Rules and Homebrew

 



Highlighted Rules

These were rules from the Dolmenwood omnibus that I chose to especially highlight, to make the players aware of.

Initiative and waiting (DPB 166)
Missiles into Melee (DPB 168)
Parrying (DPB 169)
Retainers (DPB 134)
Sages & Specialists (DPB 132)
Ability Checks, Skill Checks, and Change Rolls (all very similar to other OSR systems, but slightly nuanced)
Stealth (nuanced from other systems)
Player mapping - Yes, we'll be using 100% oral-to-paper player mapping, the old school way...
Downtime and Stabling - We will be adhering to the spell research and other downtime periods (i.e., weeks, months, etc...), instead of shortening them, but will also be allowing for a much slower 'faction clock', taking our time, and allowing seasons to actually progress.
No spell research from Scrolls, as the RAW seems to suggest.
Spell creation is encouraged.
We'll be using the optional Smoking rule (DPB 129)
All-human PC generation, until other kindreds have been encountered in-game.


Differentiated Rules

Death - We're using the Goblin Punch Death and Dismemberment table for death. In practice, I've found this 'survival assist' to really just incentivize catastrophically poor choices on the parts of the uninjured PCs... which is excellent.

Mass Combat - We'll be using the War Machine rules for mass combat from Ye Olde Rules Cyclopedia, the best single OSR resource ever written, as well as the Siege Engine, if that ever comes up.

The Wider World - Our Dolmenwood is set in the world of Greyhawk, just south of the Kingdom of Keoland, East of The Yeomanry, and North of the Hold of the Sea Princes, between the Good Hills, the Little Hills, and the Dreadwood. Technically, we're greatly expanding the number of hexes there, but I trust the rigid geography of the Flanaess won't notice...

Healing of serious injury. Cleric healing spells are able to heal serious injury, within 'reasonable' limits, for each Hit Die of healing they would roll. So, a 1HD Lesser Healing could either heal 1 broken leg, burned leg, paralyzed leg, etc, OR do 1HD of healing. Ergo, a healer would need to expend multiple spells to heal multiple serious injuries. This does not heal things that aren't there... If you lost a leg, you would require a spell of regeneration, or some altogether darker magic.

Knights, and Knights only, can wear Plate armor at one slot less than anyone else. This is to acknowledge the historical element that knights and squires literally grew up wearing suits of armor and training in them, and were often renowned for their agility. Also, armor for knights was 100% bespoke made, fitting their body proportions exactly. The end result, out Dolmenwood Knights will be a bit quicker, and more apt to deal with encumbrance.






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