Armandos Basic D&D House Rules

Attribute score bonuses and penalties

Turn Order
Score Adjustment Affects
1. Announce Action 3 -3 STR: To Hit, Damage
4-5 -2 DEX: Armor class,
2. Determine Initiative
6-8 -1 missiles, Thief *5
3. Prepped spells/missiles from last turn 9-12 0 INT: MU extra #1st Level spells
13-15 +1 WIS: Cleric extra #1st Level spells
4. Movement 16-17 +2 CON: +HP / Level
5. Missile Fire 18 +3 CHA: #Followers/3 FRD

6. Melee Death/Dying and 0 HP

7. Spells & Difficult actions
0 HP: Character is unconscious.

Starting Characters -1 to -9: Character is dying. If stabilized (Heal spell or

successful binding), the character must save vs. their
Hit Points: A characters HP at 1st level are the CON or permanently lose 1 point of CON.
maximum allowed + any CON bonus. Optional: failed save vs. CON, character is dead.

Ability scores:
For each ability roll, in order, 4d6 and drop 1 die.
Use the table to the right to determine bonuses
and penalties for your attribute.
Healing
Healing times below assume a character can rest
and receive some first aid; if not, double or treble
[or higher] the resulting time.
Award fractional healing if less than the required
time is spent healing.
A characters CON modifier will diminish the days
required to heal, to a minimum of 1 day of rest.
Normal damage: All damage is healed in d4 CON
modifier days if the character remained above 0
hp, suffered no serious injuries and rests.
Serious damage: Character went to 0 hp or
received a serious wound, such as a limb
damaged, head injuryheal in 4d4 CON days,
with rest and treatment (no treat = double).
Grievous damage: Character went below 0 hp or
received a grievous wound [limb amputated, head
injury roll for each incident - Optional: roll on
quirks and flaws table], heal in 4d8 CON days
with rest and treatment (no treat = double).
However, the character will retain some
disfigurement and or loss of CON and possibly
one other ability, as appropriate to the injury.
-10 Dead : Anyone raised back from Dead will lose some
physical functional or gain some alteration in their
sanity, in addition to a CON point.
Spells
1st Level and up: Clerics, Druids and Magic users gain
the use of 1st Level spells at the first level of
experience. They get an additional number of 1st level
spells equal to their INT or WIS bonus. These spells
are over and above those granted by the clerics
experience level. Thus, a WIS of 13-15 grants one
extra Level 1 spell; a 16-17 WIS (+2) grants 2 extra
spells; 18 WIS (+3) 3 extra spells. Also works in the
negative with a very low score.
Clerics and Druids: Spell memorization is not required
for these classes. The entire spell list is available for
their use, if they are on good terms with their
almighty. Daily limits are still in effect.
Movement Number of Move Rate
Squares
Fast 6 150
Human, Elf 4 120
Halfling 3 90
Dwarf, Gnome 2 60
Slow 1 30
 Armandos Basic D&D House Rules

Luck Points (optional)

Characters start with 1 Luck Point except Starting Character Abilities
Thieves, who begin with 2. They can be used for a At the DMs option a player may increase 1
re-roll or to change a declared action. Once spent character ability score by 1 point by lowering
they are lost. Luck Points are regained through one other ability by 2 points. This can only be
exceptional acts of heroism and self-sacrifice. done once at the creation of the character
Success in Situations
Modified by appropriate ability modifier & DMs call
Easy Medium Hard Difficult Heroic Impossible
Auto/10 12 15 18 20 25

Opposed Rolls: Use % roll.

Success = 50% + DRM + Situational drm
DRM = Ability score * 5 = PCs Ability score OPPONENTs Ability score * 5

Critical Hits Monster Reactions

% Result 2d6 Reaction
1-75 Double Damage (Dx2) 2-3 Monster attacks or flees
76-80 Save vs. DEX or drop weapon or shield, and Dx2 4-6 Monster is aggressive growls
Weapon breakage possible, weapon rolls on etc). May roll again in d3
81-85
table below, and Dx2 rounds at -4.
Solid blow Save vs. STR or pushed back 5 and 7-9 Cautious, neutral. Roll again in
86-90
Dx2 d3 rounds
Heavy blow Save vs. STR or knocked down 10-11 Monster is approachable. May
91-95
and Dx2 roll again in d3 rounds at +4.
96- Bodily damage (broken, impaled), roll for 12 Monster is friendly
100 location and Dx2

Weapons and items breakage table Monster Morale

Quality of item % roll to break Roll 2d6, pass if < moral value
Poor, not maintained, Silver 50+ Morale
Average 80+ Fanatic 11
High, Superior 90+ Elite 10
Magical: -1% per plus 96+ Steady 9
Wooden 30+ Average 8
Fragile 20+ Shaky 7
Poor 6

Target Cover to hit penalties

Target has Soft cover Hard cover
Cover -1 -2
Cover -2 -4
Cover -3 -6
Full Cover -4 Cant hit
 Armandos Basic D&D House Rules
Magic User

Bolt of Energy (optional): Once/hour a MU can cast a Bolt of NRG up to 5' away; they must roll a
successful to hit if attempting to hit a creature; the bolt does d2 damage if it hits. If flammable
material is hit, there is a base 50% chance it ignites, +/- DM call.

Cantrips (optional): Every MU can cast a number of cantrips/day = INT bonus + Level of caster.
There are no specific cantrips, but must be made up by the caster. Cantrips are only one word
long, last 1 rnd or less, and must be 'normal' events, DM ruling - for example, cantrips can be
used to light a candle, sharpen a pencil, clean some dishes, summon a house fly, make a farting
noise as someone sits down, pinch someone, etc. It cannot replicate a level spell effect (ie.
trying to open a locked door = a Knock spell, and is therefore not allowed to be a cantrip).

Paladin
Alignment: Good (Lawful)
Combat, HP, Weapons: As per FTR, w/ +2 vs Evil (includes combat and saving throws)
Advance: As per ELF xp scale. Bonus xp for STR and WIS above 13, 10%.
Heal: d4 pts Healing/day, usable 1/level/day (can prevent death)
Pray (Augury): Paladin prays for some insight (completely up to DM what happens...here is
where staying in alignment, sacrificing to the chosen god, helping the poor, etc.
would be important...but don't abuse it, gods don't like being bothered too often...).
Warhorse: a gift of the Paladins god when he is deemed worthy...and completes a quest to find
it. The horse is magical and intelligent; it is the equine manifestation of the bond
between the Paladin and his god.
Quest/Pilgrimage/Tithing: Once a year the Paladin must undertake a quest in the name of their
god or go on a pilgrimage to a holy site their religion holds dear. Tithing 10% is also
expected.
Anti-Paladin: +2 vs. Good. Warhorse is hellish/demonic, snorts fire, etc.

Pixie-Faerie
Alignment: Any
Combat, HP, Weapons: As per Thief; can only use small weapons (they are ~2 feet tall).
Advance: HP, spells and xp scale as per MU. Bonus xp for INT above 13, 5%
Spells: As per MU. Typically are given a Wand when they come of age (with a permanent spell on
it, such as Light or Ventriloquism, usable 1/round, and only by the owning Pixie-
Faerie).
Movement: Ground 30, Fly 60 Tactical: Ground 1 , Fly 2

Ranger
Alignment: Lawful
Combat, HP, Weapons: As per FTR
Advance: As per MU xp scale. Bonus xp for STR and WIS above 13, 10%.
Tracking: A ranger can make a WIS check @ +1/level bonus to roll for successful tracking and
other hunting-related actions
Always Alert: Surprised only on a 1, surprises on 1-3 when in the woods/outside.
Animal Handling: +2 bonus to reaction check vs animals. See page B24.
Nature Lore/Woodland Survival: Highly knowledgeable in fauna & flora, the general lay of the
land, local lore/history and being able to survive in the wilderness.
Favored Woodland Enemies: +1/level against all goblinoids and giants.
 Armandos Basic D&D House Rules
Shapeshifter
Alignment: Any
Combat, HP, Weapons: As per Thief (human, elf, half orc)
Advance: HP, xp scale as per Thief. Bonus xp for DEX above 13, 5%
Special ability: You can shapeshift into animal form, 1/day/3 levels of experience. The
shapeshifting takes 2 rounds. Animal for is randomly determined upon the first try OR is the
animal of the persons clan (or otherwise chose with DM). Note that while in humanoid
form, a trace of the animal form is retained (ie. a small black feather behind the ears for a
raven, pupils slightly cat like, etc).
Movement: Normal form as per humanoid race. Animal form, see below

Animal form AC #/Dam Move Special

1 Bobcat or Lynx 5 3/D2D2D4 150 Night vision, silent
2 Wolf or Fox 7 D6 180 Tracking, sneaky
3 Rat 4 D2 90 Gnaws, burrows
4 Ferret 4 D3 120 Nimble
5 Raven or Hawk 4 D2 or D4 150 Fly, nimble or acute vision
6 Bat (mid size) 5 D2 120 Fly, radar
7 Racoon 6 D3 120 Nimble
8 Large Snake (non-ven) 4 D3 90 Tracking, smell; 5 long
 Armandos Basic D&D House Rules

Gnome
Alignment: Any
Prime requisite: STR, DEX: (13)
Hit Dice: d4 / Level until level 8
Combat, HP, Weapons: As per Thief (human, elf, half orc), saves as per thief
Advance: HP, xp scale as per Thief. Bonus xp for DEX above 13, 5%
Special ability: +1 with missiles (crossbow or sling); -2 to attacks by Large creatures; Infravision
60; sense slopes/passages, new construction when underground (d6 1,2); hates Goblins and
Kobolds (+1 attacks and they can understand their languages).
Tinkering: Gnomes have a knack for understanding complex machinery, such as gears (watches,
mills etc); weaponry (crossbows, ballistae..). To fix or construct such items, they can make a
roll vs (average of DEX+WIS) for success. Failure may have dire consequences if the
apparatus is dangerous.
Movement: 60

General: Gnomes love gold and prefer to live and work in lowlands, burrows and even
underground. They are often miners and blacksmiths. Their complex iron
gadgets are legendary.