Tweaking OSRIC: Abilities & Classes
In my most recent explorations of OSRIC, my thoughts turn toward house rules. There might be a game out there somewhere to which I’d not add house rules, but I’ve yet to read it. I at least tweak every RPG I play. Obviously, based on my previous OSRIC posts, I’ve already started thinking about ways to tweak OSRIC to make it more like the game I’d want to play. Here’re some more thoughts about ability scores and character classes.
Strength
Bonus to Hit & Damage: The “to hit” bonus also applies to thrown weapons. Furthermore, the “to hit” bonus modifies initiative in combat when using a thrown weapon. One-half the damage bonus from Strength applies to thrown weapons.
Percentile Strength: I’m fond of house rules that further differentiate fighters from paladins and rangers. I think the fighter should be the best fighter class when it comes to fighting. Paladins and rangers get other things. A paladin or ranger with an 18 Strength gets percentile Strength, but the d% roll is halved.
Dexterity
Missile Bonus to Hit: This applies to non-thrown missile weapons. One-half the “to hit” bonus applies to damage.
Constitution
Hit Point Bonus per Die: Hearkening back to my thoughts about fighters versus paladins and rangers, the exceptional HP bonus for a 17 or higher Constitution applies only to fighters. Paladins and rangers are limited to a +2 HP bonus per hit die.
Cleric
Weapons Permitted: A cleric whose deity has a favored weapon may gain proficiency with that weapon.
Spell Casting: A cleric never has to memorize a cure spell. Such spells may be cast without memorization, but these “spontaneous” spells do count against the number of spells a cleric can cast per day.
Druid
Spell Casting: A druid never has to memorize an animal spell. Such spells may be cast without memorization, but these “spontaneous” spells do count against the number of spells a druid can cast per day.
Fighter
Weapon Specialization: A fighter can choose to specialize in a weapon at any point during his career in which he has a weapon proficiency available to “spend” on this ability. A fighter’s weapon specialization is not limited to selection during character generation, and a fighter can specialize in more than one weapon. The same applies to double specialization, which is available only to fighters.
Illusionist & Magic-User
Spell Casting: When an illusionist or magic-user gains the ability to cast a new level of spells, he chooses one spell of a lower level that he already knows. He can cast that spell once per day without needing to memorize it. For example, an illusionist rises from 2nd level to 3rd level, thus gaining the ability to cast 2nd-level illusionist spells. He knows change self (a 1st-level spell) and chooses that it as the spell he can now cast once per day without having to memorize.
Paladin & Ranger
Weapon Specialization: Paladins and rangers may choose weapon specialization during character generation as per the normal rules. Neither class can double specialize with a weapon.
Thief
Thief Skills: At every level starting with 1st, roll 1d6. The result is the number of additional “percents” the thief has available to divvy up between his thief skills. Once the points have been assigned, they cannot be re-assigned. For example, Mike makes up a new thief character. He rolls 1d6 and gets a 5. Mike can add up to 5% to his character’s thief skills, dividing the amount as he sees fit. Mike decides to add all 5% to Find Traps.
