You Should Watch Wargame Culture

Play-Cast Name: Chainmail Battles Where I Listened: Purple Druid Presents: Wargame Culture Where It's Available: YouTube System: Chainmail: Rules for Medieval Miniatures

Chainmail

Thoughts and Review

Wargame Culture, or Purple Druid Presents: Wargame Culture, is a small, relatively new YouTube channel wherein the host, Purple Druid (forgive me, friend, if you have stated your name elsewhere in the videos I have not watched),     Update: Pre-Publication!
Between the writing of this article and its publication, I actually was able to connect with the host of Wargame Culture on Discord!

Resulting from that conversation, I have updated the posting a bit to reflect some stuff he'd clarified for me - but I have not re-written the whole thing: be on the lookout, though, for an episode of the podcast to drop in the proximitous future starring our friend Purple Druid!regales the watcher with his love and hobby around miniature gaming. It is not an RPG actual play - per se - but instead a culmination of his experience: acquiring, assembling, and painting wargames miniatures.

For the purposes of this review - I am speaking to one playlist in particular: the title of the Play-Cast Name above, Chainmail Battles; although I have watched other videos, including his Solo Wargaming playlist, because of a current interest of mine in Chainmail, specifically, I will focus on the aforementioned collection of videos.

What I Like

First and foremost - and the reason I write this review - I really like the expose that this channel provides, the deep dive and practical evaluation, of the rules as written and procedures to follow in the Chainmail game. He's confessed, himself, that he's learning the game - the purpose of the video series is to get a bead on it and to enjoy it. In so doing - I have seen him do things, seen him make calls, and thought, "Huh... I don't remember that" - at which point I have to go back to my rulebook and re-read the section in question. In particular, the artillery rules come to mind - shooting long versus shooting short. I had no recollection of calling to fire long or short - though, admittedly, I am less interested in black powder and cannon than I am in more dark-age technology tier encounters: which may explain the skimming - but seeing him call in advance before rolling: that made me look it up to confirm what I thought I knew. Can't get enough Wargame Culture via obscure OSR review sites? Follow him on Twitter!

Not a Twitterer, you say? Check out his web site - complete with blog section and 10 full years of content and commentaries!
It's a learning experience for me to watch him play: which is the half the purpose of this review series - and foremost, as I said, among the virtues I find in this channel.

Continuing along the lines of learning - in the highlighted playlist, PD (you don't mind if I call you PD, do you, Purple Druid?) cites when he makes mistakes. He watches his own playbook on edit and - for the benefit of all watchers - highlights where missteps were made along the way in terms of the rules and one can think about how that rule might impact the outcome compared with what happens. This has a twin function - first, as I mention, it helps you see what the effect of certain rules are; but second: it is a reminder, a brand in the brain that makes those points stand out: which, to me, is helpful - because if a dedicated and long-time wargamer forgets something, that means that others who are of the same ilk (or others who might be newer to wargaming) might fall into the same missteps or the same assumptions. Purple Druid takes us along for the ride as he makes mistakes and learns from them: and the viewer benefits from his experience.

Lastly - a particular point of interest for me - our man PD is a long-time wargamer. He has experience with, as evidenced by other minis in his collection and other videos on his channel, dozens of other miniatures games: ranging from fantasy to historic. From that, he's able to draw on those memories, those experiences, and compare Chainmail with them: analyzing the impact of Chainmail compared to - say - the mass combat in other editions or iterations of the D&D game. I would personally be curious to hear more musings on that subject - but: for the confines of Chainmail - I'll be brief: because of his ability to cross-analyze, other, younger gamers with experience in a smaller portfolio of games may be able to find common ground, benefiting from his comparisons to their games of choice when attempting to understand Chainmail as it plays.

Things To Note

I will not add a "Things I Dislike" section to this review, but instead will replace with a section, "Things To Note" - that is, elements of the channel that you'll want to keep in mind before taking me at this post's title's word. First among them - Wargame Culture in general, and the Chainmail Battles playlist, is a wargame. It is not designed, as far as I'm aware, to create a campaign narrative. It is not designed, as of this writing, to tell the story of the intrepid protagonists as they unravel the mysteries of a sandbox world. It might be one day. Who knows? PD may take an interest to OSR streaming one of these days - the host, himself, plays LFG - but, as of this writing, and as of this play review, the Chainmail Battles playlist is just that: battles played using Chainmail: just like other videos on the site are according to their names - a video called "unboxing" is an unboxing.

Another thing to note, the author holds no pretense of being an artist when it comes to the videos. His miniatures and terrain are painted - painted better than I use to paint mine and moreover, they are, as far as I know, all painted: something that any wargamer who had played in a club or hobby shop setting before will immediately respect!     Why aren't you rating the big dogs?
Purple Druid Presents is - doubtless - a smaller channel. And there are numerous good big wargaming channels - at least one I enjoy and have recommended in other media is also playing Chainmail. But - having a limited margin and catering to the foremost desire to help you - the reader - to find a product that will teach you about a game you may want to learn, two things are important to me: first, quality - and Wargame Culture: Chainmail Battles is high quality as an educational resource; and two, sticking up for the little guy.

I'm a little guy too - and I recognize that, when I produce content (good, bad, or indifferent) - the signal is proportional to exposure. It's important to stick up for the talented little guy where you can: because a good thing shouldn't go to waste in the obscurity of third-page search results.But knowing that, the videos are simply laid out - they have some short intro music, they have the channel icon and some images of miniatures or wargaming parephenalia, usually pertinent to the episode, and then it moves directly into the shot. Editing thus being minimal - don't expect a huge production: expect to see what the video states is in it.

To conclude on this section - one element of this channel that piqued my curiosity - all of the older videos are 15 minutes or less: when a single battle can take as many as four videos to complete. In at least one case, the host mentions that he has to load them short or YouTube will complain. This stuck out to me because - routinely - on other wargaming (and RPG gaming) channels, the videos are much longer than 15 minutes: 2 to 4 hours is typical of an actual play. I, myself, have videos that exceed the 15 minute mark: all of them, come to think of it, do. While I can't troubleshoot the tech - the videos are all new (or, new this year, at least) - but the channel, itself, is old - appearing to be a user channel from 2008: maybe that's the difference? A grandfather clause or account type?

Regardless: take this information for what it's worth. Having gotten a chance to speak with the host on Discord, he's actually gotten it fixed and will start - as of now - being able to post longer videos. But if you do better with shorter segments - this will work to your advantage: if you do better with longer segments... hopefully you like the theme music! It doesn't damage the experience for me, because it is not intrinsically a good or bad thing - it depends, as I mention, on your preference - I present it as information only.

In Conclusion

Wargame Culture, I've rated Chainmail - because that's what he's playing! Get it? But more seriously - Wargame Culture: Chainmail Battles is a great resource for someone curious about Chainmail and how it plays. The videos are short, but they are linked together - making them easy to watch - and the focus is on the mechanics: making them remarkable as educational tools. It's important to note that's what it is - don't come here for plot, don't come here for voice acting, and don't come here expecting and RPG - but once you're in the right frame of mind, you're gold!

Sound interesting?

Tune in! Subscribe - give him a reason to keep making videos!

About the Misted Dome

Scale: 10 ft.
Click HERE for a PDF version of this adventure!

Suitable for 4th to 5th level.

•		A little keyhole icon means the door is locked.
•		A little "S" through the door means the door is secret.
•		The other icon - which is supposed to look like a muscly arm - indicates the door is stuck and must be forced open.

Z - Dome and Gauntlet

Z1 - Entry

A stairwell leads out of (or into) the dungeon in the central part of this space. In the center of the room, each facing inwards, are four statues of chimeric creatures, their faces - an alligator, a lion, an eagle, and a skull with a hat - contorted into grotesques. 

Any character which walks between the four will be targeted by four beams of light originating from the grotesques mouths and asked a question (answers in parentheses) by a disembodied voice originating from one of the four statues, determined randomly:

1. My many legs reach to the wet,
   while limbs are dry and free;
   I do not walk, but instead wait
   for earth will come to me.
   (mangroves, or other knob-kneed coastal trees)
   
   
2. Rolling and writing, this ocean is dry:
   waves without fish where no swimmer can drown.
   Gold! Gold unceasing - but no need for a pale
   nor a pick nor to delve in the ground.
   (prairie grass)
   
   
3. A lake, am I, but inlaid in no earth:
   and to drink, I deign to un-dam.
   My girth spans horizons, my height many miles,
   yet lighter - freer - than air, I am.
   (clouds)
   
   
4. My oceans, my seas: no water within;
   my beaches, my deserts: no sand.
   My cities, no people; my roads, no wheels:
   no rocks nor soil in my land.
   (a map)
   

If the character answers correctly, they will be illuminated - developing a subtle glow for the next 1+1d4 hours. While in Z2 under the influence of this aura, 45 feet is illuminated clearly, the glow cutting through the mist: while in any other space, the glow is almost imperceptible: but comes off as an unnatural pseudo-violet lapped by yellow when viewed with infravision.

Characters that answer incorrectly are blinded for 1+1d4 turns.

Z2 - The Under-Marsh

The floor rapidly falls away into wet depths - six to eight feet deep in stagnant, dark water. A pallid, starchy blade plants rise from the water - obscuring it but from a character expressly seeking - and slowly wave as the heat of the party's bodies and light sources disturb the cool. Fog fills the chamber - limiting visibility to 15 feet. Rising above the grass - three feet from water's surface and almost flush with the tips of the pond grass - is a narrow wooden path. It is moist, spongy to the touch and supported by thick pylons at roughly ten foot spans.

At points indicated by the T on the map, the wood is rotted through: a character or characters moving over that spot has a chance of falling through.

Wandering monsters encountered in this space should be limited to fliers and swimmers: fliers encounter as normal, swimmers may follow the party surreptitiously through the grass or under the boardwalk. 

A - North-West Corridor

A1 - Rest Station

Furniture - benches and some cushions - have been repurposed and dragged into this room by 5 adventurers, detailed in the appendix, who are resting here after having explored section A2: having found it via the secret door to the north-west. The door is activated by a mechanism behind a yellow hanging, lined with orange, on the north-west wall. The south-west and north-east walls are likewise adorned by hangings.

A2 - Forgotten Kings

Against the east and west walls, two thrones sit facing each other. The rest of the room has been ransacked: with antique equipment and broken pottery littering the room.

A3 - Juxtaposition Room

Inlaid in the floor is a mosaic in octagonal pattern to mimic the shape of the room. In the center, to the west, can be seen the profile of a face; to the east, the profile of a reptile's head.

The eyes of each are touchplates. If the eyes of the reptile have pressure applied to them, the plate in the eyes of the face will loosen: allowing a character to remove it. Beneath the face's eye-plate can be found a pull-chain which opens the secret door to the North.

A4 - Hammer Temple

In the center of the north-east room is a huge anvil sitting on a concrete slab, waist height. It is flanked on either side in the room's wings with chains dangling from the ceiling like wind chimes. The walls are crossed by wrought iron: and the cardinal facing walls (North, South, etc.) are curtained by a sheet of chainmail rings. The locked door marked as Secret is hidden behind the mail curtain.

A5 - Fisherman Lookout

An old corpse - dwarfish - in antique scale mail sits with fishing equipment against the north-east corner in this room. On the dwarf's person is a handful of emeralds worth 600 gp. In the north-west corner sits a chest, locked, in which can be found 7,000 silver pieces.

B - North-East Corridor

B1 - Morbid Decor

Hanging from the ceiling are five sets of manacles - high enough that one hung from them would, if of average height, be forced onto their toes. One of them has a skeleton hanging from it - the bones showing some sign of damage; one leg having also fallen to the ground. If the party interacts with it, it will fall apart into a heap.

B2 - Rebuffed Vanity

Two statues - one, a woodsman by the look of it; the other, a falcon - stand opposed by two mirrors in this room: the statues to the north and south flanks of the secret door on the east wall, the mirrors on the west wall. If the view of the falcon is obscured - the mirror covered, the statue blindfolded, etc. - the secret door in the west wall of B3 will open; if the view of the woodsman is obscured, the secret door in the east wall will open.

B3 - Spider Lair

Rocky detritus has piled up in several places on the floor. Three rhagodessa (X38) have made a lair of the room: 1d4 of them will, when the party enters, have climbed up the walls, hidden from view when still outside the door. Thus, if a 1 is rolled, two of the rhagodessa will be visible; where if a 3 or 4 is rolled, all three will be on the walls or ceiling.

The secret door in the west wall can be detected by a skillful seeker, but cannot be opened except via B2.

B4 - Jewel Thief's Wage

Four Giant Weasels (X42) are feeding on a corpse - now unrecognizable - wearing leather. The corpse is carrying a pouch filled as follows:

• 1 small agate (10gp)
  
• 1 oblong pearl (50gp)
  
• 2 azure cut sapphires (500gp)
  

...and is wearing a highly decorated (but apparently functional) helmet. The helmet is, in secret, a Helmet of Alignment Changing (B50).

B5 - Bear Laboratory

Ruins of an alchemical or arcane laboratory lie smashed. Four angry, hungry Owlbear (B40) are actively rummaging for an egress from the space.

C - South-East Corridor

C1 - Map Hologram

The hall to this space is adorned by a blue pattern on the floor - an observant character may note that, as the party moves along it, the pattern glows faintly at their presence. At the termination of the hall, there is an inlaid circle of the same color. If the party enters the circle, it will spring to life around them, launching a hemispheric hologram into the air. At first, it appears to be a pattern - perhaps decorative - but if a character studies it: 1+1d4 rounds, less the character's Intelligence modifier - they will note instead that it is a map of room Z2.

C2 - Knight's Chamber

Against the west wall is a statue of a man in armor. On the floor, a decorative mosaic - angular in its pattern. On the north corner, several empty or broken amphora rest. The room is otherwise empty.

C3 - Knave's Chamber

Against the north wall is the statue of a dwarf in armor. On the floor, a decorative mosaic - cubic in its pattern. Flanking the stature are two halberds and two shields stuck into holes in the floor. The weaponry is mundane.

C4 - Wraith Room

Along the north-east and south-west walls, a row of stone cabinets - doors missing, three feet in height and 18 inches deep - run the length of the room. Blood - old blood - is spattered on the north side. Two Wraiths (X42) are hovering around the stain.

The secret door is a sliding one, arched to a point. There is a lever hidden in the stone cabinet directly beside it.

C5 - Forgotten Fane

Soot on the floor indicates a carpet that has been since removed once stood there. Some shreds of carpet - and the ruins of wooden furniture, are scattered about the main space. There is a gaping hole in the ceiling - which leads to blackness. Curled up in the space are three Caecilia (X28). A skeleton is crushed up against the south-east corner of the rear space: on its person is 1,000 gold pieces and a diamond cut into the figure of a woman worth a further 1,000 gold pieces.

C6 - West Cell

Three men are imprisoned behind a set of bars with no visible door. The men are each pudgy - but well muscled: irritable and shifty, but also quick to beg for help - claiming to have been imprisoned by an armored pair of adventurers. In secret, they are Wereboars (B38) - and were imprisoned to protect others from their curse.

C7 - East Cell

A stone box protrudes from the wall on the northern side of the cell. It is empty, save for a lone Grey Ooze (B36) which is hiding about it.

C8 - Prison Hall

The floor is cold stone. To the south, an oblong shape is separated from the main hall by bars - spaced to prevent egress, but not so far apart as to prevent reaching. Two levers are embedded in the center; five feet (so, beyond arm's reach for a human) from the bars. The levers correspond to the two rooms - C6 and C7: pulling the lever closer to C6 will open the way for C6; the lever closer to C7, for C7.

D - South-East Corridor

D1 - Hanging Hall

An antique but decayed rug leads into this space, clinging to the floor in the hall leading in. On the walls to the north and west hang faded tapestries. A spectral troupe of guards stands near the secret door - which is hidden behind a tapestry portraying a female figure. As the party enters, they will look to them and disappear.

D2 - Study

A mildewed carpet adorns the floor. To the west, a bookshelf - empty and damp. To the south-east, a square spot on the rug - colors slightly more vibrant. A character rolling back the carpet in the north side will find a hidden trapdoor in the north-east corner. 

 

Appendix - Adventuring Party

Vonimir Level 8 Dwarf AC: 3 (plate mail + shield) HP: 48 Attacks: 1 short sword (1d6) Movement: 60' (20') STR 9 INT 10 WIS 9 DEX 6 CON 13 CHA 10 Items: Spell scroll (purify food and water, silence 15’ radius, hold person, speak with animals, sticks to snakes), heirloom watch with crystal facing (500gp) Asratum Level 4 Halfling (Female) AC: 3 (plate mail) HP: 19 Attacks: 1 polearm (1d10) Movement: 60' (20') STR 11 INT 9 WIS 8 DEX 11 CON 13 CHA 10 Items: Boots of Levitation, 3 black opals (200gp each) Ovdotia Level 7 Dwarf (Female) AC: 6 (chainmail) HP: 31 Attacks: 1 polearm (1d10) Movement: 60' (20') STR 14 INT 11 WIS 11 DEX 8 CON 9 CHA 10 Items: Crystal ball with Clairaudience, Potion of Fire Resistance, Spell scroll (detect magic (Magic-User), levitate, clairvoyance, wall of stone, haste), diamond diadem (100gp), 8 platinum pieces

Leof Level 6 Thief AC: 7 (leather armour) HP: 21 Attacks: 1 sling (1d4+1) or 1 dagger (1d4) Movement: 90' (30') STR 8 INT 11 WIS 10 DEX 9 CON 14 CHA 4 Items: Ring of Spell Turning, Sling +1, 9 platinum pieces Svetopolk Level 9 Dwarf AC: 2 (plate mail + shield) HP: 50 Attacks: 1 sword (1d8+1) Movement: 60' (20') STR 15 INT 8 WIS 9 DEX 10 CON 15 CHA 14 Items: Potion of Clairvoyance, Ring of Fire Resistance, Sword +1 (+3 vs Undead), 90 gold pieces

Public domain and open license artwork retrieved from the National Gallery of Art and Pixabay, respectively, and adapted for thematic use. Attributions in alt text.

Waste Dragon

Choking ash refused to settle - perpetually buoyed by vents and super-heated currents born of fissures, variable in their size, cracking the plain: themselves born of a vicious undercurrent of flame and rock. Lava flows that had followed a belching, petrifying cloud - making casts of men and freezing them forever into their final horrid moments - were cooling: black shells over red rivers, daring a fool's foot to mistake them for a road.

The group of men tread carefully, the soles of their sandals smouldering despite careful avoidance of looser clay - where the ashen soil had not yet hardened into concrete. Six of them came - some with their ceremonial spears, one with the grand headdress and and the barley offering - but all holding their courage. None knew if the Plains Lord still slept - or where it might have been: if it had been found in the periphery or in the path when the cataclysm had come.

They approached the old totem cautiously - a silhouette, broken and leaning: black against the gray. Then, beneath it, a heap - a berm - sparks and embers: a campfire left to dwindle...

...and then motion. The Plains Lord! It yet survived! And yet... 

The doppelganger leaps up. Strings of smoke follow its limbs, cracking and creaking, torturous and irregular - but swift! Listing to one side it bites; falling over itself, it swipes: a deafening sound and a thousand burrs bite into the skin.

The beast beats its wings - air filters through a dozen holes and cracks in the connecting membranes - two beats, three, a fourth on the right to match the time with a slower left... and away.

Six dead men added their blood to the soil - life essence coagulated into the slowly settling ash: settled, dried - dark brown cement to add to the black caps over glowing red riverbeds.

Lords of the Ash Waste

Waste Dragons are the tormented cousins of the Grass Dragon: their scales having gone hard, coated in salt, and their tendrils having largely gone heavy and limp - some emitting smoke from ever-smoldering veins.

Encountering Waste Dragons

Waste Dragon
Armor Class:	2	No. Appearing:	1-4
Hit Dice:	8	Save As:	Fighter 10
Move:	Std: 90' (30') Fly: 210' (70')	Morale:	10
Attacks:	Claw / Claw Bite	Treasure Type:	~ (H)
Damage:	1-6 / 1-6 3-24	Alignment:	Chaotic
Frequency:	Rare	Chance In Lair:	15%

• Chance of Talking: 35%
• Chance of Being Asleep: 25%
• Spells by Level (1/2/3): 1/1/0
  

The Waste Dragon is not territorial - and only partially intelligent - driven mad by the changes in their biology resulting from the corruption of their sustaining energies. They speak little or none - apart from the eldritch incantations, memorized by rote rather than intention, associated with the magic at their control. They roam the badlands and burned places in a mix of loping walk and awkward flight, engaging whatever they see according to the whim of the moment.

Waste Dragons are difficult to see coming in fogs, mists, or dust storms. Thus, a Waste Dragon which is encountered outside its lair has a 3-in-6 chance to surprise. If the dragon is asleep, there is a 5-in-6 chance that the party will not notice it at all: thinking it a mirage.

Breath Weapon

• Template: Cloud
• Range: 40' x 40' x 20'
  

The breath weapon of a Waste Dragon is a cloud, 40’ by 40’ by 20’. A vortex erupts, filled with brick-a-brack of dead foliage: kernels, grains, rocks, and stems. Any character affected by the breath attack must, after 1d6 hours, Save vs Poison. On failure, they feel sickened, taking a -1 penalty on all rolls for 1d4 days. At the end of this period, they must save again – and so on, indefinitely, until they save successfully: at which point the effect ends. 

Remove Curse, Remove Disease, or other similar magic can end the effect prematurely. 

Lairs and Treasure

Waste Dragons build their lairs in craters, under lahars - hardened to concrete, or in crevices and breaks in the earth. They have an affinity for the soil: to which they feel a primal connection - unconsciously seeking rebirth, renourishment for the living plains surrendered to desolation.

Waste Dragons will hide or destroy treasure that they find in these underground places - concealing it or defacing it - in order to create separation of the artificial (cut gemstones, jewelry, specie, and the like) and the natural: again, a failing hope hidden beneath layers of impetus to cause equilibrium to return. The impact of potential vandalism to the value of treasure, or to its accessibility, is at the behest of the referee, complimenting the environment in which the hoard is encountered.

Resistances and Immunities

Waste Dragons are immune to Poison and resist Cold and Ice - taking half effect therefrom.

Waste Dragons cannot be subdued - their crazed demeanor prevents it: the cognition required for cowardice eluding their tortured psyche.

Spoiler Alert!

The Deeper Lore section contains some notes to help a GM (me) to run Waste Dragons in a way consistent with the archetype they are supposed to fill and some of the inspirations behind their creation. If you play in (or want to play in!) a game GM'ed by me, beyond this point will ruin some of the mystery for you for both Waste Dragons and for most of the sentient races: having some impact in the game world that isn't immediately available outside of player character discoveries.

Deeper Lore

Waste Dragons are the grizzled survivors of a total collapse of the grassland ecosystem, but sustained - reborn, almost, a dragon's equivalence to undeath - by the echos of that destruction. Grass Dragons have a kindredship to them - they recognize this corruption - and they have been known to react strongly: trying to excise the ash - and in failing, to execute for the sake of mercy. Such events as volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes, or dramatic change in the local climate resulting in the rapid desertification of a formerly lush space can cause a Grass Dragon to become one of the Waste - a fate that is more likely to befall one sleeping through the event than one waking: as flight is preferable over remaining.

As such, there are no young Waste Dragons - only old, grizzled veterans: strong enough to survive the change. Eggs subjected to the same conditions will often turn to granite spheres: prized by warlocks for their esoteric properties. Likewise - Waste Dragons have a limited life span: as the echos that sustain them, over time, will grow weaker and weaker. Sometimes - if the ground can be healed - the dragon might heal with it, its scales growing more supple, its tendrils sprouting and growing again: but the mind of the dragon can take much longer to recover than its body - and some have been said to go catatonic for years: some never again waking up, but not succumbing to death: instead becoming one with the earth and the healing steppe. 

 

Public domain art retrieved from the National Gallery of Art and OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Bumping Thief Skills by Level

Another "fix" for Thieves!

Moreover, referencing my recent post regarding Thief Skills for Non-Thieves, it dawned on me - in the same call-in episode to the Red Dice Diaries that I had called into, so also had my friend Rob C. of the Down in a Heap podcast called in with his own house-rules for "fixing" the Thief skill progression. He seemed to have a similar line of thinking to other refs with whom I have played before - advancing the skill chances to succeed according to level, retaining the table but making it a little less punishing - and he did so in a simple form: so, if you're still looking to make Thieves more effective early on, here is what Rob C. does (or, at least, my take on it)!

Accelerated Thief Skill Success Chances

A Thief character, when tabulating their chances of success at a given Thief skill (optionally excluding Hear Noise, at the behest of the referee's sense of verisimilitude), is treated as a level of experience greater than themselves equal to the ability modifier of their prime requisite ability, Dexterity. Thus, for a 2nd level Thief - for example - attempting to Move Silently:

• At a Dexterity of 12, or +0, have a 25% chance of success.
• At a Dexterity of 17, or +2, have a 35% chance of success.
• At a Dexterity of 8, or -1, have a 20% chance of success.
  

A character cannot go below 1st level when determining the effectiveness of their skills.

The Specialist Thief (Optional)

In addition to the above, a Thief may choose to specialize in one of the six percentile-based Thief skills. In so doing, the Thief gains an additional increase of 2 effective levels: further increasing their chances of success in their chosen specialty. So, if the same 2nd level Thief from before were to specialize in Move Silently, their chances would change accordingly:

• At a Dexterity of 12, +0 from prime requisite and +2 from specialization, have a 35% chance of success.
• At a Dexterity of 17, +2 from prime requisite and +2 from specialization, have a 45% chance of success.
• At a dexterity of 8, -1 from prime requisite and +2 from specialization, have a 30% chance of success.
  

In fairness, I think Rob's rule is a bit less generous - in that he grants a +1 only at a 16 or above - but I'm a magnanimous DM, aren't you?

But this has me thinking...

While jotting this down, it made me think - how much does this differ, in terms of Thief effectiveness, from adding their Dexterity directly to the modifier? Specialization excluded - as that was not a part of the original houserule, a quick break-down using Hide in Shadows looks as follows; with "Bump by Modifier" referring to boosting level according to Dexterity modifier (this houserule) and "Bump by Score" referring to boosting the percentile directly (the previous houserule):

		Bump by:
With Dex Of:	R.A.W.	Modifier		Score		Delta
For a Thief of 1st Level
8 (-1)	10%	10	1	18%	3	-2
12 (+0)	10%	10	1	22%	3	-2
16 (+2)	10%	20	3	26%	4	-1
For a Thief of 3rd Level
8 (-1)	20%	15	2	28%	5	-3
12 (+0)	20%	20	3	32%	5	-2
16 (+2)	20%	30	5	36%	6^	-1
For a Thief of 6th Level
8 (-1)	35%*	30	5	43%	7	-2
12 (+0)	35%*	35%*	6	47%	7	-1
16 (+2)	35%*	55%	8	51%	8	+0
For a Thief of 9th Level
8 (-1)	65%	55%	8	73%	10	-2
12 (+0)	65%	65%	9	77%	10	-1
16 (+2)	65%	85%	11	81%	11	+0
* Technically, B/X has a 6th level Hide in Shadows at 36%,     but as far as I know, this is widely accepted as a typo. ^ On the nose, as far as typos are concerned!

Comparing the delta - bumping the Thief's effective level for the purposes of skill percentages, excluding the Specialization skill, is less generous than adding Dexterity to the percentage, as a whole. We knew this - or, could have inferred it easily - regarding the lower Dexterity scores: the former method applies a penalty for negative Dexterity, while the latter is always beneficial to the Thief. However, an interesting trend - the higher a character is in level and the higher the Dexterity score of the Thief is, the more closely the two align. 

At the lower bound, there is as much as a three-level difference between a dexterous Thief and a sinistrous one; however, looking at the higher level thief - this shrinks to 2 levels for the clumsy Thief, but is down to even for a Thief of respectable Dexterity - going one higher, if the Thief were to have rolled an 18 - the increase by bonus rule would actually outpace the flat bonus by score: offering a 9th level Thief the equivalence of 12 where the 82% chance granted by Dexterity only would still truthfully only be approximate to an 11th level character. Further - to compare percentiles alone, the bonus by modifier actually does outpace the bonus by score in terms of raw success chance: with both our 3rd level and 9th level characters benefiting more from a +2 Dexterity modifier than a 16 Dexterity.

So to conclude: this version of the Down in a Heap suggestion benefits higher level characters equivalently or better than does the CWR suggestion of two weeks ago - however, the CWR suggestion benefits lower level characters much more generously. 

What kind of experience do you want to create with the Thief? 

Once you've decided, pick your poison!

So Kudos!

Kudos, Rob - over at Down in a Heap: thank you for the rule and thank you for getting my brain running on the subject again! Kudos, John - of the Red Dice Diaries - well played in your Thief episode, getting a bunch of folks thinking on the subject with you! And kudos, readers, for bearing with me on yet another Thief fix post. Surely, with the sheer volume of houserules regarding Thieves, we definitely haven't run out of appetite for mechanical comparisons and new ideas yet.

Delve on, readers!

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.

Sepulchre of the Grave Robber

Behind a maze of stone, hidden within the caverns, a tomb from a forgotten time - built to heap forgotten praises - hides the riches of a resting hero. Some have braved the catacomb: and many have not returned! Have those who returned bled the cavern dry? Are there yet jewels and gemstones - perhaps wisdom or lost magics - hidden yet amongst the rubble. Who will it be to find the lost hero's hoard - and who else will perish, an added corpse to a growing graveyard!

Scale: 10 ft.
Click HERE for a PDF version of this adventure!

•		A little keyhole icon means the door is locked.
•		A little "S" through the door means the door is secret.
•		The other icon - which is supposed to look like a muscly arm - indicates the door is stuck and must be forced open.

Suitable for 3rd level characters.

C - Caves

C1 - Spike Trap

Three corpses - dry and skeletal - sit against the walls: two against the north wall of the passage running west, one against the north wall. Their breastplates have been punctured with a wide hole: the cadaver against the north wall is pierced through the heart; the others, pierced through the liver and stomach regions: fatal wounds, surely, but not immediately so.

If characters continue north, there is a tripwire which releases a spiked log that is positioned slightly south. A generous referee may allow a character to note its presence if they look up and back, towards the exit. When tripped, any character within 10 feet of the north tunnel must Save vs Paralysis - again, a generous referee may allow a bonus to the roll proportional to their armor class - or be struck by the swinging log: which deals 3d8 damage on failure, or 1d8 damage on success. In either case, the affected characters are pushed against the north wall, near the corpse.

The trap, after triggering, slowly resets itself over 1 dungeon turn.

On the two corpses to the south can be found 200 silver pieces and a Cat's Eye worth 10 gp.

On the corpse to the north can be found a set of keys: keys which will open the locked door marked #2, and also the door marked number 3 OR 4, randomly determined.

C2 - Hidden Blade Chamber

A breeze, fresh air, comes from the southern passage at this point. A character which walks into the southern passage comes up to brush and bracken: well lit - as though in a grove. Passing through, they are teleported to a location outside, not far from the dungeon. The teleport is one-direction: if they seek to return, they will find only bushes and must trek back to the entrance of the complex.

A character which closes their eyes while walking through will not be teleported: instead finding the rear of the chamber. Inlaid in the wall is a stone anvil, around which can be found 100 silver and 300 gold pieces, and in which is laid a Sentient Sword +1: Blade of the Oracle. The sword has the following characteristics:

• Intelligence: 11
  
• Ego: 3
  
• Communication: Auditory (Lawful)
  
• Alignment: Lawful
  
• Powers: Detect Slopes, Detect Shifting Architecture, Detect Magic

The sword will release itself from the anvil to any Lawful character or to a Neutral character on a positive reaction. It fancies itself a discerner of truth and respects honest characters.

C3 - Ruined Camp

The ruins of a camp - with several human-made mundane articles, cookpots, tents, bedrolls, etc - slowly decays here. There is nothing of special value - but perhaps an enterprising party may make creative use of the folderol.

C4 - Echo Chamber

Characters passing through this area can hear distant conversation - as though between friends. If the party is passing northbound, the conversation will be jovial, about the treasure they intend to find; if southbound, the conversation will be panicked, about a wounded comrade. There is a 2-in-6 chance that if the party stops to listen, a reference to the secret door to T4 will be made.

These echos occur only once: fading to silence after the party leaves the area.

C5 - Altar Nook

In a nook to the south of this bend has been placed a Chaotic altar - a lead pan sitting beneath a woven shield: tassels made of suspiciously stained hair coming down from the shield in seven equidistant points on the rim. Both altar and shield are mundane.

C6 - The Find

Tool marks mar the surface of the stone-hewn walls to the north, though only shallowly: the make of the geometric wall being much harder than the natural cavern. There are scuffs on the floor - as though things had been dragged around it - with some preference to the northern pass.

C7 - Spider Corner

The entire space is lined with spider webs; though the closer one approaches the east corner, the thicker they are. Three Black Widow Spiders (B43) lie in wait to prey on passers-by.

C8 - The Breach

A puncture has been made in the walls of the tomb, rocks and debris having fallen haphazardly into the next space. The breach is small, however - and any party in heavy armor (unless the armor-wearers are small in stature) will take a full turn to successfully navigate through it.

T - Tomb

T1 - The Hollow Watcher

To the north-west, a large statue in somber pose shows signs of damage. It has been hollowed out, with bits of carapace scatter around, signs of damage done to an insectoid. Under the statue in the hollow space, evidence of the mouth of a tunnel going down has been obscured: filled in with sand and rubble to block whatever is on the other side. On closer investigation under the statue, 6 gold nuggets of varying sizes can be found, amounting in value to 1,800 gold pieces.

To the north, the secret door is concealed only by the bulk of the statue; a character which edges behind will find it: however only one party member at a time can squeeze through, as the space is constrained by the stone.

Six Driver Ants (B34) are exploring the room, pecking at the blocked tunnel mouth.

T2 - North Chamber

Four large sarcophagi - ten feet by five, each - are aligned to run parallel to the walls, south-west to north-east, in the room. Two blank panels - as might hold a piece of art - can be seen on the north-east wall. In the center of the room - bull's-eyed by a cross drawn from the corners of the sarcophagi - is a lamp stand with eight candles.

Of the secret doors:

• The door to the north-west is a sliding faux wall, disguised to look like the stone. It is activated by pair of touchplates on the floor - one beside it and one four feet distant - that must be pressed simultaneously to open them.
  
  
• The door to the north-east is hidden behind the more southern blank panel. It is activated by a switch concealed in the nearest sarcophagus.
  
  
• The door to the south is an illusory wall. If half of the eight candles are lit - one on, one off - then the smoke therefrom will tend towards this door as though carried by a gentle current and the wall, itself, will become partially translucent and navigable: posing no barrier to entry or exit. Extinguishing any of the flames - or allowing the candles to burn out (which will occur naturally after 6 turns) - will cause the wall to re-solidifiy.

T3 - Forgotten Store

Broken wood and stone litter the floor. Amphora - mostly empty, some few sealed and containing oil - can be found by the south wall. The room smells vaguely of burial spices: though none are yet present. A Halfling adventurer (Lvl 1: B10) armed with plate, a shield, and dagger is prowling in the room, examining its furnishings, having come from the breach to the east.

T4 - Tomb of the Champion

A huge suit of armor - stature of a man over eight feet in height - sits against the south wall. If investigated, it is filled only with dust. Atop the helmet sits a crown, laced with silver and webbed with gold. The crown is worth 1,300 gold pieces.

Against the east wall is collected a great hoard of treasure, accounting to the following:

• 2,000 sp
  
• 1,000 gp
  
• 1 small topaz (10 gp)
  
• 2 circle-cut rubies (50 gp)
  
• 1 rough diamond (500 gp)
  
• A diadem sized for a normal human (600 gp)
  
• A scepter with a quartz pommel in the shape of an owl's head (1,000 gp)
  
• A pair of bracers, encrusted with tourmaline (1,600 gp each)

T5 - Abandoned Pool

The foundation of a pool - keyhole shaped, with a stair down to get in at the north-east face - is inlaid, drained and dry, in the room's floor. The depth to the flat side, on the north-east, is four feet: the circular section to the south-west forms a gradual bowl, descending to eight feet total depth below the floor level.

A solitary Tiger Beetle (B31) is in the room, with a 2-in-6 chance it will be about the perimeter or a 4-in-6 chance that it will be in the pool's recess.

T6 - Hall of Robbers

A row of skulls 2/3 sunk into the stone - arranged as a wainscoting rail - lines both walls of this hall; rib-cages protruding from the corner created by ceiling and wall form arches in the hall every 15 feet. Halfway up the hall, 4 Robber Fly (B41) wait, hidden among the skeletal architecture. A torn cloth pouch on the floor - 17 silver pieces spilled before it - betrays their location.

T7 - Hall of Wilting

Carved skeletal faces face downward, mouths open, from a high point in the center of the walls in each cardinal direction. In the center of the room is a ring akin to a compass rose - which will slide if stepped on or forcibly moved. It is pointing at one of the three doors to this space: determined randomly when the party first arrives.

If any of the three doors is opened when the "north" icon on the spinning floor compass is not pointing at it, a yellow light flares from the mouths of each of the skeletons. All characters in the room when this occurs must Save vs Spells or be aged 2d10 years.

T8 - Skull Hall

Oriented south to north, a relief depicting a helmeted skull has been carved into the floor. On each of the corners, a torch-holder extends; the holders are empty.

T9 - Memorial

In the northern section of the room, a statue of a large knight stands with an equally imposing sword jammed into an anvil in front of him. Cut flowers - desiccated and some decayed - line the floors leading towards the statue.

The room is unusually comfortable - compared to the rest of the complex: which may be cool or damp. A party which rests in this room will be doubly invigorated by it - requiring rest again after 2 hours (or, the 12th turn) rather than 1 (or, the 6th turn).

T10 - Thorned Hall

At the end of each hallway is a potted plant - a black, thorned thing sitting before a wall. A character which moves the plant will find underneath it a dial, which can be turned to unlock the secret door to which they are adjacent. 

The plant is toxic: if touched intentionally or accidentally (chance according to referee's discretion, but proportionally lower if proximity to the plant is avoided), the toucher must Save vs Poison: on a failure, the character falls into a coma and will die after 1d4 turns if not saved with appropriate medicine or magic; on success, the character becomes nauseated - unable to cast spells or use skills and suffering a -2 penalty to hit and damage in combat for the next 1d4 turns instead.

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art. Attributions in alt text.

Thieving for Non-Thieves

What do you do - as the ref - when a player not playing a Thief wants to do something that, typically, only a Thief is allowed to do?

This is a problem with skill systems - and an expose on how, the more you add to a game in terms of mechanical character complexity, the more you take away from the agency and imagination of the players. On a recent episode (or... well, an episode, at least) of John and Hannah Large's Red Dice Diaries podcast, John speculated on the subject - and I called in with my own solution. 

Or, at least, the solution I use: as always, I refuse to claim that I thought of it first!

But either way - before I forget about it, I wanted to write it down - to post it here - in case you, dear readers, were interested in that solution and in the impact it has, numerically, on the game as played. 

Maybe it'll work for you, too!

Attempting a Thief Skill as a Non Thief

If a character of class other than Thief wishes to attempt an action which should fall under the purview of a percentile-based Thief skill, they may do so - rolling 1d% under their Dexterity ability score. Thus, a Fighter with a Dexterity of 15 would have a 15% chance to open a lock - assuming said Fighter is carrying lock-picking tools or can otherwise improvise under the approval of the referee.

A non-Thief character attempting to Hear Noise has a static 1-in-6 chance of success.

Modified Thief Profile

A Thief character attempting to use a percentile-based skill other than Climb Sheer Surfaces, to determine their own chance of success, sums the value appropriate to level from the Thieves' Abilities table with the character's Dexterity ability score. Thus, a Thief with a Dexterity of 15 would have a 30% chance to open the lock referenced above - or, finding the lock to be trapped, a 25% chance to remove the trap.

If a particular skill - other than Pick Pockets - would be driven above 99% by summing the table value with the character's Dexterity, treat it as 99%: such that there is always at least a 1% chance of failure.

When attempting to Climb Sheer Surfaces, a referee may opt to apply the Dexterity modifier to the chance of success - but the chance of Climb Sheer Surfaces being so favorable to begin with, even for low-level thieves, this modification may be considered optional. 

Hear Noise (Optional)

When attempting to use the Hear Noise skill, a referee may opt to have the character apply their Wisdom modifier to the roll. So - for example - a Thief of 5th level with a Wisdom of 13 would have a 4-in-6 chance to succeed rather than 3-in-6; a Fighter of any level with the same Wisdom of 13 would have a 2-in-6 chance; or a Thief of 8th level with a Wisdom of 4 would also have only a 2-in-6 chance.

If a positive Wisdom modifier would take the chance of success above 5-in-6, instead allow a re-roll on a failed attempt, succeeding on the margin of success: ergo, a name-level Thief with a Wisdom of 18 would have a 5-in-6 chance to Hear Noise as a base, but on rolling a 6, would be allowed to roll again: still succeeding on 3-in-6.

If a negative Wisdom modifier would take the chance of success below 1-in-6, instead force a second roll on success with an inverted chance of failure: that inverted chance being 6 less the negative modifier. For example, a Fighter with a Wisdom of 5 would have a 1-in-6 chance to Hear Noise as a base, but on rolling that 1, would need to "confirm" that success on 4-in-6 due to the -2 Wisdom penalty.

But what effect does this have on the game?

Surprisingly little, actually. 

First, to speak to non-Thief characters the average Dexterity score is going to fall between 9 and 12 - so, comparing that level to a first level proper Thief, the Thief's niche is still protected.

So, assuming a Dex of 10:

	Open Locks	Remove Traps	Pick Pockets	Move Silently	Climb Sheer Surfaces	Hide In Shadows
Non-Thief Character	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%
Thief, 1st Level (RAW)	15%	10%	20%	20%	87%	10%
Delta	+5%	+/-0%	+10%	+10%	+77%	+/-0%

Even RAW (that is, when the houserule is applied to non-Thieves, but the Thief is not boosted with their own Dexterity) - this gives a non-Thief a chance to accomplish something: but the Thief class is not superannuated. The Thief is still a good investment to have - or, even, multiple Thieves: in case you come across something that disallows retries (e.g. Open Locks).

But how about Thieves, themselves?

A Thief character is likely to have a higher Dexterity than the average character. This isn't because we're doing point buy or anything FOE like that - but if you're choosing to play a Thief, it's frequently because you rolled a high Dexterity anyway, which compliments your XP gain: plus, with B/X, at least, you can reduce your non-prime requisite abilities to boost your prime requisite - contributing to the difference.

Thus, assuming a Dexterity of, say, 13 (the minimum to achieve a +1 modifier and the minimum required to benefit from a Prime Requisite XP bonus): we find ourselves with the following, examining a cross-section at various levels:

	1st Level			3rd Level			9th Level
Thief Skill	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv	RAW	Ruled	Lvl Eqv
Open Locks	15%	28%	4th	25%	38%	5th	75%	88%	10th
Remove Traps	10%	23%	4th	20%	33%	5th	70%	83%	10th
Pick Pockets	20%	33%	4th	30%	43%	6th	75%	88%	10th
Move Silently	20%	33%	4th	30%	43%	6th	75%	88%	10th
Climb Sheer Surfaces	87%	88%	2nd	89%	90%	4th	95%	96%	10th
Hide In Shadows	10%	23%	4th	20%	33%	6th	65%	78%	10th

Above, we have the RAW version of the Thief skill, the new success chance based on the house-rule, and the equivalent Thief level, RAW, which has a comparable chance. Note - the levels aren't perfect - for example, with Open Lock - a 4th level Thief, RAW, has 30%: not 28%, which is indicated as equivalent in the chart for 1st level - but it's the closest in the ballpark: and a fair approximation. Regardless - the implications are interesting. 

Unsurprisingly, Climb Sheer Surfaces represents, on average, a 1 experience level improvement. However, for each of the other skills, the benefit appears to diminish as the Thief gains experience. That is, early on, we see an improvement of success rate of 2 - if a particularly good Dexterity is rolled - potentially even 3 experience levels: then, in the mid-level range, the gap shrinks, reducing from a 2-3 level bonus to a 1-2 level bonus at best. Finally, as the character approaches name level - the improvement firmly sits in the 1 category: and, at a glance, by 11th level, the impact is effectively moot: a name level Thief with a 3 Dexterity or a 18 Dexterity won't have a noticeable difference in their chances to succeed at most (if not all) of their percentile skills.

Having not delved into the Hear Noise equivalencies - really, it's x-in-6: it should be an easy compare for anyone willing to eyeball it - I like this rule a lot. Less so as a mechanism to cope without a Thief and more so as a way to make the Thief more attractive. The rule helps out lower level characters, who need help the most, but then evens out at higher levels: slowly but surely making sure that the character's experience level - not the randomly generated number they were assigned by fate at char-gen - is paramount to the determination of their success: something that Gygax was very concerned about, regarding the relevance of character abilities compared to class abilities in their effectiveness in game.

So - looking for a way to boost low-level Thieves, but not wanting to break your game or change the style of play or impact the thematic experience? This rule might be for you!

Delve on, readers - and let me know how it rolls!

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.