My Saturday game for the fall is going to be based around the old Known World modules for D&D.

I'm hoping it'll be relaxed and low-prep, focused on nostalgic dungeon-crawling, give me plenty of opportunities to test mechanics for #redhack, and provide a good experience of old-school D&D for any new players we can bring in.

We're starting with Beyond Castle Caldwell. The last time I ran this module I was caught out by how sparse it was - the map is lazy and most of the NPCs don't even have names.

This time I was ready for it - the nice thing about sparse materials (like the Wilderlands maps) is how much space they give you to be creative. I gave the castle a new backstory, fleshed out the NPCs within, and looked out an improved map for it.

I had a feeling someone would have made one, so thanks to the Warlock for doing so a decade ago:

https://warlockshomebrew.blogspot.com/2009/12/b9-castle-caldwell.html

Tried out some new Encumbrance rules for #redhack -

• Every full 6 items you carry gives you a 1d6 Encumbrance die.
• When you spend an action for extra moves in combat, or take a Reaction, you have to roll your Encumbrance dice under CON or the action is wasted.
• When you start to move on the dungeon or hex map, you must make the same roll or take twice as long until your next rest.

The intent here is to minimise counting - items only need to be counted in multiples of six, which is easy if you arrange them that way on the table or on the sheet.

And that the effects of carrying too much are not "you're 1lb over the limit and now cannot move" but things becoming gradually more difficult.

Some more rules:

• If on a failed roll the excess dice exceed your STR, you cannot move at all without dropping items.
• If you don't have a backpack, encumbrance dice are d8s.
• Conversely each sack or similar container carried turns a d6 into a d4.

#redhack weapon rules:-

Dagger - Gain an opening on a foe when they attack you in melee.

Openings allow you to spend a reaction to act out of turn, usually to make an attack. They're intended to provide for all the flanking/opportunity attack type rules.

Normally someone attacking you doesn't provide an opening, but knife fights are fast and dirty with both parties probably getting stabbed. Two characters with knives going at it will trade four blows between them in a round instead of two.

This is appealing to a thief, as their Exploit ability gives them bonus damage to their reaction attacks only, and a dagger all but guarantees getting to use one.

Crossbow - Advantage to hit at short range. Takes your action to reload.

More thief-bait - giving up your regular attack is worth it to get two chances to hit with your Exploit attack.