may Control them, ONLY on a D result or better. For Chaotic Clerics and Avengers, if Control is not chosen (or in the rare case a Lawful Cleric chooses not to Destroy), treat D, D+, or D# results as T, T+, and T# (increasing the number of undead that are Turned). Neutral Clerics may choose either Control or Destruction of undead, but must continue using the form first chosen, and are not free to change from one to the other. I would disregard part of the last paragraph under "Turning Undead" about failing to Turn one specific monster, since Turning isn't a targeted effect; it affects groups of undead. The Basic Dungeon Masters Rulebook, p.21, says, "If an attempt at Turning Undead is successful and more Undead remain, the Cleric may Turn them again. Once a failure to Turn occurs, further attempts by that Cleric will have no effect." This applies to all undead that were present during the Cleric's failed Turn attempt, even undead of different types. Speaking of which, the 1E AD&D DMG, p.65, has some guidelines for turning groups containing different types of undead. All weaker undead in the group must be Turned before the stronger ones can be Turned. This order should be determined first by the difficulty of the actual Turn attempt (working your way up the Turning Undead Table), and then by the HD of the creatures. The difficulty of the Turn attempt can vary greatly if the lesser undead are being controlled by some greater undead (see pages 217-218 about Lieges and Pawns). For example, in a mixed group of undead, a Cleric would have to Turn any free-willed Wraiths before he could Turn Skeletons which were being controlled by a Vampire, because the first Turn attempt against a Pawn is made as if it's against the Liege. Then, because they have fewer HD, the Cleric would have to turn the Skeletons before attempting to Turn the Vampire. Range and Area of Effect: These aspects of Turning are never mentioned, but the D&D FAQ v3.5 gives some details that can easily be imported. Page 30 of that FAQ indicates that Turning can potentially affect any undead within a 60' radius of the Cleric, as long as the undead isn't completely shielded from the Cleric by something solid (behind full cover), but otherwise, p.5 of the v3.5 FAQ states that the visibility of the undead or the Cleric is irrelevant for successful Turning. Duration of Turn or Control: On any successful result which required a roll (7, 9, or 11) the undead will be Turned (i.e., they will not touch the Cleric, and will flee as far away from him as possible) for only 1-10 rounds, after which time, the undead will return to the area if they make a Reaction Roll of 8 or higher on 2d6 (Basic DMs Rulebook, p.31). For any automatically successful Turn (T or better -- a much more powerful effect) the undead will be Turned (or Controlled, for Chaotic Clerics or Avengers with a D result) for one game turn (10 minutes) per CLERICAL level (not the Avenger's actual level, as stated in his description). The same Reaction Roll applies afterward to see if the undead return to the area. Also note that when the duration of Control ends, the undead flee as if Turned, for a duration as would be normal for the Cleric's level. An undead that is under any kind of Turn effect cannot be Controlled until the duration of the Turn effect ends. Some undead get Saving Throws against Turning. Other than the ones specifically mentioned in the monster descriptions, also note that on page 218 it says that undead spellcasters may make a Saving Throw vs. Spells to avoid any T or D result entirely. Many types of undead have the potential to be spellcasters.... When an undead gets a Save against Destruction, it should be applied against Control as well. For undead that get a Saving Throw against T results, it should also apply against non- automatic Turning (i.e., successful rolls of 7, 9, or 11). ====================================== Page 19, Magic-User Spell Progression: ====================================== After analyzing and comparing the spell progression tables from the Expert Rulebook (p.10) and the Rules Cyclopedia, I've come to the conclusion that the original progression is better. While the Cyclopedia table's progression is not bad, it makes alterations in order to adjust some minor patterns in the progression, but in doing so, it disrupts some major patterns.... It turns out Frank Mentzer is admittedly a bit of a math freak, and the original progression was quite well-planned; in my opinion it shouldn't have been messed with in the Rules Cyclopedia. So I recommend using the original progression. Just be sure to make ALL of the changes below if you want to fix the Cyclopedia table: At 6th level, 1st level spells = 3 At 9th level, 3rd level spells = 2 At 10th level, 1st level spells = 4 4th level spells = 2 At 11th level, 2nd level spells = 4 3rd level spells = 4 6th level spells = 0 At 13th level, 1st level spells = 5 At 14th level, 1st level spells = 5 ================== Page 21-22, Thief: ================== Remove Traps ------------ Failure to Remove a Trap does NOT automatically trigger the trap. The Mentzer Basic set did not state that it did; see page 151 for the correct information. If you decide that there's a chance the trap will be triggered by a failed Remove Traps attempt, you could use a mechanic similar to how Pick Pockets works: a simple failure does not trigger the trap, but if the roll was greater than twice what the Thief needed for success (or 00 in any case), the trap could be triggered. Climb Walls ----------- Some additional details about this ability are found in the Master DM's Book, page 53, where it describes the Thief Abilities granted by Artifacts, noting, "Each of these is identical to the standard thief ability." For Climb Walls it states, "The rate of climbing is 2 to 20 feet per round, varying because of the sheerness of the surface, available niches and cracks, etc." Hear Noise ---------- The Master DM's Book, page 53, adds some details about this ability, "If the attempt succeeds, the user can pick out individual voices or sounds up to 120 feet away, or half that if there is an intervening barrier (door, curtain, etc.)" Optional Thief Skill Adjustments -------------------------------- To allow some variance for individual Thieves, and to give low level Thieves a better chance of actually succeeding with their skills, you can allow a Thief to perform his skills at +1 level of ability for each point of Dexterity bonus he has (e.g., a Thief with a 16 Dexterity has a +2 adjustment, so he performs all his Thief Skills as if he were 2 levels higher than his current level). This bonus should only apply to Thieves, and not any other class which gains the use of Thief Skills. The same adjustment would also apply in a negative manner should a Thief ever find himself with a Dexterity below 9.... =================================== Page 25, Elf - Hit Dice, Detection: =================================== Hit Dice -------- The boxed text indicates that an Elf gains +1 HP at level 10. This was taken from what I believe to be a misprint in the Master Player's book, page 12, where the footnote text said, "add 1 hp at 10th level." However, all other sources in the Expert and Companion set say that the Elf gains +2 hp at 10th level. And note that the Class Details section of this page says that the Elf should gain +2 HP at level 10, as does the Maximum Hit Points table on page 129. So +2 should be the correct value. Detection --------- As noted in the Unofficial Errata, it was omitted here that Elves detect Secret Doors on a roll of 1-2 on a d6 (see p.147). =============================== Page 26, Elf Spell Progression: (Up for discussion , the xp penalty is harsh after all) =============================== (also we would need a chart for 11-36) I would follow the advice of the Unofficial Errata and use the Elf spell progression from the Expert Rulebook (which is also found in the Master Players' Book). The Elf's table in the Rules Cyclopedia seems to have just been copied from the Magic-User section.... I think the progression in the Expert set is better, as it helps differentiate Elves by not giving them as many higher-level spells as Magic-Users who devote ALL their time to studying magic. Expert Rulebook, p.18 (or Master Player's Book, p.12): _______________________ Elf Spell Progression _______________________ Level Spells/Level 1 2 3 4 5 ----------------------- 1 1 - - - - 2 2 - - - - 3 2 1 - - - 4 2 2 - - - 5 2 2 1 - - 6 3 2 2 - - 7 3 3 2 1 - 8 4 3 2 2 - 9 4 4 3 2 - 10 5 4 3 2 1 _______________________ =============== Page 28, Druid: (Also a discussion, imo this makes it overpowered. but aside from 6 its ok) =============== The Druid class is quite underpowered as written. Druids take on heavy limitations when converting from Cleric, yet they don't really gain enough benefits to balance it out. Here are some simple suggestions that can be used to give the Druid the power boost he needs. These options will make the Druid MUCH more feared and effective in his role as a guardian of nature. Further, these modifications can make the Druid a viable class through lower levels; you can optionally allow Druid characters to start at level 1 rather than converting to Druid from a Cleric at level 9. 1. Allow some simple cutting/piercing weapons, such as flint Daggers, stone Hand Axes, wooden Spears, and thorn Blowguns (the Druid would need such tools when living in the forest, so allow stone in its natural form to be used, but still no refined metals. While on the subject, I think Druids would prefer using gems or gold as currency, as opposed to any highly-refined metal coins...). 2. Allow Scale Mail armor if it is entirely constructed from natural materials (dragon's scales, for example). The construction of such armor would likely be a long and expensive process (collecting the dragon's scales being no easy matter). 3. Allow Druids to have much more unrestricted use of poisons (they are a bit outside of the law as it is). They will logically have great knowledge of the plants used in creating such poisons and can take General Skills to reflect this (e.g., Alchemy), allowing them to create many different types of poison with effects ranging from paralysis, sleep, and death (not to mention the creation of antidotes for poisons and other natural cures for many types of afflictions). 4. Give Druids the Speak With Animals ability (p.31). Mystics gain this ability at level 6; Druids, who are supposed to be guardians of nature, deserve to have it too. If you allow Druid characters to start at 1st level, then this ability should be gained upon reaching 6th level (perhaps requiring 1-2 months of meditation at that time). 5. Apply the rule in the last paragraph of "Higher Experience Levels" for Elves (p.26) for the Druid in his home forest. This should only be applied to 9th level Druids who have set up their home in an area of the forest which they will protect (and again requiring 1-2 months of meditation). As a side note, I think this would mean a Druid would have to travel at least 5 miles away from his home when he's hunting animals for food... otherwise he'd be killing the animal friends who would be expecting protection from him. Actually, those animals might even help him hunt.... 6. Allow access to some Magic-User spells (gained by the usual meditation). Also, it seems an anomaly that a Druid does not gain the 7th level Weather Control spell until he is level 17, but for Magic-Users it is a 6th level spell which may be cast by level 12. Nature is supposed to be the realm of the Druid, so I suggest dropping the level of Weather Control for Druid characters to 6th level. This will require several other weather-related spells to be dropped in level accordingly. Here are the suggested changes to the spell list, including the recommended Magic-User spells to allow: 1st level - Analyze (but not on any item with metal parts), Ventriloquism (for making creepy forest noises to frighten away intruders), Sleep (outdoors only, accompanied by foggy mist or poppies appearing...) 2nd level - Entangle, Web, Phantasmal Force (more creepy forest effects) 3rd level - Infravision, Clairvoyance (through animals only) [add Control Temperature 10' Radius] 4th level - Growth of Plants, Hallucinatory Terrain (outdoors only), Polymorph Self (into natural creatures only) [add Control Winds] [remove Control Temperature 10' Radius] 5th level - Cloudkill (death fog -- outdoors only, and is not absorbed by vegetation), Contact Outer Plane, Hold Monster [add Summon Weather] [remove Control Winds] 6th level - Invisible Stalker, Lower Water, Projected Image (still more creepiness) [add Weather Control] [remove Summon Weather] 7th level - Charm Plant, Create Normal Monsters (natural creatures only), Lore (nonmetal objects only), Shapechange (from 9th level; natural forms only) [remove Weather Control] Higher Experience Levels ------------------------ The original intent for these ascension battles has been lost by the Cyclopedia's re- wording. It's more clearly described (though not in great detail) in the Players Companion, page 14, "When the character gains enough XP to reach 30th level, one of the Nine must be found and fought by unarmed combat. If the character loses, 30th level is NOT gained (but a new challenge may be issued every 3 months)." Adding in a few more details, these battles are fought honorably; Druids view this as the natural way of things (survival of the fittest). So, spells may NOT be used; only unarmed combat. Magic items are not allowed, though Druids can wear normal armor if they wish (and each Druid might even have a set of ceremonial skins/armor that he wears during these battles). A high-level Druid's XP total only indicates his POTENTIAL level; in order to gain the actual level, he has to prove himself worthy by winning one of these challenges. If he loses the combat, he does NOT actually lose any XP. If he wins the combat THEN he gains the level, and his opponent loses a level (and all the benefits of that level), but the opponent does not lose any XP. The character could continue gaining XP even if his level progression is halted. He could still gain new General Skills and Weapon Mastery at the appropriate XP totals. Also see the entry for page 129 about Maximum Rate of Experience Gain, which applies when your XP total doesn't match your level. ============================================================ Page 29, Mystic - Prime Requisite, Minimum Scores, Hit Dice: ============================================================ Prime Requisite --------------- Instead of basing the Mystic's XP bonus solely on Strength (just like a Fighter), I recommend basing it on both the Mystic's Prime Requisites: Strength and Dexterity (just like a Halfling). So if either of these ability scores is 13 or greater, the character gains a 5% bonus to XP earned. If both these scores are 13 or greater, the XP bonus is 10%. Minimum Scores -------------- The Masters set never mentioned any minimum scores needed in order to play a Mystic. But then again, it didn't even state the Prime Requisite for Mystics, and was only presenting a basic framework for Mystic characters, whereas the Cyclopedia fleshes them out more and integrates them as a fully-developed class. That said, I firmly believe setting required minimum scores of 13 in both Wisdom and Dexterity is inappropriate for Classic D&D. As with Demi-Humans, I recommend the character only be required to have scores of 9 or better in the appropriate abilities in order to play a Mystic. =================================== Page 30, Mystic - Multiple Attacks: =================================== Another change from the Masters set, Mystics are NOT supposed to get their listed number of attacks when attacking with anything other than their bare hands. You can see this by looking at the description of the 7th level Mystic in the Monster section on page 195, where the number of attacks is listed as, "1 weapon or 2 hands." Mystics ARE supposed to gain the Fighter's Multiple Attacks option, which does apply to attacks with weapons (but not their unarmed attacks) as described on page 104. This will first be available at 12th level when 2 attacks per round are available. Since Mystics can't advance past 16th level, they would never gain more attacks.... However, you could allow them to continue to gain more attacks as they gain more XP past their maximum level (as Demi-Humans do). A Mystic would gain more attacks at the same XP totals a Fighter normally would (i.e., 3 attacks at 2,040,000 XP, and 4 attacks at 3,480,000 XP). ===================================== Page 31a, Mystic - Finishing Details: ===================================== Though the Rules Cyclopedia mostly does a good job bringing everything together into a fleshed out Mystic character class, the basic guidelines for doing so in the Master's Set concluded with, "Whenever developing a new character class, remember to keep the abilities of these new characters in balance with those of the other classes." As a "monster" in the Master's set, Mystics made potent allies or opponents for high-level characters, but when developing them into a character class, some changes do need to be made to keep them balanced against the other classes. The following section contains a couple of suggestions in that regard, along with several other finishing details. Hand Attacks (up for discussion, he makes very good points) ------------ The Mystic's unarmed attacks are the main concern when balancing them against the other classes; at the higher levels they really get out of control. For example, the average damage a 20-36th level Magic-User can do with a Fireball is 70, and although it affects multiple targets, they each get a Saving throw for half damage. A 16th level Mystic can inflict an average of 78 points of damage every round with his bare hands! This can be brought into balance by placing limits on how the Mystic can make use of his multiple unarmed attacks. Here are my suggestions: A Mystic may make up to his total number of unarmed attacks each round UNTIL he scores a hit. For example, a 9th level Mystic may make up to 3 unarmed attacks each round. If he hits with his first attack, he may make no further attacks. If he misses with the first swing, THEN he may make his second attack, and so on. Note that a hit is not actually scored if the attack is Deflected by the opponent (see Weapon Mastery and Deflect in the entry for pages 80-81). However, as with the Fighter's Multiple Attack option, if the Mystic can hit his opponent with an attack roll of 2 (after all modifiers), then he may make up to his maximum number of attacks on that target even after scoring a hit. In circumstances where the Mystic must give up a number of attacks during a round, the attacks are first taken from his maximum number of attacks. For example, using some of the fighting styles detailed in the next entry, a Mystic has to give up an attack each time he successfully Deflects. So if a 7th level Mystic (maximum of 2 attacks per round) Deflected one of his opponent's attacks, the Mystic would still be left with 1 attack available when his next attack step came up. Also, when using his Martial Arts, a Mystic may make no other type of attacks during the round (he can't make an additional off-hand Strike attack, for example). The Mystic's unarmed attacks will not combine with the Fighter Combat Options either (e.g., Smash, Parry, Disarm); those are only available when fighting with weapons or normal unarmed Strikes. With these changes, the 16th level Mystic will now do an average of 19.5 damage each round (much more balanced against other high-level characters), but will still have vastly improved changes of hitting, since he gets up to 4 swings. I'd also suggest that a Mystic, when using his unarmed attacks, could choose to inflict damage as if he were any level lower. For example, a 16th level Mystic could choose to inflict only 1d4 damage with his unarmed attack (like a 1st level Mystic does), rather than 3d12 damage, in case he doesn't want to kill his opponent. Acrobatics ---------- At the top of page 31, the Rules Cyclopedia offers the suggestion of simply having the Mystic make a Dexterity Check to use his Acrobatics ability. I recommend following that suggestion. Otherwise, someone who has taken the Acrobatics General Skill could perform some of the same things as the Mystic, but with a better chance of success. The Mystic must take on a hefty -20% XP penalty for his Acrobatics ability, and the formula given here for Acrobatics will practically always produce a chance that is lower than the Mystic's chance of just making a simple Dexterity check. The Mystic would be better off taking the cheaper General Skill instead! The DM can always have the Mystic use the tougher Acrobatic Check if he deems the difficulty of the action calls for it, but for most Acrobatic feats, the Dexterity Check should be fine and is much less complicated. I also offer some additional optional abilities available to Acrobatic Mystics, to make sure this ability is superior to the inexpensive Acrobatics General Skill. Some of these are based on abilities from the original D&D Blackmoor Monk and the Gremlin class from PC2 Top Ballista. Jumping - No matter how fast a non-Acrobatic Mystic can move, he can jump no farther than the maximum distances achievable by other unencumbered characters with a 120' movement rate (see the entry for page 88 about Jumping & Leaping). An Acrobatic Mystic, however, has special training allowing him, on a successful Acrobatics Check, to make impressive jumps based on his FULL movement rate (encumbrance permitting). He can do flips, run along walls, pole-vault off a staff, or any other similar action needed to achieve such distances. Tumbling - As with the Acrobatics General Skill, the Mystic can fall up to 10 feet without sustaining injury. On a successful check, he can ignore the first 10' of a fall by tumbling to minimize damage to himself. As he gains levels, he can fall even greater distances without sustaining injury. At 5th level, he can ignore the first 20' of a fall. This increases to 30' at 9th level, and 40' at 13th level. The Mystic will be able to control his descent by catching, swinging from, or otherwise slowing his fall by using any nearby wall, ledge, branch, or other object. Dodging - The Acrobatic Mystic has the same ability to Dodge as with the Dodge General Skill. He can gain a -2 bonus to his AC against up to 3 attacks per round by making a successful Acrobatics Check. As the Mystic gains levels, his Dodge becomes effective against more attacks each round. At 6th level the bonus is effective against up to 4 attacks per round. This increases to 5 attacks per round at 12th level. All other aspects of the Dodge General Skill apply; see the entry for page 83-85 for details. Thief Abilities --------------- As I have seen suggested elsewhere, I recommend giving the Mystic the Hear Noise ability rather than Find Traps and Remove Traps. This seems more appropriate for Mystics, and keeps them from diminishing the usefulness of the Thief class. Movement Rate ------------- There's no mention of how fast an ENCUMBERED Mystic can move.... Extrapolating from how encumbrance affects other characters' movement rates, you can use this table, multiplying the Mystic's unencumbered MV by these factors: _____________________________ Enc (cn) MV Multiplier _____________________________ 0 - 400 1 401 - 800 .75 801 - 1200 .5 1201 - 1600 .25 1601 - 2400 .125 2401 + 0 _____________________________ Blankout -------- When using this ability, the Mystic is not just invisible; he's completely undetectable. Frank Mentzer has said that the Mystic should be considered utterly silent, and the Master DM's Book, page 33, notes that the Mystic cannot even be magically detected. Higher Experience Levels ------------------------ The battles to gain higher levels are supposed to work in the same way as for Druids (see the topic about Higher Experience Levels in the entry for page 28 about Druids). In these challenges Mystics may not use any of the Mystic Abilities (namely, Blankout and Gentle Touch). They may use all their unarmed fighting abilities though. ====================== Page 32, Spellcasting: ====================== Casting Spells -------------- A spellcaster only needs one free hand to cast a spell. This was stated in D&D Adventure Module X12, Skarda's Mirror (by Aaron Allston), on p.29, and also on p.47 of the D&D FAQ. Thus, a caster can hold a dagger or staff or other weapon, and still cast his spells. It's not unreasonable, though, to say that very powerful (high-level) spells will require that both the caster's hands be free to gesture. It's important to note that in order to target something with a ranged spell, the caster MUST be able to SEE the target, or at least some part of the target. Spells with an area of effect, on the other hand, can easily affect targets the caster can't see. When casting a spell, to state it explicitly, the spellcaster must be able to gesture and speak freely, and he must stand completely still and may not perform any other action that round aside from casting the spell. Taking any damage that round, failing any Saving Throw, or even being shoved before the spell is completed will disrupt the spell. Compare this against activating a magical item (see entry for p.228). Concentration ------------- Ok, this really needs a clear definition, since the term is used all over the place, often with very different requirements. Concentration will count as your action (often referred to as your "attack") for the round, but doesn't necessarily stop you from moving. The exception to it counting as your "action," is for the Fly spell, in which case the concentration is used in place of your movement instead, and does NOT prevent you from taking an action (see p.114 about aerial combat). This can be applied to any other effect that requires concentration for movement, such as levitation or items that move you magically (e.g., Broom of Flying) -- instead of the concentration counting as your action, it replaces your normal movement. Otherwise, the concentration counts as your action, and unless the description for a certain effect specifies that your movement is restricted (indicating that it's a more intense concentration), you can still move normally. Note that this does NOT include running, because after running you can't perform an action that round, including concentration. Also note that most effects requiring concentration will not be negated by a temporary loss of concentration, unless the description indicates otherwise (i.e., any interruption in concentration will disrupt a spell being cast, or cause the loss of control of an Elemental, but taking a hit while you are concentrating on activating a magical item usually won't prevent the activation of the item from happening). Touch Range Spells ------------------ To clear up any possible confusion, and allow a bit more lenience for casting these spells, I suggest the following rules, adapted from the description of Touch Dispel (see entry for Page 48): Upon casting any Touch Range spell, if the caster doesn't touch his target right away, the spell remains on the caster's fingertips (most likely on only ONE of his hands, not both, unless he decides otherwise) until a valid target object is touched (touching a door won't release a Cure Light Wounds spell, since a door is not a valid target of that spell). Touching any valid creature or object releases the effect; it cannot be suppressed (so don't scratch your nose after casting Cause Serious Wounds). The effect can be Dispelled if not immediately released. The spell effect vanishes from the fingertips in one Turn if not used within that time. The spell also vanishes if the caster casts another Touch Range spell (the new spell effect replaces the old one, even if the caster tries to place the new effect on a different hand). Other spells may be cast normally. Detecting Magic will most certainly reveal a caster that has a Touch Range spell prepared (glowing hand!). Making an attempt to touch an opponent during the same round the spell is cast can be considered part of the standard process of casting the spell. On subsequent rounds, if he has not released the charge, the spellcaster can use an unarmed strike (see Unarmed Combat, p.110) to deliver the Touch Ranged spell to a target at the same time as inflicting damage for the unarmed attack (D&D FAQ p.48). The touch attack is always made against the target's normal AC. ================================== Spell notes, Refer to the original document if ANY spells come up in game. ================================== ====================== Page 62-63, Equipment: ====================== Money ----- platinum pieces = pp = 5 gp gold pieces = gp = 1 gp electrum pieces = ep = 1/2 gp silver pieces = sp = 1/10 gp copper pieces = cp = 1/100 gp Encumbrance ----------- The Rules Cyclopedia kind of glosses over the explanation for encumbrance. The Expert Rulebook, page 21, says, "Note that the encumbrance of an item is not always the same as the weight. It includes how awkward the item is to carry. A 10' wooden pole, for example (encumbrance 100 cn), weighs about 40 cn but cannot be as easily carried as 40 coins." Missile Fire Devices -------------------- As stated in item "a" of the Weapon Table Notes on page 63, the encumbrance of a standard load of ammunition is included in the listed encumbrance of each Missile Device. This was the convention used, for simplicity, back in the Expert Rulebook, but it only makes things more confusing now, especially with the even-more-confusing Ammunition Table on page 63. Separating the weapon and ammunition encumbrance values and revising the Ammunition Table will make things easier to keep track of. Additionally, the cost of a load of Arrows or Quarrels includes a Quiver, the cost of a Sling includes 30 stones, and the cost of a Blowgun includes 5 darts.... I'll separate those costs as well. Also, the listed encumbrance of sling stones can't be correct.... A Sling plus 30 stones weights 20 cn. According to the values given in the Ammunition Table, a load of 30 stones weighs 6 cn, meaning the sling must weigh 14 cn.... I'll adjust these weights with more reasonable numbers. For easy reference, here are the values that should be corrected in the Weapon Table: ______________________________ Weapon Cost Enc. ------------------------------ Bow, Short 10 Bow, Long 20 Crossbow, Light 40 Crossbow, Heavy 70 Sling 1 3 Blowgun, up to 2' 2 5 Blowgun, 2'+ 5 14 _______________________________ And here's a revised Ammunition Table: ____________________________________________________________ Ammunition Table ____________________________________________________________ Cost Enc. Standard Load Load Type Each Each Load Cost Enc. ------------------------------------------------------------ Blowgun Dart 2 sp 1/5 cn 5 1 gp 1 cn Arrow 2 sp 1/2 cn 20 5 gp* 10 cn Silver Arrow 5 gp 1/2 cn - - - Quarrel 3 sp 1/3 cn 30 10 gp* 10 cn Silver Quarrel 5 gp 1/3 cn - - - Sling Stone 2 cp 1/2 cn 30 1 gp** 17 cn** Silver Pellet 1 gp 1/2 cn - - - ____________________________________________________________ * Load Cost includes the price of a Quiver. A loaded Quiver only weighs 10 cn. ** Load Cost includes the price of a cheap Beltpouch, which also adds 2 cn to the Load Enc. ================================= Page 64, Bola, Holy Water, Lance: ================================= Bola ---- The Bola uses Non-Standard Targeting; see the entry for page 105 about Non-Standard Targeting. However, no damage can be inflicted if the Hit Roll is not high enough to hit the standard AC of the target. From the Master Player's Book, page 17, "If the target of a bola attack gains an Armor Class bonus for cover, the bonus also applies to the victim's saving throw against the bola's effects, making it easier to avoid them." "Bolas are awkward to carry and may become tangled. for each additional bola carried, the encumbrance of the bolas triples: first bola = 5 cn, second bola = 15 cn, third bola = 45 cn, etc." Note how the Cyclopedia changed the wording of the last paragraph. An example of the correct interpretation (as verified by Frank Mentzer): if a character is carrying 2 bolas, the first one counts as 5 cn and the second one counts as 15 cn, for a total of 20 cn. Holy Water ---------- The Master Player's Book, p.19, indicates that Holy Water can also damage "evil enchanted creatures." It's the DM's option to decide what creatures might be included. Evil planar creatures such as the Malfera or Efreeti are obvious candidates for this, but other common evil enchanted creatures, such as a Gargoyle, probably wouldn't be included. Net --- The Net uses Non-Standard Targeting; see the entry for page 105 about Non-Standard Targeting. =========================== Page 65-66, Shield Weapons: =========================== Shield Weapons shouldn't be treated as shields; they are actually weapons that can give Weapon Mastery defense bonuses to your Armor Class. This will help tie up some of the lose ends regarding Shield Weapons. For example, normally a Thief can't use a shield, yet the description of Shield Weapons indicates that Thieves can use them. Mystics are not mentioned here, but I think this was an oversight because Mystics weren't an official character class in the Master's Set, when Shield Weapons were introduced. However, Mystics also normally aren't allowed to use a shield, because they rely completely on their discipline for protection. But because Mystics learn to use ALL weapons, Shield Weapons should be allowed, just as they are for Thieves, with the following addendums: Thieves are restricted from using the Tusked Shield, because it is a Two-Handed melee weapon. When wielded by a Mystic or Thief, a Shield Weapon must be used as the primary weapon, not as an off-hand weapon. These characters may not use another weapon while using a Shield Weapon (in the case of two-weapon combat). When a Shield Weapon is being used as a character's only weapon and no off-hand attack is being made, the character may still make one extra attack per round if the Shield Weapon has at least 2 blades which haven't broken off -- a second blade is needed to gain an extra attack after the normal attack(s) with the Shield Weapon. This also applies to Tusked Shields. A Horned Shield used alone, though, won't get an extra attack per round, because it only has one spike. A Halfling, as per the rules for Weapon Size Restrictions (see entry for page 62-66), must use both hands to properly wield a Sword Shield because it is size Medium. He would then get two attacks per round (like human using a Tusked Shield) as long as there are at least two blades on the shield, as stated above. Shield Weapons are also noted as being awkward. This makes them more difficult to defend with than a standard shield. And take note that on the Weapon Mastery table (p.77-78) it is indicated that a standard shield may not be used when using these weapons (they are not marked with the "star in a circle" symbol). It is possible to use two Shield Weapons at the same time though, but you would not be able to gain the AC bonus from both Shield Weapons during a round, and you would still gain only one extra attack each round (one attack from each weapon). As with any other weapon, I would apply the suggested rule from the entry for page 110 that says when using any two weapons at the same time, one of them must be size Small. This will mean that when using the Sword Shield (size Medium), your other weapon will have to be size Small. One thing to keep in mind is that since Shield Weapons are treated as weapons rather than shields, a Shield Weapon's defensive bonuses are considered Weapon Mastery defense bonuses rather than armor. So in the case of a magical Shield Weapon, the magical bonus should not be applied to the users Armor Class, but only to Hit Rolls and damage rolls with the Shield Weapon. The magical bonus is also added to rolls when checking for breakage, as noted in the third paragraph on page 66, though the last sentence of that paragraph should read, "In addition to magical modifiers, modify the roll by -1 per 10 points of maximum damage possible from the foe's attack." If all the blades have broken off any Shield Weapon, any further breakage will result in the weapon becoming completely unusable, even for defending. In the Master's Set, the number of blades on each Shield Weapon was specifically listed in the Weapon Mastery Table. For the most part, the number of blades on each shield Weapon is made clear in the descriptions in the Cyclopedia, but there may be some question about the Tusked Shield. It has a total of 1-5 blades (the center spike is treated just like another blade). See the entry for page 110 about Two Weapons Combat and further notes about Weapon Mastery defense bonuses from Shield Weapons. ======================== Page 68, Armor, Barding: ======================== Note: any set of magical armor will weigh only half as much as normal (see entry for page 242). This includes barding, but not shields. ================================ Page 69, Adventuring Gear Table: ================================ Scrap that whole table, and use this one instead, taken from Dragon Magazine, March 1993, issue #191 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ D&D Game Adventuring Gear Table ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Item Description/Notes Cost/Enc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arrowhead For use when manufacturing arrows in the wild 1 sp/1 Backpack Capacity of 400 cn (40 lbs.) 5 gp/20 Backpack, explorer's Capacity of 800 cn (80 lbs.) 10 gp/80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Backpack, waterproof Capacity of 300 cn (30 lbs.) 30 gp/60 Bandages Prevents further blood loss; 1 sp/1 enough for 1 character's wounds from 1 combat Bedroll Heavy blanket and small pillow 1 gp/50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belt 2 sp/5* Boots, riding Or swash-topped 5 gp/15* Boots, plain 1 gp/10* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bow strings, 10 1 gp/1 Candle Burns 1 hour; sheds light in 10' radius 1 sp/1 Chisel For chipping away stone 2 gp/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Climbing hook Hand-held; Supports up to 250 lbs. 5 gp/40 Cloak, long 1 gp/15* Cloak, short 5 sp/10* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothes, extravagant Tunic & pants; blouse & skirt; dress; robe; or equivalent 50+ gp/30* Clothes, fine See above 20 gp/20* Clothes, normal See above 5 gp/20* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clothes, plain See above; characters start with 2 or 3 sets of plain clothes 5 sp/20* Disguise kit Includes wigs, hair dye, makeup 20 gp/50 Drill, hand For drilling through wood or metal 10 gp/30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Garlic Useful against vampires 5 sp/1 Grappling hook Holds up to 500 lbs. 25 gp/80 Gloves, heavy Prevents rope burns, assures better grip on slippery 5 sp/10* items, protects against needle traps; impossible to pick pockets or remove traps while wearing these ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gloves, soft Protects against contact poisons and other things 1 gp/5* that harm exposed skin; useless against needle traps Hammer, utility Or Wooden Mallet. Does 1d2 damage if used as weapon 2 gp/10 Hat 2 sp/3* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Holy symbol At DM's discretion, may be needed to Turn undead 25 gp/1 Holy symbol, Inflicts penalty of -2 to Turning rolls 5 gp/1 inexpensive Holy water Breakable glass vial 25 gp/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ink, vial of Enough to write 50 pages of simple text 1 gp/20 Iron spike One spike needed for each 5' of a sheer surface being 1 sp/5 climbed by a mountaineer. Can buy a bundle of 12 for 1 gp Journal, blank With fifty 6" x 9" pages 20 gp/30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knapsack Capacity of 250 cn (25 lbs.) 3 gp/10 Knife, utility Does 1d2 damage if used as a weapon 1 gp/5 Lantern Burns 1 oil flask for 4 hours; 30' radius of illumination 10 gp/30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lantern, bullseye Burns 4 hrs. (24 turns) illuminates cone 100' long, 20' base 20 gp/30 Lasso, leather 5 gp/30 Leather, bulk One square foot for miscellaneous use 1 sp/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lockpicks Optional portion of thieves' tool kit; 15 gp/5 does not permit trap removal Magnifying glass For studying fine details and fire-starting 3 gp/5 Map, explorers' Speculative map of unexplored territory 50 gp/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Map, detailed Highly detailed map of explored territory 30 gp/10 Map, general General trail map of explored territory 10 gp/10 Mirror, hand Made of steel 5 gp/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Musical instrument, Lute, mandolin, etc. 20 gp/100 stringed Musical instrument, Flute, recorder, etc. 5 gp/30 wind Oil, ceramic flask Breakable; can be thrown as a weapon with a wick inserted 2 gp/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oil, metal flask Unbreakable; can't be used as a weapon. 1 gp to refill 2 gp/20 Papyrus One 12" x 12" leaf 1 sp/1 Parchment One 10" x 10" leaf 1 gp/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parka For warmth in cold climates 5 gp/40* Pole, Wooden 10' long, 2" thick 1 gp/100 Pot, cooking Two-quart capacity 1 gp/50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pouch, belt Capacity 50 cn (5 lbs.) 5 sp/2 Quill pen For writing 5 sp/1 Quiver Holds 20 arrows or 30 quarrels; (When full, weighs 10cn) 1 gp/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quiver, back Holds 50 arrows; prevents wearing of pack or knapsack;("25cn) 5 gp/20 Quiver, belt Holds 10 crossbow quarrels; (When full, weighs 4cn) 1 gp/3 Rations, iron Week's supply; stays fresh 2 months 15 gp/70 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rations, standard Week's supply; stays fresh 7 days 5 gp/200 Rope, 50' length Supports 750 lbs.; for each 10 lbs. above this, 1 gp/50 give 5% cumulative chance of breakage Sack, small Capacity 200 cn (20 lbs.) 1 gp/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sack, large Capacity 600 cn (60 lbs.) 2 gp/5 Salt, 1 lb. For preserving meat or monster parts for future use; one lb. 10 gp/10 of salt is needed for each 5 lbs. of organs being preserved Scroll case Waterproof; Holds 1 map, 1 scroll, or 10 leaves of parchment 5 gp/20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sewing kit For repair of cloth/leather 1 gp/10 Shoes 5 sp/8* Spellbook, blank 24" x 24" x 6"; holds 24 spells 100 gp/200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spellbook cover Waterproof 10 gp/30 Stake, wooden 18" long 1 sp/1 Tent, small 3' x 6' base, 3' peak; watertight 20 gp/100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tent, medium 6' x 6' base, 5' peak; watertight 30 gp/250 Tent, large 10' x 10', tapers to 8' x 8' at a 7' height, 10' peaked top 50 gp/1000 Thieves' tools Needed for picking locks & removing traps 25 gp/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tinder box Flint, steel, kindling 3 gp/5 Torch Burns 1 hour (6 turns); sheds light in 30' radius; 2 sp/20 can be bought in bundles of 6 torches for 1 gp Twine, Supports up to 30 lbs.; for each 10 lbs. above this, 2 sp/10 100' ball of give 10% chance of breakage ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vial, empty glass Holds 1 pint (enc. 20 cn when filled) 1 gp/10 Water/wineskin 1-quart capacity (enc. 30 cn when filled) 1 gp/5 Wax For making impressions 3 sp/l0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wine 1 quart, wineskin not included 1 gp/30 Whistle For signaling or bird calls 1 sp/5 Wolfsbane To ward off lycanthropes 10 gp/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * If this item is being worn, as opposed to being packed away as a spare, its encumbrance is considered to be 0. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ On this page in the Rules Cyclopedia, the description of the Hammer (small utility hammer) says that it does 1d3 damage if used as a weapon, and can be wielded by anyone who can use a War Hammer.... I suggest just ignoring all of that. See the entry for page 65 about Thrown Rocks and miscellaneous Tossed Objects as weapons, and consider utility hammers (along with wooden mallets) to fall within that category. Note that on page 62, the Cyclopedia states that new characters can be assumed to already own two or three sets of plain clothes, a pair of shoes, a belt, and a belt-pouch. ========================= Page 75a, Weapon Mastery: ========================= Weapon Mastery by Experience Level Table ---------------------------------------- _______________________________________________________________ Weapon Choices Gained by Experience Level _______________________________________________________________ | Other Level | Fighter Mystic Human Halfling Elf Dwarf ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 1 | 4 4 2 [Basic skill in all weapons] 3 | 1 1 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 4 | 1 1 1 6 | 1 1 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 8 | 1* 1 1 9 | 1 1 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 10 | * 11 | 1 1 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 12 | 1* 15 | 1 1 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 16 | * 19 | 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 23 | 1 1 27 | 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 30 | 1 1 33 | 1 ------|-------------------------------------------------------- 36 | 1* 1* ______|________________________________________________________ * Gain 1 choice every 200,000 XP after this level. _______________________________________________________________ Misc Errata ----------- Under "What to do with Weapon Choices," completely disregard the second paragraph about having to spend extra Weapon Choices to learn both modes of using a Bastard Sword; this was not found in the Masters set. Training with a Bastard Sword should result in equal Mastery when using it in either mode. The Bastard Sword is balanced against the other swords because it has the versatility of different modes, at a cost of doing less maximum damage and having poorer special abilities than standard swords. If you take away that versatility by requiring extra training to use both modes (treating it as two separate weapons), then the Bastard Sword becomes rather pointless (no pun intended!). This should also apply to the Blowgun and Net as well; these weapons can come in both 1H and 2H varieties, but any weapon training should cover the use of both forms. There are a couple places here where the Cyclopedia re-words things and loses the original intent (which can be found on page 15 of the Master Players' Book). The first sentence under "Training" seems to indicate that Basic skill in a weapon can be automatically gained. This is only true for starting characters selecting their starting weapons. After that, gaining Basic skill of new weapons is not automatic, but has a chance of success as found in the Table on page 76. On page 76, the section "Unskilled Weapon Use" gets the original intent muddled. You do not have "unskilled characters;" you have characters who are unskilled in specific weapons. ======================== Page 77, Despair Effect: ======================== Under "When to Roll for Despair," I would make a note after the second item, and clarify that the weapon user has to deflect AT LEAST TWO attacks in one round to qualify for this... because it's not really all that impressive to parry a single blow.... ======================================== Page 80-81, Special Effect Descriptions: ======================================== Note that many effects from Weapon Mastery are meant to apply toward creatures of about the same size as the attacker or smaller. Creatures larger than an Ogre may not be affected by some of these special effects, even if not specifically noted. Blowgun ------- In the Special Effect Table for Blowgun, you can make a note that the loss of a % of Hit Points is the loss of that % of FULL Hit Points. They left out the paragraph that describes this effect. Player's Companion, p.3, states, "Percentage of Hit Points: The victim loses this percentage of original (fully healed) hit points. This may cause death if the victim is already damaged." Strangle -------- To clear up any possible confusion, the wording from the Players Companion says, "If freed, the victim remains effectively paralyzed for 2-12 rounds." i.e., the paralysis only occurs if the victim already failed his Save vs. Death Ray but was then freed from the Bola by someone else. Stun ---- The Saving Throw made by a Stunned character each round is made at the end of the Hand-to- Hand Combat phase (Players Companion, p.3). Note that this Stun effect is slightly weaker than the Stun effects described on page 150, which are typically caused by powerful monster attacks or magic (which cause 4 point penalties to Armor Class and Saving Throws). The other standard effects of being Stunned still apply here though: the victim can't concentrate, cast spells, use magical items, or use general skills. Any Weapon Mastery above Basic is reduced to Basic. ======================== Page 86, Gaining Skills: ======================== Improving Skills ---------------- Gaining a paltry +1 for each additional skill slot you spend in order to improve a skill would be a ripoff, when you could instead spend the slot on a whole new skill. It is suggested that each additional slot you spend on a skill should give a +3 modifier to that skill instead of +1. Just keep track of how many skill slots you've spent on the skill, and for each one above the first, you get another +3 to the skill. For example, if a character with a Charisma of 12 took Leadership, he would have to roll a 12 or lower to use the skill. If he took the skill again, he would note "Leadership x 2" on his character sheet, and he'd get +3 to his Leadership skill, meaning he'd have to roll a 15 or less to use the skill. If he took the skill three times, he'd have "Leadership x 3," giving him +6 to the skill, so his skill check rolls would only need an 18 or less, etc. Learning More Skills -------------------- _________________________________________________ New Skills After Maximum Level _________________________________________________ After max Gains another Then another skill level, a: skill at: for every gain of: ------------------------------------------------- Cleric 3,000,000 XP +400,000 XP Fighter 3,600,000 XP +480,000 XP Magic-User 4,500,000 XP +600,000 XP Thief 3,520,000 XP +480,000 XP Mystic 1,200,000 XP +480,000 XP Dwarf AR: D,F,H,J,L +400,000 XP Elf AR: D,F,H,J,L +500,000 XP Halfling AR: B,D,F,H,J +600,000 XP _________________________________________________ ========================== Page 105, The Attack Roll: ========================== The rule here that says, "A natural roll of 20 always hits," is not accurate, if you go by the Mentzer-edited rules. That rule as stated in the Rules Cyclopedia (a 20 ALWAYS hitting) was present in some earlier editions of the game, and is probably a very popular "house rule," but it does not appear in that form in the 1983-1986 D&D rules which the Rules Cyclopedia was derived from (or in 1E AD&D for that matter). The Expert Rulebook, page 29, describes it like this: "Unless the target is invulnerable to normal weapons, or a number greater than 20 is needed and there are no bonuses, a roll of 20 will always hit, and a roll of 1 will always miss. "A natural 20 without bonuses will not hit creatures that require a Hit Roll of greater than 20." To state it clearly, even if you have penalties to your attack roll, a natural roll of 20 will always hit any Armor Class that doesn't require a roll higher than 20 on your Hit Roll chart. In order to hit Armor Classes that require a Hit Roll greater than 20, you will need bonuses to your attack roll. Also remember that the number 20 repeats 5 times on the Hit Roll charts, so a natural 20 can still hit 5 Armor Classes better than a 19 without bonuses. In fact, for almost every situation, handling this rule either way will have the same results.... It will only make a difference in very rare circumstances. Note on Double Damage/Half Damage --------------------------------- There are many effects in the game that result in "Double Damage." While this mechanic was never explicitly explained in the previous editions, the wording of some magic items implied that ONLY the damage for the WEAPON is doubled, and not any other damage bonuses (using terms like "double normal damage" or "twice the amount rolled"). The Cyclopedia is more specific in indicating that only the normal damage for the weapon is doubled, and then any additional damage modifiers (e.g., magic or Strength bonuses) are added to the total. On page 105, steps 7 and 8 on the Attack Roll Checklist clearly state this. For more examples, read the description of Backstab on page 23, and Lance Attack and Set Spear vs. Charge on page 104. The procedure is the same for Half Damage. The "1/2" is considered a multiplier that is applied to the damage roll before any damage bonuses are added on. Also, it states in the 3rd paragraph under "Special Defenses" on page 27, "When modifying sustained damage, always round fractions down. If the result is 1/2 point of damage or less, the character takes 1 point of damage." This is the case in every Half Damage example given in the Cyclopedia, so should be applied in all cases where it doesn't specifically instruct you to round up. ================================ Page 108, Attack Roll Modifiers: ================================ Attack Roll Modifiers --------------------- In the Attack Roll Modifiers Table, "Larger than man-sized monster attacks halfling" should be -2, not -1 (this error was probably copied from the same error in the Basic DM's Rulebook, p.16), though technically this is an adjustment to the Halfling's Armor Class, not to the attacker's hit roll. There is also room in the chart just above that to pencil in: "Blind -6" For the footnote in the table regarding attacking from behind, not only do you ignore the opponent's shield, you also ignore any Weapon Mastery defense bonuses he might have. Natural Healing --------------- Most of the following rules for healing and dying are adapted from the 1E AD&D DMG, p.82, but I simplified the healing rules and blended in some ideas about dying based on the "Keeping Characters Alive" and "Nonlethal Combat" optional rules from the Rules Cyclopedia (p.266-277). Complete bed rest (doing nothing but lying in bed) will heal 1-4 Hit Points per day (this is from the 1991 D&D Game Rulebook, p.28). This is generally used when the character is severely wounded, and being cared for at a hospital or similar place. The more typical form of resting can include any non-strenuous, day-to-day activities, such as going to town, buying things, hanging out in the tavern, studying at the library, etc. Any combat, spell using, or similar activity does not constitute rest, so no hit points can be regained. For each day of normal rest, a character will regain 1 hit point. Whichever form of rest is being used, the rate of recovery is adjusted according to the character's Constitution score: _______________________________________ Constitution Adjustment to Hit Points Recovered from Rest _______________________________________ 3 -1 HP the first day of every 3 4-5 -1 HP the first day of every 4 6-8 -1 HP the first day of every 7 9-12 No Adjustment 13-15 +1 HP every 6th day of rest 16-17 +1 HP every 3rd day of rest 18 +1 HP every 2nd day of rest ________________________________________ So a character with a penalty for poor Constitution will recover no Hit Point for the first day of normal rest, and characters with a Consitution bonus will recover additional Hit Points after continuous days of rest. Regardless of the number of Hit Points, 4 weeks of continuous rest will restore any character to full health. Zero Hit Points --------------- (Truncated original, Deaths door rule. Yes, we are using it with the ilz standard -Con = dead) =========================================================== Page 151, Omitted Information - Infravision, Poison, Traps: =========================================================== Here is some good information that was not included in the Cyclopedia. Infravision ----------- Basic DM's Rulebook, page 22: Many non-human monsters have infravision, in addition to normal sight. Infravision is the ability to see 60' in the dark by by seeing heat (and the lack of it). Normal and magical light makes infravision useless. Fire and other heat sources interfere with infravision, much as a bright flash can interfere with normal vision for a short time. To infravision, warm things seem red, and cold things seem blue. For example, a party of characters hiding in darkness could be seen as group of reddish shapes. Some bodies would seem a faint pink (armor), while others -- an unarmored magic-user, for example -- would be a brighter red. A cold pool of water would seem a deep blue color. Even an item or creature the same temperature as the surrounding air (such as a table or skeleton) can be dimly seen with infravision. Note that a character (such as a thief or halfling) in complete darkness cannot hide from a monster with infravision. Some light source must be nearby to interfere with the monster's infravision, while casting shadows in which the character could hide. There are some additional monsters listed in the Cyclopedia that should be assumed to have infravision even though it's not stated in their description. Such creatures generally live primarily underground or are noctournal, or were listed in AD&D as having infravision. I recommend the following creatures should be assumed to have infravision: Beholder, Dragon, Hobgoblin, Orc, Revener, Shadow, Thoul, Troglodyte, Troll. Dopplegangers could gain infravision by assuming the form of any creature that naturally has the ability! All lowlife, animals, and animal-like creatures will generally have superior senses that allow them to navigate fine in darkness or near-darkness, even without infravision. For such creatures that normally rely mainly on sight, their other sharp senses could give them a +3 To hit when they are in complete darkness or can't see the opponent (basically, treat them as if they have the Blind Shooting skill -- see entry for page 83-85; this will only partially offset the usual large penalties suffered for those situations). Constructs and Undead of all sorts should probably be assumed to be able to "see" in darkness (even magical darkness) as well as living creatures can see in light. Though it isn't actually infravision, a nearby light source will interfere with this ability as well, and these creatures can still be "blinded" by magical means. Poison ------ DM's Companion Book, p.22: Poison is a dangerous tool. If characters are permitted to use poison, monsters should be able to do the same. And there are far more monsters than characters... A potion is the most common form of poison. Its effects when used on blowgun darts are recommended as the maximum for use on any weapon. You may wish to make poisons of lesser power available, lacking the strength to kill, but able to paralyze, intoxicate, sleep, and/or inflict slight damage. Many natural plants are mildly poisonous, and saps or boiled leaves could yield poisons usable on weapons. However, poison preparation is not common knowledge, and the chance of error is high (including the accidental poisoning of the maker). The use of poison is evil, and may cause alignment problems. Local and regional laws may punish poisoners. Traps ----- The following is from the Basic Players Manual, p.57, (and it's a shame the Cyclopedia left this out, as it's both informative and colorful): Dungeons often contain traps. Old ruins usually have more traps than caves. The most common trap is a hidden trap door, which falls open as a character walks on it, dumping the character into a pit. There could be something in the pit -- spikes, deep water, or a monster. Beware! Many other traps are possible. A chest or treasure may be covered in poison; deadly if touched, but easily removed by rinsing in water. Some poisons are sticky, and can only be removed with wine. A blade trap can be found nearly anywhere, and usually inflicts enough damage to kill a 1st or 2nd level character. Doors may be trapped on the handles, locks, or surface. Small darts may be found inside a lock, and may be poisoned for many different effects (paralysis, damage, death, etc.). If you wish to search for a trap, tell the DM where you are searching, and the DM will roll to see if you find anything. You might have NO chance to find a small trap, such as the type on a door or treasure. Thieves have a percentage chance at detecting any type of trap. Dwarves have better chances at finding large traps (such as pits) than other characters. It takes 10 minutes (1 turn) to search for a trap in a small area, such as a 20' square room or a 20' long section of corridor. If less time is spent, no trap will be found. The important thing to note is that any character can search for traps. The types of traps that could be detectable by non-Thieves might include pit traps, trip wires, swinging blades, and other large traps. The chance of success is 1 in 6 -- the same as for detecting secret doors. When the trap involves large dungeon features, Dwarves have a 2 in 6 chance to detect it. If it is one of these larger types of traps that other characters have a chance to detect, a 1st or 2nd level Thief should get the same chance as a standard character (1 in 6) rather than his Detect Traps percentage, because at 1st or 2nd level his chances are less than 1 in 6. If it's a small trap that other characters can't detect, then he should use his usual percentage. Once he reaches 3rd level though, his detection ability with all kinds of traps will be better than 1 in 6. Monsters: Charge ------ A few extra words need to be added to this description to make it clear: If a monster with this special attack can run toward its opponent for 20 yards (20 feet indoors) in one round, it inflicts double damage if it hits. Charm ----- As the Unofficial Errata points out, this effect does not actually work the same as the spell of the same name. From the Basic DM's Rulebook, p.23, "Charm: Some monsters can enchant a character so that the character is confused, believing that the monster is a friend. If the character is the victim of a Charm attack (from a Harpy, for example) and fails a Saving Throw vs. Spells, the character is immediately Charmed. A Charmed character is confused and unable to make decisions. The Charmed character will not attack or harm the Charming monster in any way, and will obey simple commands from the creature if they both understand a language (whether the alignment tongue or some other language). If the Charmed character does not understand the monster's speech, the character will still try to protect the monster from harm. Charmed characters are too confused to use any spells or magic items which require concentration. If the Charming monster is killed, the Charm effect disappears." A Dispel Magic spell can be used to break the Charm without killing the monster. Failing that, use the Duration of Charm table on page 145. Energy Drain ------------ The rules are rather vague about restoring lost levels due to Energy Drain. I recommend that a Restore spell will only work if applied before the character regains the XP he lost, and the spell will restore the exact amount of XP that was taken from him (even if that exceeds his previous total), rather than simply restoring "one full Level" (see the Restore spell, p.39). This will give the character a reasonable amount of time to seek out a Restore spell while he continues to gain XP normally -- he won't have to worry that the XP he's gaining will be wasted just to "fill in the hole," since he has time to get a Restore spell and regain all the XP that was removed. Once a character reaches the XP total he was at before getting Drained, he no longer has the option of getting a Restore for that Energy Drain. Players will have to keep track of each Energy Drain upon their character, including the exact number of XP lost, the XP total before the drain, and any resulting Weapon Mastery ranks, General Skills, or Hit Points that were "revoked" by losing a level. Count a double Energy Drain (such as from a Vampire) as two separate Energy Drains, applying one right after the other. When using the Restore spell, you must restore the most recent Energy Drains first. Each application of Restore will restore the amount of XP lost from one Energy Drain only, and the Cleric casting the Restore spell will suffer the temporary loss of that amount of XP, rather than "one full Level." This will make it rather easy for a Cleric to restore lost levels to low-level characters, but when restoring high-level characters, it's really going to drain him. When a character has lost Weapon Mastery ranks, General Skills, or Hit Points from being Drained, he will instantly get those things back as soon as he gains enough XP (either naturally or by the Restore spell) to support having the things he lost (e.g., he won't have to go through training again to regain his skills -- he only has to regain the XP that was required in order to get the skill in the first place). For better calculations as to exactly how much XP is lost (rather than always dropping a character to the midpoint of the previous level), for characters up to 9th level, just cut their XP total exactly in half. This will place them at the same relative position in their new level as they were in their previous level. For characters above 9th level, subtract an amount of XP equal to the amount it took them to go from the beginning of their previous level to the beginning of their current level. This can apply to characters who have reached their maximum level too, providing them with a certain amount of "buffer" to Energy Drain attacks if they have gained a lot of XP past their maximum level. An additional note from the last paragraph: Mystics or people attacking with unarmed combat will still have to be careful hitting some creatures that don't have to make a conscious effort to make a touch attack, such as slimes or cockatrices. Just coming into contact with them can be hazardous. Gaze ---- There isn't actually a general description of the Gaze ability anywhere; there are just different examples scattered around in various creature descriptions, some of which are a bit vague. To help avoid confusion and perhaps answer any questions that might arise, I've come up with this comprehensive and unified description of Gaze abilities based on all the individual descriptions. A creature with a "Gaze" ability might be more accurately described as having a "Magical Visage" that can affect opponents who look upon it. If the actual eyes or visage of a creature with a Gaze ability are not visible to an opponent, the Gaze cannot affect that opponent. Seeing the reflected visage of the creature will not be harmful. Unless noted otherwise, the maximum effective range for a Gaze ability is 120 feet. There are two main variations of the Gaze ability: Automatic: This type of Gaze ability functions automatically and continuously, whether the creature wants it to or not (this can be dangerous to the creature's allies). Anyone looking upon the creature's visage risks being affected by the Gaze, and any number of opponents can be affected simultaneously each round. Activated: Some creatures must make a conscious effort to activate their "Magical Visage." Activated Gaze abilities can be directed toward only one opponent at a time. The creature's visage can otherwise be looked upon with no adverse effects, and is only dangerous when the creature is actively focusing its Gaze ability upon the viewer. There is one additional property that applies to some Gaze abilities: First Sight. This type of Gaze will only function ONCE against each opponent during an encounter, regardless of whether or not the opponent's Saving Throw is successful. Any Gaze ability that is specifically stated as causing any form of "fear" will function in this manner. Usually, a creature with a Gaze ability will be immune to similar Gaze abilities of other creatures, and also to its own reflected Gaze, unless stated otherwise. Normally, only creatures of low intelligence will have a chance of accidentally seeing their own reflection in a mirror; intelligent creatures who are susceptible to their own reflected Gaze will be smart enough to avoid looking in a mirror accidentally, but might be tricked into doing so. If such a creature is confronted with a large-enough mirror being directed at it, the creature will have to take the same steps that a character normally does to avoid being affected by a Gaze. A character in combat against a creature with a Gaze ability has to put a much effort into averting his eyes in order to avoid seeing the "Magical Visage" and suffering the effects. Imagine that a light is shining forth from the creature's eyes, and if that light enters your eyes, even from the side, you will suffer the effect. So a character, to be safe from the Gaze, basically can't look at the creature at all, and must even be careful not to catch it it in his peripheral vision. This will cause a -4 penalty to the character's Hit Rolls against that creature, and the creature will gain +2 bonus to hit the character. Also, the character's Weapon Mastery is treated as no greater than Basic level against that creature. If the character uses a hand mirror to view the creature while he fights, he only suffers a -2 penalty to his Hit Rolls, but the area must be lit, and the character must have a free hand to hold the mirror. Any Weapon Mastery is penalized by -1 level, but reducing it no lower than Basic. The creature still gains a +2 bonus to hit the character. Of course, the character can choose to fight normally, but will usually have to make a Saving Throw against the Gaze every round. Gaze abilities produce magical effects, but the Gaze itself cannot be blocked by anti-magic barriers (e.g., Anti-Magic Shell, Scroll of Protection from Magic), unless the barrier is specifically designed to block Gaze attacks (e.g., the blue layer of a Prismatic Wall). However, if the target is standing within a field of anti-magic (e.g., a Beholder's front eye ray), the magical effect cannot occur, therefore any creature within an area of 100% anti- magic cannot be affected by a Gaze. A Gaze could, however, "pass through" an anti-magic area and effect a victim on the other side, just as it could affect a character standing on the other side of a glass window. Petrification ------------- As a rule of thumb, a petrified character is about 2.5 times heavier than normal (from the D&D FAQ, p.61). Remember to multiply the weight of all equipment carried as well. At some point, a petrified character might come under attack. Rather than considering the victim to be a normal piece of stone, remember that he's still a character as stated in the D&D FAQ, p.54, "A petrified creature is mindless and without senses, but is still a creature. For all intents and purposes, a petrified creature is an immobile construct, and magical effects applied to it function as they would if used on any other construct." Remember that even though the character is petrified, he's not dead (though a Construct is not considered to be "alive," it's still a creature), and is still allowed to make Saving Throws. I'd recommend a -4 penalty to his Saving Throws, though, since he's immobile ("Paralyzed"). When a petrified character comes under attack, he can be treated as if he is using the Statue spell (p.55-56). This means he will have a base AC of -4 and will be immune to normal weapons and all fire and cold-based attacks (see the Statue spell for other details, and also the "Immunity to Normal Weapons" section below). In order for an attacker to destroy or dismember the "statue," he'll have to reduce the petrified character to 0 or fewer Hit Points. Magic items that are petrified along with the character will become part of the petrified form, so they can't be separately destroyed unless the character himself is killed, as above. Some magical effects from those items may continue to function as part of the new form; see the entry for page 150b about Changing Form. Petrification, though a magical effect, is not supposed to be easily Dispellable. For the purpose of resisting Dispel Magic, treat petrification as a 36th level effect, regardless of the level of the caster or the HD of the creature that produced the effect. A Cleric's Cureall spell, however, should be able to restore a petrified character to flesh (this was suggested by Frank Mentzer, who also gave an informal nod of approval in regard to setting the level of effect at 36). As with a Flesh to Stone spell, I would specify that Petrification only affects living creatures (so undead or Constructs are not affected). Swoop ----- The following table for the Swoop attack was omitted from the Cyclopedia; it can be found in the Expert Rulebook, page 45: _______________________________ HD of Victim Monster Size ------------------------------- 3 HD may lift a halfling 6 HD may lift a man 12 HD may lift a horse 24 HD may lift an elephant _______________________________ Be sure to check each monster's description though; some flying monsters can lift larger victims than indicated here. Gaseous Form ------------ Based on the various descriptions of Gaseous Form found throughout the Rules Cyclopedia, and some ideas imported from the d20 System Reference Document, and helpful information from Frank Mentzer, here are some unified mechanics to use in any situation where a creature assumes Gaseous form. A living being who assumes Gaseous form remains a living being even while in that state. Similarly, an Undead being is still Undead while in Gaseous form, so may still be Turned. The Gaseous creature will keep control over his body and will remain approximately the same Size as his normal form, appearing as a cloud of smoke or mist. He cannot use items or cast spells, but can fly at 180' (60'), and can move through small holes in walls, chests, and so forth. He cannot move through liquids, as he will rapidly float to the surface. The Gaseous creature will gain a base AC of -2, with his Dexterity adjustment still applying. Protective spells and other enchantments also still apply (e.g., Protection from Evil, Bless, Fly -- allowing faster movement), as do some magical protections or effects from equipment which becomes part of the cloud (see the entry for page 150b about Changing Form). A Gaseous creature needs no food, water, or air, and is immune to poison for as long as he remains Gaseous. He cannot be harmed by nonmagical weapons. Furthermore, each blow from a magical weapon inflicts only the magic damage ("plusses"), ignoring normal weapon damage and Strength bonuses (e.g., a sword +4 would inflict 4 points of damage per hit). Spells will affect the Gaseous creature normally, as long as a Gaseous creature is a valid target for the spell (e.g., Hold Person only effects humanoids, so it could not target a creature in Gaseous form). By concentrating for one full round without interruption and without moving, a Gaseous creature can expand its body to a much larger size and become virtually invisible. In this state the creature may only move at a rate of 60' (20'), but it is immune to all weapons and damage-causing effects such as fire, lightning, or cold. The creature cannot be targeted by spells, but is still vulnerable to area effects that do not cause damage. Only creatures able to detect invisible will be able to discern the Gaseous creature's presence in this state. In order to return to a solid form, the creature will first have to spend one round to condense down to normal Gaseous form. A Dispel Magic effect can force a Gaseous creature back to its normal form, though creatures with the innate ability to become Gaseous can usually resume Gaseous form after 1 round. Immunity to Normal Weapons -------------------------- Here the Rules Cyclopedia lacks a rule to account for monsters hitting each other despite weapon immunities. Can a dragon hit a werewolf despite the lack of a silver weapon? Of course it can.... So monsters need a system similar to the Mystic's, which will account for the attacking monster having innate magical properties or just enough sheer size to harm the opponent. The following is similar to the system from the 1E AD&D DMG, p.75, but altered to follow standards from PC4 Night Howlers, which contains information regarding weapon immunity which is more pertinent to D&D rules. This applies only to monsters and not characters of any sort. _______________________________________________________ Creatures Immune to Normal Weapons _______________________________________________________ Attackers with or that are hit can hit opponents Hit Dice of only by weapons of that require ------------------------------------------------------- -NA- -NA- normal weapons 4+1 or more silver silver weapons 8 or more +1 or better +1 weapons 12 or more +2 or better +2 weapons 16 or more +3 or better +3 weapons 20 or more +4 or better +4 weapons _______________________________________________________ Such attackers can hit and inflict full damage against opponents as indicated, and can also hit and inflict half damage against opponents of one category higher. If the attacker is not using natural attacks (e.g., claw, bite, fist), and is instead using a non-magical weapon (melee or missile) the attack is treated as one category lower on the table. ========================= Page 155, Spell Immunity: ========================= Creatures that have magical immunity to spells of certain levels can, at will, disable their spell immunity so that they can receive beneficial spells, such as Cure Wounds, Haste, Invisibility, etc. Of course, as long as a creature has its immunity disabled, it is vulnerable to any detrimental spells too. As soon as the creature stops willing the immunity to be disabled, any magic affecting it (of levels it is immune to) will immediately be negated, including any beneficial magical effects with durations. This functionality is how Spell Immunity was intended to operate, according to Frank Mentzer. This also applies to radiated Anti-Magic effects, as noted in the Players' Guide to Immortals, page 9. ======================== Page 266, Variant Rules: ======================== I feel I should mention that I really don't recommend using any of the optional rules presented in this section, and most certainly not the ones allowing Demi-humans or Mystics to advance up to 36th level. Many people might look over this and think, "Hey, removing the level limits for Demi-Humans... good idea." However, if you actually look at the numbers used here, you'll find that Demi-Humans will be far worse off than if you just use the standard Attack Rank progression (Mystics, on the other hand, will become far too powerful). Halflings, especially, get terribly penalized by these rules. The main problem is that these XP charts were built by looking at the Attack Rank progressions, and equating each Attack Rank to one level of experience. However, Attack Ranks are more difficult to gain than a standard level, typically requiring around twice as much XP, so the numbers on this chart become overinflated. Charging a Halfling 300,000 XP for every level between 9 and 18 will set him back terribly from where he'd normally be, and giving him the hit rolls of a Cleric rather than a Fighter will mean his hit rolls are going to be far, far worse than if you just use the standard Attack Rank progression. Using the progression here, a Halfling reaches level 18 at 3,000,000 XP (when a standard Fighter reaches level 32) but will only be hitting as if he were a Fighter of level 13-15. Normally he'd be hitting as a fighter of level 22-24 at that XP total. The benefit of 10-15 extra Hit Points by then just doesn't balance it out. In summary: Don't use these optional rules for Demi-Human advancement; the standard rules for Attack Ranks work fine. However, I will throw in an optional rule here, because, in truth, Demi-Humans do need some revision to handle the very high levels... though not as much as one might think. The Demi- Humans' one fatal flaw as compared to humans is their very limited Hit Points at high levels. I recommend letting all Demi-Humans gain +2 Hit Points for each Attack Rank they gain after maximum level (this is similar to a human gaining +1 HP per level, as a Cleric or Magic-User does). It's a small tweak, but the extra Hit Points will really help keep them from falling too far behind at high levels. (Change this to simply be 1 point higer, IE dwarf +3 -ilz) One additional option regarding Hit Points which applies to every character class: whenever rolling for Hit Points at any level, a roll of 1 can be re-rolled. This was just something Frank Mentzer mentioned that he does in his game, and while not an official suggestion or anything, I think it's a good option. - i dont like this option. House rule ilz wants to use: re roll all hit dice each level, if u rolled lower, then just +1