Knowledge and Problem Solving (Cleric/Fighter/Magic-User) Ramble

meat fighter badass solves problems by looking tough, being tough and having a badass follower that looks like a hyena

In my head there is this Platonic ideal D&D wherein players control characters and the characters all go off and explore and have adventures in strange and dangerous places. There are obstacles and players use resources (what's on the character sheet) and skill (cleverness, co-ordination, knowledge of the game, etc) to overcome the obstacles. It is fun in the way that games that are about resolving challenges and exploration are fun. 

Character knowledge is one of those fun black boxes whereby player and referee get to peel back the protective flaps covering the games auditory pits and gently whisper questions into the game or at one another and then get something weird and interesting back. This character was a mucker of Nuln before donning the wizarding tunic they now wear. What might a mucker know about a particular sort of mud? The arid plains of Nuln are known for their mushrooms and nuts, does that mean the mucker knows a bit about what's good to eat in this forest?

The OD&D classes represent radically different approaches to character knowledge and problem solving. (this post here at 9 and 30 kingdoms is related to this)

Clerics, like Fighters, solve problems in a similar sort of sphere, both types of problems being of a decidedly fleshy nature. Magic-Users can, theoretically solve any type of problem at all but they can only solve so many in "an adventure" (which I take to mean in a single session, but later D&D refines to once-a-game-day-so-long-as-you're-getting-in-a-good-rest) and they have to figure out how to solve that problem in their weird wizardy way or they have to steal that knowledge from someone else.

Fighters exist as meat. Their plans are meaty, their actions take place in the usual meat space. They get ignored a lot when people talk about classes and games because they are generally so unproblematic/understandable. "Can my Fighter do this?" can nearly always be resolved with, "if you had the stats your Fighter has, do you think you could do it?"

Clerics are hopeful meat. They hope their god(s) pay attention and help out. It is generally a fun rule to treat the Cleric's spell list as mostly a description of the outer boundaries of what the god(s) are interested in doing for the Cleric this session. The Cleric prays over some of the Fighter's mangled meat body and hopes that things turn out well. Maybe the god is a Troll and the ruined limb heals itself over the next few minutes; maybe the god is an Ent and the replacement parts are some kind of muscle-wood hybrid because Ents don't totally "get" human parts; maybe the Cleric spent last night getting drunk (you know, carousing tables) and the Cleric's judgey white male god decides that while the Fighter is healed, the Fighter's wound is passive-aggressively transposed to the Cleric.

A Cleric doesn't necessarily know anything new or special about the game world unless it's revealed to them. It's like they have these giant monsters riding on their backs. The monsters help them sometimes and sometimes they don't and they impose rules on when they help and the general idea is that really, the real stuff is going on at monster-view level and the monsters are calling the shots and you're just a really advanced horse. 

The life of a Cleric is someone's nightmare about religion.

Magic-Users, on the other hand, know special stuff. Maybe what they know is monster-view stuff which is why it's always so non-linear and knowing it is a vertiginous experience and why Clerics and Magic-Users aren't supposed to get along. Rote Vance (and pretty much rote D&D) is super boring here in practice, but the fundamental theory is interesting. Magic-Users traditionally get their magic by (a) being a little magical themselves and (b) cramming magical, weird, non-linear magic (which might be a monster or something like an invisible monster, maybe made out of dark matter, maybe an angel or aether a la John Dee) into what is probably some special lobe of the brain. (b) nearly always involves reading and being able to cast a spell is usually stated as knowing the spell (and/or having it memorized with the distinction being: can you cast this spell at all [know]? versus can you cast this spell now? [memorized]) and, since the start of the hobby, Intelligence is the core stat for the Magic-User (in OD&D INT also influences how many languages a character may know and in Greyhawk, even the number of spells they may know). All of which is to say that Magic-Users are and always have been about having that certain special information that turns what was an obstacle into an obstacle no longer. (Note also that Clerics in Greyhawk don't get extra spells for high INT as, Gygax notes, clerical magic is "given).

The whole spell-hunt meta game for Magic-Users is similarly about seeking out the knowledge you might want in the future to solve some other kind of problem.

This is kind of related to other posts (esp stuff on Magic-Users and Clerics and Deities) but mostly to stuff I'm working on.

attribution: Pieter Hugo

Dark Souls D&D Guide (part 2? version 2?)

two former heroes of the continent who may train the party 

For Dark Souls D&D, as linked here. This goes into greater detail than the original post. Everything in the loot section subject to change.

CLASSES

Are Fighter, Cleric and Magic-User to start. You unlock your Class by finding, picking up and equipping an item imbued with the spirit and memories of a (fallen?) person of that Class (or are they your own memories?). Sample list of Class items here for the curious. In play, the list will be different.

Other Classes (see below list) may be taught by a hero still living somewhere on the lost continent. With the exception of Thieves, you'll need to both ask around and also seek out a rare and powerful class item once belonging to the hero-trainer. These rare items are likely locked away in deep and terrible places and/or wielded by the twisted former disciples of the trainer. Heroes are usually elves and their items usually of elvish masterwork.

The one exception to the above are Thieves. "Heroic" thieves are more plentiful than most of the other trainers and determination and inquisitiveness are likely enough to discover their location (no rare item necessary!). They will, however, want some kind of remuneration for their services.

Classes and Subclasses:

Thief (trained by _____________ or _______________ or ______________ or ______________) (locked)

Paladin (trained by _________ or _____________) (locked)

Assassin (trained by ______________) (locked)

Archer (trained by _________) (locked)

Witch (trained by _________ and _____________ or ____________ or _____________) (locked)

Journeymen-Exorcist (trained by ________________) (locked)

Necromancer (trained by ________________) (locked)

Some classes or trainers are likely mutually exclusive. If you choose to learn from one you'll likely make an enemy of the other (they may even treat you as "kill on sight").

"RACES" & HUMANITY

Are Human, Elf or "Halfling" to start. Elves are slimmer and shorter than humans with a slight point to the ear, and almond-shaped eyes. They are natives to the continent. "Halflings" are the poorest and least cared for humans among human society, treated as a caste apart, and many find their way to the lost continent. They show minor signs of in-breeding and major signs of early childhood malnutrition and a rough life. Most have few teeth.

As described earlier, CON is replaced by HUMANITY.

If, at any time, you have 13+ HUM, you may take a single racial ability from your race (roll to determine which). The ability is usable 1/session, until you've less than 13 HUM. If you've less than 13 HUM, the curse overwhelms your intrinsic nature and you've the Hollow Racial Ability.

Elves (d10) 1-3: Can read all alignment languages, 4-6: Split-move on foot, 7-8: Move Silently in Forests and Meadows (on a 14+), 9-10: Ignore the effects of a charm

Halflings (d10) 1-4: Hide in Shadows (a 14+), 5-6: +1 to a Surprise roll, 7-8: +1 to Attacks and Damage with ranged weapons, 9-10: Backstab from hiding (+2 attacks, Large Damage)

Hollow You need not food, drink or sleep.

Human (d10) 1-4: Re-roll a failed Save that would result in a loss of HUM (a successful Save affects only the loss of HUM, not other outcomes), 5-6: Roll for treasure as if one level higher, 7-8: May have +1 Henchmen, 9-10: Re-roll a failed Save v Death or Poison that would have killed you

There are three races of legend living out the remaining years of their now-cursed existence somewhere on the continent. Find, aid and thereby befriend them in order to play characters or recruit henchmen from their people. As with Class Trainers, befriending Children of one God will likely alienate you from others.

Child of Othin (Lightning Genasi?) abilities to be discovered (locked)

Child of the Coven (Chaos-Warped) abilities to be discovered (locked)

Child of the Abyss (Tiefling and/or Revenant) abilities to be discovered (locked)

There are at two other peoples living in secret of which you know nothing.

HENCHMEN

May be hired at level 2 should you be able to find one resting near a campfire and convince them to journey with you. They need not be paid, and take and earn half the XP the "controlling" character earns. Unless otherwise modified by the rules, no character may have more than one Henchmen. Beware too of the Henchmen who grows despondent, their face sallow and sagging, their eyes mistrustful, for Henchmen too may turn fully Hollow (you'll not know their starting or current HUM) and attack the group.

CAMPFIRES

are kindled by one of the Ash Maidens, tongueless priestess to an unknown deity, associated with the Sun (but not the missing Sun God Apollo). Resting by these fires heals as a full rest (re-roll HP using current HD and keep the larger number). By praying in front of the bonfire until you sleep you may wake up the next day at a different bonfire kindled by the same Ash Maiden so long as you've been there before. 

Incidentally, Flailsnails groups will likely start at whichever bonfire they have unlocked and then choosen at the start of a session..

praise be her name, Ixiander the New Dragon, First Witch

OTHER RESOURCES FOR PLAY

Flailsnails

At this point, I'd like people to start at 0-levels. Once more content is unlocked, higher-level characters will be welcome. I don't think this setting works if you introduce high levels for an early smash 'n grab (plus, I frankly feel myself a little underqualified to start running this at higher levels).

Monster stat blocks

You've no reason to want or need this know if you're interested in playing, but this is how I've been writing stat blocks and plan on running things. This is what that OD&D spreadsheet turns into after I adapt stuff for a setting/game. That said, this block gets referenced a few times below.

Hollow

(Guarding, Armed) or (Crazed) or (Non-Aggressive) Less Intelligent Humanoid

AC 9, 1-6 HP, Saves 17, Slowest, always attacks last; Guarding Hollow: hatchets, every 3^rd has a short sword or shield and every forth a bow with d4 arrows (every twelfth has a sword and bow, no shield); Loot 2, (Crazed 3, Guarding 4); unlike other monsters Hollow do not normally see in the dark

(Guarding) enemies patrol an area or stand watch, look for enemies, will chase and try to find fleeing opponents and usually get a bonus to Morale and are more likely to be aggressive after a reaction roll

(Crazed) enemies do not flee or break and may be very aggressive, not discriminating between friend and foe, similar to Berserkers (unless you get a friendly on the reaction roll, treat as aggressive)

(Non-Aggressive) do not attack and may not defend themselves (2 in 6 chance of the latter).

LOOT, TREASURE

XP, CURRENCY & TREASURE

There are a handful (less than five?) Hollow that collect trinkets, arms, armors, herbs, magic items and the like and will sell them. Once you discover them, you'll need to discover what they want in exchange. Ask around to discover their location.

Other cursed but-not-yet-Hollow non-player characters may have a choice item or two which they'd be willing to barter away.

Coin is worthless here.

XP is awarded by # HD of defeated creature and the relative value of an item (weapons and armor of good quality are valuable).

LOOT

The lack of a widely used currency complicates treasure tables. Furthermore, everything has fallen into disrepair and chests and the like are quite uncommon. Those that survive stash their treasure in secret places and watch their stores like spiders in a web.

NPCs and rooms or locations within room will have a Loot Value (LV). (see the Hollow stat block above)

Turning out a room or spot in a room or a corpse to look for loot takes a turn. Roll d10 and add your level. If you exceed the LV all you find is junk (which is still a thing and the GM will roll on that table for you) and on any subsequent searches in the same place you'll only ever find nothing or something useful. On each roll after the first, you also add 1. If your roll results in the LV or less than the LV, you get the corresponding loot from the loot table.

Looting corpses is functionally the same but the GM will add the characters HD to the roll rather than you adding your level.

Calculating Loot Value. 

For a corpse, LV=HD+1+#Specials (by the way, this is just the early Strategic Review, pre-Greyhawk method of calculating XP +100 and then /100).

For a Dungeon, LV =level of Dungeon +3

For treasure rooms in a Dungeon or Lairs, LV = level of Dungeon or Lair (Lairs are level 1 Dungeons if not otherwise determined by GM)+LV of "boss" to whom the treasure belongs.

(EX. See the Hollow Stat block above. Non-Aggressive Hollow have a LV of 2, Crazed Hollow have a LV of 3 and Guarding, Armed Hollow have a LV of 4. If a 2 HD "boss" Guarding, Armed Hollow (therefore, LV 5) were to have a treasure room on level 1 of a dungeon, that room's LV would be 9.)

WHY?

I want to dramatically re-orient the way looting works. The survival horror conventions of scarcity and limited inventory space control here. This thematic consideration, the lack of a merchant class in a largely depopulated area and the devaluation of all currency, makes some kind of alternative to GP necessary.

Also, I generally dislike reducing XP based on relative character and dungeon/creature level as per page 18 of Men & Magic as the higher level character already needs more XP to gain levels than the lower level character.  

Instead, where needing something useful can be a more operative concern, the LV system means to funnel higher level characters towards higher level locations and monsters as it is only there where they will find things useful to them (ie, in lower-level content, the likelihood of getting "junk" is much greater for the higher level character).

Also at play is the idea that looting a dungeon properly in many older D&D games is more a study in figuring out how to get the most cookies out of the cookie jar you can without getting your hand stuck and this mechanic is meant to re-inforce that (as you spend more time looking for loot, you risk wandering encounters and getting both better loot or nothing at all).

and along the far cliffs, a place of power and worship

attributions: Vania Zouravliov x3, _____ (help!), Anthony Scott Waters

Randomized Fighters for hacked B/X

Fighter

Fighter class for hacked B/X and Trollworld

Threat Die roll a d8 for damage and Endurance after creation

Saves on a 16+

Adventurer can wear any mundane armor and use any mundane weapon without penalty

Average Learner gains a new level every 2,000 XP

Guts & Glory (see below)

Multiclass at level up can roll two times, split between any advancement tables for classes which you've currently unlocked

Locked subclasses/variants includes the Hime and Archer.

at creation

roll a d6, d8, d10 and d12 and see A. B. C. and D. below

A. the d6 determines your Glory. Write down this number. Whenever you fail a Guts save (see below), add this to your current Endurance. If it's above your current max, it's added as temporary Endurance. If you are unconscious due to lack of Endurance and this increases your total Endurance past 0, then you can get up.

B. one roll is your starting Endurance (pick from the three rolls and discard that die; you can also discard the highest roll and take a “six” as your starting Endurance)

C. one roll determines your Guts(or just pick and discard the lowest die roll)

You've been scarred somewhere. This roll determines where/what the scar looks like. 1/session, you can re-roll a failed Save v Death or Poisons (choose which).

D. one roll determines Might Feat (or just pick and discard the highest die roll)

Scars (Guts)
1	Poorly healed broken bone gives you an ugly, lumpy forearm or leg	7	Lips all scarred and raggedy
2	Missing d6 teeth in obvious places	8	Nose broken a few times
3	Half-blind in one eye, missing corresponding eyebrow	9	Ritual scarification on neck
4	Cheshire Grin	10	Missing middle finger
5	Missing part of nose	11	Cool scar, across nose and cheeks, under eyes
6	Missing ear	12	Cool scar down side of face, over eye (gap in eyebrow)

Mighty Feats (all 1/session unless otherwise noted)
1	Rise Again. the round after you've been killed, and so long as your body is in OK shape, you crawl back from oblivion with 1 Endurance and 1 Wound.	7	Leap. 1/ combat, leap up to your thrown weapon range as your move action. This will likely surprise your enemies.
2	Revenge. when a creature damages you, you get a free attack against a nearby enemy or target immediately following the attack (interrupts everything else)	8	Lean In. You can throw your shoulder into it and bash down and otherwise locked or stuck door, can push something extremely heavy (moving as if encumbered) or can pry open a locked chest (likely sets off any traps) without making a check or save.
3	Rampage. After killing something, get a free strike against another nearby enemy or target immediately following your killing blow at -2 attacks. (Can be done more than once, the penalty is cumulative on successive rampage strikes).	9	Mighty Throw. 1/ combat you can throw something enormous (something you couldn't necessarily lift otherwise) at a target, dealing an extra die of damage (at least - if it's huge and the target is tiny, may kill it outright)
4	Furious Choke. On an attack, you can try and single-mindedly choke something with a neck (neck must be small enough you can actually choke). Doesn't impair your defense or saves. Forces the victim to make saves each round or the victim passes out. A really bad roll on the save means they've choked to death or you snapped their spine or ruined their windpipe and they're dead.	10	Flesh Wound. you can ignore the mechanical effect of a Wound. You've still suffered the physical damage and will have scars but you don't die automatically if you take a second one, etc.
5	Double Fisted. Attack with two weapons at once (can use fist, shield). Roll both attacks. If either succeeds, roll an extra TD for damage. If either is a critical success, target is killed outright. If either is a critical failure, it counts as two critical failures.	11	Weapon Nut. After a Turn of practice you can make a check to figure out how to use any weird, strange weapon without penalty. Can also be used to make kludge repairs to weapons in lieu of doing so in camp or to jury rig some weird new weapon (sword on the end of a whip).
6	Sword Swallower. You can keep an extra weapon, rapier, whip or something similar shaped, in your gut. Avoid strong magnets and try to sit down gently. (takes d3 rounds do draw and sheathe, but not session limit)	12	Armor Nut. After a Turn of inspection/trying on armor, you can make a check to figure out how to use any weird, strange armor without penalty. Can also be used to make kludge repairs to armor in lieu of doing so in camp or to jury rig some weird new armor or armor-like device (shield from giant turtle shell). Or pick 12.

Fighter Advancement
roll	advancement
01-20	+1 Attacks
21-40	+1 Saves
41-60	+1 TD Endurance
61-65	Tough as Fuck. +1 Defense. Re-roll: increase bonus by 1, max +4.
66-70	Glorious. Gain Guts. If already had, gain Glory (roll d6 for starting glory). If already had, can choose another category of Saves to which Guts applies and get 1/session or increase current uses of a Guts Save by 2 (max 3). Can gain bonus of 2 to any maxed out Guts Save (bonus applies only to re-roll). Whenever you roll this, you can also choose to re-roll your Glory using your current TD – keep the roll if larger. Or re-roll if you've rolled this at least once before.
71-75	Gutsy Bastard. Gain Guts. If already had, gain Glory (roll d6 for starting glory). Afterward, whenever you fail a Guts Save, you can choose to split your Glory between your next attack and damage rolls (next round only) instead of increasing your Endurance. Adds an additional +1 to damage or attack rolls on a re-roll, with the current maximum being your current bonus to attacks for the one and the highest possible roll on your TD for the other, after that, re-roll.
76-80	Triage. You're well versed enough in anatomy that you can help anyone performing field medicine in lieu of attacking this round. Add +1 to the victims Save. On a re-roll, increase bonus by 1 (max 4). Can also be used to try to diagnose diseases common to soldiering, whoring or the like.
81-85	Scavenger. +2 when hunting through a battlefield for cool kit or necessary supplies OR when scrounging around the wilderness for food. On a Re-roll, increase by 1 or choose alternate ability. Max bonuses for each is equal to your Glory. After max, re-roll.
86-90	Battlefield Presence. You can rally one allied NPC that just failed their Morale check (they re-roll at +2 or so) OR you can force an NPC to make a Morale check, if possible (describe how). On a re-roll choose alternate ability and then, on subsequent re-rolls increase the bonus/penalty by one to a max of +3/-2. Afterward, re-roll.
91-93	Henchmen. Next time you're in town you get a free NPC tag-along. d12 determines nature of NPC: 1-3 urchin linkboy with a lantern and dagger, 4-5 squire of dubious heritage with sham livery, d4 large coin, adventuring gear and short sword, 6-7 Street Thug with club and 4 throwing knives and underworld connections, 8-9 psychopath with too many daggers and weird trinkets, 10 mutant with (pick: acid spit, third eye [all around vision for 60'] or tentacle arms [can bear hug as a bear]), 11 hime (she thinks you're her knight/manservant), 12 level 1 Rogue (treat as a regular Henchman) with outstanding obligations (Han Solo and all that). Like other Henchmen, takes half a share of XP but only gains a level at half rate.
94	Weaponmaster. Choose a weapon keyword. When using a weapon with that keyword, roll a d4 and apply that as a bonus to either attacks or damage (choose before either roll). On a re-roll, increase the die by one size, up to d20. Can choose for multiple keywords on a re-roll, but take only the highest bonus die.
95	Bulk Up. If your TD is a d8, increase your size to Large, if it's at least a d10, increase it to Huge (max Huge/d10). If it's too low, re-roll on this table. After the max, re-roll.
96	Impressive/Terrifying Physique. Outside of combat, leverage your body when interacting with others. Add your a die three sizes smaller than your TD to your charisma when interacting with NPCs. On a re-roll, increase the die size (max your current TD). After the max, re-roll.
97	Blood in your eyes. 1/encounter, when bloodied, restore your Endurance to full or blind a nearby creature by whipping blood in their eyes. On a re-roll, increase number of uses (max 2) and number blinded (from 1 to d4+1, to d6+1). After, re-roll.
98	In Good Shape. 1/encounter, gain a free movement action.
99	Shake it Off. Cumulative +2 Save v Mind-Controlling or movement impairing effects, cumulative, up to +8, after which, re-roll.
00	Feats. Roll a d12 and take this feat (if you re-roll an already earned feat, re-roll this advancement roll).
*You can swap out any advancement for +1 TD Endurance and any roll 81+ for +1 Attacks or Saves or TD Endurance *FIGHTERS ONLY: You can swap out both rolls and, as long as one is 81+, earn all three bonuses.

attributions: Yong-Sik Jung, , Jake Wyatt, portrait of Yukio Mishima (can't find photog credits), Heon-Hwa Choe.