House Rules

[sirravd]

Ability scores. Roll abilities 3d6 in order. You can't decrease one score by 2 points to raise another by 1 point, but you can swap any two scores.

Alignment. Lawful, neutral, chaotic.

Races. All in Labyrinth Lord AEC. Three exceptions: (1) An elf with the appropriate ability score minima can qualify as a druid (level limit 7) or ranger (level limit 10). (2) A halfling with the appropriate ability score minima can qualify as a ranger (level limit 8, plus no spellcasting ability). (3) A gnomish illusionist is unlimited in advancement if he has an Intelligence of 18.

Combat.
Using standard, not advanced, hit dice.
Using group initiative.
Death is at 0 hp.
A natural 20 automatically hits and does double damage; a natural 1 automatically misses and (1-3) provokes another attack (4-6) breaks weapon.
Flanking bonuses: +2 if two melee combatants are fighting a third on different sides. +4 if one is attacking from behind. (This stacks with the Backstab bonus.)
Firing into melee: -4 penalty and 50% chance of hitting another combatant in the vicinity (reroll attack with no penalty) on a miss, unless you are taking a flank shot, firing from high ground into the second rank, etc.

Secondary skills are in use (p. 21). Choose 1d3+Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

XP is tripled. I will also grant ad hoc XP rewards, e.g., for good roleplaying.

Fate Points: You start with 1 Fate Point, and gain another at every level. You can spend a Fate Point to reroll any roll, or to make me reroll any roll. But the second roll stands, even if it's worse for you.

Two-weapon fighting gives you an extra attack, but the primary attack is at -2 to hit and the secondary attack is at -4 to hit; these penalties are reduced by 1 point if you have Dexterity 15+ OR you are a fighter or subclass of 4th level or higher (these bonuses do not stack). Neither weapon can be bigger than a shortsword.

Classes
Ability score minima are all lowered by 1. E.g., to be a paladin, you need Str 11, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 14. (Paladins' charisma is a special case––I'm lowering that by 3, to 14.)

Race-classes from the LL Core Rulebook are not in use. Neither are multiclass characters.

Wisdom-based spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) use the spell failure table and additional spells per level on p. 6. Intelligence-based spellcasters (magic-users, illusionists, and warlocks) use the same table (with Intelligence as the relevant ability, of course).

Turning undead only works once daily (twice at 3rd level, three times at 6th, etc.)

Thief skills add Dex modifier x 5% in place of the listed bonuses/penalties. For example, a monk with Dexterity 17 has a +10% bonus to Hide in Shadows and Move Silently (+2 * 5%). The exception is Find Traps, which isn't modified by Dex (but Remove Traps is––these are separate functions taking 1 turn each).

Assassins use the thief table plus 1 level for their skills. Thus, a 3rd level assassin has a base Pick Locks chance of 31%, a Find and Remove Traps chance of 23%, a Pick Pockets chance of 37%, etc. The exceptions are Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, where assassins use the thief table plus 3 levels.
Assassins also add 1 level for the purposes of when they are able to read languages and use scrolls (i.e., they become able to do these things at 3rd level and 9th level, respectively).
Assassins get a +2 bonus to all saving throws.
Assassins are the only class that can poison weapons, with the following caveats: (1) Poison is very expensive (depends on the poison, but at least 100 gp per dose). (2) The assassin has a risk of accidentally poisoning himself per application: 50%, minus 7% per assassin level, minus 5% per point of Intelligence bonus (minimum 1%).
Assassins must be Chaotic.

Druids can turn undead, as undead are contraventions of the natural order.

Fighters and subclasses can make an extra attack whenever one of their attacks drops an enemy.

Magic-users and illusionists, at 1st level, randomly roll for a number of spells equal to their Intelligence minimum. That is, a magic-user with an Intelligence of 13 (who has 5 minimum spells) rolls 1d31 five times, rerolling duplicates. I'm making charm person and sleep second-level spells, so reroll rolls of 3 and 27.

Monks only have the thief abilities Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise. They use the thief table as shown, not the thief table + 3 levels. They only get 1 HD at 1st level.

Rangers only get 1 HD at 1st level.

Thieves use the thief table plus three levels for their skills. Thus, a 6th level thief has a Pick Locks chance of 75%, a Find and Remove Traps chance of 73%, a Pick Pockets chance of 73%, etc. They also add 3 to their level for the purposes of when they are able to read languages and use scrolls (i.e., 1st and 7th level, respectively). Moreover, thieves get a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

Warlocks are a new subclass of fighter I'm adding (stolen from AS&SH). (1) Their only ability score minimum is Int 14, or Int 14 and Dex 15 if they are illusionist warlocks. (2) They have a d6 Hit Die. (3) Their XP progression is the same as paladins'. (4) At 4th level, they become able to cast magic-user or illusionist (their choice) spells as a magic-user three levels lower, so long as they are wearing only light armor and no shield (but two-weapon fighting is fine). They treat Intelligence as 3 lower for the purposes of min/max spells allowed, spell failure chance, and spell per day bonus. They get a Prime Requisite bonus of +5% if both Str and Int are 13+, +10% if both are 16+. Elves can be warlocks (level limit 9), as can half-elves (level limit 11) and gnomes (level limit 6).

[sirravd]

Sanity

Some explorers of the Barrowmaze have been driven mad, and you have a decent chance of joining them.

You have a number of Sanity points equal to 12 + your Wisdom modifier. Every time you encounter certain of the Barrowmaze's denizens (I will let you know), save versus spells adding your Wisdom modifier or lose 1d3 Sanity. Other effects can decrease Sanity, too.

Some spells can be used to restore Sanity in place of their usual effect. Cure light wounds can be used to restore 1 point of Sanity. Cure disease and remove curse can be used to restore 2 points. Cure serious wounds can restore 3. Cure critical wounds can restore 4. Heal, in addition to its usual effects, completely heals Sanity.

If your Sanity hits 0 or lower, save vs. spells (with Wisdom modifier) or immediately go insane. Continue saving once per hour until your Sanity is restored to 1 or higher or you leave the dungeon.

If you go mad, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-2, you never recover, or die. On a roll of 3-6, you will recover after some time...somewhat. Lasting deleterious consequences might include ability score losses, level drain, or worse.

[Lance]

Thieves use the thief table plus three levels for their skills... They also add 3 to their level for the purposes of when they are able to read languages and use scrolls (i.e., 1st and 7th level, respectively).

Level 1 unmodified thief abilities:
Pick Locks: 31
Find and Remove Traps: 23
Pick Pockets*: 37
Move Silently: 37
Climb Walls: 90
Hide in Shadows: 27
Hear Noise: 1-3

Level 1 thief saving throws:
Breath Attacks: 14
Poison or Death: 12
Petrify or Paralyze: 11
Wands: 13
Spells or Spell-like Devices: 12