B/X D&D House Rules (Part 1)

Although the Moldvay/Cook Basic/Expert (B/X from here on out) is without a doubt my favorite iteration of Dungeons & Dragons, there are a few things I like to change. This is the first of a series of posts detailing the house rules I use when playing B/X. This is partly the start of my new blog, but more importantly a chance for me to compile in one place my changes to the system. Text in italics are explanatory notes.

Character Abilities

Roll 3d6 in order to determine the four character abilities: Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, and Constitution. Wisdom and Charisma are not used in this variant of the game.

After recording stats, simplify their values using the "Bonuses and Penalties Due to Abilities" charts on page X2. Record the bonus value on your character sheet, not the original rolled value.

You may lower the score of a stat to raise the score of another. This is done at a 2:1 exchange rate. No stat may be lowered below 9 or raised above 18.

All modifiers are as stated on B7, except for intelligence. Languages Known are to be determined by GM/player decision, not by stats. Instead, the Intelligence modifier gives extra "castings" of spells at a 1:1 ratio. (i.e. a level one magic user has 1 first level spell. If he has a Int. modifier of +2, he has 3 castings of that spell before he has to recharge. The number of different spells does not change, only the number of "charges" available. There will be no negative modifiers for Magic Users due to the changes to Prime Requisites below.)

This is the first of the few major changes I made to the game. I've always felt that six stats were too many. I decided to remove these two specifically for a number of reasons.

Wisdom: As you will see later, I have changed the definition of the Cleric class, and as such, it no longer needs its own dedicated stat. Wisdom is defined as "inspiration, intuition, common sense, and shrewdness" (B6). This is way too broad a definition for one stat, in my opinion. Also, common sense and faith don't seem to go hand in hand in my mind. To top it all off, your Wis. modifier gives you a bonus to magic-based saving rolls. It always felt to me like a hodge podge of abilities rolled into one. So, it's gone from my game.

Charisma: I think charisma should be roleplayed, not determined by stats. If you want to convince a guard to let you into the King's vault, it shouldn't come down to a static roll. This doesn't mean a shy person is at a disadvantage, they would simply explain what their character is doing, if they are not comfortable "acting" it out.

Character Classes

To qualify for a certain class, the character must have at least a 9 in the class' prime requisite(s). There is no bonus XP for higher scores in the PR.

Clerics are not used in this variant of the game.

Dwarves are played as written (B9), but recognize slanting passages and new construction without a roll. Traps and shifting walls retain the 1 or 2 on a 1d6 rule.

Elves are played as written (B9) with a few tweaks. Elves have access to Black and White magic, but follow Cleric spell progression, not Magic User. They have normal use of their cantrips at level 1.

Fighters are played as written (B10), but with a d10 for HP.

Halflings are played as written (B10). Halflings also have the ability to read maps and at mid to high levels read ancient languages.

Magic Users can use Black Magic or White Magic. Black Magic is the Magic User spell list and White Magic is the Cleric spell list.

Thieves are played as written (B10).

After much deliberation I decided to completely remove the Cleric class from my games. I never really understood the idea of a zealous warrior who could cast spells and turn undead creatures. Also the whole "we don't believe in cutting creatures, but we can bash in their skulls with hammers" never felt right. In my setting (more on this later) there are clerics and they might have some limited magical abilities, but they are not PCs and they are most definitely not warriors. They serve their gods in their temples, not by making money in underground dungeons.

Alignment

Alignment is an abstract way of generalizing morals and behavior to a certain extent. Alignments are guidelines, but not hard rules. There are no alignment languages at all. Alignment is for player use and does not exist as a term in the game world.

Alignment can be summed up easily using the illustration to the right. I apologize I do not know the illustrator's name (a quick Google Image Image [sic] Search brings up nothing.