New & Updated Rules - March 2025
  1. Notes

New & Updated Rules - March 2025

From time to time I'll call out certain overlooked or underused rules. Also after every major adventure we will be adding new rules from the various expansion books.

Overlooked Rules

A) Charging an Opponent (PHB pg.128)

A character can also charge a foe. A charge increases the character’s movement rate by 50% and enables the character to make an attack at the end of his movement. A charging character also gains a +2 bonus to his attack roll, mainly from momentum. Certain weapons (such as a lance) inflict double the rolled damage in a charge.

However, charging gives the opponents several advantages. First, they gain a –2 bonus to their initiative rolls. Second, charging characters gain no Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class and they suffer an AC penalty of 1. Finally, if the defender is using a spear or polearm weapon and sets it against the charge (bracing the butt against a stone or his foot), he inflicts double damage on a successful hit.

B) Withdrawing (PHB pg.128)

When making a withdrawal, a character carefully backs away from his opponent (who can choose to follow). The character moves up to 1⁄3 his normal movement rate.

If two characters are fighting a single opponent and one of them decides to withdraw, the remaining character can block the advance of the opponent. This is a useful method for getting a seriously injured man out of a combat.

Withdrawing does NOT provoke an attack of opportunity from an opponent (but could provoke one from adjacent enemies)

C) Bleeding Out and Deaths Door

Core Rules: Hit Points at 0 or Below
  1. At 0 Hit Points:
    • The character is unconscious and incapacitated.
    • They collapse and can take no actions (e.g., no movement, attacks, or spellcasting).
    • They begin bleeding out, losing 1 hit point per round automatically at the end of each round, unless stabilized (see below).
    • They’re not dead yet but are in immediate danger.
  2. Below 0 Hit Points:
    • The character remains unconscious and continues bleeding out, losing 1 HP per round.
    • Death Threshold: If the character reaches -10 hit points, they die instantly. This is the default cutoff in AD&D 2e.
  3. Massive Damage Exception:
    • If a single attack or effect reduces a character from positive hit points to -10 or lower in one blow (e.g., 15 damage when at 5 HP), they die immediately without bleeding out. This reflects catastrophic injury (DMG, p. 75).

D) Combat Round Sequence

We will be modifying the combat round sequence to play closer to the rules as written (PHB pg.122). The major change is that actions are declared BEFORE initiative is rolled.

  1. The DM decides what actions the monsters or NPCs will take, including casting spells (if any).
  2. The players indicate what their characters will do, including casting spells (if any).
  3. Initiative is determined.
  4. Attacks are made in order of initiative.

E) Spellcasting Timing in the Combat Round

Spells have a casting time listed in their description (PHB, pp. 200–211), measured in segments (1 segment = 6 seconds, 10 segments = 1 round). In combat, this time is added to the initiative roll to determine when the spell takes effect.
  • Casting Time:
    • Ranges from 1 (very fast) to 9 (almost a full round) or more (multiple rounds for big spells).
    • Examples:
      • Command (1st-level, Law): Casting time 1.
      • Cure Light Wounds (1st-level, Healing): Casting time 5.
      • Spiritual Hammer (2nd-level, Combat): Casting time 5.
  • When It Resolves:
    • Add the casting time to your side’s initiative roll.
    • The spell completes and takes effect on that modified initiative count.
    • If the total exceeds 10, it spills into the next round (DMG, p. 66).

New Rulings

A) Attacks of Opportunity - Player Options: Combat & Tactics (pg. 13)

Attacks of opportunity occur when a threatened character or creature ignores the enemy next to it or turns its back on a foe and attempts to move through a square under threat. The threatening enemy gets to make an immediate melee attack (or sequence of attacks for monsters with multiple attacks) against the threatened creature. Attacks of opportunity cannot be performed with missile weapons.

This is a free attack that does not take the place of any actions the threatening creature  had already planned. A creature can't make more than one attack of opportunity against a single opponent in the course of a combat round, but if several enemies leave themselves open, the creature can make one free attack against each one. There is a limit to the number of attacks of opportunity a single creature may make in one round. Warriors and monsters can make three attacks of opportunity plus one per five levels or Hit Dice. All other characters can make one attack of opportunity plus one per five levels. Thirty kobolds trying to swarm past a fighter in a narrow passage will take losses, but some will still get through.

Surprised characters and monsters cannot make attacks of opportunity during the round in which they are surprised 


B) Tome of Magic

Spells from inside this expansion book are now part of the campaign setting


C) Improvised Attack Option - Pressing Attack

You can declare a Pressing Attack, one where you apply your strength/momentum in an attempt to push your opponent backwards under your onslaught

Steps

  1. Declare a Pressing Attack
  2. Roll To Hit
  3. If successful roll damage and make an Opposed Strength check against target
  4. If successful you can push your target 5' in the direction of your choice (as long as it is "Away" from your PC)