Necrocarcerus Rules Updated - Version 1.1

I've updated the Necrocarcerus House Rules document to version 1.1 (353kb PDF). The link is to download this most recent version from Google Drive.

Changes include:

Hireling rules added.
Note-taker role added.
Stat modifier progression added.
Prime attribute XP modifiers added.
Rules for determining how to determine starting HP; How HP increases with level.
Social combat recalculations added.
Rangers can now only wear medium armour (previously they could wear heavy armour).
Spell failure chance while wearing armour you're not proficient with table added.
"Area" weapon quality and rule added.
Book, cleaning kit and coffee pot added to the equipment list.
Food, lodging, poisons, servants and services added to the equipment lists.
Effects of poison listed.
Costs related to changing alignment now listed.
Clarification that PCs may pursue expertise with social attack forms.
Clarification that everyone is proficient with hats.
Clarification around how you are supposed to obtain nepenthe and your own obol.
Some minor wording changes for clarification in almost every section.
Standardised formats for numbers.
The margins were changed slightly (narrowed) to allow more text per page.
The Lighting section, Spells & Spellcasting sections and Nepenthe sections were reformatted for readability.

That's everything I can think of. I've been working on this for about a week. It's about three pages longer than the previous document, although there's actually more content that's been added, it's just disguised by the increased page margins.

Hirelings in Necrocarcerus

This is straight from the Necrocarcerus House Rules Document 1.1 (to be finished much more promptly than 1.0 was). I chipped a bunch of it from Courtney Campbell, though I believe Heads Will Be Splattered is a unique and original adaptation of Shields Will be Splintered by me.

Hirelings

Hirelings are distinct from servants and specialists, who will assist PCs with tasks for a fee, but will not join them in peril. They are unable to accomplish anything requiring more than cursory attention or effort without the direct supervision of a PC.

Roll	Type
1	Murderous Cretin
2	Jaded Thrillkiller
3	Death Cultist
4	Misguided Friend
5	Duped Novice
6	Inhumanoid Bravo
7	Rambunctious Drunk
8	Free-Spirited Golemic
9	Unreliable Gadabout
10	Impulsive Familiar
11	Self-absorbed Penitent
12	Unwholesome Mystic

Hirelings in Combat

Hirelings do not attack or defend on their own, and enemies will not normally target them. Instead, hirelings add +1 per hireling to a PC’s attacks and AC as they assist in distracting, confounding, and otherwise bedeviling opponents.

Heads Will Be Splattered

Hirelings may be sacrificed like shields and hats to absorb hits targeting a PC. A hireling who absorbs a hit is killed. A hireling receives no benefit from a shield or hat of their own.

Compensating Hirelings

A typical compensation for hirelings is ½ share of the treasure accumulated on the adventure. Some hirelings may demand other, even more unpleasant, rewards for their assistance

Hirelings will expect PCs to provide them with any specialised gear or mounts, and to cover any fees they incur.

Recruiting Hirelings

Hirelings cannot be recruited through normal channels as they, like the PCs, do not participate in the labour market. They must be found while adventuring and persuaded to join the party.

Necrocarcerus: The Rules

The Necrocarcerus House Rules Document is complete!

Download the rules from this link. It's a 651 KB PDF file.

The Necrocarcerus map is available from this link. (1.77 MB JPEG)

With these house rules and a copy of Swords and Wizardry Complete you should be able to create and play a character in Necrocarcerus. Necrocarcerus is a Flailsnails game though, with dead or living Flailsnails PCs welcome to adventure within.

I appreciate any and all feedback on it that people want to give. Anyone who wants to play in the Necrocarcerus game, which will be running biweekly on Saturdays at 9am EST starting this Saturday, is welcome to find me on G+ and let me know so they can be invited.

A Miscellany of Rules for Necrocarcerus

Some rules from the Necrocarcerus House Rules document, and a table governing available phone plans in Necrocarcerus. The first rule is on lighting:

"Light sources with a radius shine good lighting in a circle out to their distance, and shine dim lighting out to twice that distance. Cones shine in a 45-degree arc with good lighting out to their distance and shine to twice that distance with dim lighting. Beams shine on one object that they are pointed directly at with good lighting. They may be pointed at another object with an action. Someone with a beam pointed at their eyes counts as blinded."

Type	Cost	Wt.	Light	Time
Bullseye Lantern	50	H	20m cone	4 hrs.
Glow Button	250	L	40m beam	Infinite
Rushlight	1	L	2m radius	1d4 turns
Safety Lantern	50	H	10m radius	4 hrs.
Waterproof Torch	5	-	10m radius	6 turns
Underwater Flare	5	L	2m radius	1 turn

The next two are on readied items and encumbrance:

"Ready items may be drawn and used in a round without expending an action. Stowed items require a round to dig them out for use. An item is readied or stowed depending on what container the PC has it in. Armour or items that a character is wearing (i.e. hats), and items they are holding in their hands always count as readied."

"PCs can carry a number of heavy items (H) equal to their Strength score freely. 1000 obols, 10 light items (L) or 5 medium items (-) can be bundled up into 1 heavy item. PCs carrying up to 2x their Strength score are encumbered and cannot run or use their hands. (NP) items cannot be carried."

Containers	Cost	Capacity	Items
Backpack	10	8H	Stowed
Bandoleer	5	4L	Ready
Chest / Coffer	75	60H	Stowed
Frame Pack	50	12H	Stowed
Purse	1	1-	Stowed
Quiver	10	6L	Ready
Sack	1	3H	Stowed
Scabbard	1	1H or 1-	Ready
Scroll Case	10	2L	Ready
Utility Belt	15	4L + 1-	Ready
Webbing Belt	25	8L + 2-	Ready

And on phone plans:

Plan	Cost / Mo.	Abilities
Basic	50	Phone Calls; Texts; Clock
Premium	100	+ 2m beam Light; Camera; Calendar
Super	150	+ Video; Conference Call Hosting

All costs are in obols.

Adventures in Necrocarcerus

Courtney Campbell is taking a short break from Numenhalla, which means I will be taking over the time slot (Saturday mornings 9am EST on Google Plus) to run Necrocarcerus.

In the Necrocarcerus campaign, after all other book-keeping is done, play begins with the PCs selecting one of four possible motivations for this week's adventures, depending on the style of play and adventure type they want. Once the motivation is selected, I select / roll up the adventure they will be going on as a result.

PCs may be deluded by the Confabulations of Lunatics, going on site-based adventures.

PCs may be restless, reckless, and On the Lam, going on hexcrawls, pointcrawls and overland adventures.

PCs may fall prey to the Whims of Maniacs, receiving task-based quests to accomplish for patrons.

PCs may make Poor Life Decisions, pursuing their own agendas and finding themselves in hot water.

As a sample of what these mean, I will list one rejected result from the list for each:

Confabulations: " A strike by rail workers leaves the PCs at Ottavo Station in the Far Lands. They hear of the fearsome Pyramid of the Adamantine Rat a day's journey away on foot. A guy handing out maps to tourists tells them of the ancient cult that built the Pyramid, and their fabulous alchemical wealth"

On the Lam: 'After being permanently banned from the Last Teahouse in the Far Lands for excessive revelry, the PCs find themselves on the edge of town. The rail line stretches off far to the west, while a sign saying "Forbidden" points down a muddy path through some ruins."

Whims of Maniacs: "The PCs are hired by the Underlord Santobar Nkruma to steal the cursed head of Occlan from the Museum of Impossibilities."

Poor Life Decisions: "The PCs wake up hungover and covered in blood in the royal suite of an inn, clutching a map and the severed head of Devil Mike, which is muttering something in an unknown tongue. Guards pound on the door."