Chillin' with Mr. Baggins of Bag-End, Under-Hill

The last few weeks I've debated on which version of the Basic D&D rules (or retro-clones) to use for the game with my wife. The half dozen or so versions are 99% compatible and a module written for one version is effortlessly adapted to another. It makes little difference which I choose, but a choice must be made, if for no other reason than the consistency and familiarity of using the same rulebook for each play session.

Last night my wife surprised me again with another impromptu request to play a game. I'll write a session report another day (she wants me to take pix of the Legos again), but the notable thing was that I simply grabbed the nearest Basic D&D rulebook and, by the end of the session, the "which version?" debate was resolved.


That version is commonly called"Holmes" Basic, after its editor, Dr. J. Eric Holmes. It's the first Basic version of D&D produced, circa 1977, weighs in at a whopping 48 pages and takes PCs from level 1 to 3. Perhaps the biggest difference between it and later versions of Basic D&D is that its bonuses and penalties from ability scores generally max out at +1 and -1. Furthermore, Strength and Wisdom have no mechanical effect on play, other than as Prime Requisites for Fighters and Clerics, respectively.

I am intrigued by the idea of ability scores having minimal direct mechanical impact. I'll give it a shot, but, on the other hand, would prefer that each ability score have at least SOME explicit relevance. Time for some house rules.

Ability Score Bonuses and Penalties (house rules in bold)

Strength: 13+ gives +1 bonus to melee hit roll, 8- gives -1 penalty to melee hit roll

Wisdom: 13+ gives +1 on all saving throws, 8- gives -1 penalty

Intelligence: +1 language for each point over 10

Constitution: hit point bonus or penalty each level

Dexterity: 13+ gives +1 bonus to ranged hit roll, 8- gives -1 penalty to ranged hit roll

Charisma: 13+ gives +1 reaction bonus, 13+ gives 5% xp bonus

The xp bonus for high Charisma is an idea I first saw in Swords & Wizardry. I like it because it reinforces the Fame and Fortune model of advancement. A couple other house rules for this campaign:

Human Magic-users and Clerics have "open casting". This means they don't need to memorize spells, but can cast anything in their spellbook, as limited by the character's level. I like this rule to help low level spellcasters have more options and be more involved. Some of the utility-ish spells seem to never see action, but could be very helpful in a pinch.

No Thief class. All the other classes are free (and encouraged) to attempt thief-like actions, so eliminating the Thief class isn't a great loss. If a player wants definitive sneakiness...choose the Hobbit class. When properly enticed, the little folk are known to take on titles such as "First-class Burglar", "Burglar-Expert", "The Chosen and Selected Burglar", "Thief in the Shadows", "Expert Treasure-Hunter", and even "Mr. Lucky Number".