Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="tankschmidt" data-source="post: 4454161" data-attributes="member: 35915">I'm a big fan of OD&D (and when I say OD&D I mean the 1974 boxed set), but it's hard to find people who are willing to play anything but the newest editions.  So I've been compiling some house rules myself to run OD&D adventures with players who are more interested in a 4E game.  My ultimate goal is to be able to whip out an adventure from the newest issue of the OD&D fanzine Fight On! (<a href="http://www.fightonmagazine.com" target="_blank">http://www.fightonmagazine.com</a>).  The biggest hurdle I'm seeing is redoing the 4E monsters and equating their level according to their OD&D hit dice.  I've done a few so far.  Here's a look at the reduced stat block:Bandit Veteran Level 1 Soldier  EXP: 20HP 17 Morale 7 (9 if elite is present)AC 17 Fort 14, Ref 13, Will 13 Speed 6Long sword (at will, basic attack, std action) +8 vs AC, 4-13 damageLow Blow (encounter, std. action) +8 vs AC, 5-23 damage, target dazed until end of Bandit Veteran’s next turn.Combat advantage: bandits deal an extra 1-6 damage on melee and ranged attacks against any target they have combat advantage against.AL Neutral or Chaotic Languages CommonEquipment:  Long sword, Chain MailIt's still pretty chunky for my tastes, but it's getting there.  Here are some of the house rules I've come up with to this point:Character Generation:   1. Instead of adding your constitution score to your starting hit points, add your constitution modifier.   Monster hit points are reduced by constitution score.   2. There are only three alignments: Law, Neutrality, and Chaos.  Paladins must be lawful.  Warlocks may not be lawful.   3. There are no skills or skill challenges.  Non-combat challenges are resolved by considering role playing, class roles, or character backgrounds.  All skill training prerequisites are automatically fulfilled.   4. Add the following items to the equipment table: Belladonna, Chicken, Garlic, Hammer, Holy Water, Iron Spike, Mirror, Oil, 10' Pole, small/large Sack, WolfsbaneRaces:   1. The wood elf ability Group Awareness has no effect.Classes:   1. The 6th level cleric utility power Holy Lantern increases the chance of finding secret doors, listening at doors, and locating invisible creatures by one pip for you and all allies within 5".   2. The 6th level thief utility power Chameleon ... (haven't figured this one out yet)   3. The 6th level magic-user utility power Disguise Self cannot be seen through with an insight check but may require some role-playing to keep up.Feats:   1. The Alertness feat grants +1 to initiative instead of +2 to perception.   2. The Dragonborn Senses feat allows secret doors to be found on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6 in addition to granting low-light vision.   3. The Group Insight feat grants you a +1 to initiative instead of granting your allies a +1 to insight checks.Exploration   1. Secret doors can be located on a roll of 1 on 1d6, 1-4 for wood elves and high elves.  Both varieties of elves have a 1-2 chance of noticing a secret door if they pass by one.   2. A dragonborn, human, or tiefling character can listen through doors on a roll of 1 on 1d6.  A dwarf, high elf, wood elf, or hobbit can listen on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6.   3. An invisible creature's square can be located on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6.  If the creature is a thief or ranger or is suitably quiet, they are only located on a roll of 1. Combat   1. The DM may allow creative combat maneuvers that are roughly as strong as at will powers.   2. NPCs and Monsters are subject to 2d6 morale checks.   3. If surprise is deemed possible, one or both sides of combat are surprised on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6.  Rangers, Thieves, and some monsters are only surprised on a roll of 1.  Blind or deaf characters are surprised on a roll of 1-4.   4. Initiative is rolled as normal, but all monsters will act on the same initiative count, as determined by an average modifier.  After the monsters have gone, individual initiative count will not be tracked, and play will alternate between party and monsters.   5. The party may choose to flee if combat is not going well.  Monsters will pursue in a straight line if the party is within 20".  If a corner is turned, a door is passed through, or stairs are taken, the monsters will only pursue on a roll of 1-2 on a d6.  They will only pursue on a roll of 1 if a secret door is passed through.  Burning oil may deter pursuit.  Dropping food or treasure will likely distract non-intelligent or intelligent pursuers accordingly.  For evasion in the wilderness, see U&WA.  Treasure and Magical Items   1. Every gold piece of treasure recovered also grants 1 experience point to the party.  Experience from combat will be reduced by a factor of five.   2. Ignore the rule that dictates how much treasure a level X character should be allowed to have.   3. With very few exceptions, magical items cannot be purchased.   4. There is no auto-identification of magical items during a short rest.  Identify items via experimentation, research, or paying an expert.   5. Magical items may vary substantially from the powers listed in the PHB, at times with flagrant disregard for 4E's policy of not modifying ability scores.  The DM will also add in cursed items as he sees fit.   6. Each magical item daily power can be used once per day, but there is no limit to the total number of daily powers that can be used.Rituals   1. The level 3 Detect Secret Doors ritual allows secret doors to be found on a roll of 1-5 on 1d6.   2. The level 6 Discern Lies ritual allows the caster to recognize automatically any untruths spoken.   3. While performing the level 12 Hallucinatory Creature ritual, the caster rolls int vs. will to be used when a character physically interacts with the illusion.  On subsequent touches, the interacting character receives a cumulative +1 bonus to his will defensive.   4. While performing the level 5 Hallucinatory Item ritual, the caster rolls int vs. will to be used when a character physically interacts with the illusion.  On subsequent touches, the interacting character receives a cumulative +1 bonus to his will defensive.  The major stumbling block I am having is that I'd rather just play OD&D than have to wrestle with all this nonsense.</blockquote>

Verification