Optional Rules for Classic Games

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Posted by Angelo on September 6, 1999

Magic Items

You might want to throw out magic items that make no sense or are stupid. Potions of Bug Repellant, Climbing, and Speech come to mind. Plus, make your own items to put on the chart by adjusting existing items (to make sure you are keeping game balance) and throw out a lot of the typical magic items because most players already know what they do. Make existing items more sensible or easier to handle. Instead of Boots of Speed giving horse movement, just have it double movement. Also I suggest if you make your own treasure charts to give a better chance to get wands, staves, or rods. They are so rare.

Treasure

If you make your own treasure charts, try to base it on a different system than what is in the book. I don’t even know how those things came about. Make different treasures based on how much gp value you get and what types of items you get. Plus, include personal, normal items that creatures might be carrying. Just random little items that give the game much more context. Also, throw in a few normal items in a treasure horde, so that players don’t automatically assume that finding a helmet in a dragon’s den means it’s a magical helmet.

Spells

Spell variations are some of the best rules I’ve ever heard of. I think this is the best way to handle spell variations: Spellcasters make their own descriptions of spells and can cantrip any time. The way to make a spell variation is to take an exsisting spell and just change its description. Gandalph’s Electromagnetic Barrier is really just a Wall of Ice spell but made of an electrical curtain of force. The players will never know it’s the same spell, it’ll just look cooler because they’ve never heard of that spell before. Cantrips are important too, because it allows a wizard to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. For example a magic-user who likes to use a lot of fire variations, can just light his pipe with a snap of his fingers instead of having to use a tinder box like normal people. And when the villagers see that, they know he’s got power.

Experience

An optional way of calculating xp is to forget xp from treasure and multiply all the xpv for monsters by 5 or 10. Multiplying by 5 will make up for the treasure according to the rulebook, but I found that 10 actually makes more sense in game play. Alternatively, instead of multiplying by 10, you can just divide all the xp requirements by 10 (fighters need 200 xp to get to level 2). Result: defeating the monsters will be more rewarding than finding treasure.

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