I play OSE (Rules Tome) because I don't own the original B/X and it is a great stand in. When I want to expand or extrapolate I was fortunate enough to pick up the Rules Cyclopedia. This post will be one of those "living documents" which might not make a ton of sense for the outside reader, but a big part of this blog is a way for me catalogue my own stream of consciousness.
When I first jumped into old school gaming I had previously only really known 3e. I loaded up my games with all the cool "house rules" that in my mind filled a void in the game because of the simplicity of the systems compared to 3e. It was an interesting experience because as my old school play experience evolved I realized I was removing rules until I was back at a relatively RAW experience. Here are some thoughts on different house rules.
Ascending AC/THAC0/To-Hit Matrix: This on gets a lot of airtime and early on THAC0 was a no-go for me. It seemed like too much work to convert stuff and I was content to say "this was something Wizards did right." Then I read Delta's Target 20 and it all became clear and world of actual old modules became available to me. Now I use whatever the module uses and my players don't know the difference because I always tell them what they need to roll to hit.
Attack Progression: This one came up today on Reddit and inspired this post. I hadn't even thought about it as a house rule but it is and it is one of the most material ways in which I've changed my game (and it is not that material). I took the "Attack Matrix by Monster HD or THAC0" Table and applied it to Fighters to smooth out their attack bonus curve. If you want this in THAC0, just subtract the number in the column from 19.
Shields Shall Be Splintered: Basically, negate a hit by sacrificing your shield. My players started buying a lot, like a lot, of shields. A shield breaking is a terrible thing, but my players were doing it on purpose. I got rid of this and implemented a quality rule to make shields breaking bad again.
Helmets Shall Be Sundered: Sacrifice your helmet to turn a critical hit into a regular hit. Same problem as shields and a LOT more situational. I just scrapped this one.
Weapon/Armor Quality: I tend to lean into the resource management aspect of things and I lifted the idea from Knave. On a natural 20 the opponent's AC is lowered by 1. Armor has a quality rating equal to its "AC bonus." Leather 2, Chain 4, Plate 6, Shield 1. If armor is reduced to 0, it is destroyed. Weapons have a quality rating equal to 2 + magic bonus. When you roll a 1, the quality of the weapon is reduced by 1. At 0 the weapon breaks. This adds some interesting tension.
Encumbrance: I've tried it all. Slots, coins, pounds, stones, hands, bags, Tetris minigames... None of it is great. In the end I'm back to pounds. In the age of excel its not nearly as cumbersome (see what I did there) and there are a lot less arguments.
UPDATE: Now I'm using this system of my design: Swords, Daggers, & Coins
Usage Dice: They are elegant, but ultimately they do not provide the verisimilitude that I desire. It takes careful preparation and clever resource management and turns it into a roll of the dice. I do have a crafty way to track arrows though: Tracking Arrows
UPDATE: See also: Arrow, Rations, Water, Rest, & Exhaustion
Magical Research: I have not play tested this as extensively as I would like but I'm holding onto it. If you try it out, let me know how it goes and what your players' reactions to the process are: Magical Research
Initiative: Homebrew Homunculus' Guerilla Initiative is great. The smallest side goes first, or if equal the side that is most at home. Or just roll d6s (players win ties). That said - I have recently tweaked how the round order works: Morale, Movement (winning, losing), Missile (winning, losing), Magic (winning, losing), Melee (winning, losing). Basically each phase of combat resolves in side based initiative and then goes to the next phase. I like this because it makes combat very dynamic and keeps everyone engaged throughout the round.
Hit Points: Max at first level. Re-roll total every level. If re-roll is higher, take it. If lower, +1. Con modifiers apply normally to re-rolls. I like my low level ne'er-do-wells to have a fighting chance at level 2.
Death: Standing at 0 HP (cannot be reduced below 0). If struck again save vs. death. If successful you are unconscious but have lost a hand, arm, foot, etc. If failed, you die. I tried death and dismemberment tables but they were a bit "too much." This way a player gets 1 round to break ranks and try to escape with their life.
Scrolls: All magic users can make scrolls. Rule lifted from Holmes Basic.
Fighter Sweep Attacks: Delta wrote it up better than I ever could Sweep Attacks. Fighters can sweep attack.
Variable Weapon Damage: I use "Damage Dice = Class HD" Another fighter buff in my mind.
Weapon Mastery: From Rules Cyclopedia (something that makes sense to do with your gold)
UPDATE: This got to be a little too much for not enough payoff and I stopped using it.
- 3-12: 8.33%
- 13-15: 16.67%
- 16-17: 25%
- 18: 33.33%