TEXT: Contents
  GYGAX OD&D ADDITIONS
  1
  SOURCES
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  1
  SWORDS & SORCERY IN WARGAMING . . . . . . . . . . . .
  3
  HOW TO SET UP YOUR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CAMPAIGN
  7
  1974 THIEF RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  11
  SOLO DUNGEON ADVENTURES
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  13
  QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT DUN-
  GEONS & DRAGONS RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  22
  GYGAX HOUSE RULES 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  25
  GYGAX HOUSE RULES 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  27
  GYGAX OD&D ADDITIONS
  SOURCES
  • Swords & Sorcery in Wargaming
  – This article by Gary Gygax originally appeared in the Wargamer’s
  Digest Vol.1 #7 May 1974.
  – Grendelwulf’s Axe & Hammer blog reprinted an article. That
  link is dead but preserved on the Wayback Machine
  – The user kent typeset this article in PDF as described in the
  thread called Gygax 1975 - How To Set Up Your Dungeons &
  Dragons Campaign on the Original D&D Discussion.
  – Mentioned on RetroRoleplaying: The Blog in July 2010, along
  with the following quote:
  Grendelwulf’s Axe & Hammer blog reprinted an article
  by Gary Gygax from the May 1974 issue of Wargamer’s
  Digest recounting a D&D adventure with Mordenkainen
  at 13th level and Bigby at 11th level. They are later
  joined (after things go wrong) by two ﬁghters (Lords
  Yrag and Felnorith) and a cleric (Bishop Raunalf). In
  this adventure, Mordenkainen is turned to stone, Yrag
  dies, and Bigby is also turned to stone.
  Old school
  adventuring is dangerous. The article is a great read,
  you can ﬁnd it here.
  1
  
  • How To Set Up Your Dungeons & Dragons Campaign
  – This article by Gary Gygax Originally appeared in Europa 6-8
  April 1975, a 138 page zine about Conﬂict-Simulation-games.
  – The user kent typeset this article in PDF as described in the
  thread called Gygax 1975 - How To Set Up Your Dungeons &
  Dragons Campaign on the Original D&D Discussion.
  • 1974 Thief rules
  – These rules were published in “The Great Plains Game Players
  Newsletter” #9 (June 1974; pages 8 – 9), edited by Jim Lurvey.
  – Jon Peterson discusses them in a blog post entitled Gygax’s “The
  Thief Addition” (1974)
  – There is thread devoted to them called 1974 Thief rules (Gygax)
  at the Original D&D Discussion
  • Solo Dungeon Adventures
  – An article by Gray Gygax originally published in The Strategic
  Review Vol.1 No. 1 Spring 1975
  • Questions Most Frequently Asked about Dungeons & Dragons Rules
  – An article by Gray Gygax originally published in The Strategic
  Review Vol.1 No. 2 Summer 1975
  – The user kent typeset this article in PDF as described in the
  thread called Gygax 1975 - How To Set Up Your Dungeons &
  Dragons Campaign on the Original D&D Discussion.
  • Gygax House Rules 2005
  – There is a thread devoted to these rules called Gygax House
  Rules 2005 at the Original D&D Discussion.
  • Gygax House Rules 2007
  – These rules come from a forum posting that Gygax himself
  made in 2007. Unfortunately, that link is dead and the Wayback
  Machine doesn’t have it archived. Lucky for us, they are recorded
  for posterity at the Cyclopeatron blog.
  2
  
  SWORDS & SORCERY IN WARGAMING
  Ever since Tolkien’s fantasy books attained popularity, there has been a
  continuing growth of interest in the subject of Swords & Sorcery games. Of
  course, we are all exposed to fantasy as children through the medium of
  fairy tales, and now as adults we are treated to many of the more mature
  stories of the genre, such as those being presented by Ballantine Books in
  their Adult Fantasy series edited by Lin Carter. Somewhere in between
  the children’s works and the (often dry and slow) so-called adult works
  there lies the world of Swords & Sorcery—fast-paced, heroic yarns which are
  ﬁlled with brawny swordsmen, magic swords, wicked magicians, monstrous
  beasts, and beautiful women who must be rescued from them (pick any
  of the above for them). The champions of Swords & Sorcery are Robert
  E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, and Poul
  Anderson to name but a few. All of the activity in the ﬁeld of fantastic ﬁction
  has stimulated considerable interest in fantasy wargaming. For example,
  consider CHAINMAIL.
  Early in 1969 the evolution of a set of Medieval rules began, and when
  they were published in 1971 a fantasy supplement was included. Despite
  the fact that the Medieval is a reasonably popular period, and the rules
  contained in CHAINMAIL are both playable and realistic, about nine out
  of ten purchasers were attracted by the fantasy element.
  During three successive wargaming conventions there was a great demand
  for fantastic games—about equal to that for World War II or Napoleonics—
  while the Medieval was generally ignored. Now the most popular periods for
  miniatures are, in descending order of popularity, WWII armor, Napoleonics,
  American Civil War, and Ancients, with the Medieval following about ﬁfth
  or sixth. While there is no absolute conﬁrmation at this time, it appears
  that fantasy wargaming might move into a high place in the popularity
  ratings. This is indicated by something more than the evidence stated
  above.
  There are several large and active groups of wargame enthusiasts in the
  Twin Cities area. Dave Arneson, a true fantasy buﬀ, worked up a campaign
  from the CHAINMAIL fantasy rules, with considerable expansions in many
  areas. The battle reports were so interesting and humorous that there was
  no stopping a handful of Lake Geneva players from horning into things. In
  a few weeks the rules Dave had done were subjected to even more expansion
  and change. The result was an entirely new body of rules, now entitled
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and being marketed by Tactical Studies Rules.
  The most noteworthy thing, however, is the attraction evidenced by the
  fantasy campaign thus generated. The Twin Cities aﬀair has been running
  continuously for three years, while the game handled by this writer (with
  Rob Kuntz as co-referee) is entering its second year. Longevity indeed for
  wargame campaigns! Equally as important, the number of participants has
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  steadily grown. The semi-weekly meetings for the campaign in LakeGeneva
  have seen an increase from an original half-dozen to as many as 16 eager
  players, crowded close to hear the moderation by the referees, and loving
  (almost) every second of it! Those who can be only occasional visitors have
  all expressed a desire to begin their own local campaigns. What makes
  Swords & Sorcery wargame campaigns so enthralling? Nothing if you’re not
  of such a bent, but nearly everything if you are at all interested in Swords
  & Sorcery!
  Players select a ‘character’ type to begin the campaign—either a ﬁghter,
  magicuser, or cleric (whether human, elf, dwarf, or what have you; and
  naturally, they can also opt to play as monsters instead).
  Each class
  has disadvantages to balance its advantages. Thereafter each ‘adventure’
  which the player survives adds to his ‘experience’, increasing his abilities
  proportionately. Adventures are of two kinds: underworld expeditions to
  the labyrinthine dungeons, or perilous treks in the wilderness. The former
  kind of game is typically the most varied, for it is played on a series of
  maze maps designed by the campaign referee, each map representing a
  successively lower level of passages and rooms deep beneath some weird
  castle. Fearsome beasts lurk within these dungeons, and the players seek
  to ﬁnd them and best them in mortal combat, for most guard some item
  of treasure or magic. However, the way is strewn with pits, traps, and
  blind corridors; while secret doors, shifting walls, and other tricks serve
  to confuse and confound the intrepid explorers. Rather than try to even
  brieﬂy describe the large numbers of monsters, tricks, and traps used (or
  even a fair sampling of them), a brief dramatic account of one of the more
  memorable dungeon expeditions is in order:
  A Memorable Dungeon Expedition Undertaken by the Wizards
  Mordenkainen & Bigby
  The pair of darkly cloaked wizards had already descended to the fourth
  level of the dungeons. They were Mordenkainen, a 13th-level magic-user,
  and his one-time apprentice, Bigby, himself now a wizard of the 11th level.
  Together they made a near undefeatable combination—or so they thought.
  In an earlier expedition some dozen levels down they had come upon a key
  and a few lines of verse. Returning to their chambers, the pair had huddled
  over tomes bound in dragonhide, consulted ancient parchment scrolls and
  even older clay tablets, and drawn liquors from bubbling alembics in order
  to complete some arcane divination as to the key’s use. Eventually they
  achieved some degree of success, for they managed to translate the verse
  and identify the general area in which lay the gate which the key would
  open.
  Proceeding by a twisty route north and east, they now approached a widening
  of the passage. The crash of massive iron bars behind surprised neither,
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  for this place was familiar territory. Likewise, the sepulchral voice which
  now spoke was expected: “Choose from the four chests before you!” it
  commanded. The wizards opened the ﬁrst coﬀer, and as its lid was raised
  a ﬁve-headed hydra appeared. But before it could strike one of the pair
  made a swift pass with his staﬀ, and the creature wavered and became a
  tiny snail.
  Without pause, the other slipped the newly-made slug into his wallet, and
  the opening of the remaining receptacles continued. Finally the voice which
  had originally spo-ken once again sounded, for they had lifted the lid of the
  charmed case: “You are granted one wish of limited power,” intoned the
  bodyless speaker.
  “We wish to ﬁnd the door which this key will unlock!”
  “Pass through the iron portals and go north. You will ﬁnd beyond the gates
  of the Great Hall.”
  The room in which they stood extended far to the east, and both knew that
  its far boundary was broken by two tall doors of iron. Hurrying thence,
  they forced open these doors. The way was cunningly barred by numerous
  hidden entrances and false passages, but perseverance eventually brought
  them before the huge portals of the Great Hall. Mordenkainen duly inserted
  the oddly-shaped key, and the gates creaked open. Proceeding yet eastward,
  the pair soon came to a vast open space, and they knew that the ﬁrst part
  of the adventure was over, for they stood on the threshold of the Great Hall.
  With cautious steps the wizards paced ahead, hundreds of feet past a
  splashing fountain of alabaster, until a thick tapestry curtain barred the
  path. Parting the hanging, Mordenkainen and Bigby peered into yet another
  cavernous space, with massive pillars of ivory ranked right and left. These
  wondrous items they examined immediately, and by levitating to the top
  it was learned that each column was a titanic pedestal, some ten feet in
  diameter, ﬁfty feet high, and each hewn from a single piece of ivory! Pressing
  yet further into the hall they encountered a dais, and upon ascending its
  steps still another marvel greeted them. There, seated upon granite thrones,
  were three iron statues. Those to either hand appeared to be likenesses of
  kings, one holding forth a broadsword, while the other presented a dagger.
  It was the central ﬁgure which was most commanding, however, for it was
  gigantic.
  The features of its face were vaguely human, expressionless, with a gaping
  circle of a mouth. As the startled wizards watched it stirred to life, arising
  from its seat with a hollow grinding, and advanced toward them. The pair
  retired slowly at ﬁrst, but as the iron golem began to move swiftly toward
  them, both Mordenkainen and his fellow took to their heels. The metal
  monster gained, so in desperation they sought refuge atop one of the ivory
  pillars. The golem hurled its bulk against the base of their retreat and the
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  column shook. Mordenkainen leaned perilously over the edge and began
  the incantation that would turn the stone beneath the monster’s feet into
  viscid mud—suﬃcient to entrap, and possibly even to totally destroy, the
  ghastly thing, he supposed. The incantation reached its climax, and the
  paves beneath the iron monster’s feet shimmered and turned glutenous, but
  the golem ﬂoated above the mud, and in another moment struck the pillar
  another blow. It cracked. In desperation the wizards brought forth the
  brass urn which contained an enslaved efreet, commanding it to do battle.
  When the ebon servant sallied forth, however, the golem belched out a sheet
  of ﬂame from its maw, and the efreet withered under the blast. There was
  but one gamble to try.
  The two wizards descended to ﬁght the creature themselves.
  At their
  approach it hesitated and then shot forth ﬁre once more, but this did but
  small damage due to their prowess and talismans. While his companion
  recovered the wounded efreet, Mordenkainen attacked the golem. The blow
  from his staﬀ seemed to cause the thing no harm, and its return slash with
  an evilly discolored sword was barely avoided. Several similar exchanges
  took place; but then, as Bigby completed his task and turned to jointhe
  fray, he saw the monster’s metal whip lash out and strike Mordenkainen full
  in the body. Instantly the wizard was turned to stone! There was nothing
  more to be done now, the astonished magic-user realized instantly, and ﬂed.
  When suﬃcient space was gained, for the golem gave up pursuit when the
  tapestry was passed, Bigby teleported to the stronghold of his associates
  and related what had happened.
  Within a few hours he was back once more before the gates of the Great
  Hall, and with him were two ﬁghters of exceptional ability, the doughty
  Lords Yrag and Felnorith, as well as a cleric, the Bishop Raunalf. The party
  approached the mighty curtain with caution, but when it was parted the
  scene was quiet, and they continued to advance. Nearby was the calciﬁed
  Mordenkainen, and all paused while his fellow performed the ritual which
  would restore his ﬂesh. The spell did its work, but the wizard was far too
  shaken to be of any help in the ordeal that lay ahead, so he awaited the
  confrontation well to the rear. Bigby, guiding the four, crept up the steps
  and beheld the three thrones. As their feet touched the last step the iron
  golem stirred as before. Yrag and Felnorith leapt into action. In a few quick
  bounds they reached the other two statues, and as one wrenched for the
  sword, the other tore out the dagger from the iron hands which presented
  it. Here, likely, were the very weapons with which to defeat the golem.
  They turned to see their foe already in action, and as its whip ﬂailed the
  stricken Bigby met the fate of his fellow, and became stone. The two ﬁghters
  smote the golem simultaneously, both with telling strokes. It faltered, and
  the arm that held the lash fell from it with a resounding clangor. Yet it
  managed to retaliate, and its sword fell full upon Yrag. The Lord gasped,
  his visage mottled green, and died. Felnorith, now ﬁghting alone, struck
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  again and again at the iron monster, somehow managing to fend oﬀ the
  golem’s strokes, and with a desperate blow ﬁnally brought the huge thing
  crashing to the ﬂoor in pieces. The battle was over, but what had been its
  purpose? The survivors began to investigate.
  A thorough examination of the area revealed the two remaining statues to
  be hollow repositories of a fortune in precious stones. Better still, there
  were tiny coral miniatures of the Great Hall, and from these relief maps it
  was easy to plan for another expedition at a future date. Now, however,
  it was time to gather the treasure and bring the body of Yrag back into
  the clean air and daylight of the surface in order to entreat the Patriarch
  of Greyhawk to restore his life (regardless of the cost!), and also there was
  Bigby, whose stony members had to be returned to ﬂesh once again. The
  three adventurers turned to these tasks.
  Final Note:
  Fantastic? Most assuredly, and perhaps a bit on the corny side also. Nonethe-
  less, it is one whale of a lot of fun. I can vouch for it, for in the adventure
  related above I was playing rather than judging. To my knowledge the only
  fantasy campaign rules currently available are the Dungeons & Dragons
  set. During their development and ﬁnal testing they brought hundreds of
  hours of enjoyment to all concerned, and we look forward to much more of
  the same. As a ﬁnal word, it is necessary to point out that the referee or
  referees must put in a lot of work preparing for a campaign, but again I can
  tell you that it is well worth the trouble. Give it a go.
  HOW TO SET UP YOUR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  CAMPAIGN
  Let us assume that you have shelled out the requisite number of dollars to
  purchase all of the materials necessary for a D&D campaign—rules, dice,
  reams of various kinds of paper, pencils, and so forth. Several persons have
  expressed a desire to play the game, so all you really need now is the game!
  That’s right, folks. The referee of the campaign must structure the game so
  as to have something to play. He must decide upon these things:
  1. The overall setting of the campaign;
  2. The countryside of the immediate area;
  3. The location of the dungeon where most adventures will take place;
  4. The layout and composition of the nearest large town;
  5. Eventually the entire world - and possibly other worlds, times, dimen-
  sions, and so forth must be structured, mapped and added.
  7
  
  This might seem to be too large a task, but it isn’t really if you and your
  players are enjoying the game (and it is odds-on you will!). Furthermore,
  not all ﬁve things need not to be done before play commences, In fact, most
  of the ﬁne referees I know of work continually on their campaign, adding,
  changing, and expanding various parts continually. A thorough discussion
  of each of the ﬁve areas of campaign play is necessary before considering
  how to go about involving players in the aﬀair.
  Step 1 is something you do in your head. Now fantasy/swords & sorcery
  games need not have any ﬁxed basis for the assumptions made by its referee
  (my own doesn’t) except those which embrace the whole of fantasy. This
  sort of campaign can mix any and all of the various bases which will be
  mentioned below - and then some. Regardless for what setting you opt, keep
  it secret from your players, or else they can study your sources and become
  immediately too knowledgeable, thus removing the charm of uncertainty.
  Settings based upon the limits (if one can speak of fantasy limits) can be
  very interesting in themselves providing the scope of the setting will allow
  the players relative free-reign to their imaginations. Typical settings are:
  Teutonic/Norse Mythology; Medieval European Folklore (including King
  Arthur, Holger the Dane, and so on); The “Hyborean Age” created by R E
  Howard; Fritz Leiber’s “Nehwon” with Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser; Indian
  Mythology; and Lost Continents such as Atlantis or Mu. Regardless of the
  setting you can have it all taking place on an ‘alternative earth’ or a parallel
  world. In this way minor variations can easily be explained/justiﬁed. When
  the setting is decided upon some good books dealing with it should always
  be kept handy. The time has come to begin working on the campaign.
  Step 2 requires sitting down with a large piece of hex ruled paper and
  drawing a large scale map. A map with a scale of 1 hex = 1 mile (or 2
  kilometers for those of you who go in for recent faddish modes of measure)
  (yes, I often use rods, chains, furlongs, and leagues too!) will allow you
  to use your imagination to devise some interesting terrain and places, and
  it will be about right for player operations such as exploring, camping,
  adventuring, and eventually building their strongholds, Even such small
  things as a witch’s hut and side entrances to the dungeon can be shown on
  the map. The central features of the map must be the major town and the
  dungeon entrance.
  Step 3 involves the decision aspect already mentioned and the actual work
  of sitting down and drawing dungeon levels. This is very diﬃcult and time
  consuming. Each level should have a central theme and some distinguishing
  feature, i.e. a level with large open areas swarming with goblins, one where
  the basic pattern of corridors seems to repeat endlessly, one inhabited by
  nothing but ﬁre-dwelling or ﬁre-using monsters, etc.
  As each level is ﬁnished the various means of getting to lower levels must
  be keyed and noted on the appropriate lower levels, so that if a room sinks
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  four levels it will then be necessary to immediately show it on 4 sheets of
  graph paper numbered so as to indicate successively lower levels. A careful
  plan Of what monsters and treasures will be found where on each level is
  also most necessary, and it can take as long to prepare as the level itself, for
  you may wish to include something unusual (a treasure, monster, and/or
  trick or trap not shown in D&D) on each level.
  Before the rules for D&D were published Old Greyhawk Castle was 13 levels
  deep. The ﬁrst level was a simple maze of rooms and corridors, for none of
  the participants had ever played such a game before. The second level had
  two unusual items, a Nixie pool and a fountain of snakes. The third featured
  a torture chamber and many small cells and prison rooms. The forth was a
  level of crypts and undead. The ﬁfth was centered around a strange font of
  black ﬁre and gargoyles. The sixth was a repeating maze with dozens of
  wild hogs (3 dice) in inconvenient spots, naturally backed up by appropriate
  numbers of Wereboars. The seventh was centered around a circular labyrinth
  and a street of masses of ogres. The eighth through tenth levels were Caves
  and caverns featuring Trolls, giant insects, and a transporternexus with an
  evil Wizard (with a number of tough associates) guarding it. The eleventh
  level was the home of the most powerful wizard in the castle. He had
  Balrogs as servants. The remainder of the level was populated by Martian
  White Apes, except the sub-passage system underneath the corridors which
  was full of poisonous critters with no treasure. Level twelve was ﬁlled with
  Dragons. The bottom level, number thirteen, contained an inescapable slide
  which took the players ‘clear through to China’, from whence they had to
  return via ‘Outdoor Adventure’, It was quite possible to journey downward
  to the bottom level by an insidious series of slanting passages which began
  on the second level, but the likelihood of following such a route unknowingly
  didn’t become too great until the seventh or eighth level. Of the dozen or
  so who played on a fairly regular basis, four made the lowest level and took
  the trip: Rob Kuntz, now a co-referee in the campaign went alone and three
  of his friends managed to trace part of his route and blunder along the rest,
  so they followed him quickly to the Land of China. Side levels included a
  barracks with Orcs, Hob-goblins, and Gnolls continually warring with each
  other, a museum, a huge arena, an underground lake, a Giant’s home, and
  a garden of fungi.
  Step 4 should be handled concurrently with designing the ﬁrst three or
  four dungeon levels. Here your players will ﬁnd lodgings, buy equipment,
  hire mercenaries, seek magical and clerical aid, drink, gamble and wench.
  The town would do well to resemble some of those, in Howard’s “Conan”
  series or Leiber’s city of “Lankhmar”. Strange towers, a thieves quarter, and
  temples of horrible deities add greater ﬂavor to play. The ‘Thieves Guild’, a
  society of evil clerics, a brotherhood of lawful men, and so on bring a bit
  more interest also. If a few warring nobles from the surrounding territory
  also send large parties of men into the place occasionally some interesting
  9
  
  brawls can occur. Honest and dishonest merchants should be indicated.
  Taverns which drug patrons should likewise be indicated, and so on. In any
  event be sure and leave room for additional things and expansion.
  Step 5 is as noted something that you won’t immediately have to worry
  about; but it is a good idea to have a general plan in mind immediately.
  The general geography of the ‘world’ should be sketch-ed out. If you plan to
  make it possible to visit other worlds, times or places the general outline of
  all such areas should also be sketched out. For example, you might wish to
  have the Moon an inhabitable (and inhabited) place which can he traveled
  to by means of a Flying Carpet. A description of this lunar world should
  be located somewhere as well as a means of getting there, but only after
  you have something solid in the way of maps and the like.
  Having accomplished those parts of the ﬁve steps which are immediately
  necessary (probably taking a week or so), you are ready to begin to play.Let
  us further assume that there are four prospects. These players should begin
  together and for a time at least operate as a team if possible. Each in turn
  rolls three dice to record the various scores for the makeup of the character
  they are to play and how large an initial bankroll the character begin with.
  This accomplished, players decide what class of character they wish to
  play, the type (human, elf, etc), and the alignment of the character (the
  latter can be secretly told the referee, with an announced alignment being
  false). At this stage each player locates his base in some inn or the like, and
  then they can set forth to explore the town and purchase their adventuring
  equipment. Those that are careful and/or lucky might also be able to hire
  a few men-at-arms to accompany them. The latter is particularly true if
  players pool their funds. In a short time the ﬁrst dungeon expedition can
  be made, but that is the subject of Part III of this series, so we will return
  to it again later.
  There is one further subject to be dealt with here, and that is selection
  of character type. It is pretty obvious that high base scores in the areas
  of strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Dexterity indicate that becoming a
  Fighter, Magic-User, Cleric or Thief (see the upcoming D&D Supplement
  “Grayhawk” to be released sometime before the summer of this year). But
  what about those players who roll just average (or worse) totals? They
  are the ones who should take advantage of the non-human types, for these
  have built-in abilities despite the general handicap of being unable to work
  up as high as humans. If the character is poor anyway, will he ever be
  worked up very high? Possibly, but the odds are against it as a human,
  but as an Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Half-Elf or even some other creature some
  interesting possibilities exist. It is up to the referee to help his players in
  this area by pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
  What do you do if a player opts to become a Golden Dragon? Agree, of
  course. Allow the player to adventure only with strictly Lawful players, and
  normal men-at-arms would never go near even a good dragon. He would be
  10
  
  Very Young, size being determined by the die roll. Advancement in ability
  would be a function of game time (the dragon would normally take about
  four years to grow to its next level) and accumulated treasure—let us say
  that for every 100,000 pieces of gold (or its equivalent) the dragon in eﬀect
  gains an extra year of growth, counting magical items which go into the
  horde as fairly high in gold value. While the player will be quite advanced at
  ﬁrst, those who are playing more usual roles will surpass him rather quickly,
  and in this way you’ll not ﬁnd a G.D. dominating.
  1974 THIEF RULES
  A NEW CHARACTER TYPE FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS:
  THE THIEF!
  by Gary Gygax
  Recently I received a telephone call from Gary Schweitzer who hales from
  sunny California. It isn’t all that sunny out there, however, for are many
  dungeon expeditions regularly being led beneath the grim pile of the castles
  which are scattered throughout that land. Anyway, during the course of
  our conversation he mentioned that his group was developing a new class of
  character—thieves. Gary gave me a few details of how they were considering
  this character type, and from these I have constructed tentative rules for
  the class. These rules have not be tested and should be treated accordingly.
  CHARACTERS:
  There are now four (4) main classes of characters.
  • Fighting Man
  • Magic-Users
  • Clerics
  • Thieves
  Thieves: This class is diﬀerent from any of the others. Thieves are generally
  not meant to ﬁght, although they are able to employ magic swords and
  daggers (but none of the other magical weaponry), and the only armor they
  can wear is leathern. They have no spells such as magic-users and clerics
  are able to employ, but they do have certain unique abilities:
  • Open locks (by picking or even foiling magical closures)
  • Removal of small trap devices (such as poisoned needles)
  • Climb almost sheer surfaces rapidly, up or down
  • Steal items by stealth and/or sleight-of-hand
  • Strike silently from behind
  11
  
  • Listen for noise behind a closed door
  • Move with stealth
  • Hide in shadows
  Thieves are always neutral. Their prime requisite is dexterity. Men,
  Dwarves, Elves, or Hobbits may become thieves.
  Table 1: The Thief
  Thieves
  XP
  HD
  Open Locks/
  Remove Traps
  Hear
  Noise
  Move Silently/
  Hide in
  Shadows
  Apprentice
  0
  1
  15%/10%
  1-2
  20%/10%
  Footpad
  1,200
  1+1
  20%/15%
  1-2
  25%/15%
  Robber
  2,400
  2
  25%/20%
  1-3
  30%/20%
  Burglar
  4,800
  2+1
  35%/30%
  1-3
  35%/25%
  Cutpurse
  9,600
  3
  40%/35%
  1-3
  45%/35%
  Sharper
  20,000
  3+1
  45%/40%
  1-3
  55%/45%
  Pilferer
  40,000
  4
  55%/50%
  1-4
  60%/50%
  Master
  P’r.
  60,000
  4+1
  65%/60%
  1-4
  65%/55%
  Thief
  85,000
  5
  75%/70%
  1-4
  75%/65%
  Master
  Thief
  115,000
  5+1
  85%/80%
  1-4
  85%/75%
  M.T.,
  2nd
  230,000
  6
  95%/90%
  1-5
  95%/85%
  M.T., 3rd
  345,000
  6+1
  100%/95%
  1-5
  100%/90%
  A “Master Thief 4th level” would have seven dice for accumulated hits,
  a 100% chance to remove traps, and a 95% chance to remain undetected
  when hiding or moving through shadows, gaining these advantages when
  460,000 experience points had been accumulated. At the 5th level a Master-
  Thief would have 7 +1 hit dice, always hear noise, and always be able to
  hide without being seen provided he wasn’t observed prior to hiding, and
  there were shadows, of course. Another 115,000 experience points would be
  required to go from 4th to 5th level Master Thief.
  Other Possible Considerations:
  • Third level thieves (Robber and above) are able to read languages, so
  treasure maps can be understood by them without recourse to a spell.
  12
  
  • Ninth level thieves (Thief and above) are able to understand magical
  writings, so if they discover a scroll they are able to employ any spells
  thereon, excluding clerical spells.
  Example of a Thief in Action: Assume that a ﬁfth level thief (Cutpurse)
  is a member of an expedition aimed at looting a known treasure on a
  dungeon level. After the guardian of the treasure has been dealt with, the
  thief goes into the area and examines several chests in the room. He notes
  that two have traps – which he has a 35% chance of successfully removing.
  He succeeds on the ﬁrst, and a vial of poisonous gas is removed; however he
  cannot open the lock (the referee rolled above 40%) so it must be forced
  open—a very time-consuming process. Failure to remove a trap, incidentally,
  activates it with regard to the thief and any others within its range. After
  lucking out on his second chest all around, the party is heading back when
  a slight detour takes them past a monster which immediately goes into
  persuit of the adventurers. As the party dasher around a corner to throw
  oﬀ the persuit, the thief remains in hiding. If the monster fails to notice
  him (35% chance) he can then slip into its lair and snatch the loot while
  it is elsewhere. This same Cutpurse later sees a man with some item he
  desires. His chance of removing the object, be it from the person of the
  owner or from his immediate vicinity, is 45%, the same likelihood as he has
  of moving with absolute silence. If the thief strikes silently from behind he
  will do two dice of damage for every four levels he as attained, minimum
  damage of two dice, and hit probabilities from behind should be increased
  by 20% (+4 on numbers shown to hit).
  Attack Ability, Alternative Combat System: For purposes of attack
  probability only treat Thieves (class) as Clerics, advancing probabilities in
  four levels/group.
  SOLO DUNGEON ADVENTURES
  by Gary Gygax, with special thanks to George A. Lord
  Preliminary testing: Robert Kuntz and Ernest Gygax
  Although it has been possible for enthusiasts to play solo games of DUN-
  GEONS & DRAGONS by means of “Wilderness Adventures”, there has
  been no uniform method of dungeon exploring, for the campaign referee has
  heretofor been required to design dungeon levels. Through the following
  series of tables (and considerable dice rolling) it is now possible to adventure
  alone through endless series of dungeon mazes! After a time I am certain
  that there will be some sameness to this however, and for this reason a
  system of exchange of sealed envelopes for special rooms and tricks/traps
  is urged. These envelopes can come from any other player and contain
  monsters and treasure, a whole complex of rooms (unfolded a bit at a time),
  13
  
  ancient artifacts, and so forth. All the envelope should say is for what level
  the contents are for and for what location, i.e. a chamber, room, 20’ wide
  corridor, etc. Now break out your copy of D&D, your dice, and plenty of
  graph paper and have fun!
  The upper level above the dungeon in which your solo adventures are to
  take place should be completely planned out, and it is a good idea to use
  the outdoor encounter matrix to see what lives where (a staircase discovered
  later just might lead right into the midst of whatever it is). The stairway
  down to the ﬁrst level of the dungeon should be situated in the approximate
  middle of the upper ruins (or whatever you have as upper works).
  The ﬁrst level of the dungeon is always begun with a room; that is, the
  stairway down leads to a room; so you go immediately to TABLE V. and
  follow the procedure indicated. Always begin a level in the middle of the
  sheet of graph paper.
  Save what you develop, for if you decide not to continue each solo game
  as part of a campaign, the levels developed in this manner can often be
  used in multi-player games. Likewise, keep a side record of all monsters,
  treasures, tricks/traps, and whatever. If the opportunity ever comes (as it
  most probably will) you will have an ample supply of dungeon levels and
  matrices to entertain other players.
  Descretion must prevail at all times. For example: if you have decided
  that a level is to be but one sheet of paper in size, and the die result calls for
  something which goes beyond an edge, amend the result by rolling until you
  obtain something which will ﬁt with your predetermined limits. Common
  sense will serve. If a room won’t ﬁt, a smaller one must serve, and any room
  or chamber which is called for can be otherwise drawn to suit what you
  believe to be its best positioning. At all times you are serving in two roles,
  referee and player, so be sure to keep a fair balance.
  Now proceed to the tables which explain all play.
  TABLE I. PERIODIC CHECKS:
  Table 2: Periodic Checks
  Die
  Result
  1-3
  Continue straight, check again in 60’
  4-7
  Door (see TABLE II.)
  8-10
  Side/Passage (see TABLE III.), check again
  in 30’
  14-16
  Chamber (see TABLE V.)
  17
  Stairs (see TABLE VI.)
  18
  Dead End (walls l., r. and ahead can be
  checked for Secret Doors, see TABLE V.,
  footnote)
  14
  
  Die
  Result
  19
  Trick/Trap (see TABLE VII.), passage
  continues, check again in 60’
  20
  Wandering Monster (see Vol. III, D&D),
  check again immediately to see what lies
  ahead so direction of monster’s approach
  may be determined.
  TABLE II. DOORS*:
  Table 3: Location of Door
  Die
  Result
  1, 4
  Left
  5, 8
  Right
  9, 12
  Ahead
  Table 4: Space Beyond Door
  Die
  Result
  1,2
  Parallel passage or 10’x10’ room if door
  straight ahead
  3
  Passage straight ahead
  4
  Passage 45 deg. ahead/behind
  5
  Passage 45 deg. behind/ahead
  6-12
  Room (go to TABLE V.)
  *If no room is beyond a door check again on TABLE I. 30’ after passing by
  or through a door.
  TABLE III. SIDE PASSAGES:
  Table 5: Side Passages
  Die
  Result
  1
  left 90 degrees
  2
  right 90 degrees
  3
  left 45 degrees ahead
  4
  right 45 degrees ahead
  5
  left 45 degrees behind
  6
  right 45 degrees behind
  15
  
  Die
  Result
  7
  left curve 45 degrees ahead
  8
  right curve 45 degrees ahead
  9
  passage “T’s”
  10
  passage “Y’s”
  11
  four-way intersection
  12
  passage “X’s” (if present passage is horizontal
  or vertical it forms a ﬁfth passage into the “x”)
  Table 6: Passage Width
  Die
  Result
  1-7
  10’
  8-10
  20’
  11
  30’
  12
  5’
  TABLE IV. TURNS:
  Table 7: Turns
  Die
  Result (check on width of
  passage on TABLE III.)
  1-4
  left 90 degrees
  5
  left 45 degrees ahead
  6
  left 45 degrees behind
  7-10
  right 90 degrees
  11
  right 45 degrees ahead
  12
  right 45 degrees behind
  TABLE V. CHAMBERS AND ROOMS: (Roll for Shape and Size, then
  Exits, then Contents)
  Table 8: Shape and Size
  Die
  Chamber Shape and
  Area
  Room Shape and
  Area
  1
  Square, 20’ x 20’
  Square, 10’ x 10’
  2-4
  Square, 20’ x 20’
  Square, 20’ x 20’
  5
  Square, 30’ x 30’
  Square, 30’ x 30’
  16
  
  Die
  Chamber Shape and
  Area
  Room Shape and
  Area
  6
  Square, 40’ x 40’
  Square, 40’ x 40’
  7
  Rectangular, 20’ x 30’
  Rectangular, 10’ x
  20’
  8, 9
  Rectangular, 20’ x 30’
  Rectangular, 20’ x
  30’
  10
  Rectangular, 30’ x 50’
  Rectangular, 20’ x
  40’
  11
  Rectangular, 40’ x 60’
  Rectangular, 30’ x
  40’
  12
  Unusual Shape and
  Area, see sub-table
  below
  Table 9: Unusual Shape and Size (Roll Separately for Shape and
  Size)
  Die
  Shape
  Size
  1-3
  Circular
  About 500 sq. ft.
  4,5
  Triangular
  About 900 sq. ft.
  6,7
  Trapezoidal
  About 1,300 sq. ft.
  8,9
  Odd-shaped*
  About 2,000 sq. ft.
  10
  Oval
  About 2,700 sq. ft.
  11
  Hexagonal
  About 3,400 sq. ft.
  12
  Octagonal
  roll again and add result to 11
  above (if another 12 repeat the
  process, doubling 11 above,
  and so on)
  *draw what shape you desire or what will ﬁt the map
  Exits: Number, Location, and Direction (Passages in Chambers,
  Doors in Rooms)
  Table 10: Number of Exits
  Die
  Room Area
  Number of Exits
  1
  Up to 600’
  1
  1
  Over 600’
  2
  2
  Up to 600’
  2
  2
  Over 600’
  3
  17
  
  Die
  Room Area
  Number of Exits
  3
  Up to 600’
  3
  3
  Over 600’
  4
  4
  Up to 1200’
  0*
  4
  Over 1200’
  1
  5
  Up to 1600’
  0*
  5
  Over 1600’
  1
  6
  Any size
  1-4, roll to determine
  Table 11: Location and Direction of Exits
  Die**
  Location
  Direction (If a Door use TABLE II
  instead)
  1-5
  opposite wall
  straight ahead
  6-8
  left wall
  straight ahead
  9-11
  right wall
  straight ahead, 20’ wide
  12
  same wall
  45 deg. left/right
  * A secret door might exist, and a search may be made if desired. For every
  10’ of wall space checked roll a 12-sided die – a 1 indicates a secret door has
  been found, a 12 indicates a wandering monster has come in.
  ** If a passage or door is indicated in a wall where the space immediately
  beyond the wall has already been mapped then the exit is either a secret
  door (1,2) or a one-way door (3-6).
  Table 12: Chamber or Room Contents
  Die
  Contents
  1-12
  empty
  13-14
  monster only (determine from D&D, Vol. III)
  15-17
  monster and treasure (see table below)
  18
  special* or empty
  19
  Trick/Trap (see Table VII.)
  20
  Treasure (see table below)
  * insert a sealed envelope indicating room contents which can be prepared
  for you by any willing person, and open the envelope when indicated above.
  18
  
  Table 13: Treasure Without Monster
  Die
  Amount
  Treasure
  01-25
  1,000
  copper pieces/level
  26-50
  1,000
  silver pieces’level
  51-65
  750
  electrum pieces/level
  66-80
  250
  gold pieces/level
  81-90
  100
  platinum pieces/level
  91-94
  1-4
  gems/level
  95-97
  1
  piece jewelry/level
  98-00
  Magic (roll on D&D table)
  Treasure With Monster
  According to the type indicated in D&D, Vol. III for “Outdoor Adventures”
  with pro rata adjustment for relative numbers.
  TABLE VI. STAIRS:
  Table 14: Stairs
  Die
  Result
  1-5
  Down 1 level*
  6
  Down 2 levels**
  7
  Down 3 levels***
  8
  Up dead end (1 in six is collapsing chute
  down 1 level)
  9
  Down dead end (1 in six to chute down 2
  levels)
  10
  Chimney up 1 level, passage continues, check
  again in 30’
  11
  Chimney up 2 levels, passage continues,
  check again in 30’
  13
  Chimney down 2 levels, passage continues,
  check again in 30’
  14-18
  Trap door down 1 level, passage continues,
  check again in 30’
  19,20
  Trap door down 2 levels, passage continues,
  check again in 30’
  * 1 in 12 has a door which closes egress for the day
  ** 1 in 10 has a door which closes egress for the day
  *** 1 in 8 has a door which closes egress for the day
  19
  
  N.B. Check for such doors only after descending steps!
  TABLE VII. TRICK/TRAP:
  Table 15: Trick/Trap
  Die
  Result
  1-5
  Secret Door unless unlocated: Non-elf
  locates 1 in 6, elf locates 2 in 6, magical
  device locates 5 in 6 (then see TABLE II.)
  Unlocated secret doors go to die 6,7
  below.
  6,7
  Pit, 10’ deep, 3 in 6 fall in.
  8
  Pit, 10’ deep with spikes.
  9
  20’ x 20’ elevator room (party has entered
  door directly ahead and is in room), descends
  1 level and will not ascend for 30 turns.
  10
  As 9 above, but room descends 2 levels.
  11
  As 9 above, but room descends 2-5 levels, 1
  upon entering and 1 additional level each
  time an unsuccessful attempt at door
  opening is made, or until it descends as far
  as it can. This will not ascend for 60 turns.
  12-14
  Wall 10’ behind slides across passage
  blocking it for from 10-60 turns.
  15
  Arrow trap, 1-6 arrows, roll for each to see if
  and score hits, 1 in 6 is poison.
  16
  Spear trap, 1-3 spears, 1 in 12 is poisoned
  17,18
  Gas, party has detected it, but must breath
  it to continue along corridor as it covers 60’
  ahead. Mark map accordingly regardless of
  turning back or not. (See Gas Sub-Table
  below.)
  20
  Use a trick/trap from a sealed envelope,
  make up one of your own, or roll again until
  a 1-19 turns up.
  Table 16: Gas Sub-Table
  Die
  Result
  1-5
  Only eﬀect is to obscure vision when passing
  thru.
  6
  Blinds for 1-6 turns after passing through.
  20
  
  Die
  Result
  7
  Fear: run back 120’ unless save vs. Magic is
  made.
  8
  Sleep: party sound asleep for 2-12 turns.
  9,10
  Strength: adds 1-6 points of strength to all
  ﬁghters in party for 10-40 turns.
  11
  Sickness: return to surface immediately.
  12
  Poison: save vs. Poison or dead.
  CAVES AND CAVERNS FOR LOWEST LEVEL: You may wish to
  have “rough-hewn” and natural tunnels in lower levels, and where chambers
  and rooms are indicated substitute Caves and Caverns. Exits are as above,
  and there is a 1 in 6 chance for monsters, 5 in 6 that the monster has
  treasure.
  TABLE VIII. CAVES & CAVERNS
  Table 17: Caves & Caverns
  Die
  Result
  1-3
  Cave about 40’ x 60’
  4
  Cave about 50’ x 75’
  5
  Double Cave: 20’ x 30’, 60’ x 60’
  6
  Double Cave: 35’ x 50’, 80’ x 90’*
  7-9
  Cavern about 95’ x 125’*
  10
  Cavern about 120’ x 150’
  11
  Cavern about 150’ x 200’*
  12
  Mammoth cavern about 250’-300’ x
  350’-400’**
  *Roll to see if pool therein
  **Roll to see if lake therein
  Table 18: Pools
  Die
  Result
  1-5
  No pool
  6,7
  Pool, no monster
  8,9
  Pool, monster
  10,11
  Pool, monster & treasure
  12
  Magical pool
  21
  
  Table 19: Lakes
  Die
  Result
  1-5
  No lake
  6-8
  Lake, no monsters
  9-11
  Lake, monsters*
  12
  Enchanted lake**
  * 1-4 monsters, 4 in 5 chance of treasure
  **enchanted lake leads any who manage to cross it to another dimension (if
  special map is available, otherwise treat as lake with monsters) – lake will
  have from 2-5 monsters
  Table 20: Magic Pools (In order to ﬁnd out what they are characters
  must enter)
  Die
  Result
  1-3
  Turns gold to platinum (1-3) or lead (4-6),
  one time only.
  4-6
  Will on a one-time-only basis add (1-3) or
  subtract (4-6) from one characteristic of all
  who stand within it: 1 = strength, 2 =
  intelligence, 3 = wisdom, 4 = dexterity, 5 =
  consitution, 6 = charisma (add or subtract
  from 1-3 points, checking for each character
  as to addition or subtraction, characteristic,
  and amount).
  7-9
  Talking pool which will grant 1 wish to
  characters of its alighnment, damage others
  from 2-12 points; 1-2 lawful, 3-4 neutral, 5-6
  chaotic. Wish can be withheld for up to 1
  day.
  10-12
  Transporter pool: 1-2 back to surface, 3-4
  one level down, 5-6 100 miles away for
  outdoor adventure.
  QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS RULES
  The space limitations of D&D (and it was diﬃcult to get all we managed to
  in three booklets!) forced us to gloss over certain areas, hoping that this
  22
  
  would not cause undue problems for readers. While the number of letters
  with questions regarding D&D indicates that our assumption was correct,
  even one or two percent of the readers represents too large a portion of
  unsatisﬁed buyers, so we herewith oﬀer a few more details in those areas
  where questions most frequently occur. In addition, there are a few errors
  which have been corrected by means of additional sheet in the latest printing
  of D&D. Those of you with sets of the rules which do not contain these
  corrections can acquire one simply by sending a stamped return envelope to
  TSR requesting D&D Corrections.
  Combat: CHAINMAIL is primarily a system for 1:20 combat, although it
  provides a basic understanding for man-to-man ﬁghting also. The Man-
  To-Man and Fantasy Supplement sections of Chainmail provide systems
  for table-top actions of small size. The regular CHAINMAIL system is for
  larger actions where man-like types are mainly involved, i.e. kobolds, goblins,
  dwarves, orcs, elves, men, hobgoblins, etc. It is suggested that the alternate
  system in D&D be used to resolve the important melees where principal
  ﬁgures are concerned, as well as those involving the stronger monsters.
  When fantastic combat is taking place there is normally only one exchange
  of attacks per round, and unless the rules state otherwise, a six-sided die is
  used to determine how many hit points damage is sustained when an attack
  succeeds. Weapon type is not considered, save where magical weapons are
  concerned. A super hero, for example, would attack eight times only if he
  were ﬁghting normal men (or creatures basically that strength, i.e., kobolds,
  goblins, gnomes, dwarves, and so on). Considerations such as weapon-type,
  damage by weapon-type, and damage by monster attack tables appear
  in the ﬁrst booklet to be added to the D&D series—SUPPLEMENT I,
  GREYHAWK, which should be available about the time this publication is,
  or shortly thereafter. Initiative is always checked. Surprise naturally allows
  ﬁrst attack in many cases. Initiative thereafter is simply a matter of rolling
  two dice (assuming that is the number of combatants) with the higher score
  gaining ﬁrst attack that round. Dice scores are adjusted for dexterity and
  so on.
  Combat Example: 10 Orcs surprise a lone Hero wandering lost in the
  dungeons, but the die check reveals they are 30’ distant at the time of
  surprise, so they use their initiative to close to melee distance. Initiative
  is now checked. The Hero scores a 3, plus 1 for his high dexterity, so it is
  counted 4. The Orcs score 6, and even a minus 1 for their lack of dexterity
  (optional) still allows them ﬁrst attack. As they outnumber their opponent
  so heavily it is likely that they will try to over-power him rather than kill,
  so each hit they score will be counted as attempts to grapple the Hero:
  • Assumed armor of the Hero: Chainmail & Shield– AC 4.
  • Score required to hit AC 4 – 15 (by monsters with 1 hit die).
  23
  
  • Only 5 Orcs can attack, as they haven’t had time to surround.
  • Assume the following dice scores for the Orcs attacks: Orc #1 - 06;
  #2 - 10; #3 - 18; #4 - 20; #5 - 03.
  • Two of the Orcs have grappled the Hero, and if his score with 4 dice is
  less than their score with 2 dice he has been pinned helplessly. If it is
  a tie they are struggling, with the Hero still on his feet, but he will be
  unable to defend himself with his weapon. If the Hero scores higher
  than the Orcs use the positive diﬀerence to throw oﬀ his attackers,
  i.e. the Hero scores 15 and the Orcs scored but 8, so the Hero has
  tossed both aside, stunning them for 7 turns between them.
  • Round 2: Initiative goes to the Hero.
  • Score required to hit Orcs – 11 (4th level ﬁghter vs. AC 6).
  • Assume the following dice score by the Hero: 19; 01; 16; 09. Two out
  of four blows struck. . .
  • Note that he is allowed one attack for each of his combat levels as
  the ratio of one Orc vs. the Hero is 1:4, so this is treated as normal
  (non-fantastic) melee, as is any combat where the score of one side is
  a base 1 hit die or less. There are 8 orcs which can possibly be hit.
  An 8-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck. Assume
  a 3 and an 8 are rolled. Orcs #3 and #8 are diced for to determine
  their hit points, and they have 3 and 4 points respectively. Orc #3
  takes 6 damage points and is killed. Orc #8 takes 1 damage point
  and is able to ﬁght.
  • All 7 surviving/non-stunned Orcs are now able to attack.
  • Continued attempts to over-power the Hero are assumed, and no less
  than 4 Orcs are able to attack the Hero from positions where his shield
  cannot be brought into play, so his AC is there considered 5, and those
  Orcs which attack from behind add +2 to their hit dice. In the case
  it is quite likely that the Orcs will capture the Hero.
  Saving throws for monsters are the same as for the appropriate type and
  level of man, i.e. a balrog would gain the saving throw of either a 10th level
  ﬁghter or a 12th level magic-user (the latter based upon the balrog’s magic
  resistance), whichever score is the more favorable for the balrog. A troll
  would be equal to a 7th level ﬁghter as it has 6 dice +3, virtually seven dice.
  Morale: This is a factor which is seldom considered. The players, basically
  representing only their own character and a few others, have their own
  personal morale in reality. Unintelligent monsters ﬁght until death. Occa-
  sionally, however, it is necessary to check either troops serving with a party
  (in whatever respect) or the morale of intelligent monsters. This is strictly
  a decision for the referee. The system used is likewise up to the referee,
  although there is one in CHAINMAIL which can be employed, or he can
  simply throw two dice – a 2 being very bad morale, a 12 being very good
  morale. With situational adjustments this score will serve as a guideline for
  24
  
  what action will be taken by the party checked.
  Experience: Low value should be placed upon magical items as far as
  experience is concerned, as such items will be highly useful in gaining still
  more treasure. Thus, in the Greyhawk campaign a magic arrow (+1) is
  worth a maximum of 100 points experience, a +1 magic sword with no
  special abilities is valued at a maximum of 1,000 points, a scroll of spells
  at either 500 or at 100 points per level per spell (so a 6th level spell is
  worth a maximum of 600 experience points), a potion is worth between
  250 and 500 points, and even a genie ring is worth no more than about
  5,000 points maximum. Valuable metals and stones, however, are awarded
  experience points on a 1 gold piece to 1 experience point ratio, adjusted for
  circumstances – as explained in D&D, a 10th level ﬁghter cannot roust a
  bunch of kobolds and expect to gain anything but about 1/10th experience
  unless the number of the kobolds and the circumstances of the combat
  were such as to seriously challenge the ﬁghter and actually jeopardize his
  life. For purposes of experience determination the level, of the monster is
  equivalent to its hit dice, and additional abilities add to the level in this
  case. A gorgon is certainly worth about 10 level factors, a balrog not less
  than 12, the largest red dragon not less than 16 or 17, and so on. The
  referee’s judgement must be used to determine such matters, but with the
  foregoing examples it should prove to be no diﬃculty.
  Spells: A magic-user can use a given spell but once during any given day,
  even if he is carrying his books with him. This is not to say that he cannot
  equip himself with a multiplicity of the same spell so as to have its use
  more than a single time. Therefore, a magic-user could, for example, equip
  himself with three sleep spells, each of which would be usable but once. He
  could also have a scroll of let us say two spells, both of which are also sleep
  spells. As the spells were read from the scrolls they would disappear, so
  in total that magic-user would have a maximum of ﬁve sleep spells to use
  that day. If he had no books with him there would be no renewal of spells
  on the next day, as the game assumes that the magic-use gains spells by
  preparations such as memorizing incantations, and once the spell is spoken
  that particular memory pattern is gone completely. In a similar manner
  spells are inscribed on a scroll, and as the words are uttered they vanish
  from the scroll.
  GYGAX HOUSE RULES 2005
  Introduction
  In 2005, Gary ran an OD&D campaign for his group. This is a compilation
  of notes about the rules for that campaign. The info was gleaned from
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  Q&As in Gary’s Q&A threads on ENWorld & DF as well as some tales of
  the campaign posted by Deogolf.
  Rules
  • Only use the three little books—none of the supplements.
  Character Generation and Advancement
  • Ability scores rolled as best 3 out of 4d6. Arrange scores to taste.
  • PCs start at 3rd level.
  • Fighters get +1 HP/die. All PCs get +1 HP/die if Con > 14.
  • No training necessary to gain a level.
  Initiative
  • 1d6 for surprise. 1=1 round. 2=2 rounds. 3 or more=no surprise.
  • PCs must declare actions before initiative. Casters must declare the
  speciﬁc spell being cast.
  • 1d6 for initiative. A tie means simultaneous combat.
  • A casting caster who loses initiative will lose his spell if hit.
  Combat
  • All PCs get 1d6 hp/level. HP rolls are rerolled on a 1.
  • Fighters do +1 damage if Str > 14.
  • Dex doesn’t aﬀect AC.
  • Dex does aﬀect missile attack “to hit” rolls.
  • PCs are unconscious at 0 hp. They can go as low as level +1 before
  death. (e.g. a 4th level ﬁghter can be brought as low as -5 hp and
  just be unconscious.) A healing potion or cure spell restores them
  immediately.
  Spells & Magical Items
  • To acquire new spells casters must ﬁnd scrolls, spellbooks, or a friendly
  higher-level caster.
  • Clerics don’t need spellbooks. (The original books can be read to
  imply that they do.)
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  • Gary IDs most magic items immediately (charging large sums of money
  when they return to town to rest & recuperate for this service). (This
  is because the players are anxious to get back into the dungeon &
  don’t want to bother with in-town adventures.)
  • Potions must still be tasted to ID, though.
  • Unusual items require a trip to the striped mage.
  GYGAX HOUSE RULES 2007
  • STR > 14: +1 to hit and +1 to damage if a Fighter
  • INT > 14: +1 1st level m-u spell
  • WIS > 14: +1 1st level cleric spell
  • DEX > 14: +1 to AC, and +1 to move silently
  • CON > 14: +1 HP per HD (same as a Fighter class gets, +2 if a
  Fighter)
  • CHA > 14: +1 (positive) on reaction checks
  • HPs: Characters are only unconscious at 0 HPs. For each level a
  character may have a minus HP total equal to the level, so a 1st level
  PC is dead at -2, a 2nd level at -3, etc.
  • When taking damage allow -1 HP per character level
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/AD&D 1e-2e, D&D, OD&D (TSR)/OD&D/Gygax OD&D Additions (0e).pdf