Each session must end in a friendly settlement/haven. If the party fails to make it out of a hazardous area before the end of the session, they will suffer ill effects.
If you're left with a fraction/decimal, round down to the nearest whole number.
When discussion cannot resolve the outcome of an action, and/or other mechanics are not suitable, the Referee may call for a character to make an Ability Check. The aim is to roll equal to or less than the relevant ability score on a number of d6 dice, as follows depending on the difficulty of the task:
Easy | 2d6
Ordinary | 3d6
Hard | 4d6
Available equipment, environmental conditions, assistance etc. will add/remove d6s as appropriate.
We use the Lamentation of the Flame Princess d6 skill system. Skills are as follows (default 1-in-6, unless specified):
Architecture | Noticing architectural tricks, construction age and styles, sloping passages etc.
Bushcraft | Foraging and hunting, finding fresh water, navigation and orienteering etc.
Climb | Climbing sheer surfaces.
Search | Searching a 10' area, listening out for strange noises, finding secret doors etc.
Sleight of Hand | Picking pockets, readying a weapon unnoticed, hiding a held object etc.
Sneak Attack | Multiplies damage dealt by a surprise attack by the number of points a Thief assigns to this skill.
Stealth | Melting into the shadows, blending into the background, moving quietly, concealing one's presence etc.
Tinker | Picking locks, interacting with mechanisms etc.
Western Isles Open Table is an AI-free space.
Minimum attribute requirements for classes and prime requisite attributes are both removed.
All HD are d6s. Fighters & Dwarves roll two Hit Dice and choose the better result.
All characters begin play knowing Menelaic. Demihuman classes know the following additional languages:
Dwarves: Gorym.
Elves: Somneric.
Halflings: The Cant of your clan.
Other known languages include:
High Korathi
Old Minoic
Knosic
Orchomeni
Cyclopes
Redmetre
Instead of choosing additional languages during character creation, you may hold your known languages in reserve and, upon first encountering a language, declare that you know it. This may not be possible for some languages.
Clerics are Lawful. Elves and Magic-Users are Chaotic. Other classes may choose freely.
Clerics, Dwarves, Elves, Fighters, Halflings and Thieves may use any weapon/armour, with the following caveats:
Clerics and Elves must have a free hand to cast spells.
Dwarves cannot wield longbows. Halflings cannot wield longbows or Heavy weapons.
A Thief wearing Medium or Heavy armour loses their skill bonuses.
Magic-Users may wield staves or any one-handed weapon and can wear any armour they choose, but cannot cast spells while wearing armour.
Can cast a single level 1 Cleric spell at 1st level. Turn Undead can be used against hostile Chaotic foes at one-third strength, i.e. a 3rd level Cleric counts as a 1st level Cleric when turning Chaotic entities. Protection from Evil is now simply Protection, providing effects against all opponents.
Begin with a +2 Attack Bonus, which increases by +1 per level gained.
Begin knowing 3 randomly determined 1st level spells, and Read Magic. Detect Magic is no longer a spell. Instead, a Magic-User may concentrate uninterrupted on an object within 30' for a Turn to determine whether it is imbued with magic or not. This does not reveal any details about the type of magic present. Protection from Evil is now simply Protection, providing effects against all opponents.
Use a d6 skill system instead of the d100 system as written. Thieves begin play with 6 skill points to distribute among their skills as they choose. When using a skill, the Thief must roll equal to or less than their skill rating. If a Thief has a skill rating of 6 in an ability, they roll 2 dice and the test only fails if a double 6 is rolled. Increasing the rating of the Backstab skill increases the amount of bonus damage done by 1, i.e. a Thief with a Backstab skill of 1 deals +1d6 damage, a skill of 2 deals +2d6 damage etc.. A Thief gains +2 skill points with each increase in level.
Begin play with a 3-in-6 Architecture skill, which increases by 1 in line with their Attack Bonus (levels 4, 7, and 10).
Begin play with a 2-in-6 Search skill, which increases by 1 in line with their Attack Bonus (levels 4, 7, and 10).
Begin play with a 3-in-6 Bushcraft skill, which increases by 1 in line with their Attack Bonus (levels 4, 7, and 10).
We use Attack Bonuses rather than a Hit-Matrix or THAC0. Attacks are resolved as follows:
Roll 1d20.
Add your attack bonus, relevant modifiers, and the target's Armour Class to the result.
The attack hits if the result is 20 or more.
Single-handed weapons may be dual-wielded. The off-hand weapon must deal Light damage. Attacks with the main hand suffer a -2 penalty, but the character may make a second attack each Round with their off-hand weapon at a -4 penalty.
Attackers gain a +2 Attack Bonus for each friendly combatant engaging the same target in melee combat.
May be sacrificed by the target of a successful attack before damage is rolled. Doing so destroys the shield but prevents the target from harm. Magical shields may absorb as many blows per day as their Armour Class bonus.
Damage dealt which reduces a player character (PC) or retainer to 0hp or less knocks them unconscious. They lose 1hp/round until attended to, and die if they reach -10hp. These 'negative hp' heal at a rate of 1 per Turn once the character is attended to with bandages, until they regain consciousness at 1hp and normal healing commences. The attack which knocks a PC out 'overflows', i.e. a PC on 3hp is dealt 6 damage, reducing them to -3hp - they fall unconscious and begin to lose 1hp/round from -3hp. An attack which reduces a PC/retainer to -10hp kills them instantly and messily.
An uninterrupted night's rest with food, a fire, and a comfy place to sleep (a bedroll, at minimum) restores 1hp. Lacking any of these prevents healing.
A foe bound, held, knocked unconscious or otherwise immobilised is at your mercy and can be killed instantly. Unaware targets can be assassinated instantly if you can feasibly circumvent any armour, land a good enough blow etc.
A character can carry a number of packed items equivalent to their Armour Class + 5. A character's worn armour & shield, equipped weapon(s), and up to 3 readied items (carried in pockets, on the belt etc.) do not count towards this limit. 250 coins/gems counts as an item. Some things can be carried in a bundle, counting as a single item. Tiny items don't count towards encumbrance. Carrying over this limit encumbers a character, halving their movement speed and rendering them liable to fall and drop things. Carrying double this limit overburdens a character and will rapidly exhaust them.
Containers
A backpack itself is not encumbering, and can hold up to 8 items. A large sack can hold up to 8 items but must be carried in both hands. A small sack holds 4 items and can be carried in one hand.
A character's movement speed while exploring/in combat is determined by the weight of their armour:
Unarmoured | 120'/40'
Light/Medium Armour | 90'/30'
Heavy Armour | 60'/20'
All weapons deal 1d6 damage. Light weapons roll twice and choose the lowest result. Medium weapons roll once. Heavy weapons roll twice and choose the better result.
We use the Wolves Upon the Coast weapon abilities:
Battle-axe (Medium) | After damage is rolled, reduce the result by 3 and roll a second attack - if successful, a weapon or shield is ripped from the grip of the opponent.
Club (Light) | Reduce damage by 3 to attempt to stun - after a successful attack, target must Save vs Paralysis - if failed they lose their combat round and attacks against them take +2.
Crossbow (Heavy) | Ignores 2 points of enemy AC. Requires 2 full-round actions to reload after firing.
Dagger (Light) | Throwable. Heavy damage vs prone targets.
Flail (Medium) | Ignores shields.
Great-axe* (Heavy) | Damage die explodes: if a 6 is rolled for damage, roll another d6 and add the result. If that roll comes up 6, roll another d6 etc.
Greatsword* (Heavy) | Upon a killing blow, the wielder can roll another attack. This effect can be triggered multiple times.
Hand-axe (Light) | Throwable. If 4+ damage is dealt when thrown, the Hand-axe bounces, ‘attacking’ again.
Polearm*† (Heavy) | Attacks against a nominated adjacent ally take -2.
Javelin (Medium) | Throwable - sticks in shields on a 4+, rendering them useless until it is removed. Poorly balanced for melee attacks - takes -2.
Longbow* (Medium) | +1 to hit per round spent aiming.
Mace/Warhammer (Medium) | +2 to hit against rigid armour.
Maul (Heavy) | Struck targets are thrown backwards if unable to make a Save vs Paralysis. Use the damage rolled to determine distance, minus the HD of the creature struck.
Quarterstaff* (Light) | Reduce damage by 3 to attempt to sweep an opponent's legs - after a successful attack, target must Save vs Paralysis - if failed, they are knocked prone.
Shortbow* (Medium) | Can split move and fire (i.e. move-fire-move).
Shortsword (Light) | Riposte twice.
Sling (Light) | Unencumbering. Can be used to launch grenades.
Spear† (Medium) | Wielder may choose hold their attack until approached - they then attack first.
Sword (Medium) | Riposte once.
* - two-handed.
† - has reach, and can attack from behind an ally.
Riposte - incoming attacks resulting in a 7 or less before AC is applied allow the wielder to make an immediate counter-attack, resolved normally.
Magic-Users do not automatically learn new spells when gaining a level. They must discover them in the world (i.e. from spellbooks and scrolls), learn them from a mentor, or perform magical research.
Magic-Users can learn new spells from scrolls. Doing follows the procedure for recovering spells from a lost spellbook, costing 1,000sp and requiring a week of downtime per the level of spell to be learned.
Detect Evil > Detect Life | Detects living creatures.
Detect Magic (Magic-User) | Removed, now a Magic-User class feature.
Protection from Evil > Protection | Now provides a bonus against all opponents, regardless of alignment.
Additional XP will be rewarded by completing Feats of Exploration. When a PC completes a Feat of Exploration and returns to a safe haven, all the party members (both PCs and retainers) receive a portion of the XP needed to advance from the start of their current level to the next level:
2%
Apply lore in a useful or flavourful manner.
Confirm a rumour’s veracity.
Explore 5 areas of a single dungeon level.
Make creative use of equipment or abilities.
Overcome a puzzle.
Overcome a trap.
Overcome an environmental obstacle or hazard.
Uncover a secret.
5%
Beneficially resolve a high-stakes encounter with an important NPC.
Discover an important location.
Manipulate or cripple a faction to your benefit.
10%
Establish a reliable safe haven in a dangerous locale.
If the bodies of slain party members can be recovered and brought back to town, a funeral costing 100sp/level may be held for them. If a funeral is held, the slain character's XP is shared among the party members conducting the funeral.