Characters (Arden-Vul)
From The Hidden Room
Arden-Vul > Rules > Characters
Stats
Generating Stats
- 4d6, keep 3, down the line.
- May swap the values of a pair of stats of your choice.
- Apply racial modifiers.
Stat Mod
- 0: dead or incapacitated
- 1: -5
- 2: -4
- 3: -3
- 4-5: -2
- 6-8: -1
- 9-12: +0
- 13-15: +1
- 16-17: +2
- 18: +3
- Above 18: +(stat value - 15)
Stat Effects
- All
- Add MOD to stat checks using the stat.
- Stats may be damaged by effects, lowering their rating and effective MOD. If a stat reaches 0, the character is dead or incapacitated, depending on the nature of the cause.
- If your class's prime requisite stat MOD (or average value, for multiple primes) is...
- -2 or lower: -20%
- -1: -10%
- 0: none
- +1: +5%
- +2 or higher: +10%
- Strength
- Add STR to melee attack bonus.
- Add STR to melee and thrown damage.
- Affects weight capacity (see Encumbrance).
- Intelligence
- May learn INT extra languages, beyond those granted by class and race.
- Literacy: <6 (illiterate), 6-8 (basic), 9+ (literate)
- Wisdom
- Add WIS to saves against spells that affect your mind or spirit, including illusions.
- Grants extra spells to Clerics (but not Druids)
- Dexterity
- Add DEX to ranged attack bonus (but not damage).
- Add DEX to defense.
- When using melee finesse weapons, you may use DEX instead of STR for attack bonus (STR is still used for damage).
- Improves certain skills available to Thieves, Bards, and Hunters.
- Constitution
- Add CON to hp gained at each level, up to 9th.
- You can hold your breath for Constitution rounds before suffocating.
- Charisma
- You may command up to (Charisma / 2) henchmen, rounded down.
- +2 CHA or better can grant +A to Reaction Rolls. -2 CHA or worse can grant -A.
- The loyalty rating of each of your henchmen starts at 7+CHA.
Stat Checks
- Roll d6+MOD vs DC (often 4 or 6)
- ???Roll d20 + (stat-10) vs DC (often 11, 16, or 21)
- Stat Checks
- All
- Relevant background skills (crafts, etc)
- Str
- Feats of Strength (bend bars, lift gates, open stuck doors)
- Breaking out of grapples
- Swimming
- Int
- Arcane research
- Medicine
- Wis
- Reading a person or situation
- Dex
- Escaping grapples
- Rough climbing and balancing
- Con
- Enduring labor without becoming fatigued
- Successfully resting in poor conditions
- Cha
- Persuasion, deception, and rapport
- All
Class & Race
- Mage (Mage)
- HD: d4 (+1 heroic hp)
- Base Attack: (level-1) / 3 (rounding down)
- Base Save: (0.3 x (level-1)) + 6
- Doom (+0), Transform (+2), Breath (+0), Spells (+3)
- Priest (Cleric, Druid)
- HD: d8 (+2 heroic hp)
- Base Attack: (level-1) * 0.7 (rounding down)
- Base Save: (0.4 x (level-1)) + 4
- Doom (+6), Transform (+3), Breath (+0), Spells (+1)
- Rogue (Bard, Thief)
- HD: d6 (+2 heroic hp)
- Base Attack: (level-1) / 2 (rounding down)
- Base Save: (0.25 x (level-1)) + 4
- Doom (+3), Transform (+4), Breath (+0), Spells (+1, and use 2x level when calculating "base")
- Warrior (Warrior, Hunter)
- HD: d10 (fighter +3 heroic hp, hunter +2 heroic hp)
- Base Attack: (level-1) (rounding down)
- Base Save: (0.65 x (level-1)) + 3
- Doom (+3), Transform (+2), Breath (+2), Spells (+0)
- Human
- Elf / Alfar
- Homunculus / Goblin
- Trollkin
- Hand of Ptah / Dwarf
- Mi'it (Bast-ling) / Grimalkin
Hit Points
- 1st to 9th: (level)dHD + (level * CON)
- May use the average value of class HD instead of rolling, in which case, round up.
- Optional (if rolling): each level, reroll your full pool of HD. It becomes your new HP if higher than your current value.
- Above 9th: +(class heroic HP) per level
Attack & Defense
Attack Bonus
- Melee: Base + STR (or + DEX w/ finesse weapon)
- Ranged: Base + DEX
Damage Bonus
- Melee: +STR
Defense Bonus
- Base: armor bonus + shield bonus + DEX - 1
- Immobility, surprise, etc can remove shield and DEX bonuses (but not penalties).
Static Attack and Defense
- Static Attack: 12 + attack bonus
- Static Defense: 11 + defense bonus
Saves
Rolling Saves
- 1d20 + base bonus + type modifier for class vs DC 20
- Stronger or weaker effects may alter the DC.
Type Modifier
- Doom (poison, death magic, paralysis, slipping and falling)
- Transform (petrification, polymorph)
- Breath (breath weapons)
- Spell (spells from casters and magic items, unless Doom or Transform supersedes)
- Effects from Rods, Staves, and Wands (and other magic items) are just a little weaker than proper spells. Take +1 to saving throws against them.
- Add WIS to saves against spells that affect your mind or spirit, including illusions.
Skills
- Listen (1)
- Hear faint noises or eavesdrop at a distance when quiet and focusing.
- Search (1)
- Notice traps, secret doors / compartments, and other subtle clues while searching (usually for a Turn or more).
- Sneak (2)
- Go unnoticed when moving slowly and cautiously, gaining surprise or avoiding an encounter.
- Survival (1)
- Foraging , fishing, or hunting for food in the wilderness, locating / producing shelter, starting fire in adverse conditions.
Some races and classes get bonuses to these base skill values.
Skill Checks
- Roll equal or under your skill rating
- Roll: d6 (average), d4 (easy), or d8 (hard)
- Modifiers are added to or subtracted from your skill rating (beneficial or adverse conditions, good or bad tools, etc).
Encumbrance & Speed
- Base Speed: 40'
- Use the higher Load level of your carried weight and armor worn.
Load Levels
- Unencumbered
- 1x Speed, +1 Sneak, +1 to Climbing/Jumping, +1 Swimming.
- Light Load
- 3/4x Speed.
- Medium Load
- 1/2x Speed, lose any Sneak bonuses (but not penalties), -1 Climbing/Jumping, -2 Swimming.
- Heavy Load
- 1/4x Speed, -1 Sneak and lose any Sneak bonuses (but not penalties), -2 Climbing/Jumping, -4 Swimming.
Weight
- 0 to 35 lbs: Unencumbered
- 36 to 70 lbs: Light
- 71 to 105 lbs: Medium
- 106 to 150 lbs: Heavy
Armor
- Leather: Unencumbered
- Banded, Chain Shirt, Padded, Ring, Studded: Light
- Plate, Scale, Splint: Medium
Strength Modifier (add to weight limit for each load level)
- 3 or less) -35 lbs
- 4-5) -25 lbs
- 6-7) -15 lbs
- 8-11) none
- 12-13) +10 lbs
- 14-15) +20 lbs
- 16) +35 lbs
- 17) +50 lbs
- 18) +75 lbs
Alignment
- Good/Evil and Law/Chaos
Advancement
- There are no class or race level limitations.