Classic Fantasy Roleplaying Game of Labyrinths, Magic, and Monsters By Daniel Proctor Goblinoid Games FOREWORD Labyrinth Lord is not new or innovative. This game exists solely as an attempt to help breathe back life into old-school fantasy gaming, to do some small part in expanding its fan base. Labyrinth Lord follows in the footsteps of other „retro-clone‰ game systems. One might think of it as an emulator, meant to employ game rules (algorithms) from early 1980s games by using new presentation in combination with terms that are open game content, provided under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Labyrinth Lord is a restatement of a set of rules that are otherwise out of print and no longer commercially supported. This work follows the idea that game rules themselves are not subject to copyright, only the specific presentation of those rules are. The goal of Labyrinth Lord and other retro-clone systems is to make rules currently available, using a common reference, for third-party publishers to create gaming material that is not only compatible with the particular retro-clone system, but also with the system which it seeks to emulate. By doing this we hope to help build a market for games that have otherwise been allowed to fade into the past. For further information, please visit our website at www.goblinoidgames.com. This effort is meant to complement, not replace, the fine work that came before it. If Labyrinth Lord succeeds in being a good representative of old-school fantasy roleplaying, it only does so because it lies on a solid foundation. I cannot, and would not, pretend to take any of the credit. This is a game about imagination. It represents what was, for most of us, our first tentative steps into the monster-filled labyrinths of our youth. We learned some of our first lessons about life, death, and reaching for impossible goals as we rolled strange dice we had never seen before, and went to worlds we otherwise would never have imagined. Old-school gaming isnÊt just about nostalgia. We go back to these game rules not just because they might be easier to learn or play compared to their modern derivatives, but also because there is a fresh element to the game. We open a portal to a simpler fantasy world, and we check our adult disillusionment at the door. As I enter that door I become my old dwarf character again, swinging my axe against a fresh wave of orcs on my way to defeat the evil orc chief. IÊll kill that chief and save the local village, only to fall in a battle to trolls later. But it doesnÊt matter. As long as we have this game and our sense of wonder, the adventures never end. As I was writing Labyrinth Lord, I learned from the Internet gaming community at DragonÊs Foot (www.dragonsfoot.org) that Tom Moldvay had died. He was the editor of the first set of game rules that inspires Labyrinth Lord, and his many writings made him one of the pioneers of fantasy role-playing. Those who knew him report that he was a nice, hard-working man. I only met him through his writings, but it is clear that we owe him a great debt. This work is therefore dedicated to his memory. Dan Proctor July 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks are owed to Tom Moldvay, Dave Cook, Steve Marsh, E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Frank Mentzer, J. Eric Holmes, Rob Kuntz, Tim Kask, and many, many other individuals who created the foundation of fantasy role playing games. Special thanks also to Ryan Dancey and Wizards of the Coast, Inc., for making the Open Game License and system reference documents available. This work would not have been possible otherwise. Deep appreciation is offered to Bill Ellis and Cameron DuBeers for calculating monster experience points, and to the community at the Goblinoid Games forums for their support and help in pointing out errata. Thanks to Trent Foster, William D. Smith Jr., Matthew Finch, Stuart Marshall, and Allen Shock for looking over this manuscript and offering advice. The person I must thank the most is my wife, for putting up with my obsessive writing over the last many months. Dedicated to the memory of Tom Moldvay Cover illustration and interior illustrations by Steve Zieser¡Layout and design by Daniel Proctor¡Editing and continuity by Lavanya Proctor, Ryan Denison, and Daniel Proctor¡Copyright 2007-2009 Daniel Proctor¡Cover illustration and interior illustrations Copyright 2009 Steve Zieser, used under license¡Labyrinth LordTM, Advanced Labyrinth LordTM, Goblinoid GamesTM, and Mutant FutureTM are trademarks of Daniel Proctor¡This product is released under the terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Revised Edition (Fourth Release) September 2009 www.goblinoidgames.com Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................ 3 Combat ................................................................................ 52 SECTION 1: Introduction ............................................................. 4 Combat Movement .......................................................... 53 How to Play ........................................................................... 4 Attacking ......................................................................... 53 Adventuring ....................................................................... 4 Unarmed Combat ................................................................. 53 Dice .................................................................................. 4 Aerial Combat ...................................................................... 53 Terms ............................................................................... 5 Damage and Healing ........................................................ 54 Common Abbreviations ...................................................... 5 Missile Attacks ................................................................. 54 SECTION 2: Characters ............................................................... 6 Saving Throws ...................................................................... 54 Creating a Character: An Overview .......................................... 6 Item Saving Throws (Optional Rule) ....................................... 55 Character Abilities ................................................................... 6 Morale Checks (Optional Rule) ............................................... 56 Ability Prime Requisites ...................................................... 7 Stronghold Encounters .......................................................... 56 Choosing a Class .................................................................... 7 Adventures at Sea ................................................................. 56 Hit Points ............................................................................... 7 Water Vessels .................................................................. 56 Character Classes ................................................................... 8 Ship Weaponry ................................................................ 57 Choosing Alignment .............................................................. 14 Water Conditions ............................................................. 57 Character Languages ............................................................ 14 Encounters at Sea ............................................................ 58 Character Inheritance ............................................................ 14 Waterborne Chases .......................................................... 58 Money and Coins .................................................................. 14 Waterborne Combat ......................................................... 58 Equipment ............................................................................ 15 Encounter and Combat Example ............................................ 58 Equipment Descriptions .................................................... 16 SECTION 6: Monsters ............................................................... 61 SECTION 3: Spells .................................................................... 19 Abbreviations ........................................................................ 62 Spell Casting Constraints ....................................................... 19 Monster Listings ................................................................... 63 Saving Throws ...................................................................... 19 Wandering Monster Tables .................................................. 104 Reversible Spells ................................................................... 19 Wilderness Encounter Tables ............................................... 105 Cumulative Spell Effects ........................................................ 19 SECTION 7: Treasure .............................................................. 106 Beginning Spells ................................................................... 19 How to Roll for Treasure ..................................................... 107 Spell Descriptions ................................................................. 20 Gems ............................................................................ 107 Cleric Spells ..................................................................... 20 Jewelry.......................................................................... 107 Magic-User and Elf Spells ................................................