Swords & Wizardry: Standard Adventurer's Pack

I usually hand out a character creation cheatsheet: a single sheet of paper that walks players through character creation step by step with references to the relevant pages of the rulebook. Its purpose is to speed up character creation for new players. For whatever reason, buying equipment seems to take a fair amount of time. So as part of the cheatsheet, I created a standard adventuring pack that players may opt purchase for 20 gold pieces in lieu of buying their gear item by item.

Standard Adventurer's Pack
backpack	bedroll
waterskin	iron rations, 7 days
2 bottles of wine	large sack
crowbar	5 torches
tinderbox	pint of oil
hammer	10 iron spikes
hemp rope, 50 feet	grappling hook

This may seem like a fairly limited amount of equipment, but it actually is 75.7 pounds (or 757 coins) for purposes of encumbrance. That's a manageable pack for a strong, physically fit male. But it is a substantial burden nonetheless. It highlights the need to either hire porters or other retainers to help carry equipment or carry far less equipment, perhaps dividing up essential equipment between members of an expedition.

New Swords & Wizardry Character Class: The Witch

For my Shattered Kingdoms campaign, my plan is to detail the area around the Hyrcanian Sea as a desolate land of witches and make the witch (or warlock) available as a new character class. Below is my tentative draft of that new class.

The Witch

Witches are lawful or chaotic spellcasters who receive their powers by daily petition in the same fashion as clerics and druids. But whereas clerics pray to the gods and druids venerate nature itself, witches supplicate primeval elemental beings or lesser nature spirits, such as:

• Notos, the South Wind—a spirit of the air who is a harbinger of storms and father of the fallen leaves;
• The Faerie Queen—a fey demigoddess who presides over a court of nymphs, sprites, and other woodland beings;
• Ningal, the Lady of the Reeds—a water spirit who safeguards marshlands with a retinue of naiads and fishes;
• The Horned God—a demigod associated with the wilderness and wild places who is served by an army of fauns;
• Old Worm—a chthonic entity associated with decay, decomposition, and the despoilment of nature; and
• Odqan, the Prince of Cinders—a fiery spirit who lights the way for his chosen and incinerates all unbelievers.

Witches use the Druid Advancement Table for level progression and that class’s saving throw, spell progression chart, spell list, and hit dice, but they do not gain access to fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh level spells due to the limited power of the beings that they serve. To offset this significant limitation, witches gain the following abilities:

Expanded Spell List. At each level, including first, a witch may select one spell from the magic-user spell list and add it to those she may cast. The spell must be of a level that the witch can currently cast. She receives these additional magic-user spells in the same manner as any other—by supplication of the elemental being or nature spirit she worships. This expands her magical repertoire, but she remains subject to the memorization limits imposed by the Druid Advancement Table.

Cantrips. Twice a day, on a roll of 1–4 on a d6 the witch may cast a cantrip—a minor spell that may not do damage or have combat effects. Witches may use these to do things like clean, dry, fasten or tie, freshen, palm, polish or shine, spill, sprout, stitch or sew, or warm objects or persons. If used to affect others—such as making them nod or sneeze—no save is allowed.

Bless or Curse. At second level, a lawful witch gains the power to bless and a chaotic witch gains the power to curse, which may be invoked once per day. To bless, the witch rolls a saving throw; if she succeeds, her target is blessed for 1d4 +1/level rounds. While blessed, the target makes two rolls whenever a die roll is required and always takes the most favorable result. Conversely, when a witch curses another, the target must make a saving throw; if the target fails, he is cursed for 1d4 +1/level rounds. While cursed, the target makes two rolls whenever a die roll is required and always takes the least favorable result.

Familiar. At third level, a witch gains a randomly chosen familiar—a spirit in animal guise that aids her. These come in many forms, four of which are detailed below, and confer various abilities on their mistresses as they advance in level. If her familiar is slain, a witch takes 1d2 damage and must save or faint for 2d4 rounds. A slain familiar reappears in a week’s time.

1. Owl. HD 1d4 hit points +2/witch’s level; AC 2; Atk talons (1d2+1/witch’s level); Move Fly 15; Save and THAC0 are the same as the witch. The owl confers the following abilities:

Level	Ability Conferred by Familiar
3	darkvision 60 feet—the witch may always see in non-magical darkness
4	acute hearing—the witch may hear sounds as a thief of the same level
5	camouflage—the witch is invisible while motionless in natural cover on 1–4 on a d6
6	fly—once per day, the witch may fly like the owl for one round per level

2. Wolf. HD 3d4 hit points +2/witch’s level; AC 4; Atk bite (1d4+1/witch’s level); Move 18; Save and THAC0 are the same as the witch. The wolf confers the following abilities:

Level	Ability Conferred by Familiar
3	lupine movement—the witch has movement rate of 18 and may leap 16 feet
4	acute senses—the witch may make a saving throw to avoid being surprised
5	wolfsight—once per day, the witch may see through the wolf’s eyes for 1 round/level
6	howl—in the wilderness, the witch may summon 1d4 wolves once per day

3. Rook. HD 1d3 hit points +2/witch’s level; AC 0; Atk beak (1+1/witch’s level); Move Fly 18; Save and THAC0 are same as the witch. The rook confers the following abilities:

Level	Ability Conferred by Familiar
3	secret wisdom—the witch gains an extra first- or second-level magic-user spell
4	messenger—the rook may carry messages of 50 words or less to and from others
5	location—once per day, the witch may locate an object per the clerical spell
6	truesight—once per day, the witch may see through illusions and see invisible things

4. Serpent. HD 2d4 hit points +2/witch’s level; AC 3; Atk bite (1d3+1/witch’s level); Move 10; Save and THAC0 are same as the witch. The serpent confers the following abilities:

Level	Ability Conferred by Familiar
3	snakeskin—the witch has a base armor class of 7 [12] and her skin is waterproof
4	serpentine metabolism—the witch need only eat every 1d4 days and may feign death
5	shed skin—once per day, the witch may significantly alter or disguise her appearance
6	venom—a target hit by the witch additionally loses 1d4 hit points/round until it saves

Wand. At seventh level, a witch acquires a wooden wand which permits her to focus her concentration and will when invoking the power of the being she supplicates. For every 1d4 hit points expended, she may increase by 50 percent the area of effect, duration, or range of a spell cast. Alternatively, the witch may impose a -1 penalty to a target’s saving throw for every 1d4 hit points expended. The witch must choose how many d4s she will roll before seeing their results.

Magic Items. Like druids, witches are able to use any magical item usable by clerics with the exception clerical scrolls.

Coven. At eleventh level, a witch may found her own coven by building a place of worship and consecrating an altar there. This may consist of a circle of standing stones, a sacred grove, a chapel, a cavern complex, or some other edifice appropriate to the power the witch serves. A witch who does so will attract lesser witches and other followers.

Shattered Kingdoms: Jub, The Wicked

In the original Shattered Kingdoms Gazatteer, I included the following entry for the city-state of Jub:

Jub. Jub is a wealthy, independent city-state associated with trade, without regard to legality and morality. In particular, it is known for its vast slave market, lotus trade, and brothels, which are typically staffed by temple prostitutes in houses of worship. Jub’s principal deity is Mammon, a god of gluttony, greed, and lust.

But the entry provided no further details on slavery or the lotus trade and the Shattered Kingdoms Pantheon omitted any mention of Mammon. The following expanded material provides those details.

MAMMON is a chaotic god of gluttony, greed, and lust whose worship originated in Jub. His symbol is several gold bars stacked into a pyramid surmounted by an all-seeing eye. His priests have these abilities:

• bribery: once per day, his clerics may offer a bribe of 3d6 gold pieces; the bribe acts like a charm spell, but only for a single object or purpose and a more limited duration (save allowed)
• recruitment: retainers are always available for hire by Mammon's clerics and accept an offer of employment on a roll of 1–5 on a d6, so long as they are paid twice the going rate in gold; they have 1d3 hit points more than usual

The bribery ability reflects the way in which Mammon's priests corrupt others with money. The specified amount of money, 3d6, assumes ordinary circumstances. The referee may require the priest to offer a larger bribe if, for example, the priest is requesting a significant betrayal or if the party being bribed is especially loyal or virtuous. In other cases, the referee may allow the priest to increase the amount offered in order to impose a penalty on the target's saving throw.

The recruitment ability reflects the fact that some men's loyalty can be bought with coin and the priests of Mammon have a reputation for paying well. As a result, retainers are always available for hire by these priests, regardless of locale or circumstances, and seldom turn down their offers of employment. Retainers hired by priests of Mammon have 1d3 more hit points than usual because the higher rate of pay draws the very best mercenaries.

Slavery. Slavery is common throughout the region, but the conditions of servitude and the treatment of slaves varies from place to place. People are reduced to slavery in many ways, including conquest, criminal conviction, and debt. The region also is home to many former slaves—be they runaways, manumitted slaves, or those who bought their freedom. Characters may opt to begin play as a slave or former slave. Those who do so receive a +1 bonus to strength or constitution, but suffer a -2 penalty to their charisma due to their low social status, which is evident from tattoos or brands associated with slavery.

Lotus Trade. The lotus may be bought in the markets of Jub. Its purchase and use may be illicit elsewhere. Ordinary lotus blossoms are pink in hue. These addictive blossoms are consumed for their narcotic properties. Extraordinary varieties also may be available for purchase, but are especially dangerous. These varieties cost 250 gold pieces (or more).

White Lotus. Consuming the white lotus increases a single attribute by 1d4 points for a number of turns equal to the die roll. An ability score may temporarily exceed 18 as a result; if this occurs, the referee will assign appropriate bonuses.

Crimson Lotus. Consuming the crimson lotus imparts 3d4 temporary hit points for a number of turns equal to the die roll. The imbiber loses these before suffering any loss to his normal hit points. This does not alter the user's level or hit dice.

Blue Lotus. Consuming the blue lotus permits a spellcaster to rememorize 1d2 spells immediately and cast spells as one level higher for 2d4 turns. If used by a non-spellcaster, it will impart a +2 bonus to saving throws against magic for 2d4 turns.

Purple Lotus. Consuming the purple lotus confers immunity to mind-altering spells or magical effects, such as charm, sleep, and hold person, as well as psionic attacks for 3d4 turns. It also shields the mind from extra-sensory perception or detection.

Yellow Lotus. Consuming the yellow lotus allows the imbiber to see the true nature of things for 4d4 turns. For example, the imbiber sees through illusions, secret doors are as obvious as ordinary ones, and invisible creatures are visible.

These extraordinary lotus blossoms are no less narcotic and addictive and their consumption entails serious risks:

• when a lotus blossom is imbibed, the user must make a saving throw or fall unconscious for 2d4 rounds and be strung out for twice as many turns upon awakening, suffering a -1 penalty to all rolls during this period
• a user who fails the preceding saving throw, must make a second saving throw once he is no longer strung out; if the user fails this second saving throw, he is now addicted to the lotus
• lotus addicts do not gain any of the benefits of consuming the lotus when used, but must spend 10% of the treasure they obtain on ordinary lotus blossoms; this percentage increases 5% with each level gained thereafter
• a lotus addict who does not spend the required amount of treasure purchasing ordinary blossoms suffers a -2 penalty to all rolls; he also may suffer this penalty if his immediate supply is somehow lost or destroyed
• a lotus addict can be cured of the addiction by a neutralize poison spell; once cast, the addict must pass a system shock roll (see page 8 of the rulebook) or be incapacitated for 2d6 days

N.B. The guidelines regarding lotus blossoms were inspired by K&K Alehouse commenter Welleran's house rules.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Jumping

Adventurers often try to jump across a pit, from one ledge to another, or over an obstacle or hazard. Swords & Wizardry has no rules for jumping. As these situations are common and consistency is desirable, I have created the following rules:

Jumping

Strength Score	Standing Long Jump	Running Long Jump
3–4	1d4+2 feet	2d4+5 feet
5–6	1d4+3 feet	2d4+6 feet
7–15	1d4+4 feet	2d4+7 feet
16	1d4+5 feet	2d4+8 feet
17	1d4+6 feet	2d4+9 feet
18	1d4+7 feet	2d4+10 feet

• this table assumes that the jumper is bipedal and the size of an ordinary human or similar humanoids; halflings and dwarves respectively have a -1 and a -2 penalty
• similar penalties should be imposed on other creatures of smaller stature or stride; larger creatures, such as giants, should have significant bonuses and possibly larger dice
• characters with a dexterity score of 13 or better receive +1 bonus and those with a dexterity score of 8 or lower receive a -1 penalty; similar modifiers may be applied to especially nimble and clumsy creatures
• chain mail and ring mail impose a -2 penalty and plate mail imposes a -3 penalty; no penalty or bonus is applied for jumps made by those wearing leather armor or clothing
• encumbrance of 76–100, 101–50, and 151–300 pounds respectively impose penalties of -1, -2, and -4; these penalties are in addition to the penalties for armor
• if a jumper barely misses his target—e.g., someone jumping a chasm comes up a foot short—he may make a saving throw to try to grab hold of a ledge or the like

Design Note. I looked to the AD&D Dungeoneer's Survival Guide and Wilderness Survival Guide for guidance but disliked their approach. Both guides base a character's jumping ability on his level and provide for very slow advancement in ability; one's initial jumping ability does not improve until seventh level under their rules. A level-based approach perhaps makes sense for a character class that has a specialized jumping skill, like an acrobat. But an individual's general ability to jump strikes me as more of an innate characteristic unlikely to improve too much over time. In this regard, adventurers are dissimilar to professional athletes who specialize in long jumping; the former may jump with some frequency, but the latter are training for that particular event. However, if you wish to incorporate improvement over time into the house rule offered above, one possible approach would be to add a +1 bonus for every two or three levels of advancement. One might provide different rates of advancement to different classes as well (e.g., thieves might advance faster than fighters, fighters might advance faster than clerics and magic-users). I based the outer limits of jumping ability on the world records for the standing and running long jumps, and then reduced the distances for characters with lower strengths.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Climbing

In Swords & Wizardry Complete, a thief’s ability to climb walls is extraordinary: a thief’s percentage chance to climb walls applies to surfaces that others cannot climb; if others have a percentage chance to climb a surface, a thief likely can do so automatically (page 23). The following guidelines, which are derived in part from the AD&D Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide and Wilderness Survival Guide, are intended to fill in the gaps in the rules:

Climbing

Climbable Surfaces

• walls and cliffs that are sheer, smooth, only slightly cracked, or rough but without handholds can only be climbed by thieves absent the use of pitons or other gear
• if a wall or cliff is more than sheer—i.e., its angle is less than 90 degrees (e.g., an overhang)—even a thief will have a negative modifier to his climbing roll

Climbing Checks

• for walls climbable by non-thieves, they have a base 40% chance to do so; use of a grappling hook and rope, pitons, or other gear adds a +40% modifier
• for non-thieves, a strength score of 13 to 16 confers a +5% modifier to climbing rolls; a strength score of 17 to 18 confers a 10% modifier to climbing rolls
• chain and ring mail impose a -15% modifier and plate mail imposes a -40% modifier to climbing rolls; climbing rolls made in leather armor or clothing are unmodified
• encumbrance of 76–100, 101–50, and 151–300 pounds respectively impose modifiers of -5%, -10%, and -15%; these modifies are in addition to the modifiers for armor
• negative modifiers also may be applied to climbing rolls for various conditions—moss, moisture, crumbling surfaces—or circumstances such as being attacked while climbing

Falling

• if a climbing roll is failed, randomly determine how high the climber made it before falling; e.g., if climbing 60 feet, roll a d6—a result of 2 would mean a fall from 20 feet
• precautions, such as securing the rope with pitons or roping together with other climbers, may arrest a fall; make a saving throw to see if each piton et cetera holds
• a climber who falls takes 1d6 damage for every 10 feet fallen; he may make a saving throw to avoid 1d6 of this damage, which represents slowing or partial arrest of the fall

Rates of Ascent and Descent

• if necessary to determine a rate of ascent or descent or the amount of time spent climbing, non-thieves climb 5d6 feet per round and thieves climb 6d6 feet per round
• bonuses to the rate of ascent or descent may added for favorable slope or plentiful handholds; these bonuses may consist of additional dice or a modifier to each die

Grappling Hooks

• grappling hooks can be thrown upward a number of feet equal to 1/3 of the character’s strength x 10 and twice this distance horizontally with sufficient throwing space
• to try to secure a grappling hook to a fixed point, roll a d6; on a 4–6 it securely grabs; for those with a strength or dexterity bonus, the hook securely grabs on a 3–6
• if the surface the grappling hook grabs is unstable or is potentially incapable of bearing the load, it is possible that the hook will come loose during the climb

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Firing into a Melee and Missile Recovery

Firing into a Melee. Swords & Wizardry Complete states that shooting or throwing missile weapons into melee combat is unpredictable and that targets will be randomly determined by the DM, but provides no specific mechanics (see page 40). So I borrow the mechanic from the Planet Eris house rules. If an adventurer fires a missile weapon into melee combat, he makes an ordinary attack roll; if successful, he hits the enemy target. If he misses the enemy target, then he rolls a d6; on a roll of 1 or 2, the errant missile strikes a randomly selected ally instead.

Missile Recovery. After combat, an adventurer who fired a bow or crossbow must roll a d2 for each arrow or bolt fired: 1—the missile is broken or lost; 2—the missile is intact and reusable. Alternatively, an adventurer may simply assume that 50% of the missiles fired are broken or lost. The rate of breakage or loss may be higher if the missiles were fired under circumstances ensuring their loss (e.g., if fired over water or if dipped in pitch and set alight before being fired).

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Encumbrance

Swords & Wizardry Complete addresses encumbrance in a fairly incomplete fashion (see pages 32-33 of the rulebook). It does not provide any weight values for armor, equipment, or weapons. So calculating encumbrance is not really possible on a by-the-book basis. Thus, I have supplemented the rules with additional information from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

Encumbrance

Swords & Wizardry's encumbrance rules are very generous. They assume that standard adventuring equipment is a mere 10 pounds, excluding armor and weapons (see page 32). I generally stick with this assumption for ease of computation. This is Dungeons & Dragons, not Audits & Accountants; detailed spreadsheets tracking encumbrance are not my idea of fun. So I usually guesstimate. But reasonable people sometimes disagree and it may be necessary to calculate encumbrance with greater precision if, for example, an adventurer is carrying a lot of equipment, or it is necessary to determine how much treasure may be carried away from a large hoard. Here are guidelines for doing so:

• 300 pounds ordinarily is the maximum encumbrance for normal adventurers (see page 32); strength scores of 12 and above permit adventurers to carry more weight (see page 7)
• for purposes of encumbrance, every 10 coins or gemstones is one pound unless exceptional in some regard (see page 32); for armor, equipment, and weapons consult the encumbrance tables below

Armor and Clothing

Type	Weight in Coins	Weight in Pounds
Plate Mail	700	70
Chain Mail	500	50
Ring Mail	400	40
Leather Armor	250	25
Clothes	30	3
Robe or Cloak	25	2.5
Large Shield	100	10
Small Shield	50	5
Helm	45	4.5
Boots, Hard	60	6
Boots, Soft	30	3

Equipment

Item	Weight in Coins	Weight in Pounds
Backpack	20	2
Bedroll	30	3
Bottle or Flagon	60	6
Candle	5	0.5
Flask, Empty	5	0.5
Flask, Full	20	2
Grappling Hook	100	10
Hand Tool	10	1
Lantern	60	6
Mirror	5	0.5
Potion	25	2.5
Rations, Iron	75	7.5
Rations, Standard	200	20
Rod	60	6
Rope, 50 feet	75	7.5
Sack, Large	20	2
Sack, Small	5	0.5
Scroll Case	10	1
Spike or Piton	10	1
Tinderbox (Flint & Steel)	2	0.2
Torch	25	2.5
Waterskin, Empty	5	0.5
Waterskin, Full	50	5

Weapons

Weapon	Weight in Coins	Weight in Pounds
Arrow or Quarrel	2	0.2
Axe, Battle	75	7.5
Axe, Hand	50	5
Bow, Long	100	10
Bow, Short	50	5
Club	30	3
Crossbow, Heavy	80	8
Crossbow, Light	50	5
Dagger	10	1
Javelin	20	2
Mace	75	7.5
Sling Stone	2	0.2
Spear	40	4
Staff	50	5
Sword, Bastard	100	10
Sword, Short	30	3
Sword, Long	60	6
Sword, Two-Handed	250	25
Warhammer	60	6

• the tables are not intended to be comprehensive; for any gear not specified in the preceding tables, formulate a weight in coins and pounds based on the values provided above as necessary
• for reference: plate mail, large shield, longsword, dagger, and standard equipment is 97 pounds with a movement rate of 9; substituting chain mail for plate would result in 77 pounds but the same movement rate

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Poison

In Swords & Wizardry Complete, the rules seem to assume that poison generally is deadly (see page 10 of the rulebook). I gather that the by-the-book mechanic is save or die instantly (see the entries for giant spiders on page 113). However, there are non-lethal poisons as well (see the entries for giant centipedes on page 95). Unless a monster entry specifies otherwise, I generally apply the following guidelines:

Poison

Weak Poison. Weak poisons may allow the target a bonus on his saving throw (anywhere from +2 to +6), result in a condition other than death, such as paralysis or unconsciousness, or simply inflict extra damage.

Moderate Poison. Moderate poisons are deadly, but death is not instantaneous. A target who fails his saving throw usually dies in 1d4+1 rounds unless he imbibes an antidote or is the recipient of a neutralize poison spell.

Strong Poison. Strong poisons either result in death immediately or in 1d2 rounds. Some may impose a penalty on a target's saving throws, but any racial, class, or magical bonuses remain effective and offset any such penalty.

First Aid. An ally may attempt to bleed a poison victim’s wound and suck out the poison, provided that the victim is not already dead. Doing so allows the victim to make an additional saving throw with a penalty (usually between -2 and -4). The victim suffers 1d4 damage when this is attempted and it also requires the ally to save against poison.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Fumbles

Swords & Wizardry Complete references the possibility of fumbles (see page 40 of the rulebook). I'm not sure that fumbles are worthwhile, and mechanically they disadvantage characters or monsters that make multiple attacks per round. But I have used fumbles in some of my games in the past. Below is one potential fumble rule.

Fumbles

Whenever a character or monster rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, the attack misses even if it otherwise would hit based on his or its THAC0 score and any relevant bonuses or modifiers. The attacker also must roll a d6 and consult the chart below.

1. attacker drops weapon or is disarmed; unless he is handed a weapon by another or has another at hand, he must spend the next round retrieving this weapon or another
2. attacker strains muscle or sustains some other minor injury; for the duration of the combat, he suffers a -1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls (but not to any other rolls)
3. attacker’s helm is damaged or displaced or attacker gets blood in his eyes; he suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls until he spends a round to clear his obstructed vision
4. attacker loses his footing and falls down; he must spend the next round scrambling to avoid attacks while regaining his footing (or else act from the ground with penalties)
5. attacker is knocked off balance or outmaneuvered; his opponent has a +1 bonus to his next attack roll against the attacker (attack must be made no later than next round)
6. attacker recklessly blunders and strikes a nearby ally for half damage; if there is no ally nearby, then the attacker instead manages to inflict half damage on himself

At the DM's discretion, fumble results for characters or monsters that make multiple attacks per round may be modified. For example, a fumble may simply result in the loss of one of these multiple attacks in the following round.

This fumble chart is a modified version of the fumble rule contained in Jimm Johnson's Planet Eris house rules.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Critical Hits

Swords & Wizardry Complete discusses the possibility of critical hits (see page 40). Traditionally, I have allowed double damage when characters and monsters roll a natural 20. But the rulebook disfavors that rule as "too powerful," and an across-the-board double-damage rule may well be a detriment to the players, depending on how many monsters are encountered and how many attacks they have. Below are two potential variants.

Variant A. The rulebook suggests that fighters may be underpowered compared to paladins and rangers (see page 25). This variant addresses that concern. Fighters, and only fighters, always hit their target on a roll of a natural 20, even if they would otherwise miss based on their THAC0 score, and do double damage (twice the number of dice and double any bonuses).

Variant B. All characters and monsters score a critical hit on a roll of a natural 20. They hit their target, even of they otherwise would miss based on their THAC0 score, and do the maximum amount of damage possible based on the attack made (e.g., 8 damage if using a long sword, which does 1d8 damage, plus any applicable strength or other bonuses).

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Monster Morale

Monsters should not always fight to the death. The DM could simply decide when monsters turn tail and run, but I prefer to use a rule a house rule that provides somewhat random results. This one is derived from the AD&D DMG.

Monster Morale

• intelligent monsters check morale if a leader is slain or deserts; when 25, 50, and 75 percent of their band is defeated or slain; or under other exceptional circumstances; consult the following table:

Roll 2d6	Result
2-3	surrender
4	flee in panic
5	disengage and retreat
6	fighting retreat
7-12	continue fighting

• a -1 penalty should be imposed for each significant monster leader slain, for each quarter of the monster band slain, or any other exceptional circumstance
• a +1 bonus should be applied if the monsters outnumber their foes, have inflicted significant casualties, and/or have some significant tactical advantage
• some monsters have elite morale and either need not check morale or do so with significant bonuses; berserkers, fanatics, and zealots, for example, need not make morale checks
• unintelligent monsters, which include undead like skeletons and zombies, and constructs, do not check morale; animals and insects do check morale

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Hopeless Characters

Sometimes a character's attribute scores are so disappointing the character does not seem long for this world. The following house rule, which is a modified version of ODD74 commenter ritt's the-wretched-of-the-earth house rule, is designed to give these hopeless characters a chance at survival.

Hopeless Characters

If all of your attribute scores are less than nine, you may roll a 1d8 and consult the table below. The table provides several possible explanations for your character’s low attribute scores and advantages to make the character less hopeless.

1. Street Urchin. You were abandoned, an orphan, or otherwise came of age on the streets of a large city. On a roll of 1–3 on a d6, you can avoid a fall or engage in another acrobatic maneuver, slip from another’s grasp, escape from manacles or other bonds, or disappear in a crowd. In a village, town, or city, you may gain 1d6, 2d6, or 3d6 respectively in gold pieces once per day, the results of pilfering or purloining.
2. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. It’s better to be lucky than good. No one knows this better than you. Born under a lucky star or blessed with the luck of halflings, you make all saving throws by rolling 2d20 and taking the better of the two results. If a spell or other adverse effect normally permits no saving throw, you nonetheless get to make one. Your AC also is two lower than normal, reflecting your lucky avoidance of blows.
3. Child. You are 10 + 1d4 years old. Your low attribute scores reflect youth and inexperience. Each time you gain a new level, roll 1d6 for each attribute. On a roll of 6, the attribute in question increases by one. If you roll a 1, the attribute in question will never increase; when you gain new levels in the future, do not roll to see if that attribute increases. Once you are 18, you may no longer make these rolls.
4. Mule. As a result of genetic mutation, magical experimentation, alien crossbreeding, or some other circumstance, you are a freakish anomaly. Your appearance is not quite human (or demi-human); you are malformed, deformed, or otherwise bizarre in appearance. You are immune to sleep, charm, hold person, and polymorph other. You likewise are immune to other similar spells or magical effects.
5. Chinless Wonder. You are a foppish noble. You’ve led a pampered, decadent life or are enervated by generations of inbreeding. You start play with a noble title, horse and tack, five times the usual gold (3d6 x 50), and a faithful servant (roll randomly on the retainer table, but give him three times the usual hit points). You may obtain hospitality (temporary lodging and small favors) from other nobles on a roll of 1–4 on a d6.
6. Damaged Goods. You could have been a contender. But your mind, body, or spirit was shattered by war, disease, imprisonment, or a confrontation with a fell power. Or perhaps you were raised from the dead by a necromancer who did not quite get the necessary incantation right. “Klaatu, Barada, . . . .” You begin play with 1d4+1 x 1,000 experience points; you may begin play at second level or higher if your roll provides enough experience points.
7. Lotus Addict. A slave to the lotus, your life is one of debauchery, degradation, and dissipation. But once per day you may consume the lotus and increase any one attribute by 2d6+2 points for a brief period of time or gain temporary hit points in this amount. An attribute may exceed 18 as a result; if so, the DM will assign appropriate bonuses. You must spend 10% of any treasure gained on lotus to continue receiving this benefit.
8. Glorious Patrimony. Your father was renowned. You are but a pale reflection of him; however, as his lone heir you inherit his prize possession: a random magic item. Clerics, fighters, paladins, and rangers roll on Table 89. Druids roll on Table 101. Magic-users roll on Table 99. Assassins, monks, and thieves roll on Table 104. If a cursed item is rolled, ignore that result and reroll. You also gain +2 on reaction rolls due to your father's reputation.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Retainers

Hiring retainers is an essential survival tool. Their principal virtue is mathematical: the more bodies there are on your side, the less likely you are to be hit personally. Why take that arrow to the knee when a henchman can?

Retainers

A variety of retainers may be available for hire in taverns and other locales. They are zero-level hirelings. If retainers are available for hire, roll 1d8 for each available retainer to determine his type:

#	Type	Hit Points	Equipment	Cost/Day
1.	Archer	d3	short bow, 20 arrows, leather armor	2 silver pieces
2.	Man-at-Arms	d3	spear, leather armor	2 silver pieces
3.	Porter	d2	backpack, large sack	1 silver piece
4.	Shield Bearer	d3	short sword, leather armor, large shield	1 silver piece
5.	Surgeon	d2	surgeon’s tools, medical supplies	1 gold piece
6.	Swordsman	d4	long sword, leather armor, shield	2 silver pieces
7.	Torch Bearer	d2	tinder box, flint and steel, torches	1 silver piece
8.	Weapon Bearer	d2	short sword, leather armor	1 silver piece

• these retainers are 0-level mercenaries that may be hired for their base salary, food and lodging, plus a percentage of their employer’s share of monetary treasure
• combatants—archers, man-at-arms, swordsmen—are entitled to a 10 percent share of their employer’s monetary treasure; all others are entitled to five percent
• a shield bearer protects his employer, increasing his armor class by one; a weapon bearer may immediately hand his employer a weapon, if he drops his weapon or is disarmed, or other item
• porters provide muscle for carrying equipment and treasure—200 pounds per porter; porters also reduce the risk of becoming lost during overland travel
• a surgeon may treat a wounded creature, permitting it a saving throw; if successful, the patient regains d2+1 hit points; a surgeon may treat a patient who otherwise would be dead, if done shortly after death
• all retainers other than surgeons become first-level fighters with d8 hit points and 0 XP if they survive a foray into the wilderness or dungeon; their cost per day is then 1 gold piece/day
• an adventurer's charisma score limits the number of retainers he may employ at once (see page 8 of the rulebook for charisma-based retainer limits); an adventurer may not employ a retainer whose level exceeds their own

Just because a retainer is available does not mean he will accept employment. Adventures should roll 2d6. On a result of 2-6, the would-be retainer declines employment. On a result of 7-9, he is uncertain; he'll decline employment unless the adventurer sweetens the deal (e.g., increased salary, furnishing equipment in addition to the retainer's starting equipment, or increased treasure share). On a result of 10-12, he accepts employment. An adventurer wishing to increase his chances of hiring a given retainer may offer to sweeten the deal before the initial roll; if he does so, add an appropriate modifier, such a +1 or +2 bonus, to the adventurer's roll. An adventure also may gain a +1 bonus by purchasing a potential retainer food or drink in a tavern or inn. Adventurers with a Charisma score of 13 or higher also gain a +1 bonus to their roll.

These house rules are a modified version of the retainer rules in Jimm Johnson's Planet Eris house rules.

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Swimming and Drowning

Bodies of water and water hazards are common in Dungeons & Dragons, but the original rules and most retroclones, including Swords & Wizardry, have no rules for how to handle swimming and the risk of drowning. I'm not a fan of adding to the rules overmuch, but water hazards are so common that some mechanics seem desirable. Here is my house rule, which is derived in part from the AD&D Dungeoneer's Survival Guide and Wilderness Survival Guide.

Swimming and Drowning

• a swimmer’s movement rate is subject to multiple variables; these include any current, the swimmer’s direction relative to the current, and encumbrance
• an unencumbered or almost unencumbered swimmer—someone not in armor and with 5 pounds of equipment or less—has a movement rate of 50 feet/round
• swimming is possible at half that movement rate—25 feet/round—in leather armor so long as the swimmer carries no more than 20 pounds of equipment
• no swimming is possible in metal armor and an adventurer wearing it sinks to the bottom; with a saving throw, armor may be removed in one round and otherwise takes two rounds
• one can swim downward or upward—dive or surface—30 feet/round; if encumbered, he can dive triple or quadruple this rate and will surface half or a quarter this rate depending on how encumbered he is
• all underwater attacks are made with a -2 penalty to hit; ordinarily only thrusting weapons, like daggers or spears, do full damage in underwater combat
• an adventurer may hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to his constitution score divided by four; after that many rounds, an adventurer dies without air
• if a drowned adventurer is pulled from the water and an attempt to resuscitate him is made within a round or two, he may make a saving throw to avoid death by drowning

Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Hit Points, Healing, and Death

Because there are only four players in my current campaign, I am using a variety of house rules that make their characters a little less fragile and extend the period in which they can adventure before needing to rest.

1. Starting Hit Points. In character creation, you start out with the maximum possible number of hit points at first level. So, for example, a first-level fighter who did not have a constitution-related hit point modifier, would have 8 hit points at first level, because fighters roll 1d8 for hit points each level. Hit points are rolled normally for each subsequent level.*
2. Liquid Courage. Once per day, any adventurer may drink a bottle of wine, flagon of beer, horn of mead, or flask of hard liquor to regain 1d6 hit points. Hit points are abstract; they reflect not only physical health, but morale, sanity, and stamina. Basically, you take a belt to steady your nerves, deaden the pain, and soldier on under trying circumstances.
3. Unconsciousness. For most, zero hit points is unconsciousness and below that is death. Not for you. For each level, adventurers may go one hit point below zero and still remain unconscious. For example, at first level, zero to negative one hit points merely results in unconsciousness; if a first-level adventurer goes below that, he is dead and can only be raised by powerful magic (e.g. a raise dead or wish spell).
4. Bedrest. Provided that you sleep a full eight hours per night out of your armor, you ordinarily regain one hit point per day. But if you are in a civilized or fortified location—such as a city, town, village, castle, or keep—you regain one to three hit points from a night's bedrest instead.

* Rangers are an exception, because they have two hit dice at first level (2d8). They receive the maximum value of one of these two hit dice at first level; the second hit die must be rolled normally.

N.B. I've borrowed most of these house rules from someone else, though I sometimes modify them to suit my own taste. The Liquid Courage rule is derived from an ODD74 commenter rabindranath72's a-flagon-of-wine house rule. The Unconsciousness and Bedrest rules are taken in whole are part from Jimm Johnson's excellent Planet Eris house rules.

Shattered Kingdoms: Pantheon

For my new Swords & Wizardry campaign, I created the following pantheon:

CULTS AND PRIESTHOODS

The Shattered Kingdoms have known many gods. Below is a summary of some of the major deities presently in fashion; others exist, including hundreds of gods associated with the ancient world who are forgotten or worshipped only by local cults. On page 25 of the rulebook, it suggests that clerics are perceived by some as a weaker class. To address that perception and provide each cult with its own individual character, each priesthood has its own unique abilities.

Lawful Gods

ANUBIS is a lawful god of the afterlife and protector of the dead whose worship originated in Khmet. His symbol is a black jackal. His priests have these abilities:

• mummification: his clerics can extend the period during which a corpse may be raised from the dead by 1d6 days per level by preserving and mummifying the corpse
• anointing: once per day, his clerics may anoint the dead (or slain undead) such that they will never rise from the grave (again); they may anoint one corpse per level attained

ATTIS is a lawful god of vegetation, rebirth, and resurrection whose worship originated in the northwestern city-state of Ib. His symbol is a tree, half of which is barren in winter and half of which is blooming in spring. His priests have these abilities:

• rise again: his clerics roll a d6 at character creation; this roll is added to the number of hit points that the cleric may be in the negative and remain unconscious rather than dying
• perfect resurrection: regardless of their constitution score, these clerics never need to make a raise dead survival roll; nor must any person who is raised from the dead by these clerics

MITRA is a lawful god of truth, justice, and righteous judgment whose worship originated in the Empire. His symbol is a white bull. His priests have these abilities:

• discern truth: once per day, his clerics may discern whether a speaker is telling the truth or lying in whole or part, including half-truths and lies by omission
• compel truth: once per day, his clerics may compel a target to tell the truth about some matter or series of related matters (no save is permitted absent some magical defense)

Templars. The Temple of Mitra also maintains a military order of crusaders. These Templars are fighters, but relinquish the fighter abilities stated on page 14 of the rulebook and receive these abilities:

• lay on hands: twice per day, they may heal another of Lawful alignment, or a person who has performed some notable service for the church or the templar, for 1d3+1 hit points
• divine might: they do not require a magical weapon to hit creatures only struck by them; they also have a +1 bonus to hit/damage against unclean or unholy foes, like undead or demons

NEBO is a lawful god of mathematics, wisdom, and writing whose worship originated in the northeastern city-state of Byblos. His symbol is pi. His priests have these abilities:

• read languages: his clerics have a 1–3 chance on a d6 to decipher or read any language; modifiers—bonuses or penalties—may be applied based on the nature of the language
• wise man: clerics of Nebo receive a +1 bonus to their wisdom score; if this raises his score to 19, he receives two first-level spells at first and second levels and a 15% XP bonus

RA is a lawful god of the sun and illumination whose worship originated in Khmet. His symbol is a red solar disc flanked by hawks. His priests have these abilities:

• rays of the sun: light and continual light shine as bright as day within an expanded radius—60’ and 360’ respectively; all normal lights held by the priest are twice as bright as normal
• dispel darkness: once per day, his clerics may dispel any non-natural or magical darkness or other magical condition that suppresses light or obscures vision

THOTH is a lawful god of the moon, magic, and intellect whose worship originated in Khmet. His symbol is an ibis and crescent moon. His priests have these abilities:

• magic resistance: his clerics receive a +2 bonus when making a saving throw against spells or magical effects, whether those associated with magic-users, clerics, or others
• magic detection and identification: twice per day, clerics of Thoth may detect magic per the spell description; they also may use this ability to identify the properties of magic items

Chaotic Gods

COMUS is a chaotic god of wine, drunkenness, and revelry whose worship originated in the northwestern city-state of Mnar. His symbol is an overflowing chalice surrounded by clusters of grapes. His priests have these abilities:

• ecstatic inebriation: his clerics receive 2d6 hit points of healing, rather than 1d6 hit points, whenever they make use of the Liquid Courage house rule
• intoxicate others: once per day, clerics of Cybele may intoxicate a number of others per the mechanics of the sleep spell; the targets suffer a -4 penalty to all rolls while intoxicated

DAGON is a chaotic god of the seas and oceans whose worship originated in the northeastern city-state of Put. His symbol is a vicious-looking fish. His priests have these abilities:

• water-breathing: once per day, his clerics may breath water as a fish would for 1d6 + 1 round/level; during this period they also may swim at the movement rate of a fish
• undrowned: regardless of how much time has passed since a cleric of Dagon has drowned, so long as his body is reasonably intact, he may make a saving throw to avoid death when his body surfaces

KEK is a chaotic god of primordial darkness and secrecy whose worship originated in Khmet. His symbol is a humanoid with a serpentine head. His priests have these abilities:

• darkvision: his clerics have the ability to see in the dark up to a range of 60 feet; if the darkness is magical, they may still see but the range of their darkvision is reduced to 30 feet
• shadowstep: clerics of Kek have the ability to hide and move in shadows without detection per the thief’s class ability as if they were a thief of the same level

MOLECH is a chaotic god of fire, torture, and execution whose worship originated in Gog, a land of men tainted with goblinoid blood. His symbol is a column of fire. His priests have these abilities:

• fire resistance: his clerics are immune to normal fires, receive a +2 bonus to saving throws against magical fire or heat, and suffer 2d6 less damage from fiery effects and conditions
• immolate: once per day, they may shoot a jet of flame from their hands (range: 20 feet; arc: 45 degrees); it does 1d6 +1 hit point/caster level of damage (save for half damage)

NERGAL is a chaotic god of war, plague, and pestilence whose worship originated among the hobgoblins in Magog. His symbol is a lion. His priests have these abilities:

• disease resistance: his clerics have a +4 bonus to all saving throws to resist disease or sickness; at tenth level, his clerics become immune to all disease and sickness
• plague bearer: when the spell cause disease is cast by Nergal’s clerics, it affects 1d4 targets (save applicable); if failed, the infected suffer 1d6 damage per day and cannot heal till cured of the disease

YIG is a chaotic god of serpents and other poisonous creatures whose worship originated in Khmet. His symbol is a serpent encircling a fiery sun. His priests have these abilities:

• antidote: once per day, his clerics may administer an antidote permitting a poisoned person or creature to make a second saving throw, which may resuscitate a dead poison victim
• serpent-shift: once per day, his clerics can transform into a giant serpent—20 feet long (AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 bite (1d6); Move 12; special: lethal poison bite once per day (save allowed))

Nonhuman Gods

ARDUINNA is a lawful elven goddess of nature and woodlands. Her symbol is a white-barked tree. There are no elven clerics. But a lawful elven fighter with a wisdom of 15 or higher may opt to become a Warden of the Woods. He relinquishes the fighter abilities specified on page 14 of the rulebook; in their place, a warden gains these abilities:

• animal and faerie friendship: wardens may speak with woodland creatures and beings; once per day, they may charm a woodland creature or being (save allowed with a -1 penalty)
• forestwalk: wardens may pass without trace, notice, or noise through woodlands at twice the normal movement rate on a roll of 1–4 on a d6 (or on a roll of 1–5 at a normal movement rate)

KOTHAR-WA-KASIS is a lawful dwarven god of craftsmen, engineers, and smiths. His symbol is an anvil. There are no dwarven clerics. But a lawful dwarven fighter with a wisdom of 15 or higher may opt to become a Dwarven Holy Warrior. He relinquishes the fighter abilities on page 14 of the rulebook; in their place, a holy warrior gains:

• dwarven armor: a holy warrior has a suit of adamantine plate mail, which is half the weight of normal plate mail, virtually indestructible, and has an armor class of 2 [17] (without shield)
• spiritual gifts: at second level, a holy warrior gains one first-level clerical spell; at fourth level, one second-level clerical spell; at sixth level, one third level clerical spell

EDESIA is a neutral halfling goddess of feasts, leisure, and rest. Her symbol is an overflowing cornucopia or a wheel of cheese. There are no halfling clerics. But a neutral halfling thief with a wisdom score of 15 or higher may opt to become a Founder of the Feast. He relinquishes any three of the thief abilities listed in Table 17 on page 24 of the rulebook; in their place a founder gains:

• requisition: once per day, on a roll of 1–4 on a d6 a founder may locate or purloin a cache or supply of food and drink sufficient to sustain 1d6 +1/level creatures regardless of location
• gastronome: provided that he has sufficient food, a founder may prepare a meal that permits those who partake to recover 1d6 +1/level hit points with a full night of sleep

Weird Gods

TYR, the so-called “maimed god,” is a lawful demigod of heroism, battle, and martyrdom whose worship originated among the northmen beyond the Empire. His symbol is a mailed fist. His priests are limited to first, second, and third-level spells and have these abilities:

• warrior-priests: his clerics regard battle as a form of worship; they use the THAC0 advancement table for fighters rather than clerics
• martyrdom: if slain, a cleric of Tyr may opt to martyr himself; he gains 2d6 +1/level hit points and may continue fighting; once combat is over, he permanently dies (i.e., may not be raised from the dead)
• barbers: they may heal 1d6 HP by performing surgery on themselves or others; but this results in permanent loss of the same number of points of a randomly determined attribute

AMUN-GORLOTH, the so-called “sleeping god,” is a chaotic god of creation and creative destruction whose worship originated in Khmet. After triggering the creation of the universe, he fell into a deep slumber; it is said that our reality will crumble when he awakens, ushering in the end of the world. A lawful priesthood devotes itself to assuring Amun-Gorloth’s sleep is undisturbed. These priests are limited to first, second, and third-level spells and have these abilities:

• sleepless: his priests do not require sleep; so long as they peacefully meditate for an hour each day, they gain the benefits of a full night’s sleep (including recovery of hit points)
• silent: clerics of Amun-Gorloth may move silently as a thief of the same level (see page 24 of the rulebook); they may do so regardless of the type of armor worn
• somnolence: once per day, clerics of Amun-Gorloth may cast an enhanced version of the sleep spell; see page 69 of the rulebook, but use the table below in place of the one in the book:
  
  

  Victims' Hit Dice	Number Affected
  ˂ 1 to 1	2d8 +1/level
  1+ to 2+	2d6 +1/level
  3 to 3+	1d6 +1/level
  4 to 4+	1d2

Shattered Kingdoms: Map and Gazatteer

After a gaming hiatus, I have started a new Swords & Wizardry campaign. Using the free version of Hexographer, I created the following map of the campaign region, which I am referring to as the Shattered Kingdoms:

I also drafted an introductory gazatteer to familiarize the players with the region:

GAZATTEER OF THE SHATTERED KINGDOMS

NATION STATES

The Empire. The Empire is reminiscent of medieval Byzantium. As a result of civil wars and barbarian invasions in the west, it is a shell of its former self. Nonetheless, even in its reduced state, it remains quite powerful. The city-states of Ib and Mnar both pay annual tribute to the Empire. Its Eastern Marches largely consist of farmland and small towns. Two legions are quartered in Terminus, a military encampment and fortress located on a plateau. The most significant imperial city in this region is the port of Tium.

Magog. Magog is a hobgoblin empire. It stretches from the mountain citadel of Ang in the north to the military towers and fortifications in the south known as The Fangs. Its capital city is Kar-Natai, which houses the emperor and his household. Its next most significant city is Arak-Nul, which is the ancient seat of the priesthood of Nergal. At present, Magog exerts little influence beyond its borders due to an internal cold-war-like power struggle between the priesthood and the military leadership of the empire. Gog nominally is its vassal and pays tribute to the empire.

Gog. Gog is a kingdom of men polluted with goblinoid blood and by their long association with Magog as tributary and vassal. Its capital city is Samarokand. Historically, its influence over its neighboring city-states—Byblos, Put, and Ba’al-Gorod—has waxed and waned. At present, all of those city-states are fully independent. But Gog’s current king is young and vigorous and openly seeks to subjugate its neighbors. Broken Tooth originally was a military outpost of Gog, but the fortress has changed hands several times and now lies abandoned.

• Goblinoid-Blooded. The blood of goblins flows through the veins of the men of Gog; they are a new demi-human race—the half-hobgoblin. Though humanish, they have cruel features and other telltale signs of goblinoid heritage. They must be chaotic in alignment. Half-hobgoblins may be fighters, assassins, thieves, and clerics; they may advance to eighth level as fighters, any level as assassins or thieves, and eighth level as clerics but only of the cult of Molech. Half-hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet away, receive a +1 bonus to their strength and constitution scores, a +1 bonus to saving throws versus poison, +1 hit point per experience level, and a +1 bonus to hit elves and half-elves in combat. They also receive a -2 penalty to their charisma scores. Half-hobgoblins generally will be ill-treated outside of Gog and Magog.

DEAD KINGDOMS

Khmet. Khmet is reminiscent of ancient Egypt, but the last pharaoh sat on the throne in a capital far to the south long ago. The kingdom fell into disorder and disarray after a protracted war, in which sorcery reduced much of its limited fertile land to desert. Haven is its only remaining city in the north. It was conquered a decade ago by the Temple of Mitra, a crusading religious order that originated in the Empire. The Temple currently rules the city as an independent city-state. Sand Fort is an oasis and desert fortress on the caravan route across the desert.

Quedar. Quedar is reminiscent of pre-Islamic Arabia. It once was a kingdom of forests and lush vegetation. War and sorcery reduced it almost entirely to desert and little or nothing of the old kingdom remains. Its much-reduced population now consists of desert nomads and traders. Stone Trees is a petrified forest in a region of salt flats. Deep Wells is reputed to be a series of natural cisterns with potable water; the nomads nonetheless avoid it. Dustwall Keep originally was an outpost of Khmet; it currently is occupied by a reclusive religious sect of assassins.

CITY-STATES

Ba’al-Gorod. Ba’al-Gorod—the city of the gods—is devoted to a number of related cults. Its army is significant. Historically, it has been a rival of Put and Haven. But in light of Gog’s resurgence, Ba’al-Gorod has been less belligerent.

Byblos. Byblos is a city-state associated with scholars and wisdom. Its principal deity is Nebo, the god of math and writing. It has a weak army and navy and is the most geographically vulnerable of the city-states subject to Gog’s aggression. But its scholars possess—and closely guard—the secret alchemical formulae for Sagefire, an ancient incendiary weapon reminiscent of Greek Fire. Its vast stores of the substance are a considerable deterrent to would-be invaders.

• Sagefire. Characters who hail from Byblos may do double the amount of damage normally associated with oil as a missile weapon (see page 30 of the rulebook). But regardless of their actual constitution score, they also have a -1 penalty to their hit point modifier and a 50 percent raise dead survival rate (see page 8 of the rulebook).

Croatoa. Croatoa once was a colony of the Kingdom of Ceph to the southeast; during that kingdom’s civil war and dissolution, Croatoa gained its independence. It is a rival of Jub. Most of its dealings are in the south.

Haven. Haven is a cosmopolitan city-state associated with trade due to its location. It formerly was ruled by the priesthood of a frog cult. The cult was suppressed by the Temple of Mitra—a crusading religious order from the Empire—when it conquered the city a decade ago. Their grip on the city is fragile and they have little control beyond its borders. The men of Sand Fort are friendly with the city. The Pyramid is one of many within Khmet; dark rumors swirl about it.

Ib. Ib is a city-state associated with the farmlands of the surrounding countryside. Its principal deity is the agricultural god Attis. Its crops are traded far and wide in the region. It in an independent tributary of the Empire. Its relationship with the Empire is a friendly one.

Jub. Jub is a wealthy, independent city-state associated with trade, without regard to legality and morality. In particular, it is known for its vast slave market, lotus trade, and brothels, which are typically staffed by temple prostitutes in houses of worship. Jub’s principal deity is Mammon, a god of gluttony, greed, and lust.

Mnar. Mnar is a city-state associated with the vineyards of the surrounding countryside. Its principal deity is Comus, a god of wine, drunkenness, and revelry. Other regions produce wine, but Mnar’s are exquisite.

• Exquisite Wines. When imbibed for the purpose of healing under the Liquid Courage house rule, a bottle of Mnarian wine restores 1d6+3 hit points. Mnarian wine is always more expensive than other wines when it is available for purchase. Determine availability at the time of purchase by rolling a d6; it is available on a 1 or 2.

Put. Put is a city-state associated with mariners and fishermen. Its principal deity is the sea god Dagon. It has a very strong navy and a credible army. Its population is regarded as less than fully human by its neighbors. Put’s citizens often have webbed digits, bulging eyes, and even gills; a fishy odor sometimes accompanies their appearance. The Shield Wall—the mountains between it and Gog—afford it some measure of protection. Put is Haven’s principle rival.

• Fishy Lineage. Characters from Put are human, but have some fishy heritage. They add 25 feet to any swimming movement rate specified in the house rules, attack underwater without penalty, and may hold their breath for one additional round per character level than their constitution score would permit. They have a -2 penalty to charisma due to their fishy appearance (e.g., bulging eyes, scaly skin, webbed fingers or toes, gills).

Thar. Thar is all that remains of the fabled kingdom of Hyrcania that once governed the mountainous land to the south of the sea that still bears its name. Once a colony of Hyrcania, Thar is a small independent city-state. Its dealings mostly are in the north beyond the region depicted on the map.

Ulthar. Ulthar is a city-state primarily famed for its religious cult devoted to the cat goddess Bastet, a deity associated with joy, dance, and music. In Ulthar, the killing of felines is a crime punishable by death; so the city teems with them. The city’s population consists of a new demi-human race—Cat People—whose statistics are specified below.

• Cat Folk. Cat Folk are demi-humans who resemble humans but have lither bodies, more delicate features, and piercing blue, golden, or green eyes. They must be neutral in alignment. Cat Folk may be fighters, magic-users, or thieves. They usually may advance to the sixth level as fighters, but seventh with a strength score of 17 and eighth with a strength score of 18. They may advance without level limits as magic-users or thieves, but they may not cast spells beyond those of fifth level as the former. They can squeeze through any opening they can fit their head into; if questionable, roll a d6 and on a roll of 1–3 they succeed. They can traverse narrow ledges, tightropes, and the like with the same percentage chance that thieves have to climb walls (see page 24 of the rulebook). Cat Folk reduce all falling damage by rolling 1d2+1 for each level of experience.
• Optional Rule: Nine Lives. Under this optional rule, Cat Folk who are slain may reduce their constitution score by one point and be rendered unconscious instead. Cat Folk may use this mechanic nine times over the course of the life of the characters, subject to their constitution score, and may not be raised from the dead by other means (e.g., a raise dead or wish spell). Once a character using this optional rule has risen from the dead nine times, he may not be raised again by any means; he gets nine lives and no more.

DWARVES, ELVES, AND HALFLINGS

Iron Spires. Though there are other dwarven holds in the north and east, none is as well known and magnificent as the Iron Spires, a series of mountainous towers that stand watch over mines and a subterranean city. The Spires seldom admit outsiders. The dwarves maintain a semi-permanent settlement on the lands above the surface for trading purposes.

Farwood—the Sea of Leaves. The Farwood is a vast forest to the east to which the elves withdrew after the cataclysmic ancient war that destroyed Khmet and Quedar. It is unknown whether they remain there in strength to this day or have withdrawn further. It is said that none who enter the wood return. Refuge is rumored to be a woodland city of elves and their woodland allies. Standing Stones is a set of gigantic abandoned menhirs.

Halflings. Though there are some small halfling communities within the Empire and they can be found in most of the cities in the west, halflings have no nation of their own in this region.

OTHER LOCATIONS OF INTEREST

Black Pools. Hyrcanian scribes long ago wrote of a land of dark pools in the north. Corrupted translations of the texts have rendered the nature of these pools a mystery. Various translations report pools of oil, restorative springs, entrances to a subterranean sea, and otherworldly portals.

Remnant. The ruins now known as Remnant once were the city-state of Kition, a significant naval power and tributary of the Empire. Formerly, it sat on a peninsula rather than an island. A massive earthquake in the ancient world sank part of the peninsula and destroyed the city.

Shadowwood. The Shadowwood is so named because it sits beneath and in the shadows of the mountains to its east. Bandits lurk within its borders, and it is said that even more dangerous creatures slink into it from the surrounding mountains. Previously, its wood was used for shipbuilding by the fallen city-state of Kition.

MYTH AND HISTORY

• elves and hobgoblins are descended from the same ancient progenitor race; the latter fell under the sway of dark gods and became corrupt and wicked and abandoned elvish ways
• when the races of men were in their infancy, the elves sought to tutor them in the ways of civilization; the hobgoblins sought to tempt men to evil and enslave them
• the goblinoid-blooded men of Gog were born of the subjugation of men by the hobgoblins; half-elves were born of the partnership between men and the elves
• the ancient world was brought to a close by a cataclysmic war known as the Great Goblinoid Crusade in the chronicles; Magog, Gog, and their allies waged war on all others
• Khmet and Quedar were destroyed outright; each marshalled destructive sorceries in defense of their realms that shattered the kingdoms and rendered them desolate
• the city-states south of Gog were defeated and occupied for a short while; they and the Empire ultimately prevailed over the goblinoid host after Khmet and Quedar’s destruction
• the Empire’s position in the east has never fully recovered from the war; several city-states that formerly existed south of Gog were destroyed outright and never rebuilt afterward
• the dwarves allied with the Empire against the goblinoid armies and their allies; their losses were appalling and their population has never recovered
• though decisively defeated in the field, remnants of the goblinoid armies returned home; Gog and Magog have been far weaker ever since, but were never destroyed or occupied
• in the wake of Khmet’s and Quedar’s self-destruction, the elvish council decided that its partnership with men had been a mistake and retreated to the forests of the east
• some elves remain behind out of disagreement with the council, love for the humans and half-elves, or as watchers to keep an eye on the affairs of men and the goblinoid races

FOREIGNERS

The Empire has resorted to recruiting northmen mercenaries to combat the barbarian tribes of the west. The northmen, who are reminiscent of dark-age Vikings, have steadily made their way into the east ever since. Players may opt to play two modified types of fighters.

Berserker. Berserkers relinquish the standard fighter abilities stated on page 14 of the rulebook (multiple attacks, parry, and strength bonuses). In their place, berserkers gain:

• battle rage: on a roll of 1–2 on a d6, they gain +2 to attack/damage rolls and suffer 1 less hit point of damage/die for 1d6 +1/level rounds; during this time, they are immune to fear, cannot retreat, and must attack
• shape-strong: once reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, they may make a saving throw each round; if successful, they continue fighting; they become unconscious or drop dead when they fail a saving throw or when battle ends

Valkyrie. Valkyries relinquish the standard fighter abilities stated on page 14 of the rulebook (multiple attacks, parry, and strength bonuses). In their place, valkyries gain:

• shield maiden: they receive a +2 shield bonus to armor class, which they may confer on another; once per day, they may sacrifice a shield to absorb 1d6+1 damage from any attack made against them or against a nearby ally
• mead of poetry: once per day, a valkyrie may confer a +1 bonus to hit and damage upon 1d6+1 allies for as many rounds as the number of people who are inspired by her verse

All northmen—whether berserkers, valkyries, or otherwise—receive a +1 bonus to saving throws against cold, frost, or ice-based conditions, effects, and spells. They receive a -1 modifier to their charisma scores and a -1 penalty to reactions rolls due to their foreign manner and appearance and unfamiliarity with local customs.