Experience, Motivation and Murder-Hobos

Art by Dave Trampier, source

Allow me to deviate from my usual additions and suggestions for Mystara. I feel the need to write down some ideas that have been fermenting in my head. Note that these ideas are not entirely original to me - they have been inspired (and maybe explained better) by other, more eloquent bloggers. 

So what motivates adventurers? Why do they bother getting out of bed in the morning and heading to the dungeon for a day of violence and near-death experiences? Generally this is a matter of acquiring more power, principally in levels of experience. To gain levels as a character you need to gain experience points. How do you do that? 

According the the B/X rules there are 2 main sources of XP: monsters and treasure. Treasure is expected to make up the bulk of XP awards, and I have created adventures on this blog (both the more recent Scenarios and also the older Dungeons of the Month) with a ratio of 1 monster XP : 3 treasure XP. This may seem stingy, but DMs using my adventures are always welcome to increase the treasure amounts as they see fit. 

3E and 5E D&D don't offer XP for finding treasure. In both games XP is expected to come from a combination of defeating monsters and completing story goals. 

The idea of quest or story-based XP tentatively emerged in later 1st Edition AD&D material and was formalised in 2nd Edition AD&D. This started out as XP for rescuing prisoners as if they had been defeated by the PCs (so a party of PCs would get more XP for rescuing a high level NPC than a 0-level peasant). It has now become a matter of "Award the PCs 1000xp each if they return the stolen crown to the king". 

The 3E DMG suggests awarding XP for successfully resolving non-combat encounters, such as evading or neutralising traps, solving tricks & puzzles, and successfully negotiating with NPCs. In B/X the assumption is that these are not goals in themselves but merely obstacles (sometimes metaphorical, sometimes very physical) in the the path to gaining treasure. Successfully getting through a trap-based encounter means that the PCs are another step closer to their real goal - treasure and the XP that comes with it. This shows to me that B/X rewards are more about the end goal rather than how the PCs get there.  

XP can also be awarded for things like good roleplaying, though this is associated with later editions. Although not stated in the B/X rules, these are up to individual DMs. Although not suggested in D&D, some games (particularly MMORPGs) reward PCs with XP for exploring their world and visiting regions for the first time. 

1st Edition AD&D also had the idea of gaining XP for finding magic items. 2nd Edition AD&D changed this to gaining XP for creating magic items. 3rd Edition D&D completely flipped this around with requiring XP to be spent to create magic items, but also had a thriving magic item economy where PCs could often buy the weapons or armour they could afford  - an alternative reason for gathering lots of money. 

In my games magic items neither give nor require XP. Magic items can be seen as a form of power that is not linked to XP or levels. Interestingly, unlike MMORPGs, magic items in D&D generally do not have character level requirements (though some do have class requirements). A 0-level normal human can use many magic items if they know how to wield them. Acquiring magic items can be a powerful motive in itself. Although many items are distributed as part of treasure hoards along with coins, gems and the like, it is possible that a character will set out on an adventure with the goal of acquiring a famous magic item for their own personal use. S2: White Plume Mountain is a classic example of this. 

Here's something I was vaguely aware of but it took other bloggers to clarify  it. The behaviour of PCs is heavily influenced by how XP is awarded. They will generally behave in a way that gets the most XP according to their assessment of risk vs reward. 

If most of their XP comes from treasure then they will become avaricious treasure hunters, looting tombs, dragon hoards, and possibly merchant caravans and town banks. The DM may wish to adjudicate what sort of treasure gives XP and whether robbing peasants of their copper coins will help PCs gain levels. 

Although not part of the B/X rules, some groups have house rules where PCs can convert gold into XP only if it is spent on training - usually with a willing NPC of at least 2 levels higher and the same character class as the PC. The duration is typically 1 week per PC level. Although I personally like this idea (it makes becoming better at fighting, casting spells or turning undead more plausible than just looting a dragons' hoard and hey presto the wizard can now cast more spells), I don't expect other groups to use it. 

There are other reasons for gathering loot besides XP - you can buy stuff with it. Purely B/X campaigns will find that once the PCs have a ship, horses, wagons and the like they start to run out of useful things in the equipment lists to spend money on. But beyond the B/X rules there are 2 major expenses - firstly in the Companion Rules there are details about being granted land and building one's own stronghold. Creating and maintaining a castle or temple with all its soldiers, hirelings and servants will be expensive. Secondly as alluded to above in 3E D&D it is possible to buy magic items if the right marketplace can be found. Both of these (strongholds and magic items) are reasons to get as much loot as possible from dungeons and monster lairs. Forward-looking PCs may well start saving for these quite early on in their careers. 

If they get most of their XP from killing monsters, then that is what they will seek out. This seems to be the expected norm in 3E and 5E.  Note that rules in different editions say that XP is awarded for defeating monsters, not necessarily slaying them. This means capturing and subduing generally counts, while avoiding or sneaking past is up to DM discretion (personally I don't think that counts as "defeating" because the monster is still a threat if encountered again). 

It helps here if the DM clarifies whether 0-level normal humans count as monsters (they may be only 5xp each but killing a whole village could be worth 1000xp if the DM allows it). DMs are well within their authority to say that killing friendly folk and livestock does not give any XP awards. This reduces the likelihood of the infamous murder-hobos running around the fantasy countryside behaving worse than bandits or orcs. If the PCs still persist with this then the players concerned may be less interested in acquiring levels & XP and more involved in a deranged power fantasy. I've seen it happen - It's not pretty.

If they get most of their XP from quests and heroic achievements then that is what they will do (though perhaps sticking to the letter rather than the spirit of the completion). In 3E it is suggested that story-based XP awards do not exceed XP for defeating monsters, while 5E seems much more vague. It does remind me of MMORPGs like World of Warcraft where characters keep picking up and completing quests and have a list of currently active quests - to-do lists with XP rewards every time one is ticked off. Personally I do not have any problems with XP awards for completing quests as long as DMs are sensible about it. I think the one thing I do raise my eyebrow at is the idea of "once the party reaches this stage of the story/campaign, they all automatically go up 1 level". It just seems lazy, both in terms of adventure design (the next chapter in the mega-adventure is for the next level so lets just increase everyone up 1 level so they can get on with it) and also the gaming experience, feeling entitled to gain a level without regards to earning XP. If I was DMing that sort of adventure, I would not automatically award levels, but I would provide side quests and mini-dungeons as opportunities to earn the required XP so that they have properly gained sufficient XP and therefore levels to take on the next part of the campaign.    

XP for role-playing can result in either interesting or annoying attempts to play their characters outside of combat. Sometimes it is entertaining, other times horribly forced. 

I was thinking about motivations for protagonists in the stories that inspired D&D. Bilbo Baggins, Conan the Barbarian, Cugel the Clever, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and many more heroes of Appendix N were all mostly motivated by money and treasure, and so this is what the creators of D&D (particularly Gary Gygax) expected. 

But others had other goals. Frodo Baggins setting off on his epic quest to destroy the One Ring was motivated by trying to save his world. Elric of Melnibone may have enjoyed treasure but was caught up in the wars between Law and Chaos. Drizzt Do'Urden (once he reached the surface world) was often helping his friends around Icewind Dale. The Companions of the Lance were engaged in epic quests to save the world of Krynn from the evil Dragon Armies. Turjan the Magician was interested in knowledge, particularly of arcane matters. 

Finally I think alignment should play a part here. I'm not sure which should come first when creating a character, alignment or motivation but I certainly think they inform each other. In the 3-alignment system of B/X D&D, I can well imagine lawful characters being more willing to go on epic quests to save the kingdom, while neutral characters are more interested in personal power and wealth. Chaotic characters are usually similar to neutral ones in motivation but are more likely to become the infamous murder-hobos that are the worst sort of chaotic characters - they have far less restraint or scruples as to how they acquire money and power. 

So what is the right way of doing this? Honestly my opinion is whatever works for your group. Different players and DMs will have different ideas and hopefully each group will find a combination of the above that they are comfortable with. I'm not going to lay down any rules or strong opinions (apart from automatically gaining levels....).  Although by the book B/X offers only treasure and monster XP, D&D is a game that is wide open to modifications and additions. 

Languages in this Mystaran Campaign

In this campaign there are still many different languages, but not exactly one per species or intelligent monster type - languages are often shared by different monstrous races. In a similar way, the Common tongue is now split into three regional versions of Common, like Arabic across the middle east, or Spanish across Central and South America. People from different nations or cities may have slight differences in phrases or vocabulary, and may have accents but they will understand each other if they have the same version of Common. 

There are no alignment languages as far as this campaign is concerned - alignment language has not sat well with me. Although within a particular faith or religion this could be understood (e.g. Latin for Catholics, Arabic for Muslims). the idea that monsters would speak the same alignment language does not make sense to me. This part of Moldvay's rules in particular irks me: 

The idea of magically forgetting or learning a language because of a change in attitude just jars with me. 

The major languages in this campaign are:

Alphatian Common: Spoken in Alphatia and its dominions, including Bellissaria and Esterhold. Those outside this area simply refer to it as Alphatian. 

Demonic: Spoken by lesser demons, but also some chaotic monsters that are not proper demons. Minotaurs, medusas, manticores and harpies all speak demonic, and some also speak common. This has implications for the true origins of such monsters. 

Draconic: Spoken by all dragon races (Blue, Black, White, Green, Red, Gold) if the individual dragon can speak. 

Dwarvish: Spoken by dwarves, and is the national language of Rockhome. It is also spoken by gnomes who have a strong accent and sometimes have their own words for things - this has caused some scholars to regard gnomish as its own language, though anyone who speaks dwarvish  can get by when dealing with gnomes (including all dwarf PCs).  

Elvish: Spoken by elves and is the national language of Alfheim. Because of elvish records going back so long, it is one of the oldest languages that is still spoken and written in Mystara and it has not changed much since the days of Blackmoor (think of the gradual change from Shakespearean English to modern English). 

Fey: Spoken by pixies, sprites, dryads, nixies and other faerie folk. Although it sounds rather like elvish to foreign ears, it is its own distinct language. 

Giantish: Spoken by all giant races (Stone, Hill, Frost, Fire, Cloud, Storm) as well as ogres, cyclopes and related creatures. 

Goblinish: Spoken by goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears and kobolds. Can automatically be learned by PC dwarves and elves as a racial ability. It is the second language of the broken lands.,

Hinnish: The language of halflings. It is the national language of the Five Shires. When spoken properly it is accompanied by a lot of hand gestures that form an accompanying sign language. Although not a full language in itself, this hand-signing means that halflings are better at gesturing to each other when silence is required. 

Hule Common: West of the Great Waste, this is the common language, spoken across much of the Savage Coast. Some people of Sind also speak this though Thyatian common is the official language of Sind. 

Orcish: Spoken by orcs, gnolls and also some ogres and trolls, it is the main language of the Broken Lands. Elf PCs can automatically learn this as a racial ability. 

Saurian: Spoken by lizardfolk, troglodytes, Gatormen, Caymen, Calacorms and similar reptilian humanoids. Crucially when up close this language also involves the release of certain pheromones. Although creatures without these pheromones can still be understood, it is clear that they are not "native" speakers. 

Thieves' Cant is not so much a true language on its own so much as a combination of slang, codewords, jargon and the like that thieves can understand but nearby civilians cannot thus keeping the conversation relatively confidential, without sounding obviously foreign. Since it is derived from the Common tongue, each common tongue has its own Thieves Cant, so a thieves guild in Alphatia will speak a different thieves cant from a gang of thieves in Thyatis. 

Thyatian Common: Spoken by humans and demihumans across most of eastern Brun, including Karameikos, Darokin, Ierendi, Minrothad, Glantri, the Northern Reaches, Sind, Ethengar and of course Thyatis and its dominions. 

Yavian: Spoken by the human inhabitants of the Serpent Peninsula including Yavdlom and Ulimwengu (the Karimari) though more travelled members of those nations also speak Thyatian Common. The human natives of the Isle of Dread and Thanigoth Archipelago also speak a dialect of Yavian - native Yavian speakers can just about understand these Thanigothians but those from the nations to the north have to treat Thanigothian as a separate language. 

Thanks to Noisms and his post about languages that helped inspire this post, and also the writers of 3E D&D who decided that not all species require their own languages. 

The Forces of Law, Neutrality and Chaos, and Immortals

(illustration by Erol Otus)

In a previous post about the Cult of Chaos I mentioned that there were no actual deities or immortals, only the primal forces of the universe, Law and Chaos, and that clerics drew their powers and spells from these unknowable and opposing forces.

My reason for doing this is that the pantheon of immortals in Mystara is scattered among many books. And I don't have a copy of Mentzer's Set 5: Immortal Rules or Wrath of the Immortals, and am unlikely to buy one soon. Most campaign settings (such as Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms and quite a few non-D&D campaign settings) have the core members of their pantheons described in the introduction to the campaign settings (World of Greyhawk boxed set or Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, Forgotten Realms campaign setting). When deities are introduced  from the start, it is easier for me to get used to them and incorporate them into my own ideas for the setting. But B/X Mystara has been created patchwork style, with the Expert boxed set, the gazetteers, various modules, magazine articles (Voyage of the Princess Ark etc.) and supplements such as Wrath of the Immortals.  Rather than trying to gather all the deities and immortals from these disparate sources (many of which I do not own), I decided it was a lot simpler just to do away with them altogether

But now I am going to allow immortals as well as abstract forces. So why the change of heart? I am reconsidering this in the light of a comment on this post here by Irrational Atheist

The forces of Law and Chaos are still very much the main conflicting forces and philosophies. However, immortals are ascended beings that personify and represent these forces, including the balance between the two, Neutrality. If a specific immortal is given as the patron of a cleric or the creator of a holy relic or the subject of veneration at a shrine or temple  that is fine - the immortal probably does exist. However, if a cleric or a temple exists and no immortal or deity is mentioned, then the abstract forces of Law, Chaos and Neutrality are assumed to be the default. 

For a while I was thinking about having demon lords brought over from AD&D as immortals (Orcus, Demogorgon, Lolth and Graazt are iconic villains) but it is not clear what they were before they ascended and became immortals. So either I have immortals that were never mortals but maybe conceived out of raw Chaos, or else they were mortals but have radically transformed during (or possibly before?) ascension to immortality.  I think I'll put these demons lords on hold. 

Saints, Exalted and Chaos Princes

Where do saints fit in? Saints are mentioned but never properly explained, at least not in the rules I have. There is a discussion here on the Piazza that has got me thinking about this subject. 

(illustration by Larry Elmore)

For this campaign Saints are lawful, Exalted are neutral and Chaos Princes are, as you might guess, chaotic. They all have ascended from the Material Plane but are are only minor immortals, and their mortal origins are widely recognised by worshippers. They do not have the world-altering powers that higher immortals have. Nonetheless, they can grant spells and power over undead to clerical followers. In terms of game rules clerics who follow them are no different from clerics who directly worship and draw on the philosophies of Law, Chaos and Neutrality. The main difference is in roleplaying and story-telling. The saints, exalted and chaos princes still have their personalities, and represent and emphasise different aspects of their alignments. Their clerics and churches may adopt particular clothing, insignia, habits and taboos. 

In the gazetteer series there are mentions of revered historical characters who, as far as I am concerned, have become immortal saints/exalted/chaos princes. For example:

Gaz1: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, the legendary King Halav is now a saint in the service of the forces of Law. His clerics emphasise duty, loyalty and good leadership, and are all members of the Church of Traladara

Gaz2: The Emirates of Ylaruam, the prophet Al-Kalim is a saint for the forces of Law. His particular way of Lawfulness is known as the Way of the Eternal Truth and his followers focus on honesty and the truth. 

Gaz6: The Dwarves of Rockhome. This does actually mention a specific immortal, Kagyar. Dwarf clerics may follow him, or simply be dedicated to their alignment and its primordial forces. 

B4: The Lost City. The three Cynidicean deities, Gorm, Usamigaras and Madarua, are all minor immortals (who ascended centuries ago while Nithia still ruled). The monstrous creature Zargon is not immortal but still encourages Cynidiceans to worship him. Chaotic clerics who follow him (such as Darius) know that he is not the true source of their clerical powers - they draw directly on Chaos itself. Of course, if Zargon knew of a way to become a Chaos Prince, it might be very tempted.

X3: The Curse of Xanathon mentions several religions. Cretia is the chaos princess of mischief and discord. The Spuming Nooga is a Neutral exalted of the sea, worshipped by sailors and fishermen. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list and I'm sure many more can be added from other sources, including the DM's imagination. The general idea is not to list out a big, complete pantheon but simply put forward a framework to allow immortals when they are specifically needed in a campaign. In other cases the DM does not have to worry too much about what deity each temple, shrine or cleric is dedicated to. So for example the chaotic clerics in B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, I am leaving as just worshipping Chaos in general. 

Rules for the Karameikos Campaign

 I'm going to keep this pretty close to official, BtB Basic/Expert D&D that I have used for this blog. Similar to what I did while I was writing about Kaelaross, I'll use the official B/X rules as the starting point that I know other gamers have, and then add bits on (new monsters, new spells etc.) within this blog. 

Although initially I was intending to keep this campaign strictly BtB, I think now I may include my new demihuman classes:

• Elf Ranger
• Dwarf Cleric
• Halfling Defender

and also allow my optional rule about regular halflings (halfling scouts) reaching 12th level.

Similarly, spells, monsters and magic items that I have introduced in this blog may be used - none of them are exclusive to Kaelaross and they should transfer to Mystara without problem.

This follows the ideas I talked about regarding "simple core, many options". where the B/X rules are not so much the entire rules so much as the common, established framework on which new stuff can be attached. 

The Choice - 5E or B/X?

Although my blogging has not been as productive recently as it used to be when I first started, I still feel like keeping it going. Now that 5E has come out, I'm faced with a choice. Do I stick with B/X and it's OSR progeny, Labyrinth Lord, or do I change to 5E?

The thoughts that spring to mind include:
For:

• From what I've seen of 5E, it looks like quite a good system, not too far removed from previous editions. I feel I could work with it. 
• Increased viewing figures for the blog. This is quite shallow, and I know it should not be important, but I cannot completely ignore it. 
• There is the feeling of joining in with a whole lot of people in a common pastime. When a whole lot of people are enthusiastic about something, its easier to be enthusiastic about it oneself.  
• In a previous post I mentioned having a simple core, with many options. I can treat 5E Basic Rules as the core, from which new options can spring. 
• 5E Basic rules are free for download. I could easily stick to those and ignore the expensive hardbacks, as I suspect a few players and DMs will do. 

Against:

• The B/X and Labyrinth Lord niche is quite small. As such I felt quite comfortable making suggestions and putting ideas out there. The rule of thumb is that the smaller the group, the less likely there will be some psycho who gets offended or gets mean about my efforts. 5E could involve thousands of players and DMs, and quite honestly putting ideas out there seems more intimidating. 
• 5E is a new system which I am not familiar with. Yes there are some similarities and commonalities with other editions, but I'm still cautious and uncertain about some of the rules. I've had B/X for over 30 years. Maybe I should stick with what I know. Being told I've got the rules wrong can make me feel a fool, and put a dampener on any enthusiasm.
• 5E is still in the process of being released, both in terms of the 5E Basic rules and the full rulebooks (PHB, DMG & MM). Should I be writing for something when my ideas could be rendered irrelevant or redundant because of official releases I am not yet aware of?
• Although WotC is unlikely to get its legal knickers in a twist over blogs that do not make money, nonetheless, with Labyrinth Lord and 3.X I felt protected by the OGL. 5E does not seem to have that sort of license. 
• There may be an ongoing interest in B/X and Labyrinth Lord regardless of 5E. I could carry on providing ideas for them. 
• There are enough differences between 5E and B/X that I would feel the need to start a new world. Kaelaross is heavily dependent on the three alignment system, not nine, and assumes that the forces of Chaos are evil, and the forces of Law are good. 

Then again:

• Maybe I am taking myself too seriously. This is a hobby, not a job. I am not getting paid for this, nor does anyone's lives or livelihoods depend on my blog. 
• Starting a new world could be quite entertaining. 
• The rules are not as important as having cool ideas. 
• A lot of the rules between the editions are common enough that anything written for B/X can be converted (with a bit of thought) to 5E and vice versa. 
• This is my blog. As I mentioned before, I am the primary audience. So what do I want to do? What do I think is fun?
• With the emphasis away from strict rules and more towards optional rules, I may not need to stick to official 5E, and could do a sort of 5E/B/X mash-up.

Kaelaross Goes Haywire

I don't know about the rest of the RPG community, but I've come to use the term "Haywire" whenever I go way outside the canon of some setting, and often mix it up with other settings, other games and sometimes even other genres. It is when consistency and believability take a back seat to crazy ideas which may turn out to be silly, or might end up being really cool.

One of my first haywire settings was the Forgotten Realms. This was back in the days of AD&D, and although I certainly liked a lot of the setting (I still do), changes made by TSR at the time (including the Time of Troubles) made me veer away from the official canon. At the same time I had accumulated a lot of gaming material such as the dark red 2nd Ed player's "complete" books, a lot of Dragon Magazines. Thus I decided to use all the strange and cool stuff without worrying too much about what other people would think, or if it would be taken seriously. This was before the days of the Web, and I knew it wouldn't be published. I called the project "Forgotten Realms goes Haywire".

These ideas for Kaelaross going haywire will not be carried forward in this blog, this is just a diversion. Nonetheless, some of the ideas I've had include:

Combining the Mystaran concept of the Hollow World with MAR Barker's Tekumel (Empire of the Petal Throne). If you go down deep enough into the Underworld, you emerge into this bizarre, alien world, where even the plants and animals are foreign. Mighty Empires clash, and political intrigue abounds. The Tekumel gods of Change and Stability are in fact different aspects of the Kaelaross gods of Law and Chaos.

Taking Warhammer ideas about chaos and running ragged with them. Chaos warriors (actually the inspiration for the Traitor Legion), chaos mutation, chaos sorcerers being granted new, vicious spells and many new beasts of Chaos including Chaos Centaurs (who inspired the Winter Centaurs of the Twilight Forest)

An all-human land-mass, possibly Bursia, where characters from non-Tolkien Swords and Sorcery can be found. There are no demihumans found there, and non-humans are viewed with anything from wary suspicion to outright hostility. Here can be found the grand cities of Lankhmar (Fritz Lieber) and Sanctuary (Robert Asprin's Thieves World). Quite a few ideas and characters from RE Howard's Hyboria can also be found here.
(Update - This has now been partially implemented in that Bursia is considered entirely human). 

There are mixed-race city-states as well - in what was Bellenos there are now cities that have survived the terrible Summoning, including the City State of the Invincible Overlord, which is across the sea from its rival, the City of the Spire, Ptolus.

Michael Moorcock's Melnibone has fascinated me since I read the Elric series of books. His ideas about Law and Chaos as cosmic forces shaped both early D&D and also Warhammer, and my own ideas about fantasy both directly and indirectly. Maybe the Melniboneans were the near-human aristocracy who ran the Empire of Telthus.

Although there is a map of the west half of Toutus, I have not decided on what the eastern half looks like. Perhaps it looks like the Flanaess (a.k.a. the World of Greyhawk), or maybe the north-east of Toutus includes the land of Blackmoor (Dave Arneson's version, rather than Gary Gygax's), with a rump of the collapsed Toutatian Empire taking the place of the Thonians.

In terms of new rules, anything that is vaguely Swords & Sorcery or High Fantasy is fair game. This would be an ideal opportunity to use all those ideas from Dave Hargreave's Arduin supplements (some of which are completely mad, but that's what going Haywire's about!). Grab and use anything you like the look of. Articles from Dragon Magazine, supplements for other games, even things you've seen on computer games. You want to include the Witch Doctor from Diablo 3 as a character class? Fighting against Quillboars from WoW? And the big bad guy is the Warlock of Firetop Mountain ? Excellent!

Don't forget the Web. As well as the online bookstores, there's a huge amount of free stuff out there, and I'm sure a lot of the bloggers would be pleased to hear their ideas have been used.

My one caveat is this - you may want to keep haywire campaigns separate from your more serious campaigns. Why not roll up some new characters? Take the opportunity to try out some new classes, races or abilities. You like the idea of 3E D&D feats? Go haywire with them. This means if people do get tired of the haywire campaign (it gets too outlandish/silly/overpowered/fanboyish) then the more normal, consistent campaign is not damaged or adversely affected.

Professions to add flavour to PCs

This is an idea that I have used on occasions, and I suppose in a way it is not that big a change from other folks' use of non-combat skills. Within the game rules for each class there is considerable scope for variation as to culture, lifestyle, earning a living and attitude. These professions are ideas rather than solid game rules for exploring what a member of each class could be. Think of them as character concepts - given the rules for a class, how might such a character fit into a campaign?
My inclination is to not give each profession any special rules, bonuses or penalties. Although I remember and enjoyed 2nd Ed AD&D kits, I want to keep this game as simple as I can. 

Fighter

• Infantry - the fighter has been trained to fight on foot in the melee.
• Archer - the fighter is practiced with the bow, or crossbow. 
• Cavalry - the fighter knows about fighting from horseback and looking after his steed
• Engineer - the fighter knows about both building and knocking down structures and fortifications. 
• Gladiator - the fighter fights to entertain crowds, either for a fee or he has been enslaved. 
• Bodyguard - the fighter's job is to protect another, vulnerable and important person
• Trader - the fighter has an understanding of buying and selling goods for profit and heads into dangerous areas to trade
• Explorer - the fighter frequently sets off far away from civilization to find new resources, new peoples and new territories
• Militiaman - the fighter has a day job such as woodcutter, blacksmith or stockman, but can pick up weapons and armour when danger arises. 
• Outlaw - the fighter is effectively a bandit, pirate or highwayman, making his living robbing anyone weaker than him. 
• Squire - the fighter is of noble birth, and although not yet formally knighted, he still trains with lance, warhorse and heavy armour
• Barbarian - the fighter is not native to civilization, though he may get used to it. He understands living and fighting in his wild homeland. 

Magic-User

• Scholar - The magic-user comes from an academic institute, and is familiar with libraries and logical debate
• Innate Sorcerer - the magic-user has had no formal training but magic seems to flow in his veins. 
• Consultant Mage - the magic-user uses his knowledge to help and inform others about magic, for a small fee
• Cult Mage - the magic-user is allied to a secretive sect, and may gain his powers from a dark source
• Building Mage - The magic-user has powerful spells such as Wall of Stone, Stoneshape, Move Earth and Disintegrate which he uses for construction.
• Military Mage - The magic-user is used to working along side large numbers of soldiers and using spells on the battlefield
• Mentalist - the magic-user uses enchantments such as Charm Person and ESP to get inside others' heads, either for criminal or investigative purposes. 
• Arcane Shadow - The magic-user uses spells such as Invisibility, Knock, Fly and Clairvoyance to sneak around like a thief for stealing or spying 
• Witch-Doctor - the magic-user is from a primitive society where his powers are held in awe and fear. 
• Hedge Wizard - The magic-user lives in a small village or out in the countryside, and may help villagers and peasants with minor magics
• Diplomatic Mage - The magic-user has a good charisma as well as intelligence, and his spells, though kept covert, are useful for influencing people. 

Thief

• Spy - the thief uses his talents to gather information, either for a particular cause, or for the highest bidder
• Smuggler - the thief is skilled at handling and moving items that authorities want to seize or destroy. 
• Burglar - the thief breaks into buildings using stealth and agility, usually to steal valuables. 
• Street Thug - the thief doesn't mind using muscle and intimidation to get what he wants. 
• Assassin - the thief is a killer for hire, who prefers to use stealth and subtlety to get close to his victim. 
• Con-Man - the thief talks his way into getting people to hand over their money or other valuables to him before they realise their mistake
• Trap-Master - the thief is an expert at setting, detecting and removing traps and may be hired to secure an area with traps or to disarm it. 
• Scout - the thief works outdoors, either scouting ahead of a body of troops or patrolling an area for enemies or unusual changes.  
• Tomb-Robber - this thief steals from the dead, which should be easier than stealing from the living but often isn't. Traps, undead and vermin are common problems. 
• Entertainer - the thief uses a combination of acrobatics, juggling and sleight-of-hand to entertain people.  
• Fence - the thief is ostensibly a merchant, but he is quite happy to buy and sell stolen goods.

Cleric

• Missionary - the cleric is sponsored by his church to go into new areas (possibly dangerous ones)  and convert the heathen where possible, establishing new congregations
• Military Chaplain - the cleric is attached to a military unit and is expected to give spiritual and moral support, as well as healing and other helpful spells. 
• Hospitaller - the cleric works to help and heal people, regardless of their faith. The hospitaller may have an established place or wander around. 
• Vicar - The cleric looks after a community in both spiritual matters and in healing and other spells. Depending on his importance, this may be a village, town or city
• Cultist - The cleric works hidden from authority and may well be a wanted criminal.  The cultist may gather followers around him to establish a power-base
• Cleric-for-hire - the cleric may have ideals and principles, but these do not stop him from finding employment with whoever pays well. 
• Inquisitor - the cleric is authorised by his religion to seek out enemies of the faith within the church. This may expand to other crimes and wrong-doings. 
• Crusader - This cleric leads the fight against enemies of the church. The crusader will be more proactive than the chaplain and less subtle than the inquisitor
• Ghostslayer - the cleric specialises in hunting down and destroying the undead, probably with his turn undead ability. 
• Guardian - the cleric is tasked with using his strength and powers to protect an important place such as a shrine, tomb or monastery
• Vocational Cleric - the cleric looks after and advises those whose work is part of his deity's domains, such as a cleric of Nemesis helping gravediggers, or a cleric of Vought helping sailors and fishermen. 

Monsters from the Companion Set

A bit like the previous two posts on the Companion boxed set (first was the Player's Companion, the second was the front half of the Dungeon Masters Companion), I'm going to skim through the next major part of the Companion Boxed set, the Monster section in the Dungeon Masters Companion. Their relevance and usefulness to Kaelaross will be noted.

Beholder: A staple of D&D and its variants at high levels of play. In Kaelaross beholders are associated with Bhael and have come through Chaos Portals from planes of Chaos influenced by Bhael.
Blast Spore: I'm not sure if the AD&D gas spores were a good idea, and I have my doubts about this translation into BECMI D&D. I would say they are not native to Kaelaross but could be summoned if the DM chooses.
Dolphin: Although not strongly lawful, dolphins sometimes find themselves at odds with chaotic sea creatures and are famous for helping humans who have fallen into the water. They are found in seas and oceans all around Kaelaross, including the Walrus Channel and around the coast of Teiglin and the Godsblood Straits.
Dragons, Large and Huge versions of the six main colours. Definitely found dotted around Kaelaross, though not common. As described in an earlier post about dragons..
Dragon Turtle: Already established
Drolem: A very powerful construct. The students of Gerontium would love to get their hands on the formula for creating one of these. The Cynideans reputedly found and recorded this formla but it was lost when their civilisation was buried under the sands of the desert.
Gargantua: These variants of regular monsters are a matter of Chaos and mutation rather than human wizardry. Gargantuan trolls, ogres, minotaurs and hellhounds have been seen around some chaos portals, especially the ones in Aerisport and Maquosmouth
Gremlin: Surprisingly low level for the Companion set. However, these chaotic imp-like critters have originated from the Planes of Chaos, through Chaos Portals and have now spread out over Kaelaross, including civilised places such as Ironmarket, the Sterin Barony and Thaldion in Teiglin.
Golem, Mud: Added to the range of constructs controlled by the Students of Gerontium. Mud Golems are often used for patrolling the Maquos riverbed and estuary.
Golem, Obsidian: Possible, but unremarkable. Most mages creating constructs find other types more interesting or effective.
Grab Grass: As it does no damage, Grab Grass by itself is just an annoyance. Hoever, combining it with other creatures (particularly airborne, missile-using or otherwise avoiding the grass) it can be a nasty part of an ambush or set encounter.
Haunt: All three types are powerful undead intended to challenge high-level characters. Also given their natures, it seems better to say they are found occasionally, but do not have any specific ranges or habitats, although areas where other undead are found is more likely.
Malfera: These semi-demons come from one of the lower planes of Chaos and only rarely emerge from the Chaos Portals.
Manscorpion: Believed to have originally been a splinter-faction of the Cynideans who followed a chaotic god, possibly Slargor. When they were chased into the desert by other Cynideans angered by their bloody worship, Slargor turned them into manscorpions so that they could survive in the desert even when their former culture collapsed.
Manta Ray: These warm-water fishes are not normally found around temperate Toutus, but are more common around Bellenos including Tekhumis.
Mujina: These masters of deception are the creations of Pelepton. Though they have originated on the Planes of Chaos and emerged from Chaos Portals, they have spread out and infiltrated human society. They have been encountered in many different places, including the Walrus Freehold and Tekhumis.
Phantom: These three types of undead (Apparition, Shade and Vision) are all powerful and dangerous enough to rival vampires.
Rock or Cave Toad: This would have been better in either the Basic or Expert set as it is fairly low level, though it's hypnotic gaze sets it apart from more conventional giant toads. Colonies are found in pools, streams and rivers across Toutus (particularly the Twisted Hills) but not Bellenos - it prefers Temperate and Subarctic climates.
Shark: This is an entry that was in the Cook Expert set but not the Mentzer Expert set, so it was included in the Companion set. All three can be found in the seas of Kaelaross. The Great White and Bull Shark prefer warmer waters, while the Mako can be found along the coast of southern Toutus including off the shores of Teiglin and the Godsblood Straits. The Walrus Channel has its own type of shark, the Arctic Shark, that has the same stats as a Great White, but only moves at half the speed (90').
Snow Ape: These chaotic primates are found on high mountains, particularly those with glaciers and snowy caps. There are populations in the Grulven Mountains, the Cortacus Mountains and even some reported in the Valhorrian heights in Klantorr Island.
Spectral Hound: Since the "Dimensional Vortex" is not part of Kaelaross' cosmology, I'm not sure if the spectral hound fits into Kaelaross. If you swap the "Dimensional Vortex" with the Ethereal plane, then Spectral Hounds become more usable.
Spirit: The three types of spirit (Druj, Odic and Revenant) are intended to be even more powerful and challenging than the other types of undead (the Phantom and Haunt). While I would not exclude them, I am not sure exactly where or how they would fit into Kaelaross.
Weasel, Giant: These vicious predators are found in temperate woodlands across Toutus, including the Shorgan and Talloak forests.
Whale: Like the entry for sharks, this was in the Cook Expert set but not in the Mentzer Expert set. All three (Killer Whale, Narwhal, Sperm Whale) are found around Toutus, with the Narwhal preferring the cooler waters of the Walrus Freehold and Varreshiss Islands. Sperm Whales range widely across the deep oceans, and sometimes swim around the islands that used to be the Bellenos Empire.

Planar Creatures
Aerial Servant (Elemental Plane of Air)
Djinni, Greater (Elemental Plane of Air)
Efreeti, Greater (Elemental Plane of Fire)
Elemental (HD 1-32, Any Elemental Plane)
Helion (Elemental Plane of Fire)
Horde (Elemental Plane of Earth)
Hydrax (Elemental Plane of Water)
Kryst (Elemental Plane of Earth)
Plasm (Any Elemental Plane)
Undine (Elemental Plane of Water)
All these creatures are from the elemental planes rather than the planes of Law or Chaos. Since a lot of my posts have focused on the Chaos Portals and the creatures that travel from the Planes of Chaos into Kaelaross, these creatures offer a break from that. If any DM wants to take their game into the elemental planes, these creatures could well be useful.

Ideas from the Companion Boxed Set - Players Companion: Book One

Due to a rearranging of my furniture and books, I have rediscovered my D&D Companion rules, and I've decided to look through it and see what (if anything) I could use with Kaelaross and the B/X D&D I generally use. There are 2 books in the boxed set, one for players, the other for DMs.

In book 1 the following have caught my eye:
The Changing Game - This page looks at long term campaigns, long term goals and ambitions, and the changing nature of high-level adventures and campaigns - it could be much more than just going deeper into the dungeon to kill bigger monsters:

• Settling down and establishing strongholds
• Wide-ranging exploration
• Becoming a political player, or at least a force that rulers will be aware of
• The Planes of Existence
• Paths to Immortality

New Armour and Weapons - these weapons benefit from more explanation than just lines in a table - perhaps this could be done with other weapons.
Bastard Sword - I would allow dwarves to use it two-handed but not one handed, but probably not let halflings use it at all.
Blowgun - This weapon is reliant on poison, which brings up questions of ethics and game balance. I would expect those who use blowguns to start making checks to handle the poison correctly
Heavy Crossbow - I would say too big for halflings, but dwarves could cope with it
Net, whip and Bola - The Entangle/Slow/Delay effects offer interesting tactical options, though I am not sure about the effects being so dependent on target's level

Unarmed Combat - Better than in the 1st Ed AD&D DMG, but I'm sure a lot of DMs will want to at least tweak these rules, particularly in non-standard situations

Strongholds - I liked this section as a good introduction to players owning and maintaining their own places. One thing that crossed my mind was there was no mention of surviving, loyal henchmen from dungeon expeditions being offered good positions in a stronghold  "Bob, you've served me well in our times together in the Caverns of Chaos. Want a cushy position as the captain of the guard at my castle?"
 It's interesting that the expected wages of some of the castle staff are quite expensive, thus prompting either further adventuring for loot, or else careful government of the PC's lands to generate tax revenue.
In Kaelaross I can well imagine powerful PCs setting up their own strongholds, or perhaps being asked by a ruler to look after a borderland village or keep that is proving troublesome or vulnerable to attack. Imagine if the town council of Ironmarket asked the PCs to capture Charsis - in return they get to govern it.

Character Class Descriptions: This half of the book gives some straight-forward extensions for human character classes for levels 15-25, including experience needed, spells per day, improved thief skills and the like. There are also spells for levels 6-7 for clerics and 7-9 for magic users. All of this is a no-brainer for inclusion - of course it's accepted as part of gaming in Kaelaross. Heck, it's the basic reason for the Companion Set's existence - everything else is optional add-ons.
Interestingly it offers all human characters a choice - settle down and set up a stronghold (see above) or wander around the campaign world. Wandering around offers further options for each class.

The Druid is introduced as a proto-prestige class - once a neutral cleric reaches 9th level he may choose to undergo the training necessary to become a druid. I like the idea that druids can't use metal - only leather, wood, stone and bone. This could lead to some interesting magic weapons created by druids for druids.
I am not sure about actually having druids as part of Kaelaross - it could be more of a step away from the B/X feel than I am prepared for yet. I won't say never, but I will say not yet. Haaken is a deity I created as a possible patron of druids, so if I did introduce druids, he would be the one to instruct them.
As for the druid spells, I might consider Haaken granting them to his conventional clerics in exceptional circumstances.

Wandering Fighters have the options of becoming knights, paladins or avengers. Like the druid, these are proto-prestige classes, with quite a few abilities (casting clerical spells) and roleplaying restrictions (loyalty to a liege).
I'm not sure I would actually have these as part of gaming in Kaelaross, at least not as written. I've already written about orders of knights in Toutus, and I view knighthood as something to be roleplayed rather than additional abilities to be min-maxed. Offering intrinsic benefits to a fighter who is roleplayed as a knight as opposed to one roleplayed as a gladiator, a professional soldier, a bodyguard or a barbarian does not sit well with me.

Magic Users - I'm amused by the bit about PC magic users settling down and building their own dungeon and inviting monsters to move in! However, I do not take this very seriously, and if any of my PCs tried this, I don't think I'd let them get away easily with "farming" the dungeon for looted treasure. The note about Magists being the wizard-in-residence at a powerful NPC's stronghold is an interesting alternative to the mage maintaining his own domain. Perhaps this could be applied to other classes (a PC cleric becomes a resident Chaplain, a PC fighter becomes a resident Marshal of the Guard, a PC thief becomes a resident Spymaster?)

Thieves similarly have the opportunity to either become guildmasters in a town (their equivalent of settling down into a stronghold) or else wander around as a rogue (interesting use of an over-used name).

Demihumans in the Companion Set have reached their maximum levels. And here things aren't so adaptable or suited for adventuring. The book talks about clan relics, but I can't really see these being very useful as they can't be carried around in your backpack into the dungeon or wilderness. They also seem quite specific - not exactly world-specific, but each race has just one possible clan relic, and there isn't much leeway offered to DMs or players wanting to do something different with top-level demihumans.
Because I have added new classes for demihumans in Kaelaross (namely the Dwarven Cleric, the Halfling Defender and the Elven Ranger), and also added extra levels to "standard" halflings (known in Kaelaross as Halfling Scouts) I am aware I have already sort of interfered with the Companion set's ideas of what demihumans should do at this level. The spellcasters (particularly dwarven cleric and halfling defender) make clan relics sort of redundant, or at least can cast spells that are similar to the relic's effects.
The additional attack ranks and special defences are worth bearing in mind, and if any demihuman PC reached  top level and continued to keep track of XP, I would allow them these extra bonuses as some compensation for their level limits.

Kaelaross and the Monster Manual

Although my intentions earlier in the blog were to keep Kaelaross clearly B/X D&D, separate and distinct from AD&D, I have decided to relax a bit. If I were to allow monsters from 1st Edition Monster Manual into Kaelaross, which ones would I use? Note that I don't expect those who read this blog to necessarily have the book, and I won't make them central to any adventures on this blog without giving them B/X D&D stats. If you do want B/X D&D stats for these, you could try Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion.

Boar, Giant - Although not as common as their lesser cousins, giant boar are known to inhabit the warmer areas of Toutus, including the Howling Forest (near the Godsblood Straits).

Brownie - These fey creatures related to sprites and pixies have been touched by the powers of Law. Although very shy and wary of bigger folk, brownies are nonetheless useful allies against Chaos. They have been known to ally with powerful lawful mages as familiars, and also found in both the Shorgan Forest and the Talloak forest.

Couatl - These agents of Law, when not on the Planes of Law, are found in warmer, tropical climates and rarely in Toutus.

Demons, all - All these demons could be found in the Planes of Chaos, and could travel to the Material Plane either through a Chaos Portal or individual summoning

Dragon, Silver - Silver dragons are as rare as gold dragons and, like them, can disguise themselves to blend in with lesser races. Silver dragons are known to be friendly with lawful clerics and deities but, unlike lammasu and shedu, are not in servitude or owe any great loyalty. Tales of silver-bearded dwarves transforming into silver dragons have occasionally been heard both in the Grulven Mountains and the Ten Peaks.

Ghast - These stinking undead are primarily found in Narvellis, in the Varreshiss Islands, but apparently some clerics of Storshin have discovered a ritual to transform normal ghouls into ghasts and are travelling from one region to another looking for ghouls to transform.

Ghoul, Lacedon  - These undead are found in the waters around the Varreshiss Islands, particularly the cursed and haunted Narvellis Island with its undead masters.

Golem, Flesh, Stone & Iron - These constructs are among the most powerful that a magic user can create.  The students of Gerontium in Maquosmouth would be most impressed if they found out how to create these.

Irish Elk - These huge majestic herbivores are found in northern climates, including the hills and plains of the Walrus Freehold, and on some of the Varreshiss Islands.

Ki-Rin - These heavenly creatures are very rarely seen except on the Planes of Law. When they do appear on the Material Plane, it is to oversee the fight against some terrible evil foe. Ignore the psionics and give them 1 clerical spell from each level from 1st to 7th

Koalinth (aquatic hobgoblin) - These creatures are believed to have come through the Chaos Portal created in the sunken city of Urdus, and now have set up bases around the Godsblood Straits. They often clash with their main rivals, the Sahuagin.

Lamia - These chaotic deceivers are found in ruined, desolate areas including the Twisted Hills and the Godsblood Hills. They are also found on the Planes of Chaos, and most of the lamias on the Material Plane came through the Chaos Portals.

Lammasu - These noble creatures of Law will sometimes be sent by Lawful deities to assist or advise their mortal followers. They are also found on the Planes of Law.

Leucrotta - These strange predators are definitely chaotic in nature, and are found near some chaos portals, including Maquosmouth and Aerisport in the Godsblood Straits.

Lurker Above - These strange ambushers dwell underground. They have evolved in the Underworld, but have adapted and thrived in deliberately created dungeons.

Morkoth - These strange underwater predators are not common, but can be found in deep waters, including off the western coast of Toutus such as around the Vareshiss Isles and Godsblood Straits. Sages believe, based on survivors accounts, that these are not natural creatures but evil monsters of Chaos.

Ogre Mage - Rather than being a separate species, on Kaelaross, Ogre mages are ogre leaders who have made a dark pact with a powerful chaos god (usually Bhael) and been transformed. They may either be on their own or else among a band of normal ogres either as leader or as lieutenant to an ogre chief.

Peryton - Bizarre stag-headed predators. They could only be a creation of Chaos, and their vicious behaviour confirms this. A few have been sighted around the Chaos Portal in Aerisport, while others are seen in the Twisted Hills south of the Walrus Freehold

Quasit - These demonic imps are often found in areas where other demons are found. Also they may ally themselves to a particularly chaotic and unpleasant magic user.

Rakshasa - Originating in Pelepton's home plane of Aegothis, these tiger-faced shapeshifters have slipped through chaos portals and have now infiltrated surviving cities around Kaelaross such as Ironmarket and Trislem.

Remorhaz - These giant polar worms are found on the icecap north of the Walrus Freehold. They are not natural creatures but are thought to have come through a portal from Noreesis Vale (change alignment from neutral to chaotic).

Roper - Sages believe that although these creatures may have started off as natural creatures in the Underworld, they have been touched by Chaos and are found in some planes of Chaos as well as dungeons and the underworld.

Sahuagin - These violent sea raiders are the bane of both other sea creatures and shore-dwelling land folk. They are thought to have originated in the Planes of Chaos, but several outposts have been established around the chaos portal in Urdus where they clash with both the Koalinths and the mermen in the area.

Satyr - these wild and unpredictable fey are notorious for their appetites for wine, music, dancing and women. They are found in small groups in the largest forests, including the Shorgan Forest, the Talloak Forest and even the Twilight Forest.

Shedu - Along with Ki-Rin, Couatls and Lammasus, these are the messengers and agents of the Lawful gods sent to assist and advise their mortal followers in their battle against the forces of Chaos. Ignore the psionics and give them spellcasting as if 7th level magic users.

Slithering Tracker - These amorphous predators may be related to less intelligent slimes and oozes. They are found in both dark dungeons and also the sprawling caverns of the Underworld.

Toad, Ice - These creatures are found in the far north, on the ice floes and icecap north of the Walrus Channel. They only come onto human lands during the bitterest winter, though there are records of a band of ice toads causing trouble among trappers and hunters north of Walrus City a few years back.

Umber Hulk - These huge monsters are creatures of chaos, placed in the Underworld by dark powers (such as Havok) to cause as much disruption and death to miners and explorers as possible.

Water Weird - These malevolent creatures are found in the Elemental Plane of Water, but have been tainted by Chaos, giving them an evil urge to kill. They rarely occur in bodies of water such as seas, rivers, lakes, underground pools or even village wells.

Winter Wolf - These chaotic predators originated from the Chaos Plane known as Noreesis Vale, but have slipped through a chaos portal and now roam the northernmost reaches of Kaelaross, including the Icemud Tundra and Twilight Forest as well as the island of Cortacus in the Walrus Freehold.

Xorn - These creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth don't often occur on the Material Plane, but when they do it is either at the beckoning of a powerful spellcaster or else deep in the Underworld.

Others, which I have not had time to comment on, include:
Aerial Servant
Ankheg
Axebeak
Barracuda
Beetle, Giant Rhinoceros
Catoblepas
Eagle, Giant
Frog, Giant
Frog, Killer
Gar, Giant
Gargoyle, Kopoacinth
Groaning Spirit
Hippocampus
Hippopotamus
Ixitxachitl
Jackalwere
Larva
Leech, Giant
Leprechaun
Lich
Lizard, Giant Fire
Lizard, Giant Minotaur
Locathah
Mimic
Mindflayer
Naga, Spirit & Guardian
Night Hag
Nightmare
Nymph
Otyugh
Owl, Giant
Pike, Giant
Porcupine, Giant
Sea Hag
Shambling Mound
Slug, Giant
Sphinx, Andro
Sphinx, Hieraco
Triton
Will-o-Wisp
Wind Walker
Wolverine, Giant
Yeti

Reanimating Other Species

Most animated skeletons and zombies are either human or close enough to human bodies that there is no significant difference.
However, there may well be situations where a caster wants to animate something else, something definitely not human.
According to the Labyrinth Lord rules for Animate Dead:

"These creatures are unintelligent, and do not retain any abilities they had in life. All skeletons have an AC of 7 and hit dice equal to the creature in life. Zombies have an AC of 8 and the number of hit dice of the living creature +1"

Beyond this I expect the DM/Labyrinth Lord would use his judgement in deciding the rest of the animated creatures' stats.
My guidelines that I would use are:

• I would slow down any movement of zombies by half, to a minimum of 30' per round. Skeletons move at the same speed as they would in life.
• Swimming and burrowing are possible. Flight is possible (but slow and unmanoeuvrable at half speed, minimum 90' per turn) for zombie creatures, but not skeletal ones as feathers for birds or skin for bat-like wings would decay away with the rest of the flesh. 
• Attacks and damage I would keep the same as the living creature, except that zombie creatures always attack last. If fighting PCs with slow weapons that mean they would attack last, the zombies and PCs roll for initiative after the normal-speed creatures have resolved their actions. 
• Saving throws are for fighter levels of half the original creature's hit dice - for unintelligent beasts this may mean no change from when they were alive.
• Morale is always 12 - animated dead are fearless
• As undead creatures, animated skeletons and zombies are immune to sleep, charm, hold and other mind-affecting spells. They are also immune to poison and death magic.  
• Organic poisons deteriorate along with the rest of the creature's body. Only zombie creatures freshly animated can use poison at full effectiveness. After the first day, victims of possible poison attacks gain +1 to their saving throws per day after the creatures death until after 19 days the poison has become completely ineffective. Skeletal creatures don't have the fleshy venom sacs to hold the poison. 
• Although the animated creature is mindless (intelligence 0), its alignment is chaotic, as dark magic infuses its being, giving it an intuitive urge to kill the living. 
• Treasure is irrelevant to these mindless creatures, so they won't have any of their own, though they could be placed as guardians or there may be incidental treasure in their area. 
• Creatures with obvious hard natural armour could retain their armour class, but this is DM judgement call. 
• Creatures with less than 1 HD become 1 HD zombies, or 1/2 HD (1d4 hp) skeletons

Although not explicitly stated in the rules, I think I would restrict Animate Dead to deceased animal things - no animated undead plants, oozes or fungi. As for invertebrates (giant spiders, purple worms, giant beetles, carrion crawlers) I would say that they could be reanimated as zombies, but not skeletons (chitinous exoskeletons decay too quickly to be left after the rest of the flesh has gone, and soft-bodied worms don't even have that). Elemental creatures don't have organic bodies, neither do ethereal creatures.

Here are a few examples from the Hideout of the Gang of Three: (rooms 18 and 26)
Minotaur zombie (AC 8, Move 60' HD 7, THAC0 13, Att 1 horn/1 bite for 1d6/1d6, always attacks last, Ml 12 (fearless), Int 0, XP 440)
Ogre zombie (AC 8, Move 60', HD 5+1, THAC0 14, Att 1 club for 1d10, always attacks last, Ml 12 (fearless), Align Chaotic, Int 0, XP 260 each)
Ogre skeleton (AC 7 Move 90' HD 4, THAC0 16, Att 1 club for 1d10, Ml 12 (fearless) Align chaotic, Int 0, XP 80)

And some commonly encountered species
Giant rat zombie: AC 8, Move 60'/Swim 60', HD 1, THAC0 19, Att 1 bite for 1d4, always attacks last, Ml 12 (fearless), Align Chaotic, Int 0, XP 10
Wolf skeleton: AC 7, Move 180', HD 2+2, THAC0  17, Att 1 bite for 1d6, Ml 12 (fearless), Align Chaotic, Int 0, XP 35
Giant hawk zombie: AC 8, Move 30'/fly 210', HD 4+3, THAC0 15, Att 1 bite for 1d6, Ml 12 (fearless), Align chaotic, Int 0, XP 150
6-headed hydra skeleton: AC 7, Move 60', HD 6, THAC0 14, Att 6 bites for 1d10 each, Ml 12 (fearless), Align chaotic, Int 0, XP 570
Rhagodessa zombie: AC 8, Move 90', HD 5+2, THAC0 14, Att 1 bite for 2d8, Ml 12 (fearless), Align chaotic, Int 0, XP 260
Purple Worm zombie: AC 8, Move 30', HD 16, THAC0 8, Att 1 bite/1 sting for 2d8/1d8, Ml 12 (fearless), align chaotic, Int 0, XP 1500
Centaur Skeleton: AC 7, Move 180', HD 4, THAC0 16, Att 2 hooves/1 weapon for 1d6/1d6/1d6, Ml 12 (fearless), align chaotic, Int 0, XP 80

Dragons in Kaelaross

Most dragons have been around in Kaelaross for eons - since elves can remember, at least. These dragons are
There are six main species:
White Dragons live in arctic and high mountains where there is snow and ice.
Black Dragons live in swamps and also underground
Green Dragons live in forests and jungles
Blue Dragons live in deserts and wide open plains
Red Dragons live in mountains and hills
Gold Dragons live in any habitat, including among humans.

All species have three main stages of growth - small, large and huge. These are generally a matter of age, not lineage. If you have the Rules Cyclopedia or Companion rules, then use the stats there. Otherwise small dragons use normal hit dice and damage, large dragons have 1.5 x normal hit dice and damage and -2 bonus to AC, while huge dragons have double the normal hit dice and damage and -4 bonus to AC. Obviously DMs are encouraged to adjust stats as they see fit.

Small dragons are relatively young (less than a century old), while large dragons are between one and five centuries old. Huge dragons are more than just big monsters - they are powerful forces that shape nations and landscapes, and can destroy populations. While small dragons are often unintelligent and animalistic, large dragons are cunning enough to acquire followers, guards and servants. Huge dragons are intelligent enough to either dominate hundreds of lesser creatures or else form alliances with powerful groups. As they acquire treasure, they may use this treasure to bribe or hire agents of other species, and fear and awe are also powerful motives - an ancient dragon who is wary of adventurers trying to steal his treasure may well have one or more spies in towns near his lair where adventurers would gather before an expedition. The same dragon may well have an agreement with tribes in the wilderness near its lair, while Charm Monster is a very useful spell if the dragon can learn it.

There is also considerable variation within each species, and were it not for a combination of academic study and certain subtle similar features, one might suppose there were far more species than there actually are. As it is, crossbreeding among these variants produces the base type. Cerulean dragons can breed with Ultramarine dragons to produce "normal" blue dragons, and Crimson dragons can breed with Sanguine dragons to produce "normal" red dragons.

Variants of red dragons are discussed here
Variants of blue dragons are discussed here
Variants of green dragons are discussed here
Variants of white dragons are discussed here
Variants of black dragons are discussed here

Some dragons have emerged from the Chaos Portals created during the Summoning, and as such can be found near, or even as part of, the armies of Chaos. Such creatures, regardless of their species or variant, are always chaotic and malevolent towards lesser creatures.

Known dragons of Kaelaross include:
Jadefury of the Talloak Forest and her family
Red Dragons (presumably small ones) are rarely found in the Godsblood Hills
Green Dragons (again small ones) are occasionally sighted in the Shorgan Forest
Small and large red and blue dragons are found in the Twisted Hills

Barbarians in Kaelaross

So far it seems that most humans in Kaelaross are survivors of the four collapsed empires. Large though the Empires were, they did not cover all the land of Kaelaross. Once the Empires had established themselves, most of the barbarians, especially those neighbouring the Empires, were pushed aside, conquered or assimilated. By the time of the Wars between the Empires, the remaining barbarians had been marginalized to areas neither profitable nor strategically important. With the collapse of the Empires, the barbarian tribes are more free to expand and reclaim their old lands, and to plunder the ruins and survivors of the Empires. After centuries of conquest, persecution, exploitation and punitive raids there is little love lost between the barbarians and the empires.


The barbarians have never embraced Law much - they are usually neutral or sometimes chaotic. Their attitude towards the forces of Chaos that have emerged from the Chaos Portals varies. Some have pledged outright allegience to one of the Chaos Gods (Slargor is popular among barbarians). Others view Chaos as an ally of convenience, others are rivals to Chaos. Some barbarians (particularly the neutral, less bloodthirsty tribes) consider the forces of Chaos as an enemy to be destroyed, at least as dangerous and destructive as the Human empires.


In terms of B/X D&D and Labyrinth Lord, human barbarians are generally fighters, though their scouts may be thieves and their shamans are treated as clerics. Magic users are a lot rarer than in the remains of the four empires, and some barbarian cultures do not permit magic users at all. Barbarians are notoriously wary of wizards, and some are violently hostile to them. 
As an optional rule, DMs may allow barbarians who shun all armour except shields to double their dexterity bonus to AC (this has also been used for swashbucklers who do not wear armour either). As most barbarians are fighters, they can wear armour, even plate mail, if they wish, but then they lose the additional dex bonus. Some folks might think that they should be allowed to keep the double dexterity bonus while wearing leather armour, but I disagree. The Celts and the Germanic tribes who fought the Romans shunned all armour, and Native Americans, South African Zulus, jungle tribesmen from the Congo and Amazon and most Central Asian horsemen (Huns & Mongols) did not wear armour. Most warriors who wore leather armour were not barbarians as I understand it. 
Although not the stereotypical barbarian, demihuman tribes are sometimes included, particularly when they have shunned Imperial lifestyle and authority. The elves and centaurs of the Shorgan Forest fit this description.
Humanoids such as orcs, goblins, gnolls and kobolds are not normally classed as barbarians but as monsters, as they are considered inherently chaotic and unable to become civilized. Whether this is absolutely true is a matter of debate, but so far all attempts to civilize such races have failed badly - you can teach a kobold how to hold a knife and fork correctly but the little bastard will still try to stab you with them. Barbarians from a Kaelaross point of view are uncivilized members of a civilized race


The known realms of human barbarians include:
The Siluri of the Talloak Forest in between the Godsblood Straits and Iryanland - they are now a shadow of their former might, when they used to attack and raid the Dwarves of the Ten Peaks. 
The Cheruscu of the Twilight Forest in the Walrus Freehold
The Garavu of the Twisted Hills in the Walrus Freehold

The Rules I Use

This blog has an element of nostalgia to it. My first D&D rules were the D&D Basic rules edited by Tom Moldvay and with the Erol Otus cover.

The next was the D&D Expert rules edited by Frank Mentzer and with the Larry Elmore cover.

Unlike some folk, I consider the Moldvay and Mentzer printings to be the same edition with very little changes in the rules (though presentation changed greatly, obviously) and when I talk about Classic D&D I use the term for both the Moldvay and Mentzer sets - I don't think anyone with either set will have problems incorporating the new options from this blog (though whether they want to is another question).

I have dabbled in 1E AD&D, 2E AD&D and 3E D&D. Although I am not writing this blog with any of those rules sets in mind, I am quite happy for other folks to adapt and borrow as they see fit - either adapting ideas from AD&D to the Basic D&D rules or converting ideas on this blog to their prefered D&D edition. However, I will assume that folks reading and borrowing from this blog don't have AD&D or 3E, so I'll try not to include stuff that depends on having those books.

I have also got the D&D Companion Rules, the natural extension of the Mentzer Basic & Expert sets. I will be honest - I haven't really used the Companion rules in play as my Classic D&D campaigns didn't last that long. Nonetheless, I still treat most of the Companion set as part of the rules I am using. Some folks feel that B/X D&D should mean just the Moldvay Basic & Expert rules - I am not so strict. Certainly the monster, new spells and continued advancement of existing classes is welcome. However, I don't use druids - not in the same way as the Companion rules uses them - I don't take too seriously the options for companion level characters .

I've also got the Rules Cyclopedia, which gathered together all the Mentzer rulebooks into one hardback volume. It is probably the best single RPG book I have, and if I go on holiday, it is the go-to D&D book I will take. It is more compact than a DMG, PHB and MM (whichever edition) and the rules are simpler.

I will admit I was paying little attention to Classic D&D until the Old School Rennaisance - the OSR. The two most important sets of rules from my point of view, and the two that grabbed my attention in the early days, were OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord. In their early days both were free to download. This greatly improved their uptake, and I don't know if I would have looked at either of them had I been asked to pay for them.

I ended up with Labyrinth Lord, as the rules are generally simpler, and have fewer quirks and oddities carried over from the rules which they clone. These got me back thinking about the glory days of Basic D&D, the B & X series of modules, and the simplicity was a refreshing change from the splat-heavy 3E/3.5E I was getting tired of. I hope that whatever I write in this blog is as compatible with Labyrinth Lord as it is with classic D&D.  I have not tried to incorporate anything from Advanced Edition Companion into this blog as I consider this blog to be primarily for B/X D&D rather than Labyrinth Lord.


OD&D is something from before my time. I have never actually picked up any of the little brown books or white box, and as such I don't feel the need to cater to that particular niche. Of course, I hope that those who do play OD&D or its retroclones will find something of use on this blog.

Although in personal campaigns and writings I have merrily converted dozens of monsters and NPCs from other games to D&D/LL, I have decided not to mess around with things that could be considered breaches of copyright on this blog. Thus I will leave alone my conversion of the monsters from the DOOM computer game, monsters and NPCs from the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and classes and creatures from Warhammer Fantasy Battle such as skaven and chaos warriors. Besides, I'm sure that lots of other folks out there have done the same, and you can find them somewhere on the Internet.