Alternative Systems for AD & D^TM

Healing

If Hit Points are a measure of skill level, luck and other factors, in addition to raw ability to withstand injury, it makes little sense for healing to repair proportionately less damage to a character with lots of HP. The system below also helps to negate the increasing need for parties to be loaded down with healing potions and spells as they gain in levels.

Spells and their equivalent potions will always restore at least a minimum number of HP; see the table below. Additionally, any Curing magic will restore lost Fatigue.

As the amount healed by Lay On Hands already increases when the caster improves in level, it's not affected by this system.

Cure Light Wounds

30% of lost HP, minimum 4 HP

Cure Serious Wounds

50% of lost HP, minimum 8 HP

Cure Critical Wounds

70% of lost HP, minimum 12 HP

Heal spell

cures all but 1d4 HP, and diseases etc, see PHB

Natural healing

10% of total unharmed HP per day of complete rest, 5% for a day of partial rest. +5% for success in Healing or Herbalism NWPs.

Norseman's Courage

a good belt of strong alcohol heals 1d3 lost HP. Once per day only.

Round to the nearest HP when calculating healing. Note that non-lethal damage naturally heals completely in 30 mins; any magical healing also restores all lost non-lethal damage.

Turning and Compelling Undead

The ability to Turn Undead is an homage, of course, to Dracula and various Hammer Horror-style films where an intrepid priest uses a cross against an unliving foe. It has occurred to me that the AD&D version is a little colourless and lacking, resulting in either a set of fleeing undead or nothing at all. Here's a reworked system that also allows for an intermediary result much like that Van Helsing usually managed; an undead foe held at bay, neither fleeing nor unaffected.

Base roll is 2d10, rolling to equal or beat the value in the table below. A success affects 2d6 + Priest's level in enemy HD, starting with the lowest HD undead present. Evil or necromantic-style priests will compel the undead into their service if they roll well enough. Alternatively, evil priests can hold, turn or destroy Paladins and good-aligned supernatural creatures.

• A basic success holds the affected foes at bay; they cannot approach the priest closer than 10' for ten rounds
• A success by 4 over the required turns the affected foes; they flee at full movement for ten rounds. Alternatively, evil priests can compel their service for ten minutes. Future turning rolls by the same priest against the same foes are at +2.
• A success by 8 over the required destroys the affected foes; they are banished to their home Realm, turn to dust or collapse into bones. Alternatively, evil priests can permanently compel the service of the foes.

^*

Evil priests can compel the service of the undead for ten minutes (they must reroll after that period at +2, as above).

^**

Evil priests can compel the service of the undead permanently

¹

or 1st-2nd lvl Paladin.

²

or 3rd-4th lvl Paladin.

³

or 5th-6th lvl Paladin.

⁴

or 7th-8th lvl Paladin.

⁵

or 9th-10th lvl Paladin.

⁶

or 11th-12th lvl Paladin.

⁷

or 12th-13th lvl Paladin.