Olde House Rules wrote:
HOLMES AS A COMPLETE GAME REVISITED
My fascination with Homes Basic as a complete game stems primarily from the fact that it only takes characters to 3rd level while simultaneously listing monsters up to 15th. And don't forget, powerful magic items!
This preserves the newness and excitement of low-level play while imagining a world populated by terrifying enemies.
So, based on my earlier post, your inputs, and subsequent thinking, here's my take on the matter:
(1) Characters get full HP by class per level, making them equal to higher level types rolled randomly.
(2) Level is capped at 3rd, but see above...
(3) Taking enough damage to die results in the affected character losing one level and reverting to a number of HP equal to the maximum number possible for their NEW level, rounding up. Thus, a 3rd level fighter who dies falls to 2nd level, reverts to 2 HP and survives (10% of 16 or 1.6 rounded up).
Falling to zero level is FATAL...
Hits can be subsequently healed up to the maximum possible for their new level, of course. This represents grievous injury that takes longer to recover from, per the DM...
(4) Lost levels are recovered by adventuring or through wishes at a rate of one wish per level recovered this way...
(5) Like clerics, magic users may cast any spell they know without advance preparation. Spells are acquired from scrolls, rolling first on the "chance to know any spell table". Players roll once per scroll found, so if at first they don't succeed, they can try again later should they find another copy of the same scroll...
(6) Elves are limited to 2nd level magic use, although they must still divide experience through 3rd. This distinguishes human magic users as the true magical specialists.
(7) Monsters and enemy NPCs still get random HP...
This results in a game where characters face some dangerous enemies, but have a reasonable chance of tackling the really powerful ones, including dragons and giants, etc. Try it if you like it!
This is a thought experiment or Homes-Fu!
ReplyDeleteSee 'Meepo's Holmes Companion' for my favorite one.
ReplyDeletehttps://sites.google.com/site/meepodm/holmes.pdf?attredirects=0
Jonathan Perkel Yeah, I like this one a lot, because it expands the game with only four additional pages, keeping that old-school feel quite intact!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy stuff like this even if my own inclination is more conventional. I used to love Meepo's add-on but now I'd rather my one page of house rules plus the Holmes + OD&D Reference page by Zenopus and a couple of pages for a level or two more of spells. (I admit I do prefer a level 8-10 ceiling myself. One day I'd really like to run a Middle Earth game in the "Wilderland" area keeping it to level 3...or 5.)
ReplyDeleteI've had the pleasure of gaming with Meepo in person, and he is a wonderful player, wanting nothing more than a fun night at the table, no matter the rules. When I brought out a printed copy of his Holmes Supplement, he actually blushed! Like you guys, I love Meepo's 4 page Holmes additions, but I really craved for the 0e & Greyhawk version, so, even though there are a lot of 0e & Holmes clones available out there (and more coming soon), I've stuck to my original designs & am still editing a workable Holmes/0e/Greyhawk set of house rules.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoyed Meepo's posts on DF. His views on gaming often paralleled my own as he seems more concerned with the shortest and easiest but still atmospheric route to adventure gaming. I wish he still posted or blogged.
ReplyDelete"Well, he's just this gamer, ya know?" - Gag Halfrunt. We always need more 'regular & clever' posters in the forums & blogs. ;)
ReplyDelete