Character classes
There are only the four character classes: Cleric, Fighter, Magic-user and Thief. All other character classes are variations on these. Players should use their traits to tailor their character class to the type of character they wish to be. A Necromancer is a magic-user, or possibly a cleric, whose spell choices and traits are all tailored to dealing with the dead. A Paladin is a fighter whose player plays him as good and chooses traits that reflect the skills a Paladin might be expected to have. The Paladin might multi-class as a Cleric at higher levels to gain the special favour of their god and access to Cleric spells. It is easy enough to import elements of other versions of D&D if necessary to reflect particular types of characters (ideas for traits and spells, for example)
The racial classes from BECMI will not be imported. If you want to play as a BECMI Elf, you should multi-class your Elven character as a Fighter and a Magic-User.
Leveling up
The Scarlet Heroes experience system is too deterministic for my tastes, so all player characters will follow the Basic D&D Fighter experience table. There are no limits on level for demihuman characters. All characters can theoretically reach level 36, if they can survive that long.Experience points
There is no experience for treasure acquired. Treasure is its own reward. You may buy training at a rate of 1gp per 1xp gained if you can find someone to train you but you may not gain more xps than you had at the start of the training session from any given training session.
There will be no scaling of experience for defeating monsters for solo characters because the solo character will not be sharing that experience with other characters. Not having to share should equate to a standard progression
Successful use of skills/traits in a stressful situation (i.e. not sitting there picking the lock on your footlocker in your inn room) is worth 10xp times the character's current level.
It is probably worth noting that defeating monsters does not always mean killing them!
Occasional xp awards will be made for particularly good problem solving or anything that I think is especially good/entertaining for me.
There is no experience for treasure acquired. Treasure is its own reward. You may buy training at a rate of 1gp per 1xp gained if you can find someone to train you but you may not gain more xps than you had at the start of the training session from any given training session.
There will be no scaling of experience for defeating monsters for solo characters because the solo character will not be sharing that experience with other characters. Not having to share should equate to a standard progression
Successful use of skills/traits in a stressful situation (i.e. not sitting there picking the lock on your footlocker in your inn room) is worth 10xp times the character's current level.
It is probably worth noting that defeating monsters does not always mean killing them!
Occasional xp awards will be made for particularly good problem solving or anything that I think is especially good/entertaining for me.
Upkeep
Rather than calculating the costs of staying at inns and buying new clothes, characters will now pay a general upkeep fee out of their earnings. At the start of each month the appropriate fee will be deducted to represent the cost of food, lodgings and clothing. This does not cover the costs of extended stays in the wilderness, for which characters will need to buy suitable rations to take with them, or they will need to hunt. The amount spent each month will also indicate how well a character dresses and will be an indicator of which level of social status they appear to belong to. Characters may still buy special clothes and unique items as usual, but their overall appearance will be dictated by how much their upkeep is.
The basic upkeep cost will be 25 Royals per month. This means that you are living like the average person. If anyone wishes to spend less in a given month, then they may do so but it comes with reaction penalties in some social situations for looking grubby and smelling bad! Essentially, my idea is that halving the upkeep cost gives you a +1 reaction penalty.
1.56 Royals = +4 reaction penalty and -1 penalty on resisting disease/poison
3.12 Royals = +3 reaction penalty
6.25 Royals = +2 reaction penalty
12.5 Royals = +1 reaction penalty
25 Royals = 0 reaction
50 Royals = -1 reaction bonus
100 Royals = -2 reaction bonus
200 Royals = -3 reaction bonus
400 Royals = -4 reaction bonus
Spending less than the minimum of 3.125 Royals will result in a higher chance of getting ill, because it basically involves starving yourself too much.
The idea is that each doubling or halving of the base number will increase the penalty or bonus by 1 up to a maximum of +4 or -4. The reaction adjustment only applies in some situations, such as trying to impress a wealthy merchant. It might also count against you in some circumstances: if you look rich then thieves may target you more or merchants may try to charge you more.
Money-changing
In Karameikos only coins that are current issue may be spent. This means that any old coins must be exchanged at a moneyer's before a person may spend their new-found wealth. Money-changers charge 10% of the value changed for this privilege.
Guild Fees
PC guild members are expected to pay 15% of their earnings to their guild in return for the benefits of guild membership. The benefits vary according to the guild.
Taxes
Once every quarter the tax collectors gather and fall like ravenous scavengers upon the people. Taxes are paid at a flat rate of 25%. PCs may attempt to conceal some or all of their earnings from the tax collectors but penalties are harsh if they are caught. That said, creative accounting is practised by most businesspeople!
Please note that I shall review these house rules and will adjust them as I see fit if I think they are unbalancing the campaign as currently written.
Rather than calculating the costs of staying at inns and buying new clothes, characters will now pay a general upkeep fee out of their earnings. At the start of each month the appropriate fee will be deducted to represent the cost of food, lodgings and clothing. This does not cover the costs of extended stays in the wilderness, for which characters will need to buy suitable rations to take with them, or they will need to hunt. The amount spent each month will also indicate how well a character dresses and will be an indicator of which level of social status they appear to belong to. Characters may still buy special clothes and unique items as usual, but their overall appearance will be dictated by how much their upkeep is.
The basic upkeep cost will be 25 Royals per month. This means that you are living like the average person. If anyone wishes to spend less in a given month, then they may do so but it comes with reaction penalties in some social situations for looking grubby and smelling bad! Essentially, my idea is that halving the upkeep cost gives you a +1 reaction penalty.
1.56 Royals = +4 reaction penalty and -1 penalty on resisting disease/poison
3.12 Royals = +3 reaction penalty
6.25 Royals = +2 reaction penalty
12.5 Royals = +1 reaction penalty
25 Royals = 0 reaction
50 Royals = -1 reaction bonus
100 Royals = -2 reaction bonus
200 Royals = -3 reaction bonus
400 Royals = -4 reaction bonus
Spending less than the minimum of 3.125 Royals will result in a higher chance of getting ill, because it basically involves starving yourself too much.
The idea is that each doubling or halving of the base number will increase the penalty or bonus by 1 up to a maximum of +4 or -4. The reaction adjustment only applies in some situations, such as trying to impress a wealthy merchant. It might also count against you in some circumstances: if you look rich then thieves may target you more or merchants may try to charge you more.
Money-changing
In Karameikos only coins that are current issue may be spent. This means that any old coins must be exchanged at a moneyer's before a person may spend their new-found wealth. Money-changers charge 10% of the value changed for this privilege.
Guild Fees
PC guild members are expected to pay 15% of their earnings to their guild in return for the benefits of guild membership. The benefits vary according to the guild.
Taxes
Once every quarter the tax collectors gather and fall like ravenous scavengers upon the people. Taxes are paid at a flat rate of 25%. PCs may attempt to conceal some or all of their earnings from the tax collectors but penalties are harsh if they are caught. That said, creative accounting is practised by most businesspeople!
Please note that I shall review these house rules and will adjust them as I see fit if I think they are unbalancing the campaign as currently written.
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