Major Rule Departures

Here I list the major departures from standard AD&D rules as well as the typical D&D conventions that have developed from Basic D&D through 3rd Edition. This will serve as a good guide for a quick and dirty rule synopsis and a sort of table of contents, which any blog could sorely use.

In general, the Rule Building tag captures all of these posts and more.

Ability Scores
Still the same 6 statistics and 3-18 range. They function mostly the same as standard convention, but many of the bonuses have been split up between the different scores, e. g. some skill modifiers split between STR (climbing), DEX (pick pocketing), and WIS (detection). Stat tables can be found here.

Combat
To begin with, attacks follow a Target 20 mechanic.

• Special combat attacks have a unified mechanic. 
• Charges now act as an attack on morale.
• Melee weapons, thrown weapons, and ranged weapons have been reworked with unique features and characteristics.
• Armor comes in three types for adjudicating its affects.
• Shields have a few new uses beyond -1AC.
• Basic edition morale is used (2d6) and is also dynamic in regards to casualties.  

Experience And Leveling
At one point, I had an alternate experience system worked up, but we are back to the usual standard of using hit dice and gold pieces to determine experience awards. Or maybe the variant is back on the table. Or maybe not.

Guns!
Yes, firearms are in this campaign. There are no odd prohibitions or excessive restrictions on their use, just the historically accurate conditions for firearms of the day supplanted into a fantasy setting. Should be fun to see if they supplant swords and sorcery!


Hit Points
Also based on mass; PCs gain an extra hit dice at first level determined by their race and giant monsters will have higher Hit Point totals but the same number of Hit Dice by throwing larger valued dice.

Races
The big change is throwing out all racial restrictions on class and level; each race has some minor quirks and changes.

• Kobolds are house spirits that inhabit the homes of those who hold onto pagan believes.
• Goblin tribes form a dying race of raiding nomads living on the fringe of the Empire.
• Orc Khans once ravaged their way through Asia and Europe, but now mostly exist as a legacy of Khanates and Half-Orcs.

Skills
Skills operate on a unified chance-in-D6 method that any character may attempt while thieves have the best chance for success.

Spells
No Raise Dead.