Dragonlance and The Hero's Journey

I got bored, so here's some quick and dirty conversions to run a Dragonlance campaign using The Hero's Journey.

Races:

Kender: Kender function exactly as Halflings, with the following modifications:

• Kender roll 3d6 for Intelligence
• Kender roll 2d6+1 for Willpower
• Kender do not receive the "Flick of the Wrist" ability. Instead all kender are automatically proficient in the Hoopak. They receive a +1 bonus to all "to hit" rolls when wielding a hoopak. Hoopaks inflict damage as a staff when used in melee and function as slings when used as ranged weapons.
• Kender do not receive the "Stout Heart" ability. 
• All Kender receive the following racial ability: Fearless: Kender are completely and utterly immune to the emotion of fear. They simply do not experience it, whether naturally or by magical compulsion.

Classes:

Bard:

Kender Bards cannot learn to cast Wizard spells.

Bards no longer gain access to 3rd level Wizard spells.

Cavalier:

Cavaliers are known as Knights of Solamnia in Dragonlance. 

Knights of Solamnia must be Lawful in alignment. 

A 1st level Knight of Solamnia is known as a "Knight of the Crown." 

A 4th level Knight of Solamnia is known as a "Knight of the Sword."

A 7th level Knight of Solamnia is known as a "Knight of the Rose."

Jester:

Kender Jesters cannot learn to cast Wizard spells.

Jesters no longer gain access to 3rd level Wizard spells.

Paladin:

This class does not exist on Krynn. It cannot be selected.

Wizard:

Before reaching 5th level, all Wizards are expected to travel to a Tower of High Sorcery and take "The Test" to prove their skill and dedication to the art of magic. Failure typically results in the death of the Wizard.

Need some other rules? Make it up, you doorknob!

More B/X Awesomeness on OBS

So I don't know how it slipped my notice, but RPGNow and DriveThruRPG have added two new B/X D&D products to their site. Both are tough acquisitions on eBay, fetching quite a price for those trying to find physical copies.

Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark is a boxed set that details the adventures of the crew of the airship known as the Princess Ark, which was the subject of an ongoing series featured in Dragon Magazine back in the day. It's seriously cool stuff, and given that if you're lucky enough to find a used copy for sale you're likely to pay $100, it's damn near theft at $9.99.

Also, we've now got DDA3: Eye of Traldar available, which is your traditional "track down the MacGuffin" adventure and in spite of the high prices physical copies fetch, it's never been anything exceptional in my opinion. That being said, it's perfectly serviceable for a night of adventure and $4.99 is just inside the reasonable price range.

Apparently, in my blindness, I also missed the fact that OBS has added the Hollow World Campaign Box

Set and HWA3: Nightstorm.

For all the complaining I heard back in the day that B/X and Rules Cyclopedia D&D were "vanilla," I think supplements like Princess Ark and Hollow World certainly prove that to not be the case. These were fast, fun, gonzo adventuring from my care-free days of rolling dice and saving the world.

The B/X or Labyrinth Lord Gully Dwarf

Gully Dwarf

Requirements: CON 9, INT 8 or lower

Prime Requisite: DEX and CON

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum Level: 4

Gully Dwarves are a much maligned sub-race of dwarves known for their magnanimous stupidity and unbelievable ability to survive in even the worst environments. They are perpetually filthy, wearing rotted rags, eating garbage, and making their homes in places that even a goblin would find offensive. This combined with a surprising low cunning, means that Gully Dwarves possess a unique set of skills that can be of some use to an adventuring party - if that party can get past fact that these pathetic creatures are unrepentant cowards who fight only when pleading for mercy or escape are no longer an option.

In spite of this cowardice, Gully Dwarves are willing to use whatever is at hand to defend themselves if necessary. They can wield any one-handed melee weapon, but lack the intellect to learn the complexities of weapons like bows and crossbows. Because of this they may only used ranged weapons which can be thrown, such as daggers or javelins. They often wear layers of animal hides or cast off crow's mail to protect themselves and if provided with formal armor they can wear padded, leather, and studded leather armor. Their willingness to hide behind whatever is at hand to avoid injury also means they make regular use of shields.

If they have a 13 in at least one or the other prime requisite, the Gully Dwarf receives a +5% to all experience points they earn. If both prime requisites are 13 or higher, the character receives a +10% bonus.

Gully Dwarf Class Progression

Experience	Level	Hit Dice
0	1	1d8
2,187	2	2d8
4,375	3	3d8
8,751	4	4d8

Saving Throws

Level	Breath Weapon	Poison or Death	Petrify or Paralyze	Wands	Spells
1-3	13	4	10	9	12
4-6	10	2	8	7	10

Combat

Character

Defender Armor Class

Level	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1-2	20	20	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10
3	20	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9
4	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8

Sharp Senses: Because they live in a state of constant fear of attack, Gully Dwarves have surprisingly keen senses. They can any secret doors and even any traps within thirty feet with a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of success. These sharp senses extend to a natural infravision, which they have at a range of sixty feet.

Hiding in a Hole: The first defense of any Gully Dwarf is to hide in the dark places of their foul realms. When moving at half their normal rate Gully Dwarves travel in perfect silence with a 1-3 on 1d6 chance of success. They can also remain completely unseen in underground environments if they remain perfectly still with a 1-3 on 1d6 chance of success. These abilities can be used in wilderness environments as well, but only have a 1 on 1d6 chance of success in those cases.

Plague Resistant: Because they constantly live in filth and regularly eat food others would consider a death sentence, Gully Dwarves have an extraordinary resistance to these things, as is reflected in their saving throws.

Unashamed Coward: Gully Dwarves are unabashed cowards, fleeing from even the slightest threat unless they have an overwhelming advantage. As such they have a -8 penalty to any saving throws made to resist fear effects such as those caused by Cause Fear spells or similar effects.

Surprising Ferocity: While often regarded as pathetic and non-threatening, Gully Dwarves the tenacity of a caged and abused animal if they are cornered. They receive a +2 bonus to all attack and damage rolls when forced to fight against a foe who has twice the number of hit dice than the Gully Dwarf.

Pardon My Rant: Respect for the DM

So, this is a bit of a rant, so feel free to skip it if you don't want to listen to me bitch.

Still with me? Good. Let's begin.

I love running a game. I love being a Dungeon Master. I love it when my players are so engaged that they're hanging on every word and tensing whenever a d20 clatters on the table. It's one of the great joys in my life. I'm rarely more satisfied in my life than when a session ends and my players are chomping at the bit for the next adventure.

That being said, I work really hard to make it happen. I spend my spare time reading and prepping. I purchase far too many books. I make campaign bibles. I print character sheets. I buy books and dice to give to my players. I do it because gaming should be fast, fun, and accessible. As DM, and in effect the leader of the party, I feel it's my job to facilitate these things. I'm the steward of everyone else's fun and if I fuck it up, it negatively impacts everyone at the table.

A little appreciation would be nice now and again.

I get that life interferes with scheduled gaming sometimes. I get that shit comes up sometimes. But to spend hours of work and a lot of money to craft a fun game for everyone at the table and watch players sit oblivious or willfully ignorant of this is really started to stick in my craw.

I'm older now, and have less time for bullshit. My lack of bullshit tolerance has lead to a few things:

• First and foremost, show up. If you can't, let me know as soon as possible so I can modify the upcoming session to accommodate the absence. Same goes for being late.
• Know the rules. I don't expect my players to know every single detail, but if we're six sessions in and you don't know the basics of how your magic-user memorizes and casts spells, there's a problem. Be proactive and read the rules for how your character functions - especially if I shelled out some money to purchase a book for you as a gift. 
• No religion or politics at the table. End of story. That shit never ends well.
• This is a group game. While it's neat to have a cool concept for a character, don't sit down with a pre-generated character, a complete background, and all your bells and whistles covered if the only thing you know is that "We're playing Labyrinth Lord" or "We're starting up a Star Wars campaign." Any given RPG game can have a plethora of themes and styles of play and each group gels differently. Coming to the table with your character set in stone and expecting everyone to bend themselves into knots to accomidate your special snowflake is egocentric and insulting to everyone else at the table.
• On the other end of things, if everyone wants to play a game that you're not to keen on, say something - but don't be passive-aggressive about it. There's nothing wrong and no mature gamer will be offended if you say "I genuinely hope you guys have a blast, but I'm going to sit this one out."
• Lastly, say "Thanks." I work my ass off and a little recognition is appreciated from time to time.

So yeah, I'm feeling salty and a little pissed. Again, my bullshit tolerance is not what it once was when I was in my twenties. I felt the need to get it off my chest. I (and every other DM out there worth their dice bag) busts their ass to make a fun experience for everyone. Respect that, otherwise I might as well pack my shit up and go home.