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A Supplement For

PERILOUS REALMS

Suggestions for Pick-up Sessions and Otherwise Rollicking

Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns

Playable with Original Edition Rules

and Their Various Simulacra

A Helpful Referees Lodge

Publication

Nathan Jennings

2015

Illustrations by H. J. Ford, public domain images

A Supplement for Perilous Realms

Copyright © 2015 by Nathan Jennings

All rights reserved. Creative Commons attribution for all content usage.

First Printing: 2015

Referees Lodge

www.campaigns-playable.blogspot.com

INDEX

Foreword ............................................................................................................................ 5.

Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5.

Scope .................................................................................................................................... 5.

Recommended Equipment .......................................................................................... 5.

MEN AND MAGIC

Character Classes ........................................................................................................... 7.

Magic-users ...................................................................................................................... 7.

Optional: Thief Class ..................................................................................................... 7.

Abilities and Prime Requisites .................................................................................. 8.

Prime Requisite and Experience ............................................................................... 8.

Races .................................................................................................................................... 9.

Alignment .......................................................................................................................... 9.

Modifiers............................................................................................................................. 9.

Languages ......................................................................................................................... 9.

Class Based Armor Class and Weaponry ............................................................... 9.

Encumbrance .................................................................................................................10.

Experience Points .........................................................................................................10.

Levels .................................................................................................................................10.

“Top Level” and Limits ................................................................................................10.

Hit Dice by Level per Class .........................................................................................11.

Starting Hit Points ........................................................................................................11.

Fighting Capability ......................................................................................................11.

Attack Rolls .....................................................................................................................11.

On “Grappling” ...............................................................................................................12.

Spells per Level ..............................................................................................................12.

Optional: Elf as Class ...................................................................................................12.

Saving Throws................................................................................................................13.

Clerics versus Undead Monsters ..............................................................................13.

Clerics versus Demons .................................................................................................13.

Books of Spells ................................................................................................................13.

MONSTERS AND TREASURE

Monster Attack Rolls and Saving Throws ........................................................... 15.

Monster Multiple Attacks and Damage ............................................................... 15.

Level Drain and Experience .................................................................................... 15.

Magic-sword Ego-struggles...................................................................................... 15.

Treasure and Precious Metals ................................................................................. 16.

UNDERWORLD AND WILDERNESS ADVENTURE

Obtaining Specialists and Men-at-arms .............................................................. 17.

Loyalty of Non-player Characters and Monsters ............................................. 17.

Character Support, Upkeep and Baronies .......................................................... 17.

Simplified Mass-combat ............................................................................................. 19.

Morale and Fatigue ..................................................................................................... 19.

Healing Wounds ............................................................................................................ 19.

Afterword ........................................................................................................................ 20.

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FOREWORD Thank you to Daniel Collins, Simon J. Bull, and all the members of the various boards dedicated to the original edition of the world’s first published rules for fantastic medieval wargames campaigns. I could not have done this with-out you.

Nathan Jennings, St. Michael’s Day, 2015

INTRODUCTION This booklet contains suggestions for modifying original edition rules. The goal is to eliminate any need for players (and, to a certain extent, even for referees) to refer to tables or charts in the course of normal play. I assume, as with all previous published supplements, that you own and have some famili-arity with the original edition (1974) with its first three little brown books. Anything not noted assumes continued use of original edition rules. The or-der of the text coheres with that of the little brown books except all notes on monsters have been moved to “Monsters and Treasure,” and all notes on non-playing characters have been moved to “Underworld and Wilderness Adven-ture.” Various simulacra of the original edition are available at little or no cost if you cannot find a copy of the original rules. I recommend Delving Deeper. I will sometimes use “d-notation”, e.g., “1d6” indicates one six-sided die, etc. Where the original edition uses “men,” I will use “human beings,” etc. As with the first published supplements, any and all of the suggestions given herein are entirely optional; take what you like and leave the rest.

SCOPE The original edition encouraged fantasy wargames campaigns at nearly eve-ry level of play. It assumed, however, a community of wargamers familiar with tactical and strategic levels of play; a familiarity that cannot be assumed among denizens of “role playing games” today. Most play focuses on the skir-mish level no matter how powerful playing characters may have become. Although an attempt to simplify the rules, some of the suggestions that fol-low also encourage player engagement with tactical and strategic levels, in-cluding adjusting level advancement, eliminating “top level,” adjusting the cost of upkeep, etc.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT Encourage players to bring the following to each session:

Pencil Notepaper Graph paper Character record 1d20 3d6 1d% (recommended, but not necessary)

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MEN & MAGIC

Character Classes Use the three main classes of characters. Some referees drop clerics. In this case add some of the clerical spells to the magic-user’s repertoire. Some ref-erees include thieves as a class. A simplified thief class appears below. Con-sider treating elves as a class, see notes to that regard after “Spells per Level” below.

Fighting-men/Amazons

Magic-users

Clerics

Thieves

Elves (if treated as class)

Magic-users Allow magic-users to produce scrolls and potions so long as they are one level above the spell level of the enchantment. Allow magic-users to enchant objects from level eight and up. Follow the original rules for cost in time and gold pieces.

Optional: Thief Class If you would like thieves in your campaign, allow human beings and halflings. Avoid additional “thief skills.” Modify to their benefit the exploration skills already provided in the original edition:

Prime requisite = dexterity

Follow cleric level and hit dice progressions

Armor class 6+

No large weaponry

Listen at door d6 = 1-2

Open door: d6 = 1-4, with

Skeleton-keys, 5gp

Locksmith tools, 25gp

Find secret door d6 = 1-4

Spiked door will remain shut on d6 = 1-4

Trigger undiscovered trap only on d6 = 1

When acting alone, will surprise monster on d6 = 1-4

When acting alone, double bonus (+2) to roll for initiative

Read language d6 = 1-4

Read magic d6 + HD (hit dice) = greater than spell level indicates success; less than spell level indicates failure; equal to spell level indicates reversal, whenever applicable

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Employ the mechanic for listening to attempts to use any of the five senses, including equilibrium when trying something acrobatic. As a general sense check, this mechanic can be useful for tracking, etc.

If with a party of characters and the party is surprised, the thief may roll for surprise separately. If unsurprised, the thief has successfully hidden before the encounter.

Employ the mechanic for forcing doors to opening or freeing any sealed or bound object or person. Even failure when using skeleton keys or locksmith-ing tools may not demand a random monster check. The activity is quieter than forcing a door. The thief may use skeleton keys for one attempt per door (they fit or they do not), locksmithing tools for as many turns as the party chooses to spend.

“Read language” deciphers maps, etc. “Read magic” casts spells from scrolls, etc.

Abilities and Prime Requisites Allow each of the six traditional ability scores to serve as prime requisites by allowing constitution, dexterity, and charisma to count as race-based prime requisites for dwarves, halfings, and elves, respectively.

Class Prime Requisite table

Prime Requisite and Experience Drop the application of any other scores to prime requisite. Allow prime req-uisite to affect experience point (XP) accrual on a symmetrical scale:

Prime requisite effect table

Fighting-man = STRENGTH Dwarf = CONSTITUTION

Magic-user = INTELLIGENCE Halfling = DEXTERITY

Cleric = WISDOM Elf = CHARISMA

PRIME REQUISITE ABILITY SCORE

DESCRIPTION AFFECTS accrual of XP by

16-18 Very High +20%

13-15 High +10%

9-12 Average n/a

6-8 Low -10%

3-5 Very Low -20%

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Races The fay races include dwarves, halflings, and elves. Grant all fay a quadruple (+4) bonus to saving throws. Simplify the range of special capacities for each fay race down to only one or two: Half lings attack with range-fire at two higher levels (+2). Further, for class differentiation, require halflings to fol-low cleric hit dice progression as fighting-men, magic-user hit dice progres-sion as thieves. Dwarves note architectural features such as sloping passages and new construction. For further class differentiation, dwarves follow cleri-cal saving throw bonuses. Elves detect secret doors; or, the referee may choose to give elves the same advantages to normal exploration skills as de-scribed, above, under “Optional: Thief Class,” with an additional chance of discovering secret doors simply by passing them on d6 = 1-2. (For an option-al “Elf as class,” see below.)

Alignment For new players and pick-up games, require all characters to begin lawful. Allow cases to be made for neutral. Avoid chaotic.

Modifiers Drop all modifiers (e.g., bonuses and penalties) to player’s dice-based mechanics derived from ability scores. Never allow bonuses to stack. Characters receive only the highest bonus available.

Languages Drop alignment-based languages. Give all fell races one language with several dialects. Apply prime requisite scale to the possibility of language acquisition. So, in addition to common (and dwarfish and elfish for dwarves and elves, respectively) map intelligence scores to languages in the following way:

18-16 = 2 additional languages

15-13 = 1 additional language

<9 = illiteracy, and perhaps remedial language skills in the common tongue

Class-Based Armor Class and Weaponry Use armor and weapons as a means of class and race differentiation. Armor class (AC) limitations per class

Fighting-men = AC2

Magic-user = AC9

Cleric = AC4

Thief = AC6

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Weapons limitations per class and race

Fighting-men = any

Magic-users = daggers, staffs, slings/stones

Clerics = nothing edged

Halflings/Thieves = nothing large

Dwarves = nothing long

Elves = nothing blunt

Encumbrance Map character movement to armor class (AC):

AC 9-6 = MV 12”

AC 5-4 = MV 9”

AC 3-2 = MV 6”

All small items such as gems, scrolls and the like count as a “piece” of money, all large items count as ten such pieces. Extremely large and cumbersome items count as much as 100 pieces. Map the number of pieces a character may carry to AC by multiplying AC by 100, e.g., AC 9 = 900 pieces, etc. Except absurdities, factor standard gear per class into the abstraction.

Experience Points Drop the division of XP based upon the ratio of dungeon level to character level, etc. Grant 100 experience points per hit die (HD) of the creature or creatures dispatched, never less than 100 experience points even for crea-tures of fewer than one hit die (<1HD). Attack bonuses, multiple attacks, magical capacities, special attributes (e.g., dragon’s breath weapon) may grant an additional 100 experience points each, etc. Grant experience for dispelling undead.

Levels Experience points necessary for characters to attain the second level: 2,000 experience points for fighting-men, 2,500 experience points for magic-users and 1,500 experience points for clerics. Each subsequent level requires ex-actly double the experience necessary to reach the character’s current level.

“Top Level” and Limits Eliminate "top level.” Limit fay advancement to level eight (lvl8). Although a fay level limit ends hit-dice accumulation and other class-based benefits (e.g., spells, etc.), fay still receive three hit points (+3HP) per level thereafter.

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Hit Dice by Level per Class Fighting-man and Amazon level indicates number of hit dice for cumulative hits.

Magic-users get an additional hit die every odd level, while adding one hit point (+1HP) every even level. Hit point bonuses are cumulative. When roll-ing up a non-playing twelfth-level magic-user, roll six dice and add six hit points (+6HP).

Clerics get an additional hit die most levels, but skipping every third, e.g., levels 3, 6, 9, 12, etc.). Clerics add one hit point (+1HP) each skipped level. Hit point bonuses are cumulative. When rolling up a non-playing twelfth level cleric roll eight dice and add four hit points (+4HP).

Note: some referees reroll hit dice per level, adventure, or even encounter. When using this approach to hit die, remember to add any cumulative addi-tional hit points.

Starting Hit Points For starting hit points, allow players to roll two dice and take the highest number of the two dice (not the sum). This makes it unlikely that a player will be stuck with a one-hit-point-wonder while keeping a one to six range.

Fighting Capability Allow fighting-men (or perhaps any class) to split hit dice (HD) for attacks. So a 2HD fighting-man could make one 2HD attack or two 1HD attacks. Allow the application of additional damage dice from cumulative hit dice. The player would declare the applica-tion before attack and loose however many attack dice. So a 4HD fighting-man could de-clare an additional damage die, subtracting one from his hit-dice. He would thus make a single 3HD attack, and, if successful, roll two dice of damage.

Attack Rolls Use a “Target 20 System” for attack rolls.

Target 20 attack roll formula Successful hit on d20 + HD (+magical bonuses) + target AC ≥ 20

For referees who would like to keep target armor class secret, have the play-er roll a twenty-sided die, add the character’s current cumulative hit dice together with any relevant magical bonuses and give that number to the ref-eree. The referee adds the target’s armor class and informs the player wheth-er the attack succeeds or not.

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On Grappling Sometimes players do not want their character to kill an opponent, but to incapacitate or capture. Allow all involved to make an attack roll. All success-ful parties would roll a number of dice equivalent to their hit dice. They would then total the roll, subtracting any hits currently sustained. The defender would also do the same. If the grapplers succeed, the enemy is grappled. If not, they are “thrown off” by the defender. Ties go to the defender.

Spells per Level Magic-user level indicates total spells able to be memorized per day and spell levels available. So a first-level magic-user may only memorize level-one spells; a sixth-level magic-user may memorize 1 spell each from spell levels 1-6. A seventh-level magic-user may memorize an additional level-one spell and magic-user levels thereafter build sequentially. So a twelfth-level magic-user may memorize 2 spells each per spell level. A magic-user may memorize a lower level spell instead of a higher level spell but may not memorize a higher level spell instead of a lower level spell, e.g., a second-level magic-user may memorize 1 level-one and 1 level-two spell or 2 level-one spells, but not 2 level-two spells, etc.

Clerics are similar to magic-users in terms of spells but the number and level of spells available for clerics is equal to clerical level subtract one (lvl -1).

Note: some referees allow spell-casting characters to pick spells on the fly, so long as they have access to the appropriate spell or prayer book, in order to encourage the use of the more obscure problem-solving spells.

Optional: Elf as Class Elves follow magic-users’ saving-throw bonuses (see below) and level requirements but clerical hit dice accumulation and armor class limitation. Determine spell number and level available by the elf’s level divided by two (lvl/2). So a second-level elf may only memorize level-one spells; an eighth-level elf may memorize 1 spell each from spell levels 1-4. Similarly, a fourth-level elf may memorize 1 level-one and 1 level-two spell or 2 level-one spells, but not 2 level-two spells. Drop the requirement to purchase spell-books or scrolls. Elves acquire spells with experience points, e.g., 100 experience points per spell level, per spell. Elves may not acquire spells such that it would reduce them below their current level.

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Saving Throws Use a Target 20 System with class-based bonuses.

Target 20 saving throw formula

Save on d20 + HD + class bonus ≥ 20

Class-based bonuses to saving throws

Fighting-men = +3

Magic-users = +5, +6 vs. magic

Clerics = +6

Fay = additional +4

Thieves = +6

Clerics versus Undead Monsters Use a reaction roll to resolve clerical “turning.” Allow a bonus (+1) to turn undead with a silver cross. Clerics add their level to such rolls. Subtract mon-ster hit die. Skeletons subtract nothing.

Turn undead modifier formula

Cleric level (+1 silver cross) – monster HD

“Attempts to attack,” indicates all such monsters target the cleric for attack. “Hostile reaction” indicates monsters attack the party. “Uncertain” indicates the monster(s) will avoid the cross but otherwise continue attack. “Accepts offer,” indicates the monster “turns.” “Enthusiast” indicates monster “dispelled.”

Clerics versus Demons If there are demons or otherwise infernal beings in your campaign, use the above reaction check to exorcise (disembody as “turning”) such creatures, and damn (send to Hell with no return as “dispelling”) them. Relative hit dice of demon apply to the roll in the same way indicated above.

Books of Spells Allow magic-users and clerics to possess their first spellbook or prayer book without cost (a gift from their master, perhaps?) but still requiring the pur-chase or discovery of higher-level or lost spellbooks thereafter.

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MONSTERS & TREASURE

Monster Attack Rolls and Saving Throws Use a Target 20 System to resolve monster attack rolls and saving throws. Give all monsters that are not a playing-character class a generic bonus (+1) to attack rolls:

Target 20 monster attack roll and saving throw formula Success on d20 + HD (+ 1 + target AC for attacks) ≥ 20

Monster Multiple Attacks and Damage Unless otherwise specified in the rules allow non-human-like monsters ei-ther an additional attack every four hit dice (4HD), an additional die of dam-age (+1d6) every six hit dice (6HD), or both. Referee determines based upon relative size, description, and ferocity of monster. Count any hit die bonuses towards hit dice total.

Monster damage and attacks table

Spells count towards one such attack, breath-weapons as all attacks save spells.

Life Energy Drain and Experience Separate level from experience in the case of “life energy drain.” When ener-gy drain lowers character level(s), that character retains all experience points earned but functions however many number of levels drained with every other respect including relative hit dice accumulation, spells, turning, etc. Once healed to full hit points the character then restores one level per each subsequent occasion of earning additional experience points. In cases where more than one level has been drained restoration to original level requires a number of occasions of earning experience equivalent to the num-ber of levels drained.

Simplified Magic-sword Ego-struggles Simplify ego-struggles with magic-swords in the following way. Compare:

Sword: INT + EGO + bonuses + abilities

versus Character: STR + INT – any HP loss

Then follow the tables as provided in the original edition.

HD # Attacks Dice damage

<1 – 3 1 1d6

4 – 5 2

6 - 7 2d6

8 – 11 3

12 + 4 3d6

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Treasure and Precious Metals Consider dropping copper pieces. Or, consider making them two to one sil-ver. Make silver two to one gold. This will make treasure more worthy of recovering, requiring thoughtful role-play in the face of encumbrance. Char-acters will accrue experience at a more rapid pace. This will prove helpful for one-off pick-up sessions or campaigns where players cannot meet as fre-quently as, say, once a week. Such valuation aids when using the simplified method for attaining levels, as higher levels become fairly astronomical in experience requirements.

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UNDERWORLD & WILDERNESS ADVENTURE

Obtaining Specialists and Men-at-arms The effect of a character’s charisma score on the number of unusual hirelings represents the number of monsters and high-level non-playing characters of a playing-character class that a character may hire and nothing more. Other-wise, specialists for the building of strongholds and running of baronies should be based solely upon availability and the character’s ability to make payment.

The weekly cost of advertisement (100-600 gold pieces) applies only to at-tracting a significant detail of soldiers for wilderness exploration or the building of a standing-army for a stronghold for the first time. Advertisement is irrelevant to hirelings for dungeon exploration. Even for details of soldiers for wilderness exploration or the building of a standing army for strong-holds, once the detail or the army has been built re-hiring for losses does not require advertisement as the character’s (and the barony’s) fame will have spread abroad. For dungeon exploration, characters buy a round of ale at the local tavern for one to six gold pieces. However, for dungeon exploration, the cost of the troops listed should represent the cost by day of dungeon endan-germent rather than month of army service. Likewise, the cost of the troops listed might represent the cost per week for wilderness exploration as op-posed to a month of regular army service.

Footmen may serve as men-at-arms, or as shield bearers, for magic-users. Non-fighters represent such hirelings as porters, cooks, torchbearers, etc.

Loyalty of Non-player Characters and Monsters Drop hireling loyalty. Continue to use the reaction table for determining continued service, adjusting for such things as treatment and the charisma of the hiring character.

Character Support, Upkeep and Baronies In order to encourage strongholds and baronies, increase cost of upkeep to 10% experience points. Exact once upon each new experience point accrual. Perhaps this reflects local taxation, encouraging characters to leave “home base” for wilderness exploration and claim-staking. And don’t forget tithes to the appropriate religions for lawful and even chaotic characters!

Allow any class to build a stronghold and develop a barony. Population-count represents families, not individuals, and thus the total number of able-bodied men available for conscription to public or military service. When a character demands such service use reaction rolls to determine the relative number of conscripts available and their morale. Campaign events, character charisma and quality of rule affect such reaction rolls.

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Dropping “top level” allows characters to count as barons of their respective baronies, accruing the benefits of population for conscription and inhabitant taxation more quickly and easily. Consider adding, instead, a requirement of the building of a standing army of no less than 30 troops. Thus a barony is established in the wilderness immediately upon completion of a stronghold, the clearing of the land, and the building of an army (not necessarily in that order).

In order further to encourage baronies, all gold pieces accrued from taxation count toward experience points. Allow further investment to enable more rolls for settlements or settlement-population until the maximum number of settlements and their respective maximum populations are reached. Further, consider allowing investment not only to affect the amount excised but also the frequency of revenue e.g., every game season or even month rather than year.

Simplified Mass-combat Encourage players to engage in wilderness adventure and barony warfare (i.e., tactical and strategic wargaming), by using simplified rules for mass combat, e.g.: Group any creatures less than three hit dice into units of ap-proximately ten hit dice each. These units deal and receive damage in terms of hit dice, not points. A unit of ten normal men takes ten points damage be-fore removal. Units roll attacks en masse as ten hit dice creatures of the given type. Upon success, pips on damage dice indicate loss of target’s hit dice, not points. Spells that deal a number of hit dice of damage inflict that number of hits on mass combat units. Units save for half damage. Characters and crea-tures that take both hit die and point damage in the same battle convert hit dice to points on a 2:7 ratio. Removal of leader-types forces morale checks; removing a high-level leader forces loss of morale. Upon conclusion, re-moved and damaged units save for half losses. If using battle-mats with one-inch hexes, scale as described in the original rules: one inch equals ten yards.

Morale and Fatigue Use a reaction check for morale and a Target 12 System for fatigue checks.

Target 12 fatigue check formula

Success on 2d6 + HD ≥ 12

Check morale whenever encountering undead (and infernal) monsters, after the loss of half or more hit points, half or more members of the party, or after one full round of combat under conditions of fatigue. Check fatigue after continuous exploration without rest or after several rounds of continuous combat.

Healing Wounds In order to keep play moving, each full day of rest under adverse conditions restores one hit point. Each full day of rest under conditions of relative safety restores one die of hit points.

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AFTERWORD

There are, of course, many other aspects of the original edition that could be simplified or streamlined. The focus has been on the essentials and what I could imagine and remember. Join an on-line community engaged in discussing original edition play to help develop your own house rulings for your campaign and your players’ preferences. Please share what you do with the rest of us; we could all improve as referees!

FIGHT ON!

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