Dual-Classing in Swords & Wizardry Complete

Dual-classing is an option that appears in 1^st and 2^nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but was not so far as I am aware in 0E D&D. It’s a way for human characters to multiclass, but in a fashion which doesn’t work in the same way as traditional multi-classing, a feature reserved for demi-humans.

One reason you could opt to allow dual-classing is to accommodate smaller groups. If you are playing a game with only one or two players this will let them have more options for their characters, and help them to fill more than one role. Another reason could be story-driven; you could include monasteries, warrior’s school, wizard’s insitutes, temples, thieves’ guilds and other such institutions which can offer training for the right price (and right skill). This could be another option for players to explore with their characters.

Dual-classing is basically a “career change” option in which the character decides to shift focus from his existing class to a new one. It’s a bit convoluted as presented in AD&D (both versions), requiring significant base attributes to qualify, followed by specific rules on how the XP gain works, depending on what abilities are used. Logisitically it’s a bit of a mess, because you have to track whether the PC was using his old class abilities or his new class abilities in a given instance, or limit what abilities can and can’t be used, and the old class can never advance after a dual-class transition. The system I propose below is a reductionist view, cleaning up this process for ease of use.

Dual-Class Requirements: a human (and even any demi-human at the GM’s option) can choose to dual-class in a secondary class at a later date. When he does so, the following rules take effect:

Prerequisites: the character must qualify for the prime requisite XP bonus in both the old class and the new class in order to dual-class. Example: a magic-user that wishes to dual-class as an assassin must have an INT, DEX and STR of 13 or better.

Optional Training Cost: the GM may want the character to spend 1D6 months and 1D6X100 gold pieces training before gaining level 1 in the new class, to justify the development of the new abilities at level 1.

Hit Dice: Hit dice are based on the old class level and do not improve until the new class’s bonuses would exceed the old class. For example: a wizard (level 5) who cross-classed as an assassin would not gain new hit dice until he reached assassin level 6. He would use the better of the two attack chart options for his class.

Saves: use the better of the two classes saves. In our magic user/assassin example a level 5 magic user has a Saving throw of 11. He will go to Save 10 when his assassin class reaches level 6.

Attack Rolls: On attack rolls use the better option of the existing class levels vs. the new class. So, to look at our magic-user level 5 who dual-classes into assassin, his chart is the same for both classes, so when he reaches assassin level 6 he’ll advance on the attack table like normal. A level 5 magic-user who dual-classes into fighter has a magic-user THAC0 of 18 at level 5, which means his THAC0 goes to 17 when he reaches fighter level 5. If you use the attack bonus and ascending AC option on page 44 of S&WC it’s even easier to figure, and according to that chart a level 5 MU has a +1 attack, while the fighter improves to +2 at level 4, so our dual-classed MU 5/F 4 has +2 attack.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: when dual-classing the character gains the additional armor and weapon skills of the new class. However, the character still suffers any special restrictions regarding the use of such weapons and armor in the old class; this means a magic-user can’t cast spells in non-magical armor, and a thief can’t use thieving skills while wearing anything heavier than leather (just like multi-classing restrictions).

Experience Gain: while advancing in the new class the character divides all XP gained by ½ but applies the remainder to his new class only. When his new class reaches the same level as the old class he may start applying 100% of the XP gained to the new class. Thereafter he gains all class advancements as he improves his new class like normal (so improves hit dice, saves, attack modifiers and abilities as the new class only).  He retains his old class levels and abilities but only at that level of experience.

Optional Continued Class Advancement: The GM can optionally allow the dual-classed character to advance in the old and new class once both of them are the same level. At that time, continue to divide the XP into two parts, but both classes gain the XP. This requires keeping track of two separate XP totals. For example: our magic-user level 5 reaches assassin level 5. He had 25,000 XP in magic-user when he decided to dual-class in assassin. Once he reaches level 5 (12,000 XP) in assassin he may now proceed to advance in both classes, tracking XP separately but dividing all XP earned equally between the two classes. Once he reaches this point all multi-classing rules in the main book now apply.

 Example Dual-Classed character:

Vastor Redscar

Chaotic Human male of Aeronost

Magic-user level 5/Assassin Level 6 (MU XP 25,000-frozen, Assassin XP 27,000-active)

STR 14, DEX 16, CON 10, INT 13, WIS 12, CHA 8

HP 17, HD 5D4+1D6, Save 10, AC 6 [13] (leather plus Dex bonus), Attack Bonus +2 (or TAC 17)

Languages Known: aeronistic (common), Emon, elvish, Camrinal (forbidden tongue)

Weapons: long sword (1D8), short sword (1D6) (fights w-weapon style)

Assassin Skills: climb walls 88%, tasks and traps 30%, hear noise 4 in 6, hide in shadows 25%, move silently 35%, open locks 25%

Assassin Abilities: disguise, poison, backstab (+4 to hit and triple damage),

Spell Slots: 4 level 1 slots, 2 level 2 slots, 1 level 3 slot

Spell Book:

1^st Level: charm person, detect magic, light, magic missile, read magic, sleep

2^nd Level: darkness 15’ radius, ESP, invisibility, knock, phantasmal force, strength

3^rd Level: darkvision, fireball, haste, hold person, monster summoning I, protection from normal missiles, slow

Vastor Redscar was a student of the dark arts out of Asvinar under the tutelage of the wizard Taraman Dazaes when his master was assassinated. He was spared by the assassin, a woman named Rapineleth, who was impressed at his resourcefulness. She indoctrinated him in to the Guild of the Riven Flesh, an esoteric order of cultic assassins dedicated to the mad god of darkness, Ghaol, where he has prospered ever since. 

House Rules

Erik Tenkar posts on house rules and it got me to thinking about how I used to have loads of them, and over the years I've just reached the point where I hate them.

I don't know if I'm just another indoctrinated victim of modern game design, but these days the more house rules I see the more I wonder why I'm not just using a different system. To look at my own gripes with my ongoing AD&D 1E game, I have been wondering why I don't simply use C&C or S&W Complete instead, solving all my AD&D issues in one fell swoop (because it only takes about ten minutes for me to remember why I also don't play AD&D 2E anymore). I mean, I could house rule the hell out of 1st edition and make it like it actually was for me....but I could also simply pluck C&C, S&W or hell -Pathfinder- from my shelf and have a game pretty much good-to-go, no tinkering required. In fact, I have had to house rule C&C too much in the past, another reason it, too, ends up stalling out whenever I try to run games with it.

I guess what I'm saying is that in my middle years of life I just don't care to tinker with rules anymore, and I really need to keep that in mind when I'm indulging in the vast world of D&D-likes that seem to be 90% of the surviving RPG hobby these days!

I do wonder why I am not just sticking exclusively with Pathfinder and Runequest these days for my fantasy gaming.* Maybe it's time to clean some shelves, focus on the core experience of "what I have time for" as a father and older gamer who's butting up against a jaded wall of "been there, done that" in a hobby he still loves but which feels all too familiar and well-trod. Box some of these games up and leave them in a closet for my son to discover in a few years, maybe. I think of all the D&D-likes I have, both Swords & Wizardry Complete and Castles & Crusades would make fantastic introductory RPGs for him when he reaches an age appropriate for exploring such games. Not sure I'd want to subject him to AD&D though.

Fantasy Future:

Me: "Son, when I was your age we didn't have tablets, or cloud computing, or solid state drives, or computer games. No, I had to play my RPGs with papers, pencils and dice....and I used THESE rule books to play!!!!" >opens chest of RPG artifacts<

My Son: "Wow! Look at these awesome vintage RPGs! Must...play...now..."

Realistic Future:

Me: "Son, when I was your age we didn't have tablets, or cloud computing, or solid state drives, or computer games. No, I had to play my RPGs with papers, pencils and dice....and I used THESE rule books to play!!!!" >opens chest of RPG artifacts<

My son: "Too Long, Didn't Listen, Dad. Okay, I'm off to chase women and play football. Cya wouldn't wanna be ya!"

Ah, I am in a foul and pessimistic mood today! Heh.



*I sense a new year's resolution coming on. No D&D in 2013, just Pathfinder and Runequest. Hmmmmm yesssssh......

Swords & Wizardry Rules for the Ages of Lingusia

I had discussed this before, and now I'm back on it: some conversion mechanics for use with the Ages of Lingusia content I have run previously on the blog. I still hope to prettify and edit the entire mess and put it out as a proper book for people interested in such, but for now just "getting it out there" will do just fine.

Characters in the Ages of Lingusia

The Swords & Wizardry edition of Ages of Lingusia assumes you are using the Complete edition available from Frog God Gqames, which includes nine character classes. The class rules work more or less precisely as described in the S&W Complete rulebook, with the following optional additions:

Maximum Starting Hit Points
Instead of starting with an initial hit die at level one, all characters get a slight fighting chance by receiving maximum hit points at first level (the highest value of the first hit die plus any constitution bonus). This will slightly ease the pain of being ganked by two or three kobolds in the night.

Die Rolling Conventions
These are completely optional, but I use these die-rolling options specifically to grant characters a slightly heroic edge:

Attributes: attributes may use the “roll 4D6 and discard the lowest die” method of character generation to generate more heroic personas. All other characters except nefarious villains should roll the standard 3D6. Characters may distribute their attributes accordingly, or roll straight down the row, whichever they prefer.

Hit Dice: I have always been kind on hit dice, and characters may roll their hit die at each new level; if they do not like the result, they may re-roll, but must retain the second roll regardless of whether it is better or worse than the first. This mostly serves as a “do over” for 1s and 2s on the hit die roll, but provides better odds characters will have somewhat more favorable hit points over time.

Attribute Checks
Attributes can be used to resolve matters of skill, lore and aptitude about which there may be uncertainty otherwise. A D20 roll is compared to the attribute score, and if it is equal to or under then the character is granted the knowledge or completion of a certain task appropriate. Modifiers may be applied to the attribute to improve or lower the odds of success. As a rule of thumb, assume a range of +1 to +4 applied to the attribute (or subtracted from the die roll) for progressively easier tasks, and a -1 to -4 or higher modifier for increasingly difficult tasks.

Perception
Perception is a default trait that is equivalent to Wisdom, though elves may receive a +2 bonus to the Perception score. A D20 check, with bonuses or penalties applied to Perception, may be rolled (equal to or under) to resolve any uncertainty as to whether the character spots a fine detail that might otherwise not be noticed or is overlooked.

Luck
Everyone needs a luck score, and this value is always rolled using a straight 3D6. The luck score is a tool for the GM to use with attribute checks to resolve uncertainties involving situations where luck plays a big factor. Did Kormak stumble across the mugging of Lady Cateris in time? Did Maximus happen to drop the Star Sapphire of Zephon when he was drunk off his ass? Luck can be a fun way of deciding if such things happen.
Options by Class
There are a few additional optional rules for some classes, as indicated below. These options apply to the classes presented in S&W Complete:

Assassins
Assassins receive access to thief abilities at two levels below the equivalent thief class level. Rather than start the assassin with thief abilities at third level, grant the abilities at first level, but scaled down proportionately for level 1:

Clerics
Chaotic clerics can command undead, rolling as if they turn undead, but on a T result the undead will not harm and may even obay simple commands for 3D6 rounds. On a D result the undead will obey the cleric as if charmed.

Neutral clerics are an important part of Lingusia, and have the distinct advantage of being able to either banish or command undead with a turn check.

Clerics optionally gain bonus spell slots at 1st level, based on wisdom. A 1st level cleric with a bonus spell slot may use it to learn 1st level spells at that time, even though he normally doesn’t gain spell access until level 2.



Druids
Druids optionally gain bonus spell slots based on the average of their wisdom and charisma.

Fighters
A fighter gains a new ability: he may make three attacks every two combat rounds at level 7, and at level 12 may make 2 attacks per round. These attacks are not restricted by HD like the default Multiple Attacks ability, which he retains as well. This modification allows melee fighters to gain an additional edge over other martial classes (who get an additional perk, below).

Rangers, Monks and Paladins
Each of these classes are permitted a full bonus to hit and damage for high strength scores.

Magic Users
In Lingusia, mages can prepare spells when they have slots available for those spells to imprint in their mind. The time taken to imprint a spell is approximately 15 minutes of focused concentration and effort per level of spell. There is not daily limit; if a magic user has just finished casting three first level spells and two second level spells and has three hours to rest after his ordeal, he has more than the necessary hour and forty five minutes needed to reacquire his spells.

Under this system, spell slots (especially at lower levels) become a resource that can be recovered between battles and other strenuous events that lead to the use of magic. The magic user is only in trouble if he is forced to deal with a lengthy ordeal during which he has neither time nor opportunity to recover used magic, or no access to his spellbook.

Under the optional rules a magic user gains bonus spell slots based on his intelligence (see next).

New Optional Magic Rules
The following optional magic rules can be used at your own discretion. The basic rule (bonus spells) is the default assumption for the Ages of Lingusia setting, and isn’t terribly world-shattering, though it will front-load spell casters with a little more magic. The subsequent optional spell point system is provided purely as an interesting alternative rule for the use of magic to experiment with; although I used it a great deal in the old days, I actually favor the more traditional spell memorization system these days, but on occasion it’s fun to run a campaign with gonzo spell point-based magic systems.

Optional Bonus Spell Slots
Some spell casters receive bonus spell slots. The bonus slots are determined as follows, and provide one extra slot that can be used for the indicated level of spell:

Ability scores are determined as follows:

Clerics: Wisdom

Druids: The average of Wisdom and Charisma (Wis+Cha/2)

Magic Users: Intelligence

Optional System: Spell Points
In the old days I always implemented a spell point system, although in more recent years I have grown fond of the “Vancian” memorization system. Presented here is the spell point mechanic for your consideration.

Under this system spells cost Spell Points (SPs) to cast for arcane magic or Divine Points (DPs) for clerical and druidic magic. If for some reason a character has more than one source of magic, he must keep separate track of each spell point pool.

Spells cost SPs equal to their level, so level 1 spells cost 1 SP, while level 9 spells cost 9 SPs. Any material components are still required.

Classes earn SPs instead of spell slots, at a rate equal to the number of spell slots earned multiplied by the spell level the slot can be used for. Thus, a level 1 spell slot is worth 1 SP, but a level 5 spell slot grants 5 SP. This means a 5th level magic user with 4 1st level spells, 2 2nd level spells and 1 3rd level spell actually receives 11 SPs (4 for four 1st level slots, 4 for two 2nd level slots, and 3 for one 1st level slot). If you use the bonus spells rule above, those also grant bonus spell points.

Under this system all spell casters cast “on the fly,” without having to memorize spells, though they must have necessary material components ready for use. Spell points are recovered at a variable rate. The default rate (for fast magic games) is 1 point per hour of rest, or all SPs per 8 hours of sleep. This rate can be adjusted as follows:

Spell Point Recovery Rate

Default: 1 point per hour of rest or all points after a ful night’s sleep

Fast Magic: 1 point recovered per 10 minutes of rest (or all points after a night’s sleep)

Slow Magic: 1 point recovered per hour of sleep; 1 point recovered per 2 hours of no activity.

Spell points are limited by the maximum casting level of the caster; thus, for example, magic users can’t access 5th level spells until level 9, although once they reach level 9 they can spend spell points on any such spells up to that level that they add to their spell book. Likewise, spell points are not capped for use like slots, so there is nothing preventing that 9th level mage from using all 32 spell points to cast magic missile over and over again if he so desires.

The chief advantage of a spell point mechanic is that it frees up spell casters to use spells according to need rather than trying to anticipate what may be required of them. Many spells tend to go unused at the moment when they could otherwise be handy to cast, and in this system that rarely ever happens except as an oversight.

The downside of a spell point system is that it makes spell casters remarkably more flexible and potentially much more powerful in later levels. Because the spell point do not cap the number of spells of a given level, it means that there could easily by mages in the world who specialize in lower level magic while retaining higher levels specifically for the extra SP. Conversely, it means at high levels one particularly devious mage could destructively unleash a few high level spells in favor of numerous lower level spells.

In my experience with using this system, the great equalizer boils down to judicious use of the same system with villain NPC mages and priests. When the NPCs use the same mechanic, it means that the GM can be just as devious, albeit much more often and in many creative ways than the players.

The following chart provides a breakdown of spell points per level for each caster type as well as an indication at what point access to new spell levels is gained:

   You can use the following chart to calculate bonus spell points (see Bonus Spell Slots, above) if using that optional rule as well:

Next: Races and Kidred of Lingusia in S&W