This game will be using AD&D 2nd ed rules with a few house rules. The PHB is used as well as the old Unearthed Arcana (1985, Gygax), but none of the "Complete Book of ___" splatbooks.  Additional spells from Tome of Magic or from one of the splatbooks (Complete Book of ____) may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  However, while you may use a kit to inform how you develop your character's proficiencies and equipment choices, the special benefits/hindrances will not be used.

No evil alignments.

Both Weapon Proficiencies and Non-Weapon Proficiencies will be used.  Please note that the # languages column for INT has been changed to be bonus NWP.  Languages are handled in a completely different manner.

Character Race Choices:  human, elf, dwarf, half-elf, gnome, halfling

Characters are to be created with scores which sum to 85
Scores should follow these nesting restrictions:
No scores of 19
Only one score of 18
Only two scores may be 17+
Only three scores may be 16+
Any stat below 8, discuss with me first (story as to why it is so low—this is not an indication that the low score would be unacceptable, just that there should be a story reason for the low score, not just a dump stat to boost other stats).

Racial adjustments do not apply, since these statistics are assigned, rather than rolled.

If you have difficulties with the character sheet, let me know.  Sections not pertaining to your chosen class can be removed as the sheet is meant to cover all the possibilities.  Please complete the sheet, select a picture and write a description of your character (this would be simply what people would observe: the appearance of your character [height, weight, hair color, eye color, clothing, etc.] and other distinctive traits that can be perceived using vision or hearing. This would not be the place for life story, hopes and dreams, etc.).
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:03, Sat 01 Jan 2022.

Multi-class is treated as though it is its own class, representing a blended approach to problems that adventurers face—rather than sometimes acting as one class and sometimes as another class, one would be both at the same time, with a distinct method of dealing with issues.  This means that your character could be a 1st level fighter-thief (for example) who will have a d8 for hit dice type and will require 3250 xp to become a 2nd level fighter-thief.  If you are considering playing a demi-human and multi-classing, discuss further details with me as to which classes and other pertinent details (hit dice type, saving throws, THAC0 progression, etc).  Specific possible multi-class options are listed with each race.

Hit Points:  Full at 1st level, plus relevant CON bonus

Hit Points beyond 1st level

For levels 2-4, hit points will be determined as follows

D10 will roll d5+5
D9 will roll d5+4
D8 will roll d4+4
D7 will roll d4+3
D6 will roll d3+3
D5 will roll d2+3
D4 will roll d2+2

For levels 5 and beyond, additional hit points with the normal die or added points (for the very high levels).  CON bonus will apply to all levels

I use the “death's door” alternate rule (which I've played with for so long that it just seemed like it was an as-written, not a variant rule).  Characters lose consciousness at 0hp and continue to lose 1hp per round from injuries.  If -10 is reached, the character has died.

Healing proficiency checks may be made in combat to stop the bleeding but must bring the injured to 0 or positive hp to be effective.  Magical healing may be effective at any time, but an injured character is not stable (no longer losing hit points) until at least 0 is reached.

A called shot (+1 to initiative roll, -4 to hit) can be fired into melee.  If the called shot is a hit, the intended target will be hit.

If the called shot misses or firing into melee without calling the shot, standard rules for firing into melee will apply.  A missed shot into melee may still have a chance of striking someone (friend or foe) based on how the missile actually ended up flying.

If you roll a natural 20 in combat, damage is determined as full + roll according to the weapon.

For example, a long sword (d8) would be 8+1d8.  A roll of one should be re-rolled, so the minimum damage is 10 + any bonuses due (STR, magic weapon).

If the damage by weapon is a 2d (for example, a broad sword at 2d4), the damage would be 8+2d4 + any bonuses due, but no re-rolls as the roll will always be above 1.

Available character classes:  fighter, ranger, ilma-mage, eldur-mage, yerd-mage, vatna-mage, illusionist, cleric, thief, bard.  May choose later to dual-class.

There are no special restrictions on ability scores (maximum or minimum).  A human character gains two extra NWP slots in addition to those due to high intelligence.

Character Height and Weight:  use PHB guidelines (table 10)
Age:  30 + 1d4

Available character classes:  fighter, cleric, thief, fighter-thief

Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores

Character Height and Weight:  use PHB guidelines (table 10)
Age:  55 + 5d6

Special abilities per PHB

Available character classes:  fighter, ranger, cleric, ilma-mage, eldur-mage, yerd-mage, vatna-mage, thief, fighter-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage, fighter-thief, [ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage-thief, or fighter-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage-thief

Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores

Character Height and Weight: use PHB guidelines (table 10)

Age: 115 + 5d6
Racial abilities as per PHB

Available character classes:  fighter, cleric, illusionist, thief, fighter-illusionist, fighter-thief, cleric-illusionist, cleric-thief, illusionist-thief

Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores

Character Height and Weight: use PHB guidelines (table 10)
Age:75 + 3d12
Additional abilities as per PHB

Available character classes:  fighter, ranger, cleric, [ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage, illusionist, thief, bard, fighter-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage-cleric, cleric-ranger, cleric-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage,  fighter-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage, fighter-thief, fighter-[ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna] mage-thief, [ilma, eldur, yerd, or vatna]  mage-thief

Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores

Character Height and Weight: use PHB guidelines (table 10)
Age: 30 + 1d6

Racial abilities as per PHB

Available character classes:  fighter, cleric, thief, fighter-thief

Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores

Character Height and Weight: use PHB guidelines (table 10)
Age: 35 + 3d4

Racial abilities as per PHB.  Lineage should be determined at character creation.

Yes, this process is involved, but only for the initial character creation; once complete it is fairly simple.  This is distinct from the PHB way of handling languages (though languages known by race may be checked for according to the following process).

You are not restricted in any way on the  number of languages your character can know, other than your choice, luck with the dice, though there should be some logic in the choices.  Note that “sign” is available as a “spoken” only language.  Having this language will mean that your character can communicate with other characters with the language, subject to adequate light but without having to make sound  (ie, trying to sneak around or under magical silence) with the same level of complexity as actual speech instead of being limited to pointing and vague gestures.  Without this proficiency, your post should read as a description of the actual gestures without including intended meaning.

Languages that may be chosen:  Euphranian, dwarven, elven, goblin, halfling, hobgoblin, kobold, lizardman, ogrish, orcish, sign

Being able to speak a language is different than being literate in that language.  Your character gets the native tongue speech (ability level: native), but literacy must be checked for separately.

To check whether your character knows how to speak or is literate in a language, make a save vs INT.  If successful, continue with the following chart to determine how well your character can speak or read/write the language.

Once you have determined that you know a language (to speak and/or have literacy in), the next question is "how well?" To determine this, roll a d100 for each language (separate roll for speaking and for literacy) except for speech in your native tongue (appropriate racial tongue for non-humans, Euphranian for humans; half-elves can choose either Euphranian or elven as the native tongue).

You may make the following additions for INT



What the d100 results mean


Later, you may choose to try to improve languages by expending a NWP slot for language (spoken may only be improved to "excellent" if less than perfect at character creation) or read/write.

When you have determined all languages, I will be adding the language groups for the ones your character speaks/uses, but not for a language which the character is only literate in but does not speak.

So, for example, let's say we are creating the character “Rath” who has INT 13.  Rath's native language is Euphranian.  No roll is required, and his skill level is “Native”.  His player wants him to be literate in his native tongue, and also know and read/write the dwarven language and use sign.  So he will make 4 separate save vs INT rolls.  Let's suppose that he passes all of those checks.  He will then roll 4 times a d100+28.  His results, for example are:  38,29,78,77

So the final results would look like this:

So, while he is literate in his native language, he's just barely so.  He can sign his name (as opposed to making a mark), and handle simple lists or written instructions; but anything complicated is beyond him.  On the other hand, he has only managed to learn a handful of dwarven words so as to speak them in a way recognizable to anyone, but he can read and write in that language fairly well.  And he can use sign language to communicate with other sign language users. Now, if you think “hey that doesn't make sense” and want to swap basic literacy to dwarven and acceptable literacy to Euphranian, that's fine.  But it can also be true that a character can read/write a language much better than he can speak it or speak a language with much more skill than read/write in that language.

For a character whose native language is not Euphranian, you may roll for ability, but if your speech is “Rudimentary” or “Basic”, change that to “Acceptable”.  Being barely able to communicate is fun for only a very short time before it gets annoying, so characters who are adventuring will have learned to communicate well enough for day-to-day purposes (though may take idioms quite literally, not get jokes based on word play, and may have a strong accent), but emphatically do NOT speak in broken, barely comprehensible form.


Sign Language
Sign language may be used for communication as long as there is sufficient light (a concern for those characters without infravision), and that communication can be as complex as that of any other language.  When using sign language, a description of gestures should be included.  Characters who do not have sign language can use those gestures to try to understand a general intent of the communication.

Example:
Rath peered through the crack and then turned back to his companions.  He held up his hand open, fingers spread, and then drew his fingers together, gesturing a horizontal height near his waist.  Then with one finger, he made a slashing gesture across his throat and an impatient wave toward the room.  [Language unknown:  Beisei ekwhi ekpeut k ulthce.  Comessthu nd erll rosaca entof larureder i ad ar korardain moee on hisareugh ec romicalat]

Without ability with sign language, a character may attempt to communicate in gestures if quiet is needed or magical silence is stopping other communication, but that would be limited to the scope of communicating broad concepts and should be limited to a description of the gestures made without providing the text of what is meant to be communicated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:38, Sat 01 Jan 2022.

All characters will have two sets of clothing (the clothes on your back and a spare set, this does not include a cloak), a pair of shoes, a belt, and a small belt pouch.

After that, roll according to class and make purchases from the PHB.

If your character is healed by magical means (spell or potion), the healing is complete and perfect (no scars or other signs of the injury).

Natural healing would leave some level of evidence of the prior injury.

I do not require training when a new level is achieved.  Instead, when you have achieved a new level, an overnight in game-time is required.

After the night has passed, your character would have had time to distill everything learned into that new level and add new proficiencies when applicable and make all other relevant improvements (possibly THAC0 and saving throws) and add the new HP.

HP for the first few levels is handled in this way:

First level is full HP by character dice type + CON bonus

Second through fourth level, HP is determined by taking the dice type, divide in two and add half + CON.

In other words:

Dice type d4 rolls 1d2+2
Dice type d6 rolls 1d3+3
Dice type d8 rolls 1d4+4
Dice type d10 rolls 1d5+5

From fifth level on, the dice type is rolled normally.