Chapter I: Character Creation
*Before selecting roles, it is necessary that players each roll four six-sided dice (4d6) six times, each time dropping the lowest result and thereby determine scores for the following categories of ability: Strength, Intelligence, Constitution, Dexterity, and Charisma. Each player notes and assigns his scores, and then selects a race and class.*
*Some abilities are the prime requisites for certain classes of characters, meaning that a character with a prime requisite score of 16 or greater receives a 10% bonus to all experience earned.*
Strength
*The prime requisite for fighters, strength also indicates aptitude in various physical feats as delineatedin the table below:*
Strength Table
| Strength Score |
Hit Probability |
Damage Adjustment |
Weight Allowance |
Open Doors |
Bend Bars/ Lift Gates |
Grapple Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | -3 | +1 | -35 | 12% | 0% | 6% |
| 4-5 | -2 | -1 | -25 | 16% | 0% | 12% |
| 6-7 | -1 | - | -15 | 20% | 0% | 18% |
| 8-9 | - | - | - | 24% | 1% | 24% |
| 10-11 | - | - | - | 28% | 2% | 30% |
| 12-13 | - | - | +10 | 32% | 4% | 36% |
| 14-15 | - | +1 | +20 | 36% | 7% | 42% |
| 16 | +1 | +1 | +35 | 44% | 10% | 48% |
| 17 | +1 | +2 | +50 | 48% | 13% | 54% |
| 18 | +2 | +3 | +75 | 52% | 16% | 60% |
Hit Probability: *The modifiers in this column apply only to the result of to-hit rolls for melee combat.*
Damage Adjustment: *Applies only to melee combat. At the referee's discretion, the modifiers in this column might also be applied to thrown missiles such as javelins.*
Weight Allowance: *Adjustment of the maximum weight one can carry unencumbered.*
Open Doors: Percentile chance of forcing open a stuck, barred, or heavy door for a given attempt. Makes considerable noise, and risks attracting unwanted attention. Should more than one adventurer participate in an attempt, their percentages are added together, such that two adventures with a 24% and 48% chance respectively would have a 72% of opening a stuck door when working together.
Bend Bars/Lift Gates: Percentile chance of bending metal bars, lifting heavy gates, and similar feats of great physicality. As with opening stuck doors, the percentages of collaborating adventurers are cumulative.
Grapple Chance: *>>>*
Intelligence
*The prime requisite for magicians, intelligence also reflects skill in sorcery as delineated in the table below:*
Intelligence Table
| Intelligence of Magician |
Chance to Know Given Spell |
Min. No. of Spells per Lvl. |
Max. No. of Spells per Lvl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 20% | 2 | 3 |
| 5-7 | 30% | 2 | 4 |
| 8-9 | 40% | 3 | 5 |
| 10-12 | 50% | 4 | 6 |
| 13-14 | 65% | 5 | 8 |
| 15-16 | 75% | 6 | 10 |
| 17 | 85% | 7 | All |
| 18 | 95% | 8 | All |
Chance to Know Given Spell: *Percentile chance to learn any given spell of a given level. Each spell may be checked only once.*
Minimum Number of Spells per Level: *Should a complete check through the entire selection of spells of a given level fail to result in a number of spells learnt equal to one’s minimum, one may recheck unlearnt spells until the minimum is reached.*
Maximum Number of Spells per Level: *Once the maximum number has been reached, one cannot check any further spells of a given level.*
Wisdom
*The prime requisite for clerics, wisdom determines risk of ensorcellment, and skill with clerical magic, as delineated in the table below:*
Wisdom Table
| Wisdom Score |
Magician Defence Adjustment |
Spell Bonus |
Chance of Spell Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | -3 | - | 30% |
| 4-5 | -2 | - | 25% |
| 6-7 | -1 | - | 20% |
| 8-9 | - | - | 15% |
| 10-11 | - | - | 10% |
| 12-13 | - | One 1st Level | 0% |
| 14-15 | +1 | One 1st Level | 0% |
| 16 | +2 | One 2nd Level | 0% |
| 17 | +3 | One 3rd Level | 0% |
| 18 | +4 | One 4th Level | 0% |
Magical Defence Adjustment: *The modifiers in this column apply only for saving throws versus attacks mental in nature, such as charm, fear, illusion, and the like.*
Spell Bonus: *Indicates the number of additional spells entitled to a cleric upon attaining the respective spell level. These bonuses are cumulative such that a cleric of a given wisdom score is also entitled to all lesser bonuses.*
Chance of Spell Failure: *Percentile risk of a spell failing when a cleric attempts to cast it.*
Dexterity
*The prime requisite for thieves, dexterity also indicates skill in various tasks, some peculiar to thieves, as delineated in the tables below:*
Dexterity Table
| Dexterity Score |
Missile Hit Probability |
Reaction/ Initiative |
Defensive Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | -3 | >>> | -3 |
| 4-5 | -2 | >>> | -2 |
| 6-7 | -1 | >>> | -1 |
| 8-9 | - | >>> | - |
| 10-11 | - | >>> | - |
| 12-13 | - | >>> | - |
| 14-15 | - | >>> | +1 |
| 16 | +1 | >>> | +2 |
| 17 | +1 | >>> | +3 |
| 18 | +2 | >>> | +4 |
Missile Hit Probability: *The modifiers in this column apply only to the result of to-hit rolls for missile combat.*
Reaction/Initiative Applicable: *Applicable both to surprise situations and determination of initiative order.*
Defensive Adjustment: *Applicable versus certain hazards (such as dragon-fire, conjured lightning) due to dodging ability, and dodging/parrying ability in combat; this latter skill represented by modification of base armour class.*
Dexterity Adjustments for Thieves
| Dexterity Score |
Picking Pockets |
Opening Locks |
Disarming Traps |
Moving Silently |
Hiding in Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
| 10 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
| 11 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
| 12-16 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
| 17 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
| 18 | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> | >>> |
Constitution
*Influences one’s physical endurance, as delineated in the table below:*
Constitution Table
| Constitution Score |
Hit Point Adjustment |
Probability of Resurrection Survival |
Probability of Surviving Spells |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | -2 | 40% | 35% |
| 4 | -2 | 45% | 40% |
| 5 | -1 | 50% | 45% |
| 6 | -1 | 55% | 50% |
| 7 | - | 60% | 55% |
| 8 | - | 65% | 60% |
| 9 | - | 70% | 65% |
| 10 | - | 75% | 70% |
| 11 | - | 80% | 75% |
| 12 | - | 85% | 80% |
| 13 | - | 90% | 85% |
| 14 | - | 92% | 88% |
| 15 | +1 | 94% | 91% |
| 16 | +2 | 96% | 95% |
| 17 | +2 | 98% | 97% |
| 18 | +2 (+3)* | 100% | 99% |
*Bonus applies to fighters only; all other classes receive a maximum bonus +2.
Hit Point Adjustment: Indicates modifier applied to each hit die for a character. Note that penalties cannot reduce a hit die below 1.
Probability of Resurrection Survival: Percentile chance of being successfully resurrected. A character can never be resurrected a number of times in excess of his constitution score.
Probability of Surviving Spells: Percentile chance of surviving petrification, polymorph, and other such spells.
Charisma
*Indicates sociability and attractiveness, as delineated in the table below:*
Charisma Table
| Charisma Score |
Maximum No. of Retainers |
Loyalty Base |
Reaction Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 1 | -2 | -1 |
| 5-6 | 2 | -1 | - |
| 7-9 | 3 | - | - |
| 10-12 | 4 | - | - |
| 13-15 | 5 | +1 | +1 |
| 16-17 | 6 | +2 | +2 |
| 18 | 12 | +4 | +3 |
Maximum Number of Retainers: *This pertains only to permanent retainers, having no bearing on the number of mercenaries, house-servants and other such persons hireable.*
Loyalty Base: *Adjustment to a hireling’s base loyalty score.*
Reaction Adjustment: *Indicates the penalty or bonus applied when a character treats with persons and creatures encountered. While other penalties or bonuses may be incurred due to various factors, the modifier in the column above is applied irrespective of peculiar circumstance*