JAMES M.

SPAHN’S

WHITE BOX CYCLOPEDIA

Based on Swords & Wizardry White Box by Matt Finch and Marv Breig

Author: James M. Spahn

Interior Art: Luigi Castellani, Jeff Freels, David Hamilton,

Gabriel Hernandez, Rick Hershey, HodagRPG, Gary Lacey,
Tara Quinn, Marc Radle, Dean Spencer, Del Teigler

Cover Art: Brett Barkley

Editors: Matt Finch, Suzy Moseby

Publishing: Alan Bahr

Published under permission and license by Gallant Knight Games, 2023.

James Spahn’s White Box Cyclopedia and the Barrel Rider Games logo
are trademarks of Barrel Rider Games. ©2023 by Barrel Rider Games.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the
publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews,
and for the blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for per-
sonal use only.
Notice. This work includes AELF Open Gaming Content, which may
only be used under the terms of the AELF Open License version 1.0a.
This product is not endorsed or reviewed by Mythmere Games LLC or
any other contributor of AELF Open Gaming Content and does not
represent the views of Mythmere Games LLC any other contributor.

Gallant Knight Games, GKG, and the Gallant Knight Games logos are
trademarks of Gallant Knight Games.

Gallant Knight Games, Plover WI 54467

www.gallantknightgames.com

|1
 Dedication
For Matt
A mentor, a colleague, and most of all a friend
FOREWORD OD&D with the supplements,
By Matt Finch but there is no argument that
the White Box version of the
The first thing to mention
game is its own animal. There
here is what White Box, or
is a palpable effect to the
Swords & Wizardry White
game’s underlying simplici-
Box, even means. We have
ty, and a logic to its function
come a long way from the
in the game setting. People
early boxed-set versions
tend to dismiss the White Box
of Dungeons & Dragons
version of D&D as just a “first
that were produced in the
step,” without keeping in mind that Gary Gygax,
first years of the game’s existence, and many
Dave Arneson, and the team at TSR were already
gamers are not familiar with the game’s earliest
veteran game designers at the time they pub-
iterations. White Box is a collector’s term for
lished D&D. Yes, it is poorly organized because it
the second wave of boxed D&D sets released
was their first time trying to explain the concept.
by TSR; the first wave came in a “wood grain”
Yes, the art is amateurish because of the sched-
looking box, but few of those were produced. I
ule, the inexperience, and the cost. But the game
had written a set of retro-clone rules for Original
itself is not rendered anything less by what came
Dungeons & Dragons, calling it Swords & Wiz-
afterwards. White Box has its own strengths and
ardry, and these rules included not only the rules
weaknesses. Games do not “evolve” in the sense
for the original boxed set, but also included rules
of becoming objectively better over time; rather,
from the various supplemental books, Greyhawk,
they develop on a course that follows market forc-
Blackmoor, etc. At that time there was also con-
es, chasing wider and wider popularity. But the
siderable interest in playing the original version
measure of whether a game is “good” is wheth-
of the rules: just the original boxed set with none
er it is the best match for the particular style of
of the supplements. But what to call that game? I
play of a particular gaming group. And for many
settled on a term that was not really in use other
gaming groups, the simplicity of White Box, and
than among the collectors and decided to call it
its unique gaming features, makes White Box the
“White Box.” That has now become the common
best match even after so many years and so many
jargon for Original D&D played using only the
later editions.
materials from the initial boxed set.
What James Spahn has done here, which is a
Back in the day, everyone who played using just
masterpiece, is expanding White Box on its
the boxed set rules began adopting the supple-
own terms, keeping to the fundamental design
mental rules from Greyhawk and Blackmoor as
methodology while adding more options for
soon as they were printed. The vast majority of
play. Where White Box has always been a bit
gamers immediately adopt supplemental rules
of a “what if” proposition — what if the sup-
when they are released; it takes time to evaluate
plements had not been written — now there is
the effect of new rules on a game, and it tends
an additional “what if” to add to that mix. This
to be years or even decades before one realizes
book represents the “what if” the fundamental
that an earlier version of a game might actually
design principles of the original boxed set had
have been a better match for the gaming group
been maintained while expanding the available
than the one adopted just because it was official
options for roleplaying and gaming. I think you
and new. Now, in my case, I still actually prefer
will like the results!

Foreward | 3
 INTRODUCTION

Six attributes, one twenty-side die, and a fist full of six-sided dice.
That is all it takes to create infinite adventures. That is what fantasy roleplaying
games are all about. I cannot say it any plainer than that. This game provides a
wishing well from which an infinite number of fantastic adventures can be drawn.
I love this game for its simplicity and its potential.
That is what White Box Cyclopedia really is - an expression of potential. It stream-
lines previously complex material so that you have all the resources in a single
volume to keep exploring those lost dungeons, crossing those wild hex maps,
and rolling up new heroes repeatedly for another fifty years.
So whether you flip through the pages of his humble volume and recall your
halcyon days of kitchen table heroism or use it to carve out new tales of thrilling
adventure, I hope the White Box Cyclopedia serves as your single-volume guide
to the infinite potential of your own imagination when combined with a few sim-
ple rules, a handful of dice, and your own imagination.

James M. Spahn
July 10th, 2023

4 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE OF CONTENTS Goblin Heritage Abilities ................................ 29

Foreword............................................................ 3 Half-Elf............................................................... 30

Introduction........................................................... 4 Half-Elf Heritage Abilities................................. 30

Half-Orc............................................................. 31
Half-Orc Heritage Abilities............................... 31
CHAPTER ONE
River Halflings.................................................... 32
Concepts and Attributes........................... 14
River Halfling Heritage Abilities....................... 32
Character Sheets................................................. 15
Shadow Elf ........................................................ 33
Ability Scores..................................................... 15
Shadow Elf Heritage Abilities ......................... 33
Ability Score Bonuses...................................... 16
Sylvan Elves....................................................... 34
Table 1-1: Ability Score Bonuses.................... 16
Sylvan Elf Heritage Abilities............................. 34
Ability Score Descriptions................................ 17
Troll-Kin.............................................................. 35
Strength.......................................................... 17
Troll-Kin Heritage Abilities............................... 35
Intelligence..................................................... 17
Heritage-As-Class Options................................. 35
Wisdom.......................................................... 17
Table 2-1: Class Restrictions by Heritage....... 36
Dexterity......................................................... 18
Constitution.................................................... 18
Charisma........................................................ 18 CHAPTER THREE
Hit Points and Hit Dice...................................... 19 Character Classes...................................... 37
Starting Gold Pieces.......................................... 19 Original Classes................................................... 37

Alignment.......................................................... 20 Cleric.................................................................. 38

Character Retirement.......................................... 20 Table 3-1: Cleric Advancement...................... 38

Cleric Class Abilities......................................... 38
Banishing Undead............................................ 39
CHAPTER TWO
Table 3-2: Banishing Undead......................... 39
Character Heritage................................... 21
Fighter............................................................... 41
Dwarf................................................................. 22
Table 3-3: Fighter Advancement.................... 41
Dwarf Heritage Abilities................................... 22
Fighter Class Abilities...................................... 41
Elf....................................................................... 23
Magic-User........................................................ 43
Elf Heritage Abilities........................................ 23
Table 3-4: Magic-User Advancement............. 43
Halfling.............................................................. 24
Magic-User Class Abilities................................ 43
Halfling Heritage Abilities................................ 24
Table 3-5: Crafting a Wizard’s Pipe................ 46
Human............................................................... 25
Optional Classes................................................. 46
Human Heritage Abilities................................. 25
Acrobat.............................................................. 46
Optional Heritages.............................................. 26
Table 3-6: Acrobat Advancement................... 46
Dagonite............................................................ 26
Acrobat Class Abilities..................................... 47
Dagonite Heritage Abilities ............................ 26
Assassin............................................................. 48
Dhampir............................................................. 27
Table 3-7: Assassin Advancement.................. 48
Dhampir Heritage Abilities ............................. 27
Assassin Class Abilities..................................... 48
Gnome............................................................... 28
Barbarian........................................................... 49
Gnome Heritage Abilities ............................... 28
Table 3-8: Barbarian Advancement................ 50
Goblin................................................................ 29
Barbarian Class Abilities................................... 50

Table of Contents | 5
 Bard................................................................... 51 Swashbuckler Class Abilities............................ 75
Table 3-9: Bard Advancement........................ 51 Thief................................................................... 76
Bard Class Abilities.......................................... 52 Table 3-26: Thief Advancement..................... 76
Cavalier.............................................................. 53 Thief Class Abilities.......................................... 76
Table 3-10: Cavalier Advancement................ 54 Tomb Robber..................................................... 77
Cavalier Class Abilities..................................... 54 Table 3-27: Tomb Robber Advancement....... 78
Druid.................................................................. 55 Tomb Robber Class Abilities............................ 78
Table 3-11: Druid Advancement.................... 55 Wanderer........................................................... 79
Druid Class Abilities......................................... 55 Table 3-28: Wanderer Advancement.............. 79
Errant Fool......................................................... 57 Wanderer Class Abilities.................................. 80
Table 3-12: Errant Fool Advancement............ 57 Heritage-As-Class................................................ 81
Errant Fool Class Abilities................................ 57 Dwarf Battle Priest............................................ 81
Friar................................................................... 58 Table 3-29: Dwarf Battle Priest
Table 3-13: Friar Advancement...................... 58 Advancement................................................. 81

Friar Class Abilities........................................... 59 Dwarf Battle Priest Heritage-As-Class

Abilities............................................................ 82
Jester................................................................. 60
Table 3-30: Dwarf Battle Priest Banishing
Table 3-14: Jester Advancement.................... 60 Undead........................................................... 83
Jester Class Abilities........................................ 61 Elf Blademage................................................... 84
Metaphysician.................................................... 62 Table 3-31: Elf Blademage Advancement...... 84
Table 3-15: Metaphysician Advancement...... 62 Elf Blademage Heritage-As-Class Abilities...... 85
Metaphysician Class Abilities........................... 62 Halfling Folk Mage............................................ 86
Table 3-16: Metaphysician Banishing Table 3-32: Halfling Folk Mage
Undead........................................................... 64 Advancement................................................. 87
Monk.................................................................. 65 Halfling Folk Mage Heritage-As-Class
Table 3-17: Monk Advancement.................... 66 Abilities............................................................ 87
Monk Class Abilities......................................... 66 Sidhe.................................................................. 89
Paladin............................................................... 67 Table 3-33: Sidhe Advancement.................... 89
Table 3-18: Paladin Advancement.................. 68 Sidhe Heritage-As-Class Abilities..................... 89
Paladin Class Abilities...................................... 68 Sprite................................................................. 90
Table 3-19: Paladin Banishing Undead.......... 69 Table 3-34: Sprite Advancement ................... 90
Ranger............................................................... 70 Sprite Heritage-As-Class Abilities.................... 90
Table 3-20: Ranger Advancement.................. 70
Table 3-21: Ranger Spell Advancement......... 71 CHAPTER FOUR
Spiritualist.......................................................... 72 Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades...... 92
Table 3-22: Spiritualist Class Advancement... 72 Adventuring Gear.............................................. 92
Spiritualist Class Abilities................................. 72 Table 4-1: Adventuring Gear.......................... 92
Table 3-23: Spiritual Guidance Effects and Adventuring Gear Description......................... 94
Damage.......................................................... 73
Transportation Gear.......................................... 98
Table 3-24: Banishing and Controlling
Undead........................................................... 74 Table 4-2: Transportation Gear....................... 98

Swashbuckler..................................................... 74 Weapons & Armor............................................. 99

Table 3-25: Swashbuckler Advancement........ 74 Melee Weapons............................................... 99

6 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Table 4-3: Melee Weapons.......................... 100 CHAPTER FIVE
Melee Weapon Descriptions........................ 100 Playing the Game.................................... 120
Ranged Weapons........................................... 101 Gaining Experience......................................... 120
Table 4-4: Ranged Weapons........................ 102 Time................................................................. 121
Ranged Weapon Descriptions..................... 102 Movement....................................................... 121
Armor and Shields........................................... 104 Table 5-1: Movement Rate........................... 121
Table 4-5: Armor and Shields....................... 104 Table 5-2: Movement Rate Adjustments...... 121
Armor and Shields Descriptions................... 104 Combat............................................................ 121
Hirelings and Assistants.................................. 106 Surprise.......................................................... 121
Hirelings......................................................... 106 Initiative........................................................... 122
Table 4-6: Hirelings...................................... 106 Actions............................................................. 123
Hireling Descriptions.................................... 106 Armor Class..................................................... 125
Loyalty............................................................. 106 Damage & Death............................................. 125
Assistants....................................................... 107 Binding Wounds............................................. 126
Table 4-7: Assistants..................................... 107 Invisible Opponents........................................ 126
Assistant Descriptions.................................. 107 Morale............................................................. 126
Strongholds..................................................... 108 Negotiation and Diplomacy............................ 127
Keep............................................................... 110 Saving Throws................................................. 127
Private Residence........................................... 110 Falling............................................................ 127
Temple........................................................... 111 Traps............................................................... 127
Chivalry and Knighthood.................................. 112 Searching for Traps and Concealed or Secret
Earning Knighthood........................................ 112 Doors............................................................ 127
Table 4-8: Accolade Modifier....................... 113 Listening at Doors.......................................... 128
Accepting Knighthood................................... 114 Torches, Lanterns, and Light Sources............. 128
Refusing Knighthood..................................... 114 Wilderness Exploration and Hex Crawling....... 128
Table 4-9: Gifts of Service............................ 114 Table 5-3: Wilderness Exploration
Encounters................................................... 129
Becoming a Knight.......................................... 114
Exploring Rough Terrain.................................. 129
Table 4-10: Knightly Training........................ 115
Foraging and Starvation.................................. 130
Knightly Style................................................. 116
Seafaring.......................................................... 130
Blackguard................................................... 116
Table 5-4: Seafaring Movement................... 130
House Knight................................................ 116
Table 5-5: Seafaring Wind Conditions......... 130
Knight Errant (Free-Rider)............................. 116
Seafaring Encounters..................................... 131
Knight Protector........................................... 116
Table 5-6: Seafaring Encounters................... 131
Low Templar................................................. 117
Sailing at Sea Versus Sailing on a River.......... 132
Peasant Knight............................................. 117
Nautical Combat............................................ 132
Tournament Knight....................................... 117
Getting Aboard an Enemy Ship..................... 132
Accolade Rating............................................. 117
Setting a Ship on Fire..................................... 132
Table 4-11: Accolade Bonus......................... 118
Repairing a Damaged Ship............................ 133
Accolade Rewards.......................................... 119
Swimming and Drowning............................... 133
Table 4-12: Accolade Rewards..................... 119
Poisons............................................................ 133
Example of Play................................................. 134

Table of Contents | 7
 CHAPTER SIX Darkvision..................................................... 152

Magic and Other Arcana......................... 139 Death Spell................................................... 152

Spells............................................................... 139 Deathspeak.................................................. 152

Cleric Spell List.................................................. 140 Defender’s Ward........................................... 152

Magic-User Spell List......................................... 141 Defiling Touch.............................................. 152

Spell Descriptions............................................. 144 Detect Chaos (Law)...................................... 153

Acid Beam.................................................... 144 Detect Invisibility.......................................... 153

Alter Speed.................................................. 144 Detect Magic................................................ 153

Animal Growth............................................. 144 Detect Thoughts (ESP)................................. 153

Animate Dead.............................................. 144 Detect Undead............................................. 153

Anti-Magic Shell........................................... 144 Dimensional Portal....................................... 153

Arcane Dart.................................................. 145 Disarm.......................................................... 154

Bind Beyond Death...................................... 145 Disintegrate.................................................. 154

Bind Familiar (Advanced)............................. 145 Dispel Chaos (Law)....................................... 154

Bind Familiar (Basic)..................................... 146 Dispel Magic................................................ 154

Bind Familiar (Magical)................................. 146 Dragon’s Breath............................................ 155

Bind Object (Advanced)............................... 146 Dwarfish Mettle............................................ 155

Bind Object (Basic)....................................... 147 Empower Dread........................................... 155

Bless (Curse)................................................. 148 Empower Turning......................................... 155

Blight............................................................ 148 False Death.................................................. 155

Blinding Flash............................................... 148 Feeblemind.................................................. 155

Cause Fear................................................... 148 Find Traps..................................................... 155

Charm Monster............................................ 148 Fireball.......................................................... 156

Charm Person............................................... 148 Fire Binding.................................................. 156

Circle of Protection....................................... 149 Fly................................................................. 156

Cloudkill....................................................... 149 Footfall......................................................... 156

Commune..................................................... 149 Footpad’s Grace........................................... 156

Confusion..................................................... 149 Giant’s Strength............................................ 157

Table 6-1: Confusion Reaction Table............ 149 Halfling’s Luck............................................... 157

Conjure Elemental........................................ 150 Hallucinatory Terrain..................................... 157

Conjure Holy Symbol................................... 150 Hold Monster............................................... 157

Contact Other Plane.................................... 150 Hold Person ................................................. 157

Table 6-2: Contact Other Plane.................... 150 Hold Portal................................................... 157

Control Weather........................................... 151 Holy Light..................................................... 158

Create Food and Drink................................. 151 Hymn of the Holy......................................... 158

Crystal Ball.................................................... 151 Hypnotize..................................................... 158

Cure (Cause) Disease................................... 151 Ignite............................................................ 158

Cure (Cause) Light Wounds.......................... 151 Insect Plague................................................ 158

Cure (Cause) Serious Wounds...................... 152 Invisibility...................................................... 158

Danger Sense............................................... 152 Invisibility, 10 ft. radius................................. 159

8 | White Box Cyclopedia

Invisible Stalker............................................ 159 Sleep............................................................ 166
Knock........................................................... 159 Soul Blaze..................................................... 167
Last Words.................................................... 159 Speak with Animals...................................... 167
Lay Enchantment.......................................... 160 Speak with Plants......................................... 167
Table 6-3: Lay Enchantment Costs............... 160 Speak with Spirits......................................... 167
Levitate......................................................... 160 Spectral Presence......................................... 167
Light (Dark)................................................... 160 Sticks to Snakes............................................ 167
Light (Dark), Continual................................. 160 Summon Bound Object............................... 168
Lightning Bolt............................................... 161 Summon Protector....................................... 168
Locate Object............................................... 161 Summon Servant.......................................... 168
Magic Jar...................................................... 161 Summon Spellbook...................................... 168
Mask of Death.............................................. 161 Summon Greater Undead............................ 168
Massmorph................................................... 161 Summon Lesser Undead.............................. 168
Move Earth................................................... 162 Summon Vermin........................................... 169
Move Water.................................................. 162 Swordsman’s Skill......................................... 169
Neutralize Poison......................................... 162 Telekinesis.................................................... 169
Obscuring Fog............................................. 162 Teleport........................................................ 169
Paralyze Undead.......................................... 162 Terrify............................................................ 169
Passwall........................................................ 162 Threshold..................................................... 170
Phantasmal Force......................................... 162 Transform Rock to Mud................................ 170
Plant Growth................................................ 163 Transform Stone to Flesh............................. 170
Polymorph.................................................... 163 Unnatural Stillness........................................ 170
Project Image............................................... 163 Vampire’s Touch............................................ 170
Protection from Chaos (Law)........................ 163 Walk the Planes............................................ 170
Protection from Chaos (Law), 10 ft. radius... 163 Wall Crawling............................................... 171
Protection from Normal Missiles.................. 164 Wall of Fire or Ice......................................... 171
Purification................................................... 164 Wall of Shadow............................................ 171
Purify (Putrefy) Food and Drink.................... 164 Wall of Stone or Iron.................................... 171
Quest............................................................ 164 Water Breathing........................................... 171
Raise Dead................................................... 164 Weather Ward.............................................. 172
Rally.............................................................. 165 Web.............................................................. 172
Read Languages........................................... 165 Wizard Eye................................................... 172
Read Magic.................................................. 165 Wizard’s Gaze............................................... 172
Reincarnation............................................... 165 Wizard Lock.................................................. 172
Table 6-4: Reincarnation............................... 165 Latent Spellcasters and Blessed Scions............ 173
Remove Curse.............................................. 165 Table 6-5: Latent Casters.............................. 174
Remove Fear................................................ 166 Arcane Duels..................................................... 174
Set to Rest.................................................... 166 Table 6-6: Base Spell Points......................... 174
Shadow Form............................................... 166 Preparing for the Duel..................................... 175
Sharpen Senses ........................................... 166 Arcane Duel
Sequence of Events....................................... 175

Table of Contents | 9
 Step One: Decide Actions............................ 175 CHAPTER EIGHT
Step Two: Reveal First Action....................... 176 Bestiary................................................... 196
Step Three: Roll Initiative............................. 176 Monster Descriptions...................................... 197
Step Four: Highest Initiative Takes First Angel, Cherub.............................................. 197
Action. Resolve Results................................ 176
Angel, Seraph............................................... 197
Step Five: Lowest Initiative Takes First
Action. Resolve Results................................ 176 Animated Weapon....................................... 198
Step Six: Highest Initiative Takes Second Banshee........................................................ 198
Action. Resolve Results................................ 177 Basilisk.......................................................... 198
Step Seven: Lowest Initiative Takes Second Bee, Giant Killer........................................... 199
Action. Resolve Results................................ 177
Beetle, Giant Fire......................................... 200
Step Eight: Round Resolution...................... 177
Black Pudding.............................................. 200
Winning an Arcane Duel................................ 177
Blink Dog...................................................... 200
Duels to the Death......................................... 177
Blood Raven................................................. 200
Psychic Talents................................................... 177
Brain Lord..................................................... 201
Chart 6-7: Psychic Talents............................. 178
Breath Stealer............................................... 201
Psychic Talent Descriptions............................. 178
Bugbear........................................................ 202
Centaur......................................................... 202
CHAPTER SEVEN Centipede, Giant (small)............................... 202
Running the Game.................................. 182 Centipede, Giant (medium).......................... 202
Principles of Being a Referee.......................... 182 Centipede, Giant (large)............................... 202
When To Use A Rule and When to Chimera........................................................ 203
Ignore It........................................................ 184
Clerical Liche................................................ 203
Designing an Adventure................................ 184
Cockatrice.................................................... 203
Creating a Campaign..................................... 185
Confessor..................................................... 204
Fantasy: More than Just a Genre................. 186
Death Knight................................................ 204
City of Thieves................................................. 186
Demons.......................................................... 204
Optional Rules for a City of Thieves
Demon, Baalroch.......................................... 204
Campaign....................................................... 186
Demon, Imp................................................. 205
Table 7-1: Backlash of Sorcery...................... 187
Demon, Lemure........................................... 205
Fairy Story....................................................... 189
Demon, Succubus........................................ 205
Optional Rules for a Fairy Stories
Campaign....................................................... 189 Djinn............................................................. 206
Gothic Horror.................................................. 190 Doppelganger.............................................. 206
Optional Rules for a Gothic Horror Dragons.......................................................... 206
Campaign....................................................... 190 Table 8-1: Dragon Age Category................. 207
Table 7-3: Corruption Modifiers................... 191 Table 8-2: Dragon Breath Weapons............. 207
Dread............................................................... 191 Dragon, Black............................................... 207
Riddle of Steel................................................. 192 Dragon, Blue................................................ 207
Experience Points............................................. 192 Dragon, Gold............................................... 208
Table 7-4: Carousing.................................... 193 Dragon, Green............................................. 208
Scale of Advancement................................... 195 Dragon, Red................................................. 208

10 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Dragon, White.............................................. 208 Hippogriff..................................................... 219
Dryad............................................................ 209 Hobgoblin.................................................... 220
Dwarf............................................................ 209 Horse............................................................ 220
Efreeti........................................................... 209 Humans.......................................................... 220
Elementals...................................................... 210 Human, Bandit............................................. 221
Elemental, Air............................................... 210 Human, Berserker......................................... 221
Elemental, Earth........................................... 210 Human, Cultist.............................................. 221
Elemental, Fire............................................. 210 Human, Sergeant-at-Arms............................ 221
Elemental, Lava............................................ 211 Human, Soldier............................................. 222
Elemental, Water.......................................... 211 Hydra............................................................ 222
Elf................................................................. 211 Invisible Stalker............................................ 222
Elf, Shadow.................................................. 211 Kobold.......................................................... 223
Fairie Dragon............................................... 212 Kraken.......................................................... 223
Gargoyle....................................................... 212 Leech, Giant................................................. 223
Gelatinous Cube.......................................... 212 Liche............................................................. 224
Ghoul............................................................ 213 Lizardman..................................................... 224
Giants............................................................. 213 Lycanthropes.................................................. 224
Giant, Cloud................................................. 213 Lycanthrope, Werebat.................................. 225
Giant, Firbolg............................................... 213 Lycanthrope, Werebear................................ 225
Giant, Fire..................................................... 213 Lycanthrope, Wererat................................... 225
Giant, Frost................................................... 214 Lycanthrope, Wereraven.............................. 226
Giant, Hill..................................................... 214 Lycanthrope, Werewolf................................. 226
Giant, Stone................................................. 214 Manticore..................................................... 226
Giant, Storm................................................. 214 Medusa......................................................... 227
Gnoll............................................................. 215 Mimicking Masqueraders............................. 227
Gnome......................................................... 215 Minotaur....................................................... 228
Goblin.......................................................... 215 Mummy........................................................ 228
Golems........................................................... 215 Nightsteed................................................... 228
Golem, Flesh................................................ 215 Nymph.......................................................... 228
Golem, Glass................................................ 216 Ochre Jelly................................................... 229
Golem, Iron.................................................. 216 Ogre............................................................. 229
Golem, Stone............................................... 216 Ogre Mage................................................... 229
Golem, Wood............................................... 217 Orbitus......................................................... 230
Gorgon......................................................... 217 Orc............................................................... 230
Grey Ooze.................................................... 217 Pegasus........................................................ 231
Green Slime.................................................. 218 Phase Cat..................................................... 231
Griffon.......................................................... 218 Planar Bladesmen......................................... 231
Halfling......................................................... 219 Plaything....................................................... 232
Harpy............................................................ 219 Poltergeist.................................................... 232
Hell Hound................................................... 219 Purple Worm................................................ 232

Table of Contents | 11
 Rat, Giant..................................................... 233 CHAPTER NINE
Reaper.......................................................... 233 Treasure.................................................. 249
Roc............................................................... 233 Table 9-1: Treasure Values............................ 249
Rot Worm..................................................... 234 Treasure Items................................................. 250
Rust Monster................................................ 234 Table 9-2: Minor Treasure or Magic Item
Salamander.................................................. 234 Trade Out .................................................... 250
Sanguine Fog............................................... 234 Table 9-3: Medium Gem/Jewelry Table....... 250
Sea Serpent.................................................. 235 Table 9-4: Medium Magic Item Table........... 250
Shade Lord................................................... 235 Table 9-5: Major Gem/Jewelry Table........... 251
Shadow......................................................... 235 Table 9-6: Major Magic Item Table............... 251
Shadow Demon............................................ 236 Magic Potions................................................ 251
Shambling Mound........................................ 236 Table 9-7: Minor Magic Potions................... 251
Sidhe............................................................ 236 Table 9-8: Medium Potions.......................... 252
Skeleton....................................................... 237 Table 9-9: Major Potions.............................. 252
Skeleton, Flaming......................................... 237 Table 9-11: Poison Effects............................ 254
Skinwalker.................................................... 237 Scrolls............................................................. 255
Slug, Giant.................................................... 238 Table 9-12: Scrolls........................................ 255
Spectre......................................................... 238 Table 9-13: Spell Scroll Level...................... 255
Spider, Giant................................................ 238 Table 9-14: Protection Scrolls....................... 255
Stirge............................................................ 239 Protection Scroll Descriptions...................... 256
Treant........................................................... 239 Magical Weapons and Armor........................ 257
Troll............................................................... 239 Table 9-16: Magical Melee Weapons........... 258
Unicorn......................................................... 240 Table 9-17: Magical Ranged Weapons........ 258
Vampire........................................................ 240 Table 9-18: Ancillary Abilities....................... 259
Vampire, Bride.............................................. 241 Legendary Weapons and Armor.................... 259
Vampire, Lord............................................... 241 Table 9-19: Legendary Weapons and
Armor........................................................... 259
Water Weird................................................. 242
Legendary Weapon Descriptions................. 260
Weeping Tombstone.................................... 243
Table 9-20: Foe’s Bane................................. 260
Wight............................................................ 243
Legendary Armor Descriptions.................... 262
Winter Worg................................................. 244
Miscellaneous Magic Items............................. 264
Wolf.............................................................. 244
Table 9-21: Minor Miscellaneous Magic
Worg............................................................. 244
Item.............................................................. 264
Wraith........................................................... 245
Table 9-22: Medium Miscellaneous Magic
Wyvern......................................................... 245 Items............................................................. 264
Yellow Mold.................................................. 245 Table 9-23: Major Miscellaneous Magic
Zombie......................................................... 246 Items............................................................. 264

Zombie, Reflex............................................. 246 Wands............................................................ 265

Table 8-3: Monster Creation......................... 247 Lesser Wands............................................... 265

Table 8-4: Wandering Monster Frequency... 248 Table 9-24: Lesser Wands............................. 265

12 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Table 9-25: Greater Wands ......................... 265 General Magic Items....................................... 272
Greater Wand Descriptions.......................... 265 Table 9-30: General Magic Items (Minor).....272
Table 9-26: Greater Spell Wands.................. 266 Table 9-31: General Magic Items (Medium).273
Greater Wand Descriptions.......................... 266 Table 9-32: General Magic Items (Major)..... 273
Magical Rings................................................. 267 Miscellaneous Magic Item Descriptions....... 274
Table 9-27: Lesser Rings............................... 267 Cursed Items.................................................. 285
Table 9-28: Greater Rings............................. 268 Table 9-33: Cursed Items............................... 285
Greater Ring Descriptions............................ 268 Cursed Item Descriptions............................. 285
Magical Staves............................................... 270 White Box Cyclopedia Character Sheet.. 287
Table 9-29: Magical Staves........................... 270
Magical Staves Descriptions........................ 270

Table of Contents | 13
 tions and consequences to the actions of those
players. When there is a question as to wheth-
er or not an action would be successful, whether
that action is taken by another participant or a
character controlled by the Referee, then the Ref-
eree uses the rules in this book as a guideline for
how that sequence of events plays out. The Ref-
eree needs to remember that though they control
the monsters and threats that other participants
encounter during the game, the Referee is not an
adversary to the players. The Referee develops an
outline for the events of a session of play, sets the
scene, and controls the environment, but should
never regard other players as the enemy. White
Box Cyclopedia is a cooperative game where the
goal is for everyone to have fun.
Most participants in a game of White Box Cyclo-
pedia will be players. A player is someone who
makes a single character that they control as that
character explores and interacts with the world as
presented by the Referee. This character is, un-
surprisingly, sometimes called a player character
(sometimes abbreviated PC). Player characters
are defined primarily by their class. A character’s

CHAPTER ONE
class is a broad description of what their primary
methods of interacting with the world are. Fight-
CONCEPTS AND ATTRIBUTES ers, for example, are very skilled at warfare and
combat. Magic-Users cast arcane spells. Clerics
Before you can draw your sword or cast a spell
worship and are granted power from divine en-
as you explore the darkest dungeons and slay
tities. It is a shorthand for a player character’s
mighty dragons that threaten the land, everyone
specialization. Other elements of what defines a
playing White Box Cyclopedia will need to know
PC include a character’s heritage, attributes, and
a few basic concepts. There are two types of par-
other unique elements detailed throughout this
ticipants during a game of White Box Cyclope-
book.
dia: The Referee and the Players.
The Referee is part judge, part storyteller, part The Most Important Rule of the Game
actor, and part rules arbiter. The Referee controls The single most important rule in White Box Cy-
not only every non-player character, but they also clopedia is to have fun. Every single rule or op-
serve as the player’s eyes and ears into the world, tion in this book is designed to facilitate a fun vin-
and determine the outcome of any dice rolls. The tage-style tabletop roleplaying game. If a rule you
Referee is there to provide an open world for the find in this book is detracting from the fun, then
players to explore and provide reasonable reac- ignore it or change it. First and foremost, this is

14 | White Box Cyclopedia

your game. The Referee and the players should can customize their home game, tweaking rules
sit down and talk about any house rules they are to suit the individual style of play. White Box Cy-
using, and what classes and heritages are being clopedia is filled with Optional Rules, but players
permitted in this campaign. They should also talk should never automatically assume any of these
about what rules they are not using. Once play rules are being used as a default. Always consult
begins, if you find a rule is not working out in a with the Referee before assuming your player
way that is creating a fun, fair environment, have character can make use of an Optional Rule. Sim-
a new discussion and update to suit your group. ilarly, the Referee should inform players ahead
White Box Cyclopedia is your game, not the au- of time which Optional Rules are being used so
thor’s. Make it your own. they are not caught by surprise or unaware when
something that is not a standard rule is applied
during gameplay.
Dice
White Box Cyclopedia uses two types of dice in
play: twenty-sided dice and six-sided dice. These
are typically abbreviated as “d20” and “d6,” CHARACTER SHEETS
respectively. The first number in this notation is A character sheet is just a piece of paper or doc-
the number of dice rolled. So if a participant is ument used to organize the information for an
called on to roll 2d6, they’d roll 2 six-sided dice individual player character. This can be as simple
and add the sum of the numbers rolled together as a blank sheet of paper or an index card, or you
for a total. Numeric modifiers can also be applied can use the sheet found in the back of the book.
to die rolls as well. So if a participant was called
on to roll 1d20+2 they’d roll a twenty-sided die
and add two to the result on the die to provide ABILITY SCORES
a final total. Sometimes you may see a negative
Every player character in White Box Cyclopedia
modifier, such as 1d6-1. As one would expect,
is built on a foundation of six ability scores, or
you would roll one six-sided die and subtract one
sometimes attributes. These ability scores are
from the result. So if that six-sided die came up as
Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Con-
a 4, you’d subtract one for a total of 3. In the case
stitution, and Charisma. Each ability score is rat-
of negative modifiers, a total is never reduced to
ed by a number between 3 and 18. To determine
0 unless specifically noted. So if someone was
the value of each ability score, the player simply
rolling 1d6-2 and rolled a 2, even though their to-
rolls 3d6 and notes the number next to the at-
tal is 0, they still effectively rolled a 1 since no roll
tribute in the order mentioned above. Once six
can be reduced to 0. Conversely, positive modifi-
ability score values have been generated, players
ers can drive a die’s total result above its number
will have a general sense of what their character
of sides. So someone rolling 1d6+2 who rolled a
is good at and the areas where they are weaker.
5 on the die would have a total of 7.
Some classes have ability score requirements,
meaning a player can only select that class if
Optional Rules
their ability score is equal to or above that listed
Throughout White Box Cyclopedia, readers will
requirement. Ability scores provide a myriad of
find countless asides labeled “Optional Rule.”
benefits to a character’s actions as detailed be-
These provide the reader methods by which they
low.

Chapter One: Concepts and Attributes | 15

 Finally, some classes have a Prime Attribute, TABLE 1-1: ABILITY SCORE BONUSES
which is the ability score most strongly associat-
Ability Score Description Modifier
ed with their class. Characters of that class with a
particularly high ability score receive bonus Ex- 3-6 Below Average -1
perience Points, which are detailed in any class 7-14 Average +0
entry where such a benefit is applicable. 15-18 Above Average +1

ABILITY SCORE BONUSES

All ability scores provide a bonus or penalty to OPTIONAL RULE: HEROIC AND ABYSMAL
specific dice rolls based on the associated abil- ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
ity score. As seen in Table 1-1: Ability Score Bo-
If the Referee wants to highlight how truly un-
nuses, only characters with particularly high (or
canny and profound extremely high or low abili-
low) ability scores will receive a modifier. How
ty scores are, they might allow players who have
that modifier is applied is detailed under the de-
an 18 in an ability score to receive a +2 bonus
scription of each ability score and some classes
and those who have a 3 to suffer a -2 penalty.
receive additional bonuses based on high values
in specific ability scores.

OPTIONAL RULE: ALTERNATE METHODS FOR GENERATING ABILITY SCORES

Presented below are several alternate methods for generating ability scores beyond
the standard of rolling 3d6 for each value and placing them in the standard order. The
Referee may allow some, or all of them, depending on the nature of their campaign.

Ability Score Choice: Instead of requiring players to put their dice rolls for ability
scores in the standard order of Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution,
and Charisma, the Referee can allow players to generate six numbers for their ability
scores and then place those numbers as the player desires.

Favored Ability Score: If the Referee allows, each player can select a favored ability
score before rolling to determine the value of that ability score. Instead of rolling 3d6,
the player rolls 2d6+6 to generate that ability score’s value. This increases the likeli-
hood of having a high value in that ability score, but if this method is used then each
player should be limited to having a single favored ability score.

Heroic Player Characters: If the Referee wants characters who are a bit better than
average or is looking for a slightly more heroic style of play for the players they can,
instead of having players roll 3d6 to determine their ability scores, allow them to roll
4d6 and ignore the lowest die. This means that a player who rolls 4d6 and gets a 6,
5, 5, and 1 would have a 16 because they are adding the three highest numbers and
ignoring the 1.

16 | White Box Cyclopedia

 INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence is a measure of a player character’s
general knowledge and mental acuity. Characters
with an Intelligence of 6 or less are not literate,
while those with an Intelligence of 15 or higher
may select one additional language that they can
read and write beyond those automatically grant-
ed by their heritage.

OPTIONAL RULE: INTELLIGENCE

MODIFIERS
Referees may opt to apply a character’s Intelli-
gence modifier in the situations detailed below
if they so choose.

Searching for and Noticing Concealed or

ABILITY SCORE DESCRIPTIONS Secret Doors: When attempting to search for
A brief description of each ability score is listed secret or concealed doors, a character applies
below. their ability score modifier to their chances of
success. Thus, if a concealed door would nor-
STRENGTH mally be detected on a 1 or 2 on 1d6, a char-
Strength measures a player character’s physical acter with an Intelligence of 15 or higher would
might and ability to apply physical force in any sit- succeed on a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6. Conversely, a
uation. A character’s Strength modifier is applied character with an Intelligence of 6 or less would
to all damage rolls made using a melee weapon. only succeed on a 1 on 1d6. This modifier ap-
plies to noticing and searching for both con-
OPTIONAL RULE: STRENGTH MODIFIERS cealed and secret doors.

Referees may opt to apply a character’s Strength

modifier in the situations detailed below if they
so choose. WISDOM
Wisdom measures a character’s strength of will
Opening Stuck Doors: When attempting to
and mental resilience. A character’s Wisdom
open a stuck door, a character applies their abil-
modifier is applied to any saving throw made to
ity score modifier to their chances of success.
resist mundane or magical effects that manipu-
Thus, if a stuck door normally can be success-
late a character’s emotional state or perception,
fully forced open on a 1 or 2 on 1d6, a character
such as Charm Person, Cause Fear, and most il-
with a Strength of 15 or higher would succeed
lusion spells. Characters with a Wisdom of 15 or
on a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6. Conversely, a character
higher would receive a +1 bonus to these saving
with a Strength of 6 or less would only succeed
throws, while those with a 6 or less in Wisdom
on a 1 on 1d6.
would suffer a -1 penalty to these saving throws.

Chapter One: Concepts and Attributes | 17

 OPTIONAL RULE: WISDOM MODIFIERS OPTIONAL RULE: CONSTITUTION
Referees may opt to apply a character’s Wis-
MODIFIERS
dom modifier in the situations detailed below Referees may opt to apply a character’s Consti-
if they so choose. tution modifier in the situations detailed below
if they so choose.
Experience Point Bonus: Any character with a
Wisdom of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus Poison and Disease Resistance: Any character
on all Experience Points earned. while those who has a Constitution of 15 or higher receives
with a Wisdom of 6 or less suffer a -5% penalty a +1 bonus to any saving throws made to resist
on all Experience Points earned. the effects of poison or disease,, while those
with a Constitution of 6 or less suffer a -1 penal-
ty to saving throws made to resist the effects of
DEXTERITY poison or disease.
Dexterity is a measurement of a player character’s
fine motor skill, sense of balance, and general
bodily awareness. Any character who has a Dex- CHARISMA
terity of 15 or higher receives a +1 bonus to all Charisma is a measure of a character’s leadership
attack rolls made when using ranged weapons, ability, natural charisma, and personal charm. If
while those with a Dexterity of 6 or less suffer a a character has a Charisma of 15 or higher all
-1 penalty to all attack rolls made when using hirelings whose service they retain increase their
ranged weapons. Loyalty by +1 and can hire one additional retain-
er above the normal maximum. Characters with
a Charisma of 6 or less reduce the Loyalty of any
OPTIONAL RULE: DEXTERITY MODIFIERS
retainers they hire by -1 and reduce the maximum
Referees may opt to apply a character’s Dexter- number of hirelings they can employ by 1.
ity modifier in the situations detailed below if
they so choose.
OPTIONAL RULE: CHARISMA MODIFIERS
Armor Class Bonus: Any character who has a
Referees may opt to apply a character’s Charis-
Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +1 bonus to
ma modifier in the situations detailed below if
their Armor Class, while those with a Dexterity
they so choose.
of 6 or less suffer a -1 penalty to their Armor
Class. Reaction Modifier: Any character who has a
Charisma of 15 or higher receives a one-point
bonus on Reaction Checks when encounter-
CONSTITUTION ing non-player characters and monsters, while
Constitution is a measure of a character’s phys- those with a Charisma of 6 or less suffers a
ical resilience and general bodily health. Any one-point penalty on all Reaction Checks. This
character who has a Constitution of 15 or higher means that a character with a Charisma of 15
receives +1 additional hit point each time they would reduce the number rolled on a Reaction
gain a hit die, while those with a Constitution of 6 Check by 1, while a character with a Charisma of
or less reduce any hit points they gain each time 6 or less would increase the number rolled on a
they gain a hit die by -1 (to a minimum of 1). Reaction Check by 1.

18 | White Box Cyclopedia

HIT POINTS AND HIT DICE acters with a Constitution of 15 or higher add +1
to the number of hit points gained each time they
Hit Points are a measurement of how long a char-
gain a hit die, but not necessarily every time they
acter can survive an actively dangerous situation
gain a level.
through their own skill, luck, and sheer will to live.
This is often abbreviated as (hp or HP). When a
character suffers damage, the amount of dam- OPTIONAL RULE: HIT POINTS
age they suffer is subtracted from their current hit
Referees may use one or all the following op-
points. In most cases, when a character reaches
tional rules when players are creating or level-
zero hit points, they are dead. The number of hit
ing characters, though players should consult
points a character has is determined by their hit
with the Referee before assuming any of the
dice. Hit dice are often abbreviated as HD and
listed rules are available.
are always d6 dice. For example, a player who
has created a 1st-level Fighter has a hit dice list- Maximum Hit Points at 1st Level: Instead of
ing of 1d6+1. This means that the player would rolling their hit dice at 1st level, player charac-
roll 1d6+1 to determine their Fighter’s starting ters receive the maximum number of hit points
hit points. When a player character accumulates possible as if they had rolled a 6 on their hit die.
enough Experience Points to gain a level, they New Level, New Hit Points: Each time a player
sometimes gain an additional hit die, which is character gains a level all their hit dice are re-
rolled and added to their previous maximum hit rolled, and their hit point maximum is recalcu-
point total. lated. If this re-roll would result in the character
Some classes do not gain hit dice each time they having fewer hit points than before, they retain
gain a level, but instead receive a flat number the old total and gain no additional hit points.
which is added to their hit point total. Player char-

STARTING GOLD PIECES

At character creation, each player rolls 3d6 and OPTIONAL RULES ALTERNATIVE STARTING
multiplies the total by 10. This determines the GOLD PIECES & EQUIPMENT
number of gold pieces their character begins Party Gold: With Referee permission, players
with which can then be used to purchase equip- may collectively pool their starting gold pieces
ment. For more information on equipment and when purchasing resources and equipment at
purchasing equipment, see Chapter Four begin- character creation.
ning on page 92.
Gear Packs: With Referee permission, instead
of buying their items individually, players can
select one of the gear packs detailed in the
sidebar on page 105.

Chapter One: Concepts and Attributes | 19

 ALIGNMENT Most mortal beings, both player character and
non-player character, are Neutral in alignment.
All characters in White Box Cyclopedia select
The only exceptions to this are those who draw
one of three alignments when creating a char-
upon the power of divine magic - most com-
acter: Law (or Lawful), Chaos (or Chaotic), and
monly Clerics. Clerics, by their very nature, are
Neutrality (or Neutral). Those who are Lawful
sworn to the service of either the forces of Law or
are dedicated to order, stability, and a universe
Chaos because the gods are granting them their
where justice prevails. The forces of Chaos and
divine prayers. Paladins and other optional class-
those who are Chaotic in alignment wish for car-
es are similarly bound, their souls given over to
nage, destruction, and conflict to reign supreme.
the zealous forces of the cosmos.
This eternal struggle is led by the gods or oth-
er divine forces who dwell in their extra-planar Alignment is primarily important in regard to spells
palaces beyond the sight of men, with beings of and magical items. Certain spells and magic items
lesser power following the commands of these have a greater or lesser impact on a character
incomprehensible masters. Alignment does not based on the character’s alignment.
necessarily represent a player character’s moral
compass – though it certainly is indicative of an
OPTIONAL RULE: NO ALIGNMENTS
inherent code of ethics to which the character has
bound themselves. In many games that do not have a strongly de-
fined ethical or moral component alignment can
Alignment represents a character’s sworn alle-
be ignored at the Referee’s discretion. In these
giance to either the forces of Law or Chaos. Be-
cases, the Referee determines when spells with
ings, whether extra-planar or mortal, who have
Law and Chaos elements are of greater or less-
an alignment of Lawful or Chaotic are sworn to
er effect.
their very soul in service of their respective caus-
es. Because of this, very few player characters are
Lawful or Chaotic in alignment. Even those who
are supportive of one side of the conflict over
another are still rarely any alignment other than
Neutral.

CHARACTER RETIREMENT
When a character reaches the maximum level of
experience, they do not necessarily have to stop
playing. Players can either retire the character
and start a new one, continue to adventure with-
out gaining further experience points, or work
with the Referee to determine exactly how the
character will continue to advance as is appropri-
ate to the campaign.

20 | White Box Cyclopedia

 tages are described. Most non-human heritages,
whether original or optional, are limited in both
their level limit and class selection as detailed in
each of their entries under the Class Restrictions
listing, with the original Swords & Wizardry White
Box classes listed first followed by new option-
al classes. The classes available to each heritage
will have their maximum achievable level listed in
parenthesis - so the dwarf heritage lists Fighter
(6), meaning Fighter is an available class for the
dwarf to select and they may advance to up to
6th level in that class. If a class is not listed under
a heritage’s Class Restrictions heading, it is not
available for that heritage unless an exception is
made by the Referee. The end of this chapter in-
cludes Table 2-1: Class Restrictions by Heritage,
for easy reference.
Finally, some fantastic heritages are so unique

CHAPTER TWO
and strongly defined that they are heri-
tage-as-class. When selecting a heritage that is

CHARACTER HERITAGE heritage-as-class, simply skip selecting a heritage

and choose a heritage-as-class from Chapter
White Box Cyclopedia is a fantasy roleplaying Three. In effect, you skip choosing a heritage if
game and thus includes many elements of what is selecting a heritage-as-class. For more informa-
traditionally known as medieval fantasy. Because tion on heritage-as-class, see Chapter Three be-
of this it is assumed that humans are not the only ginning on page 37.
sentient beings living and thriving in a campaign.
Players have the option of selecting from several
fantastic heritages detailed below. This chapter HERITAGE AND LANGUAGE
includes several fantastic heritages that are avail-
It is assumed that within the setting of most
able for players to select for their character. Even
campaigns there is language spoken by most
given the fantastic nature of White Box Cyclope-
civilized heritages known simply as the Com-
dia, it is assumed that humankind is the dominant
mon Tongue, or more simply, common. Com-
heritage, both culturally and numerically.
mon is also assumed to be the default language
By default, it is assumed that players may select of the human heritage. Each individual lineage
from human, dwarf, elf, or halfling when making is also assumed to have its own language, save
a character. In addition to the standard abilities for characters who are of mixed lineage (like
granted by selecting one of the four heritages half-elf or troll kin). The Referee should feel free
mentioned above, each of those four heritages in- to further define the linguistic nature of their
cludes a sidebar of optional heritage abilities that setting with the default option simply being
may be permitted individually or at the Referee’s present for ease of play.
discretion. Several optional heritages are also de-
tailed in this chapter after the four original heri-

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 21

 When underground they can detect traps, slop-
ing passages, and shoddy construction when
passing within 10 feet of these things with
1-2 on 1d6 chance of success. When actively
searching for these things, this chance of suc-
cess increases to 1-3 on 1d6 chance of suc-
cess. The dwarf’s Intelligence modifier can be
applied to this ability.

• Languages: Dwarves can speak and are literate

the common tongue of the world and their own
native language known simply as dwarvish. In
addition, they can also speak and are literate
in the languages of gnomes, goblins, orcs, and
DWARF kobolds.
Dwarves are short, broad, and doughty folk that
stand around four feet tall and are heavily mus-
cled. They are skilled miners and craftsmen that OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL DWARF
live in mountainside communities or deep un- HERITAGE ABILITIES
derground where they carve cities from the very If the Referee wishes they can include any or
stone itself. Dwarves are dour in temperament all the following abilities for players who select
and tend to dislike magic, elves, and the fey. dwarf as their heritage.

Dark Vision: Dwarves have acclimated to living

in the lightless world underground. They can
DWARF HERITAGE ABILITIES see up to 60 feet when in total darkness.
Dwarves have the following abilities and restric-
Disease Resistance: Dwarves are naturally
tions detailed below.
more resilient and robust. They receive a +4
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (6); Assassin (4), bonus to all saving throws made to resist the
Thief (4), Tomb Robber (6), Wanderer (4). effects of any diseases they encounter.

• Giant-Foe: Giants, ogres, trolls, and other Hatred of Orcs: Whenever a dwarf is making

giant-like creatures have difficulty fighting a melee or ranged attack against an orc they

dwarves and their attacks only inflict one-half receive a +1 bonus to their roll.

the normal damage when they successfully Poison Resistance: Dwarves are more able to
attack a dwarf. fend off the effects of poisons. They receive a
+4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist the
• Magic Resistant: Dwarves do not use arcane
effects of poisons.
magic and are quite resilient to its effects. They
receive a +4 bonus on all saving throws made Robust Health: Any time the dwarf gains a hit

to resist magical effects and magical spells. die (including at character creation), they gain
an additional +1 hit point on top of whatever
• Under-Sense: Dwarves have a keen sense of is rolled.
awareness when in underground environments.

22 | White Box Cyclopedia

 • Keen Senses: Elves have exceptional eyesight
and can spot secret or concealed doors with a
1-2 on 1d6 chance of success simply when they
pass within ten feet of them. If the elf is actively
searching for concealed or secret doors this
chance increases to 1-4 on 1d6. This chance
of success is modified by an elf’s Intelligence
modifier.

• Languages: Elves can speak and are literate

the common tongue of the world and their
own native language known simply as elvish. In
addition, they can also speak and are literate
ELF in the languages of gnolls, goblins, orcs, and
hobgoblins.
Elves are slender, often beautiful creatures with
angular features, almond-shaped eyes, and
pointed ears. They are known for their exceed-
OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL ELF
ingly long lives, love of nature, and aloof dispo-
HERITAGE ABILITIES
sition - the latter of which is often taken for ar-
rogance. Elves have some distant connection to If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
fairy creatures. the following abilities for players who select elf
as their heritage.

Charm Resistance: Elves are surprisingly resis-

ELF HERITAGE ABILITIES tant to the effects of the Charm Person spell
Elves have the following abilities and restrictions and any effects that mimic this spell. They re-
detailed below. ceive a +4 bonus on all saving throws to resist
such effects.
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (4), Magic-User (8);
Acrobat (6), Assassin (4), Bard (4), Cavalier (4), Ghoul Resistance: Elves are immune to the
Druid (6), Ranger (6), Swashbuckler (4), Thief (4), paralyzing touch of ghouls.
Tomb Robber (4), Wanderer (4). Night Vision: Elves are acclimated to seeing in
twilight and other low-light environments, such
• Ancestral Enemies: When making a melee or
as by starlight or moonlight. They can see up to
ranged attack roll against goblins, orcs, intelli-
120 feet when in partial darkness.
gent undead, and lycanthropes elves receive a
+1 bonus to that attack roll. They also receive Sleep Immunity: Elves are immune to the ef-
a +1 bonus to all damage rolls against such fects of the Sleep spell.
creatures.

• Armored Magic-User: Elves who are the

Magic-User class may wear magical armor
without restriction, including the ability to cast
spells in such armor. This does not include the
use of magical shields.

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 23

 • Resistant to Magic: Halflings have extraor-
dinarily little magic about them and are quite
resistant to spells and other magical effects.
They receive a +4 bonus to all saving throws
made to resist magical effects and magic spells.

• Sharp Aim: Halflings receive a +2 bonus on

all attack rolls made when wielding a ranged
weapon. This includes thrown weapons.

• Underfoot: Giants, ogres, trolls, and other

giant-like creatures have difficulty fighting hal-
flings and their attacks only inflict one-half the
normal damage when they successfully attack
the halfling.

• Languages: Halflings can speak and are liter-

ate the common tongue of the world and their
HALFLING own native language known simply as halfling.
In addition, the Referee may allow them to
Halflings are a small people, averaging only three
speak other languages as are appropriate to
feet in height. They favor living in insular, pastoral
the individual campaign.
communities that keep the affairs of the world at
large at a distance. They prefer the comforts of a
simple life, such as food, drink, and song. A rare OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL HALFLING
young halfling may start a life of adventure, but HERITAGE ABILITIES
they are the exception.
If the Referee wishes they can include any or
all the following abilities for players who select
halfling as their heritage.
HALFLING HERITAGE ABILITIES
Halflings have the following abilities and restric- Dark Vision: Halflings often make their homes
tions detailed below. in comfortable underground burrows and are
quite acclimated to the dark. They can see to
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (4); Acrobat (6), up to 30 feet in complete darkness.
Assassin (4), Bard (4), Druid (4), Errant Fool (6),
Easy Going Demeanor: Halflings are person-
Friar (6), Jester (6), Ranger (4), Swashbuckler (4),
able by nature and increase the Loyalty of any
Thief (8), Tomb Robber (6), Wanderer (5).
hirelings they retain by +1.
• Weapon Restrictions: Because of their small Poison Resistance: Halflings are surprising-
size, halflings cannot use large weapons like ly robust and can more easily shrug off mild
two-handed swords, polearms, and heavy poisons. They receive a +2 bonus to all saving
crossbows. throws made to resist the effects of poisons.

• All But Unseen: As long as a halfling remains Small Size: Due to their small size, halflings re-
unmoving and with some means of conceal- ceive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class if they are
ment, they are all but invisible and very easily aware of the attack.
overlooked.

24 | White Box Cyclopedia

HUMAN HUMAN HERITAGE ABILITIES
Humans have the following abilities and restric-
Humans are a diverse and driven lot. Highly
tions detailed below.
adaptable, extraordinarily ambitious, and infinite-
ly adaptable, they are by far the most common- • Class Restrictions: Humans are infinitely
ly-found people in the world. Their combination diverse in their talents and learn quickly when
of tenacity and adaptability means they can ac- presented with added information. They can
complish truly extraordinary things in their short play any class they choose (except for a her-
lives. itage-as-class) and may advance to the max-
imum possible level in whatever class they
choose.

• Languages: Humans can speak and are literate

the common tongue of the world. In addition,
the Referee may allow them to speak other
local dialects or other languages as are appro-
priate to the individual campaign.

OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL HUMAN

HERITAGE ABILITIES
If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
the following abilities for players who select hu-
man as their heritage.

Fast Learner: Because of their natural curiosity

and propensity for easily learning new informa-
tion, all humans receive a +5% bonus on all ex-
perience points they earn.

Unwavering Ambition: Humans are remarkably

tenacious and driven to succeed. They receive a
+1 bonus on all saving throws.

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 25

 OPTIONAL HERITAGES
Detailed below are optional heritages that players may select with Referee permission.

DAGONITE
Dagonites appear to be very similar to humans OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL DAGONITE
except for the sickly pallor to their skin and their HERITAGE ABILITIES
slightly enlarged, watery eyes. They are unnerv- If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
ing to be around, and legend holds that they are the following abilities for players who select Da-
the long descended ancestors of some great and gonite as their heritage.
evil undersea empire that will one day rise and
Speak to the Sea: Regardless of their class, da-
reclaim the land.
gonites can cast the Speak with Animals spell,
DAGONITE HERITAGE ABILITIES see pg.167) once per day as a 4th-level Cleric,
Dagonites have the following abilities and restric- but may only speak with aquatic creatures using
tions detailed below. this ability.

Tide Sense: Dagonites can automatically sense

• Class Restrictions: Cleric (6), Fighter (4); Acrobat
exactly when both high tide and low tide will
(4), Assassin (8), Druid (4), Metaphysician (4),
occur when looking upon a tidal body of water.
Monk (4), Ranger (6), Spiritualist (6), Thief (4),
Tomb Robber (6), Wanderer (6). Twisted Mind: Due to their strange psyche,
dagonites can more easily resist Charm Per-
• Aquatic Vision: Dagonites can see as clearly son, Confusion, and Feeblemind spells. They
underwater a normal human can see on the receive a +4 bonus to all saving throws made to
surface. resist these spells or any magic items that mim-
ic their effects.
• Breathe Water: Dagonites can breathe water
as easily as air.

• Darting Eyes: Dagonites have exceptional eye-

sight and can spot secret or concealed doors
with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success simply
when they pass within ten feet of them. If the
dagonite is actively searching for concealed
or secret doors this chance increases to 1-4 on
1d6. This chance of success is modified by a
dagonite’s Intelligence modifier.

• Languages: Dagonites can speak and are liter-

ate the common tongue of the world. In addi-
tion, they can also speak and are literate in the
languages of lizard men and water elementals.

26 | White Box Cyclopedia

DHAMPIR dhampir suffers a -1 on all attack rolls for one
full combat round.
Dhampirs are born from the unholy union of a
mortal and a vampire. They appear human, but • Languages: Dhampirs can speak and are lit-
often have dark hair, pointed ears, and slightly erate the common tongue of the world. In
pointed teeth. Often sullen in nature and with a addition, the Referee may allow them to speak
propensity to dress in dark or grandiose clothing, other local dialects or other languages as are
they do not easily fit in anywhere and are fear- appropriate to the individual campaign.
fully regarded as outsiders by most whom they
encounter.
OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL DHAMPIR
DHAMPIR HERITAGE ABILITIES HERITAGE ABILITIES
Dhampirs have the following abilities and restric-
If the Referee wishes they can include any or
tions detailed below.
all the following abilities for players who select
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (6), Magic-User dhampir as their heritage.
(6); Acrobat (6), Assassin (8), Barbarian (4),
Children of the Night: Wolves and bats regard
Metaphysician (4), Monk (6), Ranger (4),
the dhampir as a fellow predator and will not
Spiritualist (6), Thief (6), Tomb Robber (6),
attack them unless provoked or angered.
Wanderer (8).
Negative Energy Protection: Dhampirs are im-
• Dark Vision: Dhampirs thrive in darkness, where mune to the level-draining effects of undead
they are more at home than in the light. They creatures, such as the touch of a wight or bite
can see up to 60 feet when in total darkness. of a vampire. They also cannot be paralyzed by
the touch of a ghoul.
• Keen Senses: Dhampirs have exceptional eye-
sight and can spot secret or concealed doors Undead Bane: Dhampirs receive a +2 bonus to
with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success simply all saving throws made to resist spells cast by or
when they pass within ten feet of them. If the the magical abilities of undead creatures.
dhampir is actively searching for concealed or Vampiric Immunity: Dhampirs are immune to
secret doors this chance increases to 1-4 on the charm effects of vampires.
1d6. This chance of success is modified by a
dhampir’s Intelligence modifier.

• Shadowstep: A dhampir can disappear into a

shadow or other area of darkness large enough
to conceal them, remaining effectively invisible
until they reveal themselves through movement
or other obvious actions, such as attacking.

• Sunlight Aversion: Dhampirs suffer a -2 pen-

alty on all saving throws when exposed to nat-
ural sunlight.

• Unholy Nature: Whenever a character success-

fully uses the Turn Undead or Banish Undead
ability in the presence of the dhampir, the

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 27

 GNOME • Forest Walker: While traveling alone or with
other gnomes in a forested environment
Gnomes are small folk around three feet tall.
gnomes are all but invisible and silent unless
They live in underground warrens or hidden for-
they attack or perform some other action that
ests and regard most small woodland creatures
would draw attention to them.
as friends and allies. The men grow long white
beards, and the women style their hair in great • Tiny Adversary: Giants, ogres, trolls, and
silver braids. They are kindly and mischievous by other giant-like creatures have difficulty fight-
nature and get on well with elves. ing gnomes and their attacks only inflict one-
half the normal damage when they successfully
GNOME HERITAGE ABILITIES
attack the gnome.
Gnomes have the following abilities and restric-
tions detailed below. • Languages: Gnomes can speak and are liter-
ate the common tongue of the world and their
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (4), Magic-User (6);
own native language known simply as gnomish.
Acrobat (6), Assassin (4), Bard (6), Druid (4), Errant
They also possess the uncanny ability to speak
Fool (6), Friar (4), Jester (6), Metaphysician (4),
to small woodland creatures, such as song-
Ranger (4), Ranger (4), Swashbuckler (4), Thief
birds, squirrels, and badgers - though there is
(6), Tomb Robber (6), Wanderer (6).
no written language of these creatures in which
• Weapon Restrictions: Because of their small to be literate. In addition, they can also speak
size, gnomes cannot use large weapons like and are literate in the languages of dwarves,
two-handed swords, polearms, and heavy elves, goblins, and the sylvan language of fairy
crossbows. creatures.

OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL GNOME

HERITAGE ABILITIES
If the Referee wishes they can include any or
all the following abilities for players who select
gnome as their heritage.

Ancient Hatred: When making a melee or

ranged attack roll against goblins or kobolds,
gnomes receive a +1 bonus to that attack roll.
They do not receive a bonus to damage rolls
against goblins or kobolds.

Arcane Trickster: Regardless of their class,

once per day the gnome may cast the Phantas-
mal Force spell (see pg.162).

Dark Vision: Gnomes are adapted to living in

warrens and holes beneath the earth. They can
see up to 40 feet when in total darkness.

Small Size: Due to their small size, gnomes re-

ceive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class if they are
aware of the attack.

28 | White Box Cyclopedia

GOBLIN • Clever Combatant: Giants, ogres, trolls, and
other giant-like creatures have difficulty fight-
Goblins are small creatures who stand between
ing goblins and their attacks only inflict one-
three and three and a half feet tall. They have
half the normal damage when they successfully
eyes of red and yellow that allow them to peer
attack a goblin.
deep into the darkness and wicked inhumanly
wide grins. Known for their capricious and oppor- • Dark Vision: Goblins are adapted to living
tunistic nature, they are unwelcome in most civi- in deep, dark tunnels and holes beneath the
lized lands due to their dark reputation. earth. They can see up to 40 feet when in total
darkness.
GOBLIN HERITAGE ABILITIES
Goblins have the following abilities and restric- • Quick Reflexes: Goblins receive a +2 bonus
tions detailed below. on all saving throws made to resist or avoid the
effects of traps.
• Class Restrictions: Fighter (4), Magic-User
(4); Acrobat (6), Assassin (6), Druid (4), Errant • Languages: Goblins can speak and are liter-
Fool (6), Ranger (4), Thief (8), Tomb Robber (4), ate the common tongue of the world and their
Wanderer (4). own native language known simply as goblin.
In addition, they can also speak and are literate
• Coward’s Advantage: Goblins add +2 to
in the languages of giants, gnolls, hobgoblins,
any weapon damage rolls they make, if they
and orcs.
have made a successful melee or ranged
attack against a surprised foe, a target who is
unaware of the attack, or a victim who is unable OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL GOBLIN
to defend themselves (such as being bound or HERITAGE ABILITIES
restrained). If the Referee wishes they can include any or
all the following abilities for players who select
goblin as their heritage.

Play Dead: Any time a goblin suffers damage in

battle they can choose to fall over and pretend
to be slain. Anyone observing the goblin will
believe them to be dead until the goblin moves
or acts or until the observer gets close enough
to investigate.

Small Size: Due to their small size, goblins re-

ceive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class if they are
aware of the attack.

Trapsmith: Goblins are clever trapsmiths. If giv-

en one hour of time and the proper resources
they can construct a simple pit, snare, or other
trap that when triggered will inflict 1d6 damage
on the victim. The victim can make a saving
throw to reduce this damage by one-half (min-
imum 1).

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 29

 HALF-ELF addition, they can also speak and are literate
in the languages of gnolls, goblins, orcs, and
Half-Elves are born of the union between a hu-
hobgoblins.
man and an elf. Their elvish heritage manifests in
slightly pointed ears and a natural beauty, while
their human blood makes them driven and easily
OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL HALF-ELF
adaptable to whatever challenge they might face.
HERITAGE ABILITIES
With no natural culture of their own, they are of-
ten able to move between the worlds of both If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
elves and men easily but are never truly accepted of the following abilities for players who select
in either. half-elf as their heritage.

Charm Resilience: Half-Elves are resistant to

HALF-ELF HERITAGE ABILITIES the effects of the Charm Person spell and any
Half-Elves have the following abilities and restric-
effects that mimic this spell. They receive a +2
tions detailed below.
bonus on all saving throws to resist such effects.
• Class Restrictions: Cleric (7), Fighter (7), Magic- Reduced Night Vision: Half-elves are acclimat-
User (7); Acrobat (7), Assassin (7), Barbarian (7), ed to seeing in twilight and other low-light en-
Bard (7), Cavalier (7), Druid (7), Errant Fool (7), vironments, such as by starlight or moonlight.
Friar (7), Jester (7), Metaphysician (7), Monk (7), They can see up to a distance of 60 feet when in
Ranger (7), Spiritualist (7), Swashbuckler (7), partial darkness.
Thief (7), Tomb Robber (7), Wanderer (7).
Fast Learner: Because of their natural curiosity
• Ancestral Animosity: When making a melee and propensity for easily learning new informa-
or ranged attack roll against goblins and orcs, tion, all half-elves receive a +5% bonus on all
half-elves receive a +1 bonus to that attack roll. experience points they earn.
They also receive a +1 bonus to all damage Ghoul Resistance: Half-Elves are resistant to
rolls against such creatures. the paralyzing touch of ghouls. They receive a
+4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist this
• Lightly Armored Magic-User: Half-elves of
effect.
the Magic-User class may wear magical armor
no heavier than chainmail without restriction, Sleep Immunity: Half-elves are immune to the
including the ability to cast spells in such effects of the Sleep spell.
armor. This does not include the use of magical
shields.

• Sharpened Senses: Half-elves have sharp eye-

sight and are skilled at searching for secret
or concealed doors. If the half-elf is actively
searching for concealed or secret doors their
chance of success is 1-3 on 1d6. This chance of
success is modified by a half-elf’s Intelligence
modifier.

• Languages: Half-elves can speak and are liter-

ate in the common tongue of the world and the
language of elves, known simply as elvish. In

30 | White Box Cyclopedia

HALF-ORC
Half-orcs are those born of a union between a hu- OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL HALF-ORC
man and an orc. Inheriting the orcish talent for HERITAGE ABILITIES
mayhem and violence combined with the human If the Referee wishes they can include any or
instincts of creativity and ambition make them all the following abilities for players who select
quite dangerous. They appear human, but often half-orc as their heritage.
have square, muscular features, a slight under-
Dark Vision: Half-orcs inherit their orcish par-
bite, and gray or slightly green skin. Putrid col-
ent’s ability to see in the dark. They can see up
ored eyes are not uncommon and all half-orcs
to 40 feet when in total darkness.
have black, gray, or white hair.
Dirty Fighter: Half-orcs add +2 to any melee
HALF-ORC HERITAGE ABILITIES weapon damage rolls they make if they have
Half-orcs have the following abilities and restric- made a successful attack against a surprised
tions detailed below. foe, a target who is unaware of the attack, or
a victim who is unable to defend themselves
• Class Restrictions: Cleric (4), Fighter (6);
(such as being surprised or restrained).
Assassin (8), Barbarian (6), Friar (4), Ranger (4),
Thief (6), Tomb Robber (4), Wanderer (6). Fast Learner: Because of their natural curiosity
and propensity for easily learning new informa-
• Ferocious Combatant: Half-orcs are ferocious tion, all half-orcs receive a +5% bonus on all ex-
in melee combat. They receive a +1 bonus to perience points they earn.
all melee attack rolls.
Resistant to Poisons: Because of their resilient
• Resistant to Disease: Robust by nature, half- physical nature, half-orcs receive a +2 bonus to
orcs receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws all saving throws made to resist the effects of
made to resist diseases. poison.

• Languages: Half-orcs can speak and are liter-

ate in the common tongue of the world and
the language of orcs, known simply as orcish.
In addition, they can also speak and are liter-
ate in the languages of giants, goblins, and
hobgoblins.

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 31

 RIVER HALFLINGS • Underfoot: Giants, ogres, trolls, and other
giant-like creatures have difficulty fighting river
River halflings live in isolated communities along
halflings and their attacks only inflict one-half
the banks of great, roaring rivers. Like their more
the normal damage when they successfully
common cousins, they are insular and tend to
attack the river halfling.
avoid the outside world. A life of living on and
thriving from the bounty of the streams and riv- • Languages: River halflings can speak and are
ers of the world has turned them into surprisingly literate the common tongue of the world and
keen watermen. their own native language known simply as hal-
fling. In addition, the Referee may allow them
to speak other languages as are appropriate to
RIVER HALFLING HERITAGE ABILITIES
the individual campaign.
River halflings have the following abilities and re-
strictions detailed below.

• Class Restrictions: Fighter (4); Acrobat (4), OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL RIVER
Assassin (4), Bard (4), Druid (6), Errant Fool (4), HALFLING HERITAGE ABILITIES
Friar (4), Jester (4), Ranger (6), Swashbuckler (4), If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
Thief (6), Tomb Robber (4), Wanderer (6). the following abilities for players who select riv-
er halfling as their heritage.
• Weapon Restrictions: Unlike traditional hal-
flings, River Halflings can wield spears, though Bounty of the Bank: River halflings can always
they are still unable to use other large two- find food, water, and shelter for themselves
handed weapons like two-handed swords, when traveling along the bank of a river. In
longbows, and polearms. addition, when searching for sling stones (see
pg.102) river halflings find twice the number of
• All But Unseen: As long as a river halfling stones from a single hour of searching.
remains unmoving and with some means of
Magic Resistance: River halflings share some of
concealment, they are all but invisible and very
their cousins’ resistance to magic. They receive
easily overlooked.
a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to resist
• Skilled Swimmer: River halflings live on the the effects of spells and magical effects.
river and are excellent swimmers. They only run Raft-Crafter: In an environment with the ap-
the risk of drowning in the worst conditions. propriate natural resources, a river halfling can
They can also hold their breath for twice as craft a simple raft capable of holding up to four
long as other halflings.and receive a +2 bonus human-sized individuals or six halfling-sized
to all saving throws to resist and recover from individuals. It requires six hours to forage and
drowning. construct the raft.

• Spear Fishermen: River halflings are skilled Small Size: Due to their small size, river hal-
at spear fishing and have spent years training flings receive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class if
with the weapon. They receive a +2 attack rolls they are aware of the attack.
made when wielding a spear, regardless of
whether it is a melee or ranged attack being
made.

32 | White Box Cyclopedia

SHADOW ELF • Languages: Shadow elves can speak and are
literate in the common tongue of the world and
Shadow Elves are a subculture of elves who have
their own native language, known simply as
fled underground, where they live in great cities
shadow elvish. In addition, they can also speak
of spiraled stone. There they worship evil gods
and are literate in the languages of dwarves,
and slowly plan their return to the surface to slay
elves, goblins, and orcs.
their forest dwelling cousins, extracting their re-
venge for some ancient and forgotten grievance.

OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL SHADOW

SHADOW ELF HERITAGE ABILITIES ELF HERITAGE ABILITIES
Shadow elves have the following abilities and re- If the Referee wishes they can include any or
strictions detailed below. all the following abilities for players who select
shadow elf as their heritage.
• Class Restrictions: Cleric (8), Fighter (4),
Magic-User (4); Acrobat (4), Assassin (8), Druid Dark Magic: Regardless of their class, shadow
(4), Ranger (6), Spiritualist (6), Thief (6), Tomb elves can cast Dark (the reverse of the Light
Robber (6), Wanderer (4). spell, see pg. 160) once per day as a 1st-level
Magic-User.
• Bloodletting: Shadow elves that are both
Dark Vision: Shadow elves have acclimated to
Chaotic in alignment and of the Cleric class
living in the lightless world underground. They
may use bladed weapons, since their cruel
can see up to 60 feet when in total darkness.
gods often relish in violence and bloodshed.
Poison Resistance: Shadow elves are good at
• Hatred: Shadow elves receive a +1 bonus on fending off the effects of poisons. They receive
all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to resist
when fighting against elves and dwarves, both the effects of poisons.
of whom they loathe with a rabid passion.
Spider-Speak: Shadow elves have a natural af-
• Keen Senses: Shadow elves have exceptional finity for spiders of all kinds. Not only can they
eyesight and can spot secret or concealed speak the language of spiders, but also receive
doors with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success sim- a +1 bonus to all Reaction Checks made when
ply when they pass within ten feet of them. If encountering spiders.
the shadow elf is actively searching for con-
cealed or secret doors this chance increases to
1-4 on 1d6. This chance of success is modified
by a shadow elf’s Intelligence modifier.

• Magic Resistance: Shadow elves have a +2

bonus on all saving throws made to resist the
effects of magic spells and any effects from
magical items due to their strange physiology.

• Sunlight Aversion: Shadow elves suffer a -2

penalty on all saving throws when exposed to
natural sunlight.

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 33

 SYLVAN ELVES
Sylvan Elves are a culture of elves that live deep OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL SYLVAN ELF
in the untouched forests of the world. They are HERITAGE ABILITIES
nomadic by nature, moving with the seasons and If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
living off the land. They are more in touch with the following abilities for players who select syl-
nature than even their more commonly found el- van elf as their heritage.
vish brethren.
Camouflage: When in an outdoor wilderness
environment sylvan elves are almost impossi-
SYLVAN ELF HERITAGE ABILITIES ble to see or hear as they blind into the natural
Sylvan elves have the following abilities and re- landscape unless they move or perform another
strictions detailed below. action to draw attention to themselves.

Charm Resistance: Sylvan elves are resistant to

• Class Restrictions: Fighter (6), Magic User
the effects of the Charm Person spell and any
(6); Acrobat (4), Assassin (4), Bard (4), Druid
effects that mimic this spell. They receive a +4
(8), Ranger (8), Thief (4), Tomb Robber (4),
bonus on all saving throws to resist such effects.
Wanderer (6).
Forage: Sylvan elves are always able to find
• Friend to Beasts: Natural animals are not hos- enough food, water, and shelter to survive while
tile towards a Sylvan elf and will not act aggres- in forested wilderness areas.
sively towards them or attack unless provoked.
Night Vision: Sylvan elves are acclimated to
• Instinctive Archer: Sylvan elves may use long- seeing in twilight and other low-light environ-
bows and shortbows in combat regardless of ments, such as by starlight or moonlight. They
any restrictions imposed by their class. can see up to 120 feet when in partial darkness.

Sleep Immunity: Sylvan elves are immune to

• Keen Senses: Sylvan elves have exceptional
the effects of the Sleep spell.
eyesight and can spot secret or concealed
doors with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success sim-
ply when they pass within ten feet of them. If
the sylvan elf is actively searching for concealed
or secret doors this chance increases to 1-4 on
1d6. This chance of success is modified by a syl-
van elf’s Intelligence modifier.

• Languages: Sylvan elves can speak and are lit-

erate in the common tongue of the world and
the language of elves, known simply as elvish.
In addition, they can also speak and are literate
in the languages of, goblins, orcs, hobgoblins,
and the strange language of fairies.

34 | White Box Cyclopedia

TROLL-KIN • Heavy Blows: Due to their extraordinary size
and the leverage they can bring to bear, troll-
Despite what the name suggests, Troll-kin are
kin add +1 to all melee damage rolls they make.
not the descendants of trolls. At least probably
not. What is certain is that their human ancestry is • Languages: Troll-kin can speak and are literate
mingled with an ogre, giant, or some other great in the common tongue of the world. In addi-
and terrible brute. Troll-kin are typically shunned tion, they can also speak and are literate in the
by most other folks for their overly muscled, dour languages of giants, ogres, and trolls.
appearance and massive size. They range in
height between seven and eight feet tall and can
weigh as much as 400 pounds. OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL TROLL-KIN
HERITAGE ABILITIES
If the Referee wishes they can include any or
TROLL-KIN HERITAGE ABILITIES
Troll-kin have the following abilities and restric- all the following abilities for players who select

tions detailed below. troll-kin as their heritage.

Dark Vision: Troll-kin have a natural affinity for

• Class Restrictions: Fighter (6); Assassin (4),
underground environments and can see in the
Barbarian (8), Druid (4), Friar (4), Ranger (6),
dark. They can see up to 30 feet when in total
Thief (4), Tomb Robber (4), Wanderer (6).
darkness.
• Broad Shoulders: Regardless of how much Inhuman Grip: Due to their massive size troll-
weight they are carrying, if a troll-kin is carrying kin can wield two-handed melee weapons in a
no more than 300 lbs., their movement is not single hand, though they suffer a -1 penalty to
reduced. See page 121 for more information on all attack rolls when doing so.
movement.
Poison Resistance: Due to their massive size
• Doorbreaker: If a troll-kin comes across a stuck and hardy nature, troll-kin receive a +2 bonus
door, they can get it unstuck with a 1-4 in 1d6 on all saving throws made to resist poisons.
chance of success. Barred doors can be bro- Regeneration: Troll-kin heal 2 hit points for
ken down with a 1-3 on 1d6 chance of success. each day of uninterrupted rest instead of the
Doors which have been locked by mundane normal 1 hit point per day of uninterrupted rest
locks can be knocked down with a 1-2 on 1d6 detailed on page 126.
chance of success. A troll-kin’s Strength mod-
ifier is applied to these chances of success.
This ability cannot be used on magically sealed
doors.

HERITAGE-AS-CLASS OPTIONS and class are unified. In effect, they have no heri-
tage abilities, and their class encompasses all the
Instead of selecting a heritage, players can opt
character’s abilities. More information on Heri-
to choose a Heritage-As-Class, provided the Ref-
tage-As-Class can be found beginning on page
eree is allowing Heritage-As-Class in the cam-
81.
paign. In these instances, a character’s heritage

Chapter Two: Character Heritage | 35

TABLE 2-1: CLASS RESTRICTIONS BY HERITAGE
Class Human Dwarf Elf Halfling Dagonite Dhampir Gnome Goblin Half-Elf Half-Orc River Halfling Shadow Elf Sylvan Elf Troll-Kin
Cleric 10 N/A N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A N/A 7 4 N/A 8 N/A N/A
Fighter 10 6 4 4 4 6 4 4 7 6 4 4 6 6
Magic-User 10 N/A 8 N/A N/A 6 6 4 7 N/A N/A 4 6 N/A
Acrobat 10 N/A 6 6 4 6 6 6 7 N/A 4 4 4 N/A
Assassin 10 4 4 4 8 8 4 6 7 8 4 8 4 4
Barbarian 10 N/A N/A N/A N/A 4 N/A N/A 7 6 N/A N/A N/A 8
Bard 10 N/A 4 4 N/A N/A 6 N/A 7 N/A 4 N/A 4 N/A
Cavalier 10 N/A 4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Druid 10 N/A 6 4 4 N/A 4 4 7 N/A 6 4 8 4
Errant Fool 10 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A 6 6 7 N/A 4 N/A N/A N/A
Friar 10 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A 4 N/A 7 4 4 N/A N/A 4
Jester 10 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A 6 N/A 7 N/A 4 N/A N/A N/A
Metaphysician 10 N/A N/A N/A 4 4 4 N/A 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Monk 10 N/A N/A N/A 4 6 N/A N/A 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Paladin 10 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Ranger 10 N/A 6 4 6 4 4 4 7 4 6 6 8 6
Spiritualist 10 N/A N/A N/A 6 6 N/A N/A 7 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A
Swashbuckler 10 N/A 4 4 N/A N/A 4 N/A 7 N/A 4 N/A N/A N/A
Thief 10 4 4 8 4 6 6 8 7 6 6 6 4 4

36 | White Box Cyclopedia

Tomb Robber 10 6 4 6 6 6 6 4 7 4 4 6 4 4
Wanderer 10 4 4 5 6 8 6 4 7 6 6 4 6 6
CHAPTER THREE applied in a similar manner, but a character al-
ways gains at least 1 hit point per level.
CHARACTER CLASSES More information on hit points and hit dice can
All player characters in White Box Cyclopedia se- be found on page 16 in Chapter One: Concepts
lects a class. A class is a broad summation of a and Abilities.
character’s area of expertise. In the original rules
ST: This is the saving throw number for the charac-
only three classes were available: the Cleric, the
ter trying to avoid dangers like the flaming breath
Fighter, and the Magic-User. These classes are
of an angry dragon, malicious magical spells, or
the first ones described in this chapter. There is a
a suddenly sprung trap. When the Referee re-
collection of Optional Classes described after the
quests a saving throw be made, the player simply
original classes that may be selected if the Refer-
rolls a d20, adds any appropriate modifiers, and
ee approves. Finally, there is the option to play
if the total equals or exceeds the character’s sav-
a Heritage-As-Class. Heritage-As-Class typically
ing throw then they have avoided or suffer some
describes a unique and inhuman being whose
diminished effect from the danger. Any saving
nature is very strongly defined. In the original
throw bonuses granted by a character’s heritage
game the only heritage-as-class listed was the
and class are cumulative.
elf — and even this was optional! Players should
always consult with the Referee before selecting Other Information: Some classes may have
a heritage-as-class and the Referee is free to re- unique abilities that advance as they gain levels
strict or disallow them. of experience. These are noted in that class’s ad-
vancement table under their own uniquely titled
Reading Character Class Tables column. The most common instance of this is the
advancement of spellcasting for characters able
Level: Refers to the level of experience of the
to do so.
character.
XP: This is the number of Experience Points (XP)
needed to advance to this level. A NOTE ABOUT STRONGHOLDS

HD: This is the number of Hit Dice at that level. Those familiar with previous presentations of
Certain classes may list a modifier such in addition this rules set may remember that many classes
to this hit die, such as “1d6+1.” This means the gain the ability to construct a stronghold upon
player would roll 1d6 and add one to the number reaching 9th level. This option is still available
rolled. Hit dice are cumulative. So, for example, a to original classes and optional classes, but is
character who previously had 1d6+1 hit dice and detailed in Chapter 4: Equipment, Hirelings,
had a new listing of 2d6+1 hit dice upon leveling and Strongholds. Those who select a heri-
would roll an additional d6 and add that amount tage-as-class are not able to build strongholds
to the total already earned from the 1d6+1 hit unless otherwise specifically noted under their
dice. Sometimes a character class’s listing will in- class abilities.
crease with a flat modifier, such as increasing from
1d6 to 1d6+1. In these cases, the player simply
adds that flat modifier to their maximum hit point
ORIGINAL CLASSES
total. Characters add their Constitution modifier
to their maximum hit point total each time they The three classes described below (Cleric, Fight-
gain a level in addition to hit points gained from er, and Magic-User) were present in the original
their hit dice. Negative Constitution modifiers are game and are assumed to be available by default.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 37

 CLERIC
Clerics are armed and armored evangelists and
defenders of a religion. The details of a Cleric
player character’s religious order and the nature
of the deity they serve should be defined before
the campaign begins by collaborating with the
Referee to ensure they fit appropriately into the
campaign. Clerics may be inquisitors, hospitalers,
undead slayers, or agents of a holy order.

TABLE 3-1: CLERIC ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level 4th-Level 5th-Level

Spells Spells Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6 +0 15 - - - - -
2 1500 2d6 +0 14 1 - - - -
3 3000 3d6 +0 13 2 - - - -
4 6000 3d6+1 +1 12 2 1 - - -
5 12000 4d6+1 +1 11 2 2 1 - -
6 24000 5d6+1 +2 10 2 2 1 1 -
7 48000 6d6+1 +2 9 2 2 2 1 1
8 96000 6d6+2 +3 8 2 2 2 2 2
9 192000 7d6+2 +4 7 3 3 3 2 2
10 384000 8d6+2 +5 6 3 3 3 3 3

CLERIC CLASS ABILITIES OPTIONAL RULE: CLERICAL WEAPONRY

Alignment Restrictions: All Clerics must be ei- At the Referee’s discretion, Lawful Clerics may
ther Lawful or Chaotic in alignment. Lawful Clerics be restricted to the use of blunt weapons as de-
serve gods of justice, order, and righteousness. tailed above, while Chaotic Clerics are restrict-
Chaotic Clerics serve gods of darkness, chaos, ed to the use of slashing and piercing weapons
and deceit. The player and the Referee should such as axes, daggers, and swords. This re-
work together to determine the exact nature of flects the fact that Chaotic gods are often more
the god that a player character’s Cleric worships. bloodthirsty than their Lawful counterparts.
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Though
trained for battle, Clerics only wield the simplest
Spell Casting: Clerics cast divine spells from the
of weapons and are restricted to using blunt
Cleric Spell List. Each day, the Cleric must pray
weapons such as maces, flails, slings, and war
for 15 uninterrupted minutes for a certain set of
hammers in battle. They may wear any armor and
spells. The player then chooses any spells from
use any shield.
the Cleric Spell List available to them based on

38 | White Box Cyclopedia

the limits of their level as noted on Table 3-1: Cler- Saving Throw Bonus: Clerics receive a +2 bonus
ic Advancement. Clerics of specific gods might on saving throws to resist the effects of poison
have entirely different sets of spells as designed and paralysis.
by the Referee, but the standard Cleric uses the
Cleric Spell List found on page 140. BANISHING UNDEAD
Undead creatures can be made to flee or even
A Cleric cannot pray to gain spells in this fashion
be turned to ash by a Cleric if the Cleric presents
more than once per day. Lawful Clerics typically
their holy symbol forcefully towards the target
pray at sunrise or noon, while Chaotic Clerics typ-
or targets. This is called Banishing Undead. At-
ically pray at sunset or midnight.
tempting to use this ability is an action and when
it is attempted the Cleric rolls 3d6 and consults
OPTIONAL RULE: WISDOM MODIFIER FOR Table 3-2: Banishing Undead. If the result of the
SPELLCASTING roll is equal to or greater than the number shown
on the table, all undead creatures that can see
With Referee permission, Clerics may add their
the Cleric’s holy symbol will flee from Lawful Cler-
Wisdom modifier to the number of 1st level
ics for 3d6 rounds, or if the Cleric is Chaotic, they
Cleric spells each time they pray for spells. This
act as if under the effects of a Charm Person spell
means that a Cleric with a +1 Wisdom modifier
for the same duration. If unable to flee, undead
could pray for one 1st level at 1st level, while
affected by this ability will cower helplessly where
a Cleric with a -1 Wisdom modifier would be
they stand. If Table 3-2: Banishing Undead lists an
unable to cast 1st-level spells until they reached
entry as “D” then the undead creatures automat-
3rd level.
ically crumble to ash on the spot.

TABLE 3-2: BANISHING UNDEAD

Undead Cleric Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hit Dice
Up to 1 10 7 4 D D D D D D D
1+1 to 2 13 10 7 4 D D D D D D
2+1 to 3 15 13 10 7 4 D D D D D
3+1 to 4 17 15 13 10 7 4 D D D D
4+1 to 5 – 17 15 13 10 7 4 D D D
5+1 to 6 – – 17 15 13 10 7 4 D D
6+1 to 7 – – – 17 15 13 10 7 4 D
7+1 to 8 – – – – 17 15 13 10 7 4
8+1 to 9 – – – – – 17 15 13 10 7
9+1 to 10 – – – – – – 17 15 13 10
10+1 to 11 – – – – – – – 17 15 13
11+1 to 12 – – – – – – – – 17 15
12+1 or higher – – – – – – – – – 17

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 39

 There is no limit to the number of times per day
a Cleric may use this ability, but undead creatures OPTIONAL RULE: CLERIC ARCHETYPES
can only be affected by Banish Undead once per
Referees wishing to allow players a bit more
encounter. Any undead creature that a Cleric is
customization to their Cleric without expand-
unable to banish when using this ability cannot
ing the available classes can allow the player to
be turned, regardless of additional attempts by
select one of the archetypes listed below. Only
the Cleric, for the remainder of the encounter.
one archetype may be selected.

Healer: While Clerics are holy warriors by na-

OPTIONAL RULE: CONTROL UNDEAD ture, there are some who are more dedicated
If the Referee permits, Clerics of Chaotic align- to easing the suffering of others and tending
ment may, instead of destroying any undead the wounded. These healers may, once per day,
during an attempt to Banish Undead, may in- touch a wounded individual and heal them for a
stead, take control of those undead creatures number of hit points equal to twice the Cleric’s
for a number of rounds equal to the Cleric’s current level. However, because they are not as
level. focused on martial abilities, healers suffer a per-
manent -1 penalty to their Attack Bonus.

OPTIONAL RULE: BANISH DIVINE OR Undead Slayer: Many Clerics dedicate their

DEMONIC lives to battling the undead. Undead slayers roll

3d6+2 when using their Banish Undead ability
At the Referee’s discretion Lawful Clerics may
instead of just 3d6. However, their dedication
use the Banish Undead ability to cause demons
to directly combating the undead forces them
and devils to flee their presence. Opposite this,
to neglect other studies, and these Clerics may
Chaotic Clerics may use the Banish Undead
not cast 5th level Cleric spells.
ability to cause angels and divine creatures to
flee their presence. In either case, angelic or War-Priest: Some Clerics are dedicated to mar-

demonic beings whose hit dice show a “D” tial deities that require bloodshed. At character

listing are not destroyed but banished back to creation a Cleric may elect to forego their abil-

their home plane of existence. ity to ever cast 5th level Cleric spells for their
entire adventuring career. Though their spell
casting abilities are diminished, they are per-
Experience Point Bonus: Clerics that have a mitted to wield any melee or ranged weapon
Wisdom of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on they choose.
all Experience Points earned. This in addition to
the bonus received by all classes that have a high
Wisdom if that optional rule is used (see page 18).

40 | White Box Cyclopedia

FIGHTER FIGHTER CLASS ABILITIES
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Fighters have
Fighters are combat veterans trained in all man-
no restrictions when it comes to arms and armor.
ner of arms and armor. The broad nature of their
They can use any weapons, any armor, and any
martial training means an ability to utilize a di-
shields.
verse arsenal means they are deadly in all forms
of combat, whether ranged or melee, and are
quite capable of carving a path through hordes OPTIONAL RULE: MARTIAL INSTRUCTOR
of lesser foes. Men-at-arms, hired soldiers, and With Referee permission, a Fighter of 3rd lev-
bloodthirsty sellswords are all examples of Fight- el or higher can instruct other individuals in
ers. the use of weapons that would otherwise be
prohibited by the student’s class. This instruc-
tion takes three months of training, requiring
at least two hours each day of instruction. At
the end of this time, the Fighter rolls 2d6. If the
number rolled is equal to or below the Fight-
er’s level, then the student may now use that
weapon without penalty regardless of preview
weapon restrictions imposed by the student’s
class. A Fighter can instruct a number of stu-
dents simultaneously equal to their level, but
all these students must be receiving instruction
in the same weapon. Students can never learn
a total of more than three weapons that would
otherwise be prohibited by their class via this
ability. Each time a Fighter successfully instructs
a student, they earn a number of Experience
Points equal to 100 times their level. Thus a 3rd
level Fighter who successfully instructs three
TABLE 3-3: FIGHTER ADVANCEMENT students would earn 900 XP.
Level XP HD AB ST
1 0 1d6+1 +1 14
Fell Lesser Foes: Against foes with one hit die or
2 2000 2d6+1 +1 13
less, Fighters get one attack per level each round,
3 4000 3d6+1 +2 12 to a maximum of one extra attack per level each
4 8000 4d6+1 +3 11 round. So, a 4th level Fighter facing three goblins
5 16000 5d6+1 +3 10 can make four attacks in a single combat round,
as long as at least three of those attacks are di-
6 32000 6d6+1 +4 9
rected at the goblins.
7 64000 7d6+1 +5 8
8 128000 8d6+1 +5 7
9 256000 9d6+1 +6 6
10 512000 10d6+1 +7 5

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 41

 OPTIONAL RULE: MULTIPLE ATTACKS OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPON
At the Referee’s discretion Fighters of 5th lev-
SPECIALIZATION
el or higher may make two attacks in a combat If the Referee permits it, Fighters may select
round, though these attacks must either both one specific weapon type (i.e., battle axe, short
be melee attacks or both be ranged attacks, re- sword, longbow, etc.) at character creation in
gardless of their foes’ hit dice. which they are specialized. When fighting with
this specific type of weapon they receive a +1
bonus on all attack rolls and damage rolls. This
Strength of Arms: Fighters, unlike other classes,
bonus increases to +2 to attack and damage
add their Strength modifier (if any) to all melee
rolls at 4th level.
attack rolls.

Saving Throw Bonus: Fighters receive a +2 bo-

nus on all saving throws made to resist the effects
of poison and to resist magical or supernatural
effects that result in instant death.
Experience Point Bonus: Fighters that have a
Strength of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on
all Experience Points earned.

OPTIONAL RULE: FIGHTER ARCHETYPES

Referees wishing to allow players a bit more customization to their Fighter without expanding
the available classes can allow the player to select one of the archetypes listed below. Only one
archetype may be selected.

Field Commander: Instead of attacking during a combat round, the Fighter may issue field
commands to a number of allies equal to their level. Those who can hear and understand these
field commands receive a +1 bonus on all attack rolls for the remainder of the combat round.
Field commanders are less focused on direct combat than other Fighters and do not add their
Strength bonus to melee attack rolls.

Sharpshooter: Sharpshooters receive a +1 bonus to their attack rolls when he is wielding any
ranged weapon to reflect their expert training in missile weapons. However, by focusing on
ranged combat, they have neglected their abilities in melee combat and suffer a -1 penalty to all
attack rolls when wielding melee weapons.

Swordsman: A Fighter may elect to permanently forego the use of plate armor and shields for
their entire adventuring career in favor of a lighter and more agile fighting style. Fighters who
give up the use of plate armor and shields are instead trained in two-weapon fighting and may
wield a dagger or short sword in their off-hand in addition to whatever weapon they are wielding
in their primary hand. Fighting in this fashion grants the Fighter an additional attack every com-
bat round with their off-hand weapon.

42 | White Box Cyclopedia

MAGIC-USER
Whether they are known as an arcanist, wizard, or
sorcerer, the Magic-User is the unrivaled master
of the arcane. Capable of bringing about arcane
enchantments with a few gestures of his hand
and whispered spidery words, the Magic-User
harnesses power beyond the ken of most mor-
tal beings. But the art of magic takes its toll, and
Magic-Users are a frail lot. With no martial train-
ing they are capable of wielding but the most
meager of weapons and can wear no mundane
protection. But with time and patience, they can
harness unimaginable power.

TABLE 3-4: MAGIC-USER ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level 4th-Level 5th-Level

Spells Spells Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6 +0 15 -1 -- -- -- --
2 2500 1d6+1 +0 14 2 - - - -
3 5000 2d6+1 +0 13 3 1 - - -
4 10000 2d6+2 +1 12 4 2 - - -
5 20000 3d6+2 +1 11 4 2 1 - -
6 40000 3d6+3 +1 10 4 2 2 - -
7 80000 4d6+3 +2 9 4 3 2 1 -
8 160000 4d6+4 +2 8 4 3 3 2 -
9 320000 5d6+4 +2 7 4 3 3 2 1
10 640000 5d6+5 +3 6 4 4 3 2 2

MAGIC-USER CLASS ABILITIES

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Magic-users OPTIONAL RULE: LIMITED MARTIAL
are extremely limited in their level of martial train- TRAINING
ing. They cannot wear armor or use shields. They
Some Referees may allow Magic-Users to make
typically avoid physical combat at all costs and
use of clubs and slings in combat in addition
may only wield daggers and quarterstaves when
to daggers and quarterstaves to provide a bit
forced to fight.
more flexibility in both melee and ranged com-
bat.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 43

 directly from the scroll. Casting directly from the
scroll expends the scroll’s magic and makes it im-
possible for the Magic-User to scribe it into his
spell book later, but casting from a scroll does not
expend a spell slot and no preparation is neces-
sary.

OPTIONAL RULE: SCRIBE SCROLLS

With Referee permission, a Magic-User may
Spellbook: All Magic-Users begin play with a
copy any spell in their spellbook onto a scroll,
spellbook (see pg. 97) free of charge as part of
thus creating a spell scroll of that specific spell
their starting equipment. It contains one random-
for later use. It must be a spell the Magic-User
ly determined 1st-level spell.
can prepare. This requires one hour per level of
the spell prepared and costs 100 gold pieces
OPTIONAL RULE: EXPANDED SPELLBOOK per level of the spell prepared. It must be done

At the Referee’s discretion, a Magic-User’s in a safe environment and cannot be done while

spellbook may contain more than one random- actively adventuring.

ly determined 1st-level spell. Several methods

of determine what exactly a Magic-User’s spell-
Spellcasting: Unlike the Cleric, a Magic-User
book contains are offered below.
owns a book of spells, aptly known as a spell-
Apprentice’s Education: The Magic-User’s book. A Magic-User’s spellbook does not neces-
spellbook contains Detect Magic, Read Magic, sarily contain all the spells listed on the Magic-
and one 1st-level spell selected by the Mag- User Spell List found on pages 141-142. In fact,
ic-User. most do not. Instead, each Magic-User’s spell-
Multiple Random Spells: The Magic-User’s book contains a collection of spells they have dis-
spellbook contains three randomly determined covered and transcribed into that book over the
1st-level spells. course of their arcane education. Reading from
this book, the Magic-User mystically imprints the
The Basics: The Magic-User’s spellbook con-
ability to activate a specific spell’s effect in their
tains Detect Magic, Read Magic, and one ran-
mind. This is known as preparing a spell. A Mag-
domly determined 1st-level spell.
ic-User can only prepare spells they have written
in their spellbook. Once prepared, the spell may
be cast at any time as an action. This previous-
OPTIONAL RULE: ARCANE APTITUDE ly prepared spell vanishes from the Magic-User’s
mind and the spell takes effect. The Magic-Us-
At the Referee’s discretion, a Magic-User may
er will need to prepare that now expended spell
select a number of additional spells to add (or
again if they wish to cast it again. However, it
remove, as the case may be) to add to their
is possible to prepare the same spell multiple
spellbook equal to their Intelligence Modifier.
times using the available slots in the Magic-User’s
memory, as noted on Table 3-4: Magic-User Ad-
Spell Scrolls: If the Magic-User finds scrolls that vancement. A Magic-User must spend 15 minutes
have been inscribed with spells from the Mag- each day preparing their spells regardless of the
ic-User Spell List during an adventure, they can Magic-User’s level.
copy them into their spell book or cast the spell

44 | White Box Cyclopedia

 OPTIONAL RULE: ARCANE INSIGHT OPTIONAL RULE: MAGIC-USER
ARCHETYPES
At the Referee’s discretion, a Magic-User can
Referees wishing to allow players a bit more
cast the Detect Magic spell at will by simply
customization to their Magic-User without ex-
concentrating for a single round. If the Mag-
panding the available classes can allow the
ic-User spends an hour or more examining a
player to select one of the archetypes listed be-
magic item they can identify the specific prop- low. Only one archetype may be selected.
erties and abilities of a magic item. This process
Illusionist: Magic-users who focus their studies
of identification must be done in a safe environ-
on chicanery and phantasms are called Illusion-
ment and cannot be done while adventuring.
ists. Whenever they cast a spell which is intend-
ed to charm, confuse or deceive a target, the
potential victim of that spell suffers a -2 penalty
Saving Throw Bonus: Magic-users receive a +2
to their saving throw to resist these effects – if
bonus on saving throws made to resist the effects
any such save is allowed. However, the illusion-
of spells. This includes those cast from wands and
ist’s focused studies render his other spells less
staves.
effective, and any victim of his spells entitled to
a saving throw made to resist spells which do
not charm, confuse, or deceive receive a +1 bo-
OPTIONAL RULE: GIFTED SPELLCASTER
nus to their roll.
With Referee permission, the Magic-User’s In-
Necromancer: There are Magic-Users who fo-
telligence modifier may function as an inverted
cus their arcane studies on the undead. These
modifier on any saving throws made to resist necromancers may Banish Undead just like a
any spells that Magic-User casts. Thus, a Mag- Cleric of equal level. Undead who are banished
ic-User with a +1 modifier to their Intelligence in this fashion are brought to heel as minions
would impose a -1 penalty on all saving throws and servants. However, because of their more
made to resist the effects of their spells, while focused studies, any spells which inflict damage
a Magic-User with an Intelligence modifier of that are cast by the necromancer inflict one-half
-1 would grant a +1 bonus on all saving throws of the damage rolled, before the target makes
made to resist the effects of their spells. a saving throw if so, entitled to one. Those
damage-inflicting spells that do permit a saving
throw inflict one-quarter damage if the saving
Experience Point Bonus: Magic-users that have throw is successful. This halved or quartered
an Intelligence of 15 or higher receives a +5% bo- damage is rounded down.
nus on all Experience Points earned. Scholar: All Magic-Users study the arcane,
but scholars are masters of hidden knowledge
and keen observers of secret things. They re-
ceive a +1 bonus on all attempts to search for
concealed or secret doors and may decipher
ciphers, unknown languages, and even unfa-
miliar magical writings by rolling 1 or 2 on 1d6.
The scholar applies their Intelligence modifier
to this roll. Because scholars take a more casu-
al, academic view of the arcane arts, all saving
throws made to resist their spells are made with
a +2 bonus.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 45

 OPTIONAL CLASSES
OPTIONAL RULE: THE WIZARD’S PIPE Detailed below are several optional classes which
Some wizards take to crafting their own pipes may be selected by players for their character,
and placing enchantments upon them to im- but only with Referee permission. Players should
prove their studies. A Magic-User who smokes a not assume that any of the optional classes are
wizard’s pipe while memorizing their spells each available by default in their campaign.
day may, depending on the enchantment on
the pipe, memorize one additional spell each
day. Each individual wizard’s pipe is designed
to benefit with a specific spell level and may not
be used to memorize any other spell level than
the one it was crafted for. A Magic-User may not
use more than one wizard’s pipe per day.

With Referee permission, Magic-Users with an

Intelligence of 15 or more who have reached
4th level or higher may craft a wizard’s pipe.
They cannot craft a pipe that would allow them
to memorize a spell not already granted at
their current level of experience. So, a 4th level ACROBAT
Magic-User could not craft a wizard’s pipe that
Whether daredevils, thrill-seekers, or physical
would grant them an additional 3rd level spell
performers, the Acrobat can accomplish physi-
each day as they are unable to cast 3rd level
cal tasks that are unbelievable for other humans.
spells at that time. Due to the complex nature
Acrobats are agile, strong and have honed their
of the crafting and enchantment there is an in-
bodies to accomplish amazing things. They can
creased chance of the crafting attempt result-
walk the width of a rope, tumbling from high
ing in a failure, thus wasting the components
buildings without injuring themselves and leap-
and time.
ing distances that most would believe impossi-
ble.

TABLE 3-5: CRAFTING A WIZARD’S PIPE TABLE 3-6: ACROBAT ADVANCEMENT

Level of Crafting Chance of Level XP HD AB ST Acrobatics

Bonus Spell Cost Crafting Failure
1 0 1d6 +0 14 1
Granted
2 1250 1d6+1 +0 13 1
1st 1000 gp 1 on 1d6
3 2500 2d6+1 +0 12 2
2nd 2500 gp 1-2 on 1d6
4 5000 2d6+2 +1 11 2
3rd 5000 gp 1-3 on 1d6
5 10000 3d6+2 +1 10 3
4th 10,000 gp 1-4 on 1d6
6 20000 3d6+3 +2 9 3
5th 20,000 gp 1-5 on 1d6
7 40000 4d6+3 +2 8 4
8 80000 4d6+4 +3 7 4
9 160000 5d6+4 +4 6 5
10 320000 5d6+5 +5 5 5

46 | White Box Cyclopedia

ACROBAT CLASS ABILITIES
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Acrobats are their attempts to remain stealthy fail, and the
agile, traveling lightly. They prefer to avoid com- Acrobat always believes they are successful.
bat. They may use the club, dagger, quarterstaff, When an Acrobat fails using this ability while
short bow, short sword, and sling and may wear free climbing a wall or disarming a trap, they
leather armor. They do not use shields. can endanger themselves with either a great fall
or by being in the path of a poisonous dart or
Acrobatics: Acrobats are capable of amazing
concealed trap.
physical feats. When using this ability they roll
1d6. If the roll is equal to or below their rating
in Acrobatics, they are successful. This ability can Blindfolded: Beginning at 4th level, an Acrobat
be used to make a standing jump at a distance can make attacks without penalty while blinded
or height of five feet, plus their level or a running and suffers no penalty to their Armor Class while
jump twice that distance. When using a ten-foot blinded.
pole to assist in these jumps they add an addi-
Knife-Catcher: Any time the Acrobat is attacked
tional ten feet to distance. This ability also allows
with a thrown ranged weapon, such as a dagger
them to walk along narrow ledges or tightropes
or hand axe, they can automatically catch the
when used successfully, as well as scale sheer sur-
item before it strikes them. They can use this abil-
faces without the aid of tools. Finally, a successful
ity a number of times per combat round equal to
Acrobatics roll allows them to reduce damage
their Acrobatics ability.
from a fall of up to 50 feet to a mere 1d6 points
of damage.
OPTIONAL RULE: THROW IT BACK
OPTIONAL RULE: AGILE ACROBAT When an Acrobat successfully catches a thrown
weapon using their Knife-Catcher ability, the
At the Referee’s discretion, an Acrobat may ap-
Referee may permit them to immediately throw
ply their Dexterity modifier to their Acrobatics.
that weapon at a single target within range, but
Thus a 3rd level Acrobat with a Dexterity of 15
this ranged attack is made at a -2 penalty.
would have an Acrobatics of 3 since their Dex-
terity modifier is +1. It is possible for a particu-
larly clumsy Acrobat (i.e., one with a low Dex- Quick Reflexes: Acrobats may add their Acrobat-
terity) to have an Acrobatics of 0 at low levels. ics ability to their Armor Class as bonus modifier
any time they are not surprised. Thus, an Acrobat
with an Acrobatics of 2 would add a +2 bonus to
their Armor Class.
OPTIONAL RULE: THIEF-ACROBAT
Saving Throw Bonus: Acrobats receive a +2 bo-
With the Referee’s permission, Acrobats may
nus to any saving throw made to reduce or avoid
also be skilled Thieves and may use their Acro-
the effects of any trap, magical or mundane.
batics skill to accomplish any number of clan-
destine or stealth-based actions. From picking Experience Point Bonus: Acrobats that have a
pockets or locks, discovering and disarming Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on
traps, remaining silent and hidden – these tal- all Experience Points earned.
ents are reflected in the ability of Acrobatics.
The Referee has the final say as to whether an
action falls under the purview of the Acrobatics
ability. Acrobats are not often aware of when

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 47

 Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Assassins
are experts in the art of death and thus may use
all weapons. Because their profession requires
stealth and subtlety, Assassins can only wear
leather armor. They can, however, use shields.
Ambush: Assassins receive a +2 bonus on all at-
tack rolls made against targets who are unaware
of their presence.
Assassinate: If the Assassin can make a melee at-
tack against a target that is unaware of their pres-
ence and that target’s hit dice are lower than the
Assassin’s level, the Assassin may declare they are
attempting to assassinate that individual. If the
ASSASSIN melee attack is successful, the target must make
a saving throw or immediately drop dead. This
Assassins are hired killers, plain and simple. Us-
ability can only be used on living creatures and
ing stealth, skill, and subterfuge they employ vio-
is ineffective against constructs, undead, and ex-
lence to end the life of another being in return for
tra-planar beings, for example. In addition, a tar-
payment. Though not as skilled in direct combat
get’s innate immunities must also be considered.
as more martial classes like the Fighter, they are
So, for example, an Assassin must use a silver
experts in poison and capable of dealing blows
weapon to assassinate a werewolf.
which can slay their target instantly if the able to
remain unnoticed.
OPTIONAL RULE: THE LONG REACH OF
TABLE 3-7: ASSASSIN ADVANCEMENT DEATH

Level XP HD AB ST Stealth With Referee permission, an Assassin may use

their Assassinate ability with a ranged weapon,
1 0 1d6 +0 14 2
provided they are no more than ten feet per
2 1500 1d6+1 +0 13 2 level from their target. Thus a 2nd-level Assas-
3 3000 2d6+1 +1 12 2 sin must be within 20 feet of their target to use
4 6000 2d6+2 +2 11 3 their Assassinate ability if this optional rule is
used.
5 12000 3d6+2 +3 10 3
6 24000 3d6+3 +3 9 3
7 48000 4d6+3 +4 8 4 Poisoneer: Assassins possess a keen knowledge
of poisons, particularly in their identification and
8 96000 4d6+4 +5 7 4
application. If an Assassin spends one minute
9 192000 5d6+4 +6 6 4
studying a substance (such as a liquid, powder,
10 384000 5d6+5 +6 5 5 or cream) they can identify whether it is a poison.
In addition, Assassins can identify the presence
ASSASSIN CLASS ABILITIES of poison in things such as food, drink, or even
Alignment Restrictions: By their very nature, As- traps, with a 1 to 4 on 1d6 chance of success. This
sassins care nothing for the laws of society. As- chance of success is modified by an Assassin’s
sassins must be Neutral or Chaotic in alignment. Intelligence modifier. Finally, an Assassin never
risks accidentally poisoning themselves when ap-
plying poison to a weapon.
48 | White Box Cyclopedia
 OPTIONAL RULE: POISONCRAFT OPTIONAL ABILITY: DELICATE
Referees may allow Assassins of 4th level and
COORDINATION
higher to craft poison which can be applied to At the Referee’s discretion, an Assassin may
bladed weapons such as arrowheads, daggers, apply their Dexterity modifier to their Stealth.
and swords. It takes 100 gold pieces in materials Thus a 3rd level Assassin with a Dexterity of 15
and eight hours of uninterrupted work to create would have a Stealth of 3 since their Dexteri-
one dose of poison. This poison remains effec- ty modifier is +1. It is possible for a particularly
tive for a number of days equal to the Assassin’s clumsy Assassin (i.e., one with a low Dexterity)
level until it is applied to a weapon’s surface. to have a Stealth of 1 at low levels.
Once applied, if not used within one full com-
bat round, the poison is wasted. Any creature
Saving Throw Bonus: Assassins receive a +2 bo-
that can be injured by poison that is injured by
nus to any saving throw made to resist the effects
such a weapon must make a saving throw or die
of poison.
within 1d6 rounds of suffering this injury. Alter-
natively, the Assassin can dilute the poison in a Experience Point Bonus: Assassins that have a
small amount of food or water - no more than a Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on
single meal of food or gallon of water. all Experience Points earned.

Stealth: Assassins must remain unseen and unno-

ticed if the wish to accomplish their dark deeds.
Their ability to remain unseen and unheard is re-
flected in the Stealth ability. Stealth can be used
to remain all but invisible if there is some min-
imal means of concealment like hiding in shad-
ows, slingering behind curtains, or even fading
into a crowd. It also allows an Assassin to remain
perfectly silent, even when moving — though
it is simply impossible to run and remain silent.
Note that this is not a magical effect. The Assas-
sin simply has a truly exceptional ability to remain
unheard and unseen that seems near-magical in
nature. Finally, the Assassin can use their Stealth
ability to perform acts of sleight of hand, such as
slipping poison into a goblet or picking a victim’s BARBARIAN
pocket. When the Assassin attempts to use this Barbarians are savage warriors who have not
ability the Referee rolls 1d6. If the result of the been softened by the civilized world. They are
roll is equal to or lower than their rating in the fearsome combatants with a particular distrust
Stealth ability, then the Assassin is successful in of magic and those who wield it. They know no
their attempt. Assassins are not often aware of fear in battle, cleaving enemies in two with their
when their attempts to remain unseen and un- swords and axes, leaving woe and carnage in
heard fail, and the Assassin always believes they their wake.
are successful.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 49

 TABLE 3-8: BARBARIAN ADVANCEMENT these things this chance increases to 1-4 on 1d6.
This chance of success is modified by a Barbar-
Level XP HD AB ST
ian’s Intelligence modifier.
1 0 1d6+1 +1 15
Savage Blows: Barbarians receive +2 to all dam-
2 2500 2d6+2 +1 14
age rolls made in melee combat.
3 5000 3d6+3 +2 13
4 10000 4d6+4 +3 12 OPTIONAL RULE: SET SIMPLE TRAPS
5 20000 5d6+5 +3 11
When in a wilderness environment a Barbarian
6 40000 6d6+6 +4 10 can spend 1d6 hours scavenging for resources
7 80000 7d6+7 +5 9 and then using them to set a simple snare or

8 160000 8d6+8 +6 8 pit trap. Snare traps can entrap a foe no larger
than a horse for 2d6 hours when set off, unless
9 320000 9d6+9 +6 7
the victim makes a successful saving throw. Pit
10 640000 10d6+10 +7 6 traps are ten feet deep and inflict 1d6 points of
damage if unspiked, or 2d6 damage if the Bar-
barian layers the bottom of the pit with spikes.
BARBARIAN CLASS ABILITIES
This damage is reduced by one-half if the victim
Alignment Restrictions: Barbarians are un- makes a successful saving throw. The ability can
tamed, unpredictable, and have little concern only be used outdoors and in wilderness envi-
with the structures of the civilized world. They ronments.
must be Neutral or Chaotic in alignment.
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Barbarians
Swift Runner: Barbarians increase their Move-
can use any melee weapon they choose, often
ment by 3, regardless of their heritage or the
favoring large two-handed weapons. They view
amount of weight they are carrying.
most ranged weapons as tools of cowards and
will only use daggers, hand axes, warhammers Wilderness Survival: Barbarians are adept at
and other ranged weapons which can be thrown surviving in the wild places of the world and are
before charging into battle. always able to find food and water to sustain
themselves when in the wilderness. If they spend
1d6 hours each day actively scavenging they can
OPTIONAL RULE: OPENING VOLLEY
At the Referee’s discretion, Barbarians may be
further restricted in their use of ranged weap-
ons, being only allowed to use a thrown weapon
once per combat and only before making their
first melee attack during a combat encounter.

Sharpened Senses: Barbarians have exceptional

eyesight and can spot pits or snares (often used
to catch animals in the wild), and secret or con-
cealed doors with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success
simply when they pass within ten feet of them.
If the Barbarian is actively searching for any of

50 | White Box Cyclopedia

recover enough additional food, water, and shel-
ter to keep a number of additional people alive
equal to their level. Thus a 3rd level Barbarian
could spend 1d6 hours scavenging to provide
such resources to three people in addition to
themselves.
Saving Throw Bonus: Barbarians receive a +2
bonus to all saving throws made to resist spells
and magical effects.

OPTIONAL RULE: DEFILER OF MAGIC

Barbarians have a natural distrust or even ha-
tred of magic items. At the Referee’s discretion,
whenever a Barbarian encounters a magic item
while adventuring, they have a natural urge to
destroy it and must make a saving throw to
resist this urge. Fortunately, if the Barbarian is BARD
using this optional rule any weapon they wield
Traveling minstrels and wandering storytellers,
is magical for purposes of striking creatures im-
Bards learn a great many things on their journeys.
mune to non-magical weapons. They must still
They live on the road, moving from town to town
use silver weapons to injure lycanthropes.
where they sing for both their supper and the
delight of peasants and kings alike. They easily
Experience Point Bonus: Barbarians that have a accept the call for adventure and will often gladly
Constitution of 15 or higher receives a +5% bo- join a party of adventurers in hopes of witnessing
nus on all Experience Points earned. tales of glory firsthand.

TABLE 3-9: BARD ADVANCEMENT

Spells
Level XP HD AB ST Lore 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level
1 0 1d6 +0 15 1 - - -
2 1250 1d6+1 +0 14 1 1 - -
3 2500 2d6+1 +0 13 2 2 - -
4 5000 2d6+2 +1 12 2 2 1 -
5 10000 3d6+2 +1 11 3 2 2 -
6 20000 3d6+3 +2 10 3 2 2 1
7 40000 4d6+3 +2 9 4 2 2 2
8 80000 4d6+4 +3 8 4 3 2 2
9 160000 5d6+4 +4 7 5 3 3 2
10 320000 5d6+5 +5 6 5 3 3 3

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 51

 BARD CLASS ABILITIES Lore: Whenever a Bard encounters a magical
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Bards have item, they may examine it to discern its history.
a diverse selection of weapons available to The Referee rolls 1d6 and if the roll is equal to or
them but are not overly martial by nature. they below the Bard’s rating in their Lore ability, the
may wield any one-handed melee weapon, any Bard can recall some information regarding the
ranged weapon, and the quarterstaff. They can item’s history or use. This may or may not reveal
wear both leather armor and chain mail, as well specific magical properties of that item, at the
as use shields. Referee’s discretion. This chance of success is
modified by a Bard’s Intelligence modifier.
Inspiring Performer: A Bard can inspire their al-
lies in battle instead of casting a spell or attack-
ing during a combat round by performing a rous- OPTIONAL RULE: EXPANDED LORE
ing song, reciting epic poetry, or simply providing OPTIONS
words of encouragement to their allies. The Bard
Described below are a few options the Refer-
must be able to speak, and in most cases makes
ee may wish to implement to expand the Bard’s
use of a musical instrument to use this ability.
Lore ability.
While using this ability, all the Bard’s allies that
are able to hear them receive a +1 bonus to all at- Decipher Languages: At the Referee’s discre-
tack rolls and saving throws. This bonus remains tion, the Bard may use their Lore ability to trans-
in effect for as long as the Bard is performing. If late and decipher written text, including magi-
the Bard suffers damage or is incapacitated, this cal text and ciphered text.
ends the effect immediately. Research: If a Bard is using their Lore ability in
an area where they can access proper research
material, such as a library with extensive books
OPTIONAL RULE: VERSATILE PERFORMER
of history or material related to the subject mat-
Described below are a few options the Referee
ter then the Bard may receive a +1 bonus to the
may wish to implement to expand the Bard’s In-
rating of their Lore ability.
spiring Performer ability.
Shrouded by Myth and Legend: At the Ref-
Counter-Charm: The Inspiring Performer ability
eree’s discretion, they may roll the Bard’s Lore
counters the effects of any charm spells cast or
abilities that mimic spells similar Charm Person ability in secret, providing them false informa-
or Charm Monster while the Bard is actively us- tion they believe to be true on a failed use of
ing this ability. the ability.

Improve Morale: Bards may use their Inspir- Touch Not the Cursed Thing: If a Bard success-
ing Performer ability to also add to the Loyalty fully uses their Lore ability while investigating a
rating of any followers currently in their service cursed item, they can identify it as cursed with-
while using this ability. out suffering the effects of that curse.
Naturally Inspiring: Bards may add their Cha-
risma modifier to the bonus provided by the
normal use of Inspiring Performer. This means a Spellcasting: Bards of 2nd level or higher can cast
Bard with a Charisma of 15 or higher would pro- spells in a fashion identical to that of a Magic-Us-
vide a bonus of +2 to all attack rolls and saving er as detailed on page 44. Bards, however, do not
throws while using this ability since the ability begin play with a spellbook and must purchase a
itself provides a +1 bonus and the Bard’s Cha- spellbook and find spell scrolls to inscribe in this
risma modifier is +1. book to cast spells. Reading from this book, the
Bard mystically imprints the ability to activate a

52 | White Box Cyclopedia

specific spell’s effect in their mind. This is known OPTIONAL RULE: SPELLSINGER
as preparing a spell. A Bard can only prepare At the Referee’s discretion any time a Bard casts
spells they have written in their spellbook. Once Charm Person, Charm Monster, or Confusion
prepared, the spell may be cast at any time as (whether they prepared and cast the spells as
an action. This previously prepared spell vanishes part of their spellcasting ability or through the
from the Bard’s mind and the spell takes effect. use of a magic item or scroll) the target of those
The Bard will need to prepare that now expended spells suffers a -2 penalty on any saving throws
spell again if they wish to cast it again. However, made to resist these effects.
it is possible to prepare the same spell multiple
times using the available slots in the Bard’s mem-
Experience Point Bonus: Bards that have a Cha-
ory, as noted on Table 3-11: Bard Advancement.
risma of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on all
A Bard must spend 15 minutes each day prepar-
Experience Points earned.
ing their spells regardless of the Bard’s level.

OPTIONAL RULE: BARDIC SCRIBE SCROLLS CAVALIER

With Referee permission, a Bard may copy any
spell in their spellbook onto a scroll, thus cre-
ating a spell scroll of that specific spell for later
use. It must be a spell the Bard can prepare.
This requires one hour per level of the spell
prepared and costs 100 gold pieces per level
of the spell prepared. It must be done in a safe
environment and cannot be done while active-
ly adventuring. Once these requirements have
been met then the Bard must make a success-
ful Lore check (see above) to successfully scribe
the spell scroll. If the Lore check fails, the ex-
pended gold is lost and the attempt to scribe
scrolls fails.

Sleight of Hand: Bards are skilled at sleight of

hand and prestidigitation, which they often make
use of during performances. However, these
Cavaliers are knights in shining armor. Astride
talents can also be utilized to pick pockets and
great chargers with their banners caught high in
palm objects. Whenever a Bard attempts an act
the morning breeze, they are the incarnation of
of sleight of hand, they have a 1-2 on 1d6 chance
chivalry in the world. They are experts in mount-
of success. This chance of success is modified by
ed and personal combat, usually serving a liege
a Bard’s Dexterity modifier.
lord and seeking to bring justice and valor to the
Saving Throw Bonus: Bards receive a +2 bonus world.
on all saving throws made to resist spells and
magical effects, including those from magical
items.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 53

 TABLE 3-10: CAVALIER ADVANCEMENT They can also expect that their horse will be at-
tended and that basic accommodations will be
Level XP HD AB ST
provided to those in the Cavalier’s retinue.
1 0 1d6+1 +1 15
2 2500 2d6+1 +1 14
OPTIONAL RULE: RALLYING CRY
3 5000 3d6+1 +2 13
If the Referee allows, then a Cavalier may make
4 10000 4d6+1 +3 12
a great rallying cry instead of attacking during a
5 20000 5d6+1 +3 11
combat round. Any allies able to hear the Cav-
6 40000 6d6+1 +4 10 alier’s voice and understand the words spoken
7 80000 7d6+1 +5 9 receive a +1 bonus on all attack rolls and saving
8 160000 8d6+1 +5 8 throws made to resist fear-based effects and
spells for a number of rounds equal to the Cav-
9 320000 9d6+1 +6 7
alier’s level.
10 640000 10d6+1 +7 6

CAVALIER CLASS ABILITIES Retinue: Beginning at 4th level, the Cavalier at-
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Cavaliers are tracts the service of a 1st-level Fighter to serve as
trained in all forms of weapons and armor, in- their squire. The squire will tend to the Cavalier’s
cluding shields. They have no restriction in what steed, weapons, and armor, as well as prepare
weapons they may wield in combat, though they their meals. Upon reaching 8th level, the Cavalier
do not extensively use ranged weapons except will draw the service of a 1st-level Bard who will
when competing in archery tournaments, prefer- function as their tournament herald to announce
ring the honor found in melee combat. them at such events and generally spread their
legendary deeds to anyone who will listen.
Fealty: A Cavalier must swear fealty to a noble
lord who holds a castle and large tract of land.
The Cavalier is expected to follow the command OPTIONAL RULE: RAISE THE BANNER
of his liege lord and if they break this vow of ser-
With Referee permission, a Cavalier of 6th level
vice, they cannot make use of the Hospitality abil-
or higher can create a coat of arms they display
ity. In return for this oath of fealty the Cavalier will
on a large banner that is typically displayed
always receive a place at their lord’s court. In ad-
upon a pole bound to the Cavalier’s mount. As
dition, the Cavalier begins play with chain mail ar-
long as this banner is visible, the Cavalier and
mor, dagger, a horse (with bit, bridle, and saddle),
their allies able to see it receive a +2 bonus on
a mace, a long sword, and a shield free of charge
all saving throws against spells and mind-affect-
as a gift from their liege lord. In addition, if the
ing abilities. Any hirelings whose services are
Cavalier retains the services of any hirelings from
retained by the Cavalier or the Cavalier’s allies
lands under the stewardship of their liege lord,
who can see the banner also increase their Loy-
those hirelings increase their Loyalty rating by +2.
alty rating by +2.
Hospitality: When a Cavalier travels to the realm
of another lord and announces themselves it is
Tournament Champion: Cavaliers are experts
expected that they will be granted hospitality.
in all forms of tournament combat. They receive
This includes a place to rest in the local lord’s hall
a +1 bonus on all attack rolls when wielding a
or castle, as well as attending meals and feasts.

54 | White Box Cyclopedia

mace, long sword, or lance. When fighting with a DRUID
lance from horseback, they receive +2 to damage
While Clerics serve gods and draw power from
rolls.
their faith, Druids serve the very essence of na-
Saving Throw Bonus: Cavaliers receive a +2 bo- ture itself. They are as much of the earth as they
nus to all saving throws made to resist fear. are upon it. By communing with the natural world,
Experience Point Bonus: Cavaliers that have a they are able to draw power from its agelessness
Charisma of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus and weave powerful magic. This, combined with
on all Experience Points earned. their knowledge of the wilderness, gives them a
unique skill set.

TABLE 3-11: DRUID ADVANCEMENT

Spells
Level XP HD AB ST Forestry 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level 4th-Level 5th-Level

1 0 1d6 +0 15 2 - - - - -
2 1500 2d6 +0 14 2 1 - - - -
3 3000 3d6 +0 13 2 2 - - - -
4 6000 3d6+1 +1 12 3 2 1 - - -
5 12000 4d6+1 +1 11 3 2 2 1 - -
6 24000 5d6+1 +2 10 3 2 2 1 1 -
7 48000 6d6+1 +2 9 4 2 2 2 1 1
8 96000 6d6+2 +3 8 4 2 2 2 2 2
9 192000 7d6+2 +4 7 4 3 3 3 2 2
10 384000 8d6+2 +5 6 5 3 3 3 3 3

DRUID CLASS ABILITIES itate in a natural location (such as a forest grove

Alignment Restrictions: All Druids strive for bal- or natural cave) for 15 uninterrupted minutes for a
ance with the natural world that they both serve certain set of spells. The player then chooses any
and from which they draw their power. They must spells from the Cleric Spell List available to them
be Neutral in alignment. based on the limits of their level as noted on Ta-
ble 3-11: Druid Advancement. A Druid cannot
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Druids are not
pray to gain spells in this fashion more than once
combative by nature and limit themselves to sim-
per day. Druids typically pray at sunrise or sunset.
ple weapons made primarily of natural substanc-
es. They may only wield the following weapons:
club, dagger, hand axe, sling, spear, and staff. OPTIONAL RULE: DRUID SPELL LIST
They may wear leather armor only but may use
With Referee permission, Druids may cast spells
shields that are made solely of wood.
from the Druid Spell List on page 143 instead of
Spellcasting: Druids cast divine spells from the the standard Cleric Spell List.
Cleric Spell List. Each day, the Druid must med-

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 55

 Saving Throw Bonus: Druids receive a +2 bonus
OPTIONAL RULE: WISDOM MODIFIER FOR to all saving throws made to resist damage from
SPELLCASTING cold, fire and poisons.
With Referee permission, Druids may add their
Wisdom modifier to the number of 1st level OPTIONAL RULE: FEY-MINDED
Cleric (or Druid) spells each time they pray for Because of their strong ties to nature, and by
spells. This means that a Druid with a +1 Wis- extension the fey that dwell there, Druids are
dom modifier could pray for one 1st level at immune to any mind-affecting spells or magical
1st-level, while a Druid with a -1 Wisdom modi- abilities employed by such creatures. In addi-
fier would be unable to cast 1st-level spells until tion, Druids receive a +2 bonus to all reaction
they reached 3rd level. checks the first time they encounter a fey or
fairy creature.
Forestry: Druids are most at home in the wilder-
ness, among the flora and fauna of the world. Experience Point Bonus: Druids that have a
Their Forestry ability may be used to track both Constitution of 15 or higher receives a +5% bo-
humanoids and animals in natural environments. nus on all Experience Points earned.
When in these natural environments, Forestry
may also be used to remain both unseen and si-
OPTIONAL RULE: TONGUES OF THE
lent. Finally, when a Druid encounters a natural
NATURAL WORLD
wild beast, they may utilize this ability in an at-
tempt to sooth and calm such an animal. To use With the Referee’s permission, all Druids auto-
the ability, the Referee rolls 1d6. If the number matically speak a shared language known sim-
rolled is equal to or below the Druid’s Forestry ply as Druidic. It is never taught to outsiders
ability, they have succeeded. This chance of suc- and is used by Druids to communicate privately
cess is modified by a Druid’s Wisdom modifier. on matters that concern only them. Druids are
also able to speak sylvan, the language of the
fey and fairies.
OPTIONAL RULE: ANIMAL COMPANION
A Druid can retain the service of a single ani-
mal companion whose hit dice are equal to or
less than the Druid’s level. The Druid has an
empathic relationship with this animal and can
sense its emotional state. The animal will fol-
low the Druid’s verbal commands to the best
of its ability based on its intellect. Drawing the
services of such an animal requires the Druid
to meditate for 1d6 hours in a wilderness en-
vironment where the desired animal is native
before the animal emerges to join the Druid. If
the animal is slain the Druid cannot draw a new
animal into its service until they gain a level of
experience. These animals are always natural
beasts like bears, birds, or wolves and cannot
be magical creatures.

56 | White Box Cyclopedia

ERRANT FOOL Etiquette: The Errant Fool’s obsessive study of
chivalry and courtly tales has garnered them ex-
The Errant Fool is a learned scholar of courtly
tensive knowledge of all things related to nobil-
romance and chivalric tales that has become so
ity and etiquette, much to the surprise of their
ardently enthusiastic about the subject matter as
companions. Errant Fools can use the Etiquette
to be driven slightly mad. Believing themselves
ability to successfully navigate the nuances and
to actually be such a knight in shining armor they
complexities of courtly social life, recall the no-
have taken what meager possessions they own,
ble bloodlines throughout history, and even suc-
claimed a grandiose name and title, and set forth
cessfully navigate the knightly tournaments, royal
to right the injustices of the world — even if such
balls, and audiences with nobles. To use the abil-
things only exist in their own addled psyche.
ity, the Referee rolls 1d6. If the number rolled is
TABLE 3-12: ERRANT FOOL ADVANCEMENT equal to or below the Errant Fool’s Etiquette abil-
ity, he has succeeded. Failure results in the Errant
Level XP HD AB ST Etiquette Fool committing some social faux pas.
1 0 1d6 +0 12 1
2 1250 1d6+1 +1 11 1
OPTIONAL RULE: CONFUSING MYTH AND
3 2500 2d6+1 +1 10 1 HISTORY
4 5000 2d6+2 +2 9 2 If an Errant Fool fails an Etiquette roll when at-
5 10000 3d6+2 +2 8 2 tempting to recall history and lore tied to noble
6 20000 3d6+3 +3 7 2 and knightly deeds, the Referee has the option

7 40000 4d6+3 +3 6 3 to inform the Errant Fool of some great and

outlandish tale that the Errant Fool believes to
8 80000 4d6+4 +4 5 3
be absolutely and completely true.
9 160000 5d6+4 +4 4 3
10 320000 5d6+5 +5 3 4

ERRANT FOOL CLASS ABILITIES

Alignment Restrictions: Whether they are ob-
sessively dedicated to the edicts of chivalry or
have woven a phantasm in their own minds as to
the nature of reality, Errant Fools are enthusiastic
one and all. They must be either Lawful or Chaot-
ic in alignment.
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Errant Fools
have no restrictions regarding what weapons they
may wield in combat. However, they only gain
protection from wearing leather or chain mail ar-
mor. Unfortunately, many Errant Fools insist on
wearing plate mail, which they are not trained to
wear properly. As such, an Errant Fool can wear
plate mail, but it only provides protection as if
they were wearing chain mail armor. Errant Fools
can use shields.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 57

 Foolhardy Inspiration: Whenever an Errant Fool
is engaged in melee combat against an opponent OPTIONAL RULE: KNIGHTLY RAIMENT
whose hit dice exceed the Errant Fool’s level, all If the Referee allows it, an Errant Fool begins
of the Errant Fool’s allies within 60 feet receive a play with a spear, chain mail armor, a short
+1 bonus to all saving throws. sword, a shield, and a mule. If these items are
accepted, the Errant Fool begins play with a
OPTIONAL RULE: CHEAT DEATH meager 1d6 gold pieces.

With permission from the Referee, once per

session of play when an Errant Fool would be Experience Point Bonus: Errant Fools that have
reduced to zero hit points, they are instead re- a Charisma of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus
duced to a single hit point. on all Experience Points earned.

Idiot’s Luck: Once per day the Errant Fool can FRIAR
re-roll any failed attack roll, saving throw or Eti-
Friars are wandering holy men and women of
quette ability attempt.
peace who travel from town to town minister-
Simple Squire: Upon reaching 4th level the Er- ing to the downtrodden and offering aid to the
rant Fool will attract the service of a peasant or poor. Their humble piety and devotion to a deity
simple farmer who will serve as their “squire,” but of peace and compassion grants them remark-
their service will likely be subpar, and this new ally able strength of spirit that is often anathema to
will be little more than a roustabout or laborer. servants of evil, undead monsters, and demonic
entities. They forego the use of arms and armor,
dressing in simple brown robes and are rarely
armed with more than a walking stick.

TABLE 3-13: FRIAR ADVANCEMENT

Spells
Level XP HD AB ST 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level 4th-Level 5th-Level
1 0 1d6 +0 14 1 - - - -
2 1500 1d6+1 +0 13 2 - - - -
3 3000 2d6+1 +0 12 2 1 - - -
4 6000 2d6+2 +1 11 2 2 1 - -
5 12000 3d6+2 +1 10 2 2 1 1 -
6 24000 3d6+3 +2 9 2 2 2 1 1
7 48000 4d6+3 +2 8 2 2 2 2 2
8 96000 4d6+4 +3 7 3 3 3 2 2
9 192000 5d6+4 +4 6 3 3 3 3 3
10 384000 5d6+5 +5 5 4 4 4 4 4

58 | White Box Cyclopedia

 OPTIONAL RULE: WISDOM MODIFIER FOR
SPELLCASTING
With Referee permission, Friars may add their
Wisdom modifier to the number of 1st level
Cleric spells each time they pray for spells. This
means that a Friars with a +1 Wisdom modifier
could pray for a total of two 1st level at 1st-lev-
el, while a Friar with a -1 Wisdom modifier
would be unable to cast 1st-level spells until
they reached 2nd level.

Saving Throw Bonus: Friars receive a +2 bonus

on saving throws to resist the mind-influence and
fear-based magical effects.
Be At Peace: Friars seek to alleviate the suffering
of both the living and the dead. As an action a Fri-
ar may strongly present their holy symbol to one
or more undead creatures within 120 feet. If those
undead creatures fail a saving throw, they are in-
stantly destroyed, crumbling to a pile of ash. The
FRIAR CLASS ABILITIES total Hit Dice of undead creatures affected by this
Alignment Restrictions: Because of their dedi- ability cannot exceed the Friar’s level. Thus a 1st
cation to aiding the downtrodden and fostering level Friar can affect one undead creature of 1 HD
peace among the often-forgotten communities or less. A 3rd level Friar could use this ability to
of the realm, Friars must be of Lawful alignment. affect one 3 HD undead creature, or one 2 HD un-
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Friars value dead creature and one 1 HD undead creature, or
peace and avoid violence whenever possible. As three 1 HD undead creatures. Undead creatures
such they can only use clubs, daggers, quarter- with less than 1 HD are considered to have one
staves, and slings in combat. They cannot wear hit die for purposes of this ability and any undead
armor and do not make use of shields. creature with additional hit points listed after its
Spell Casting: Friars cast divine spells from the HD is considered to be one hit die higher. Thus,
Cleric Spell List. Each day, the Friars must pray an undead creature with a hit die listing of 3+1
for 15 uninterrupted minutes for a certain set of would be considered a 4 HD creature for purpos-
spells. The player then chooses any spells from es of this ability. Friars can use this ability three
the Cleric Spell List available to them based on times per day.
the limits of their level as noted on Table 3-13: Healing Touch: Once per day a Friar can touch
Friar Advancement. Friars of specific gods might another living being and heal them for a number
have entirely different sets of spells as designed of hit points equal to the Friar’s level. The Friar
by the Referee, but the standard Friar uses the can use this ability on themselves. Instead of re-
Cleric Spell List found on page141. Most Friars storing hit points with this touch, a Friar can opt
pray at dawn. to cure someone who is afflicted with poison or a
mundane, non-magical disease.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 59

 OPTIONAL RULE: POVERTY AND TITHING
At the Referee’s discretion, a Friar is required
to donate 90% of the wealth they recover while
adventuring to a charity or church of Lawful
alignment. In addition, the Friar is typically re-
stricted in the number of magical items they
are permitted to carry. This normally includes
no more than three magical weapons and ten
other miscellaneous magical items, though the
exact details of this restriction are defined by
the Referee.

Sanctuary: Friars will always receive food and

lodging at any Lawful church, temple, or other
holy site they encounter. The administrating cler-
JESTER
gy will welcome them with open arms in return for
assistance with basic tasks. Call them fools, call them pranksters, call them
buffoons – the Jester is most often found in the
Experience Point Bonus: Friars that have a Wis-
courts of kings to serve as entertainment. But
dom of 15 or higher receive a +5% bonus on all
their unique skill set can be put to unexpected
Experience Points earned. This in addition to the
use and more than one Jester has found them-
bonus received by all classes that have a high
selves in an adventuring party after making a par-
Wisdom if that optional rule is used (see page
ticularly sharp jape at a noble who will suffer no
18).
fools in their presence.

TABLE 3-14: JESTER ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST Foolery 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level

Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6 +0 15 1 - - -
2 1500 1d6+1 +1 14 1 1 - -
3 3000 2d6+1 +1 13 2 2 - -
4 6000 2d6+2 +2 12 2 2 1 -
5 12000 3d6+2 +2 11 3 2 2 -
6 24000 3d6+3 +3 10 3 2 2 1
7 48000 4d6+3 +3 9 4 2 2 2
8 96000 4d6+4 +4 8 4 3 2 2
9 192000 5d6+4 +4 7 5 3 3 2
10 384000 5d6+5 +5 6 5 3 3 3

60 | White Box Cyclopedia

JESTER CLASS ABILITIES Spellcasting: Jesters of 2nd level or higher can
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Jesters have cast spells in a fashion identical to that of a Mag-
little formal training in the arts of warfare and pre- ic-User as detailed on pages 141-142. Jesters,
fer to avoid combat whenever possible. They only however, do not begin play with a spellbook and
know the use of clubs, daggers, light crossbows, must purchase a spellbook and find spell scrolls
slings, and short swords when forced into bat- to inscribe in this book in order to cast spells.
tle. They prefer to remain mobile and may only Reading from this book, the Jester mystically im-
wear leather armor but are permitted the use of prints the ability to activate a specific spell’s effect
shields. in their mind. This is known as preparing a spell.
A Jester can only prepare spells they have writ-
Foolery: Jesters are trained physical performers.
ten in their spellbook. Once prepared, the spell
They may use their Foolery ability to perform
may be cast at any time as an action. This pre-
acts of sleight of hand (such as palming a small
viously prepared spell vanishes from the Jester’s
object and picking pockets), climbing sheer sur-
mind and the spell takes effect. The Jester will
faces without tools, tumbling, squeeze or tum-
need to prepare that now expended spell again if
ble through tight places and awkward terrain,
they wish to cast it again. However, it is possible
and even catching or juggling objects which are
to prepare the same spell multiple times using
thrown at them (like daggers or hand axes). When
the available slots in the Jester’s memory, as not-
using Foolery to catch weapons which have been
ed on Table 3-14: Jester Advancement. A Jester
thrown at them, they may catch a number of ob-
must spend 15 minutes each day preparing their
jects in a single combat round equal to their Fool-
spells regardless of the Jester’s level.
ery rating. To use this ability, the Jester rolls 1d6
and if the result is equal to or lower than their
Foolery rating, they are successful. This chance of
success is modified by a Jester’s Dexterity mod- OPTIONAL RULE: I FOREGOT I KNEW THAT
ifier. If the Referee permits it, then once per day a
Jester of 2nd level or higher may recall a spell
OPTIONAL RULE: UNDERESTIMATED they have accidentally forgotten they know. Ef-
fectively, they may cast one spell scribed in their
With the Referee’s permission, a Jester can use
spellbook that they did not prepare without ex-
their Foolery during any combat where they
pending a prepared spell, though this must be
have not already successfully made an attack or
a spell they could otherwise cast based on the
inflicted damage on an enemy to appear inept
limits of their level.
and unthreatening. If their Foolery ability is suc-
cessfully used in this fashion, then opponents
capable of being influenced by mind-affecting Taunt: A Jester can taunt their opponents. When
abilities will not attack the Jester until the Jest- a Jester uses this ability, all enemies within 60’
er reveals themselves to be an obvious threat. of the Jester who can understand what they are
saying become so infuriated that they suffer a
-2 penalty on all attack rolls for the remainder
Lucky: Jesters have uncanny luck. They are only
of combat unless they make a successful saving
surprised on a 1 on 1d6 when rolling for surprise
throw. If the Jester is slain during that combat,
at the beginning of combat and receive a +2 bo-
this effect ends.
nus to their Armor Class at all times — even when
unaware of the attack.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 61

 Experience Point Bonus: Jesters that have a
OPTIONAL RULE: OBSCENE GESTURE Charisma of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus
If the Referee permits it, then the Jester may on all Experience Points earned.
use their Taunt ability against enemies that do
not share a language with the Jester. Instead, METAPHYSICIAN
the Jester makes a few universally recognized
A Metaphysician is an explorer of the supernatu-
hand and body gestures that are known to be
ral sciences. They study legends, folklore, theol-
highly offensive. Enemies that are Taunted in
ogy, and thaumaturgy in hopes of gaining deep
this fashion receive a +2 bonus to their saving
insight into the nature of evil so that they might
throw to resist the Taunt effect.
combat it and bring that which is dark and sinister
to its end. Metaphysicians are looked down upon
Saving Throw Bonus: Jesters receive a +2 bonus as crackpots and madmen by most, for they study
on all saving throws made to resist mind-affect- both the divine and the blasphemous, the nec-
ing spells like Charm Person or Confusion and to romantic and the arcane – all with equal fervor.
avoid any traps they encounter. Knowledge is their greatest weapon.

TABLE 3-15: METAPHYSICIAN ADVANCEMENT

Spells
Level XP HD AB ST Metaphysics 1st Lvl 2nd Lvl 3rd Lvl 4th Lvl 5th Lvl
1 0 1d6 +0 15 2 - - - - -
2 2500 1d6+1 +0 14 2 1 - - - -
3 5000 2d6+1 +0 13 2 2 - - - -
4 10000 2d6+2 +0 12 3 3 1 - - -
5 20000 3d6+2 +1 11 3 4 2 - - -
6 40000 3d6+3 +1 10 3 4 2 1 - -
7 80000 4d6+3 +2 9 4 4 2 2 - -
8 160000 4d6+4 +2 8 4 4 3 2 1 -
9 320000 5d6+4 +3 7 4 4 3 3 2 -
10 640000 5d6+5 +3 6 5 4 3 3 2 1

METAPHYSICIAN CLASS ABILITIES combat. They do not wear armor and cannot use
Alignment Restrictions: Because of the disci- shields.
plined nature of their studies and the extreme Metaphysics: Metaphysicians have studied folk-
discipline required to hone their abilities, Meta- lore, forgotten history and all manner of dark
physicians must be Lawful or Neutral in align- texts and from these words they have gleaned
ment. keen insights. This ability, known as Metaphysics,
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Metaphysi- may be used to achieve several different effects.
cians have only minimal weapons training. They Whenever the Metaphysician wishes to use their
may wield clubs, daggers, and quarterstaves in Metaphysics ability the Referee rolls 1d6. If the

62 | White Box Cyclopedia

number rolled is equal to or under the number
indicated on the Metaphysician Advancement Tales Dark and False: At the Referee’s discre-
Table, then the attempt is successful. The Meta- tion, they may roll the Metaphysicians’s Aca-
physician is then able to recall the lore and histo- demia ability in secret, providing them false
ry surrounding creatures and objects associated information they believe to be true on a failed
with the undead, the infernal, curses, and other use of the ability.
forms of forbidden knowledge. This includes Touch Not the Cursed Thing: If a Metaphy-
identifying the history of certain magical items sician successfully uses their Academia abili-
and the characteristics of some monsters such as ty while investigating a cursed item, they can
vampires and demons. In addition, Metaphysics identify it as cursed without suffering the effects
also allows the Metaphysician to notice when an of that curse.
individual is under the influence of mind-affecting
magic or suffering from a curse. This chance of
Academic Journal: Metaphysicians can purchase
success is modified by a Metaphysician’s Intelli-
a spellbook which functions as an Academic Jour-
gence modifier.
nal as described under their Academic Spellcast-
ing ability detailed below. Though they can pur-
ACADEMIA, LORE, AND METAPHYSICS chase this book at any time, they cannot make
Though similar to the Bard’s Lore ability or a use of the Academic Journal until reaching 2nd
Tomb Robber’s Academia ability, Metaphysics level.
is more focused on the study of evil and the oc-
Academic Spellcaster: To use this ability the
cult rather than a general education of legends
Metaphysician must own an academic journal. A
and storytelling. The Referee is the final arbiter
Metaphysician’s academic journal does not nec-
of what information falls under the purview of
essarily contain all the spells listed on the Mag-
the Metaphysics ability.
ic-User Spell List and the Cleric Spell List (found
on pages 140-142). In fact, most do not. Instead,
each Metaphysician’s academic journal contains
OPTIONAL RULE: EXPANDED ACADEMIA
a collection of both Magic-User and Cleric spells
OPTIONS
they have discovered and transcribed into that
Described below are a few options the Referee book over the course of their education. Read-
may wish to implement to expand the Metaphy- ing from this book, the Metaphysician mystically
sician’s Academia ability. imprints the ability to activate a specific spell’s ef-
Decipher Languages: At the Referee’s dis- fect in their mind — regardless of whether this is
cretion, the Metaphysician may use their Aca- a Cleric spell or Magic-User spell. This is known
demia ability to translate and decipher written as preparing a spell. A Metaphysician can only
text, including magical text and ciphered text. prepare spells they have written in their academ-
ic journal. Once prepared, the spell may be cast
Research: If a Metaphysician is using their Ac-
at any time as an action. This previously prepared
ademia ability in an area where they can access
spell vanishes from the Metaphysician’s mind
proper research material, such as a library with
and the spell takes effect. The Metaphysician will
extensive books of history or material related
need to prepare that now expended spell again if
to the subject matter then the Metaphysician
they wish to cast it again. However, it is possible
may receive a +1 bonus to the rating of their
to prepare the same spell multiple times using
Academia ability.
the available slots in the Metaphysician’s mem-

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 63

 ory, as noted on Table 3-15: Metaphysician Ad- Banish Undead: Undead creatures can be made
vancement. A Metaphysician must spend 15 min- to flee or even be turned to ash by a Metaphy-
utes each day preparing their spells regardless of sician of 3rd level or higher if the Metaphysician
the Metaphysician’s level. presents the holy symbol of a Lawful or Neutral
deity forcefully towards the target or targets. This
OPTIONAL RULE: ACADEMIC SCRIBE is called Banishing Undead. Attempting to use
SCROLLS this ability is an action and when it is attempt-
ed the Metaphysician rolls 3d6 and consults Ta-
With Referee permission, a Metaphysician may
ble 3-16: Metaphysician Banishing Undead. If the
copy any spell in their academic journal onto a
result of the roll is equal to or greater than the
scroll, thus creating a spell scroll of that specific
number shown on the table, all undead creatures
spell for later use. It must be a spell the Meta-
that can see the Metaphsician’s holy symbol will
physician is capable of preparing. This requires
flee from them for 3d6 rounds. If unable to flee,
one hour per level of the spell prepared and
undead affected by this ability will cower help-
costs 100 gold pieces per level of the spell pre-
lessly where they stand. If Table 3-16: Metaphysi-
pared. It must be done in a safe environment
cian Banishing Undead lists an entry as “D” then
and cannot be done while actively adventuring.
the undead creatures automatically crumble to
Once these requirements have been met then
ash on the spot.
the Metaphyisican must make a successful Aca-
demia check (see above) to successfully scribe There is no limit to the number of times per day
the spell scroll. If the Academia check fails, the a Metaphysician may use this ability, but undead
expended gold is lost and the attempt to scribe creatures can only be affected by Banish Undead
scrolls fails. once per encounter. Any undead creature that a
Metaphysician is unable to banish when using this
ability cannot be turned, regardless of additional
attempts by the Metaphysician, for the remainder
of the encounter.

TABLE 3-16: METAPHYSICIAN BANISHING UNDEAD

Undead Hit Dice Metaphysician Level

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Up to 1 10 7 4 D D D D D
1+1 to 2 13 10 7 4 D D D D
2+1 to 3 15 13 10 7 4 D D D
3+1 to 4 17 15 13 10 7 4 D D
4+1 to 5 – 17 15 13 10 7 4 D
5+1 to 6 – – 17 15 13 10 7 4
6+1 to 7 – – – 17 15 13 10 7
7+1 to 8 – – – – 17 15 13 10
8+1 to 9 – – – – – 17 15 13
9+1 to 10 – – – – – – 17 15
10+1 to 11 – – – – – – – 17

64 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Saving Throw Bonus: Metaphysicians receive
OPTIONAL RULE: BANISH DEMONIC a +2 bonus on all saving throws made to resist
At the Referee’s discretion Metaphysicians may spells and magical effects, including those from
use the Banish Undead ability to cause demons magical items.
and devils to flee their presence. In either case, Experience Point Bonus: Metaphysicians that
demonic beings whose hit dice show a “D” have both an Intelligence and a Wisdom of 15 or
listing are not destroyed but banished back to higher receives a +5% bonus on all Experience
their home plane of existence. Points earned.

Spell Scrolls: If the Metaphysician finds scrolls

that have been inscribed with spells from either
the Cleric Spell List or Magic-User Spell List
during an adventure, they can copy them into
their spell book or cast the spell directly from the
scroll. Casting directly from the scroll expends
the scroll’s magic and makes it impossible for the

Metaphysician to scribe it into his spell book lat-

er, but casting from a scroll does not expend a
spell slot and no preparation is necessary.

OPTIONAL RULE: SCRIBE SCROLLS

With Referee permission, a Metaphysician may
copy any spell in their spellbook onto a scroll,
thus creating a spell scroll of that specific spell
for later use. It must be a spell the Metaphysi-
cian is capable of preparing. This requires one
hour per level of the spell prepared and costs
100 gold pieces per level of the spell prepared.
It must be done in a safe environment and can-
MONK
not be done while actively adventuring.
Monks are warriors dedicated to physical and
mental perfection. They forego physical trap-
pings in favor of discipline, constantly testing
both body and spirit. While most Monks spend
their lives in hidden monasteries, some choose
to wander the world in hopes of finding new chal-
lenges to test their training.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 65

 TABLE 3-17: MONK ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST Stealth Unarmed Damage AC Bonus

1 0 1d6 +0 12 2 1d6-1 +3
2 2000 2d6 +1 11 2 1d6-1 +4
3 4000 3d6 +2 10 2 1d6-1 +4
4 8000 3d6+1 +2 9 3 1d6 +5
5 16000 4d6+1 +3 8 3 1d6 +5
6 32000 5d6+1 +4 7 3 1d6 +6
7 64000 6d6+1 +4 6 4 1d6+1 +6
8 128000 6d6+2 +5 5 4 1d6+1 +7
9 256000 7d6+2 +6 4 4 1d6+1 +7
10 512000 8d6+2 +6 3 5 2d6 +8

MONK CLASS ABILITIES Armor Class Bonus: Monks do not wear armor,
Alignment Restrictions: Due to their rigorous but instead train to dodge attacks and roll with
and disciplined lifestyle, Monks must be of Lawful otherwise lethal blows. They receive a bonus to
alignment. their Armor Class based on their level, as shown
on Table 3-17: Monk Advancement. The Monk’s
unarmed attacks are considered to be the equiva-
OPTIONAL RULE: VOW OF POVERTY lent of magical weapons for the purposes of dam-
At the Referee’s discretion Monks may be limit- aging monsters who are immune to mundane at-
ed in the number of magical items and treasure tacks. They are not, however, considered to be a
they are allowed to keep. They may only keep special metal, like silver, which can be a require-
10% of non-magical treasure they discover and ment to damage monsters like lycanthropes.
may only carry two magical weapons and six
Meditation: When a Monk reaches 4th level, they
other magical items. The rest must be donated
may enter a meditative state once per day in an
to a Lawful organization and cannot simply be
effort to recover from any one of a number of in-
given to other player characters.
juries. This meditation lasts one minute and if it
is interrupted the benefits are lost and the Monk
Weapon and Armor Restriction: Monks typical- must wait until the next day to try again. When
ly forego the use of weapons, relying instead on the meditation successfully ends, the Monk can
their proficiency in unarmed combat. They will choose one of the following benefits to apply to
sometimes make use of clubs, daggers, quarter- themselves only: healing 2d6+2 points of dam-
staves, and slings, but are otherwise prohibited age, Cure Disease (as the Cleric spell on page
from using any other weapons. They do not wear 151), or Neutralize Poison (as the Cleric spell on
armor or use shields. page 162).

66 | White Box Cyclopedia

 OPTIONAL RULE: SWIFT STEP OPTIONAL ABILITY: WALK SOFTLY
If the Referee permits, then Monks increase With Referee permission, a Monk can use their
their Movement by 3, regardless of their heri- Stealth ability to walk softly at half their normal
tage or the amount of weight they are carrying. movement rate. Doing so prevents them from
setting off pressure-plates and weight-based
traps.
Stealth: Monks are skilled at remaining unseen
and unnoticed. Their ability to remain nigh-invisi-
ble and unheard is reflected in the Stealth ability. Unarmed Combat: Monks specialize in perfect-
Stealth can be used to remain all but invisible as ing their bodies, including mastery of unarmed
long as there is some minimal means of conceal- combat. When fighting without a weapon they
ment like hiding in shadows, slingering behind inflict damage based on Table 3-17: Monk Ad-
curtains, or even fading into a crowd. It also al- vancement, as shown under the Unarmed Com-
lows a Monk to remain perfectly silent, even when bat listing.
moving — though it is simply impossible to run Experience Point Bonus: Monks that have a Wis-
and remain silent. Note that this is not a magical dom of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on all
effect. The Monk simply has a truly exceptional Experience Points earned.
ability to remain unheard and unseen that seems
near-magical in nature. Finally, the Monk can use
the Stealth ability to perform acts of sleight of
hand, such as slipping poison into a goblet or
picking a victim’s pocket. When the Monk at-
tempts to use this ability the Referee rolls 1d6.
If the result of the roll is equal to or lower than
their rating in the Stealth ability, then the Monk is
successful in their attempt. Monks are not often
aware of when their attempts to remain unseen
and unheard fail, and the Monk always believes
they are successful. This chance of success is
modified by a Monk’s Dexterity modifier.

OPTIONAL ABILITY: EASILY UNNOTICED

At the Referee’s discretion, a Monk may apply
their Dexterity modifier to their Stealth. Thus
a 3rd level Monk with a Dexterity of 15 would PALADIN
have a Stealth of 3 since their Dexterity modi-
Paladins are holy warriors. If Clerics are the broad
fier is +1. It is possible for a particularly clumsy
shield of the church, then the Paladin is the righ-
Monk (i.e., one with a low Dexterity) to have a
teous sword. Clad in shining armor and astride a
Stealth of 1 at low levels.
white charger, the Paladin is the living embodi-
ment of chivalry and virtue.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 67

 TABLE 3-18: PALADIN ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST 1st Level 2nd Level 3rd Level

Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6+1 +0 12 - - -
2 2500 2d6+1 +1 11 - - -
3 5000 3d6+1 +2 10 - - -
4 10000 4d6+1 +2 9 1 - -
5 20000 5d6+1 +3 8 2 - -
6 40000 6d6+1 +4 7 2 1 -
7 80000 7d6+1 +4 6 2 2 1
8 160000 8d6+1 +5 5 2 2 2
9 320000 9d6+1 +6 4 3 2 2
10 640000 10d6+1 +6 3 3 3 2

PALADIN CLASS ABILITIES

Alignment Restrictions: Because of their dedi- OPTIONAL RULE: PURGE DISEASE AND
cation to a holy order of justice and forthright- POISON
ness, Paladins must be Lawful alignment. If the Referee permits it, a Paladin may opt to
cast Cure Disease (pg. 151) or Neutralize Poi-
son (pg.162) in lieu of restoring lost hit points.
OPTIONAL RULE: POVERTY AND TITHING
At the Referee’s discretion, a Paladin may be re-
quired to donate up to 90% of the wealth they Banish Undead: Undead creatures can be made
recover while adventuring to a charity or church to flee or even be turned to ash by a Paladin of
of Lawful alignment. In addition, the Paladin is 3rd level or higher if the Paladin presents the holy
typically restricted in the number of magical symbol of their Lawful deity forcefully towards
items they are permitted to carry. This normally the target or targets. This is called Banishing Un-
includes no more than four magical weapons, dead. Attempting to use this ability is an action
one set of magical armor, one magical shield and when it is attempted the Paladin rolls 3d6
and ten other miscellaneous magical items, and consults Table 3-19: Paladin Banishing Un-
though the exact details of this restriction are dead. If the result of the roll is equal to or greater
defined by the Referee. than the number shown on the table, all undead
creatures that can see the Paladin’s holy symbol
will flee from them for 3d6 rounds. If unable to
Healing Touch: Once per day a Paladin can touch flee, undead affected by this ability will cower
another living being and heal them for a number helplessly where they stand. If Table 3-19: Paladin
of hit points equal to the Paladin’s level. Paladins Banishing Undead lists an entry as “D” then the
can use this ability on themselves. undead creatures automatically crumble to ash
on the spot.

68 | White Box Cyclopedia

There is no limit to the number of times per day a unable to banish when using this ability cannot
Paladin may use this ability, but undead creatures be turned, regardless of additional attempts by
can only be affected by Banish Undead once per the Paladin, for the remainder of the encounter.
encounter. Any undead creature that a Paladin is

TABLE 3-19: PALADIN BANISHING UNDEAD

Undead Hit Dice Paladin Level

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Up to 1 10 7 4 D D D D D
1+1 to 2 13 10 7 4 D D D D
2+1 to 3 15 13 10 7 4 D D D
3+1 to 4 17 15 13 10 7 4 D D
4+1 to 5 – 17 15 13 10 7 4 D
5+1 to 6 – – 17 15 13 10 7 4
6+1 to 7 – – – 17 15 13 10 7
7+1 to 8 – – – – 17 15 13 10
8+1 to 9 – – – – – 17 15 13
9+1 to 10 – – – – – – 17 15
10+1 to 11 – – – – – – – 17

A Paladin cannot pray to gain spells in this fash-

OPTIONAL RULE: BANISH DEMONIC ion more than once per day. Paladins typically
At the Referee’s discretion Paladin may use the pray at sunrise or noon.
Banish Undead ability to cause demons and
devils to flee their presence. In either case, de- OPTIONAL RULE: DETECT CHAOS
monic beings whose hit dice show a “D” listing If the Referee allows it, a Paladin may cast the
are not destroyed but banished back to their 1st-level Cleric spell Detect Chaos at will, up to
home plane of existence. once per round. This spell is cast as if the Pala-
din were a 1st-level Cleric.

Spellcasting: Beginning at 4th level Paladins cast

divine spells from the Cleric Spell List. Each day,
OPTIONAL RULE: DISEASE IMMUNITY
the Paladin must pray for 15 uninterrupted min-
utes for a certain set of spells. The player then With the Referee’s permission, a Paladin is im-
chooses any spells from the Cleric Spell List avail- mune to all diseases mundane and magical.
able to them based on the limits of their level as
noted on Table 3-18: Paladin Advancement. Pala-
Experience Point Bonus: Paladins that have a
dins of specific gods might have entirely different
Strength of 15 or higher receive a +5% bonus on
sets of spells as designed by the Referee, but the
all Experience Points earned.
standard Paladins use the Cleric Spell List found
on page 140.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 69

 RANGER
Rangers are woodsmen, trackers, and hunters
who wander the wild places of the world. They
have learned to live off the land as well as be-
ing trained as skilled warriors. Traveling light,
they hunt monsters in the dangerous places of
the world – slaying them wherever they may be
found.

TABLE 3-20: RANGER ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST Forestry
1 0 1d6+1 +0 16 2
2 2500 2d6+1 +1 15 2
3 5000 3d6+1 +1 14 2
4 10000 4d6+1 +2 13 3
5 20000 5d6+1 +2 12 3
6 40000 6d6+1 +3 11 3
7 80000 7d6+1 +3 10 4
8 160000 8d6+1 +4 9 4
9 320000 9d6+1 +4 8 4
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Rangers are
10 640000 10d6+1 +5 7 5 skilled warriors capable of wielding any weapon
they choose. In order to maintain mobility in the
wilderness they are limited to leather and chain
RANGER CLASS ABILITIES
mail armor but can make use of shields.
Alignment Restrictions: Rangers actively work
to defend communities from the dangers of the
wilderness, or at the very least to preserve nature OPTIONAL RULE: RANGER FIGHTING STYLE
from the many dangers of the world. Because of If the Referee allows it a Ranger can select a
this they must be Lawful or Neutral in alignment. fighting style from the list below to reflect their
favored form of combat.
OPTIONAL RULE: RANGER’S WEALTH Archery: When the Ranger is using a shortbow
At the Referee’s discretion, a Ranger may be or longbow, they receive a +2 to all damage
limited in the amount of wealth they are al- and attack rolls
lowed to hoard. This reflects the nomadic na- Two-Weapon Fighting: When fighting in me-
ture of the Ranger. If this rule is used, a Ranger lee combat, the Ranger can opt to use a small
may not retain more coins, valuables, or mag- weapon in their off hand like a short sword,
ical items than they are able to carry on their hand axe, or dagger. If they do this, they re-
person. Any excess money should be donated ceive an additional attack each combat round
to a local community or Lawful organization to with their off-hand weapon.
aid them in times of need.

70 | White Box Cyclopedia

Forestry: Rangers are most at home in the wil-
derness, among the flora and fauna of the world. A Ranger can only prepare spells they have writ-
Their Forestry ability may be used to track both ten in their spellbook. Once prepared, the spell
humanoids and animals in natural environments. may be cast at any time as an action. This pre-
When in these natural environments, Forestry viously prepared spell vanishes from the Rang-
may also be used to remain both unseen and si- er’s mind and the spell takes effect. The Ranger
lent. Finally, when a Ranger encounters a natural will need to prepare that now expended spell
wild beast, they may utilize this ability in an at- again if they wish to cast it again. However, it
tempt to sooth and calm such an animal. To use is possible to prepare the same spell multiple
the ability, the Referee rolls 1d6. If the number times using the available slots in the Ranger’s
rolled is equal to or below the Ranger’s Forestry memory, as noted on Table 3-21: Ranger Spell
ability, they have succeeded. This chance of suc- Advancement. A Ranger must spend 15 min-
cess is modified by a Ranger’s Wisdom modifier. utes each day preparing their spells regardless
of the Ranger’s level.

OPTIONAL RULE: SPELLCASTING RANGER

With Referee permission high-level Rangers TABLE 3-21: RANGER SPELL ADVANCEMENT
may cast spells as detailed below.
Spells
Cleric Spells: Only Rangers of Lawful alignment
Ranger 1st Lvl 2nd Lvl 1st Lvl 2nd Lvl
that are 6th level or higher may cast spells from
Level M-U M-U Cleric Cleric
the Cleric Spell List. Each day, the Ranger must
pray for 15 uninterrupted minutes for a certain 5 1 - - -
set of spells. The player then chooses any spells 6 2 - 1 -
from the Cleric Spell List available to them 7 2 1 2 -
based on the limits of their level as noted on
8 2 2 2 1
Table 3-21: Ranger Spell Advancement. Rang-
9 3 2 3 2
ers in the service of specific gods might have
entirely different sets of spells as designed by 10 3 3 3 3
the Referee, but the standard Ranger uses the
Cleric Spell List found on page 140. Focused Hunter: At 2nd level a Ranger choos-
Magic-User Spells: Only Rangers of Neutral es a specific type of monster (goblins, fire gi-
alignment that are 5th level or higher may cast ants, vampires, instead of goblinoids, giants, or
spells from the Magic-User Spell List and must undead for example) as their favored prey. They
acquire a spellbook before able to do so. A may add their Attack Bonus to all damage rolls
Ranger’s spellbook does not necessarily con- made upon making a successful attack against
tain all the spells listed on the Magic-User Spell that monster.
List found on pages 141-142. In fact, most do
not. Instead, each Ranger’s spellbook contains
OPTIONAL RULE: PREDATOR BECOMES PREY
a collection of spells they have discovered and
transcribed into that book over the course of If the Referee permits it, then when a Ranger is
their arcane education. Reading from this book, using their Forestry ability to track the monster
the Ranger mystically imprints the ability to ac- associated with their Favored Hunter ability,
tivate a specific spell’s effect in their mind. This they may increase their Forestry ability by +1, to
is known as preparing a spell. a maximum of 5.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 71

 Saving Throw Bonus: Rangers receive a +2 bo- TABLE 3-22: SPIRITUALIST CLASS
nus to all saving throws made to resist effects of ADVANCEMENT
poison and natural hazards.
Level XP HD AB ST
Experience Point Bonus: Rangers that have a 1 0 1d6 +0 14
Constitution of 15 or higher receives a +5% bo-
2 1250 1d6+1 +0 13
nus on all Experience Points earned.
3 2500 2d6+1 +0 12
4 5000 2d6+2 +1 11
5 10000 3d6+2 +1 10
6 20000 3d6+3 +1 9
7 40000 4d6+3 +2 8
8 80000 4d6+4 +2 7
9 160000 5d6+4 +2 6
10 320000 5d6+5 +3 5

SPIRITUALIST CLASS ABILITIES

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Spiritualists
are not martial by nature but know how to pro-
tect themselves. They may wield clubs, daggers,
heavy crossbows, light crossbows, maces, slings,
spears, and quarterstaves. They can wear leather
armor and may use shields.
Sense the Unseen: Spiritualists can automati-
cally detect the presence of undead, both cor-
poreal and incorporeal within 60 feet. Even those
undead creatures are invisible or otherwise con-
cealed, the Spiritualist still knows their exact lo-
SPIRITUALIST cation.

Spiritualists possess a natural connection to the

realm of the dead. Whether through practice, OPTIONAL RULE: CONVERSE WITH THE
focus or an unknown outlier they are able to DEAD
reach across the intangible barrier between life With Referee permission, a Spiritualist can
and death. Powerful Spiritualists are able to do speak with the spirit of a dead (but not undead)
far more than just perceive and speak with the person by touching either the corpse or their
dead. Through sheer force of will they are able to place of burial. The Spiritualist can use this abil-
both summon and banish spirits who have moved ity as often as they like, but is limited to asking
beyond the realm of the living, obliging these a number of questions per day equal to their
spectres to aid them in whatever endeavors they level.
might undertake.

72 | White Box Cyclopedia

Spectral Touch: Spiritualists are able to reach BANISH AND CONTROL UNDEAD
across the void between the living and the dead. Undead creatures can be made to flee or even
Any attacks they make, whether with a weapon be controlled by a Spiritualist if the Spiritualist is
or magic item, are effective against incorporeal within 120 feet of those undead creatures. This
targets who would otherwise be immune. This is called Banishing and Controlling Undead. At-
ability does not extend to corporeal undead. tempting to use this ability is an action. When it is
Spiritual Guidance: Spiritualists may call upon attempted the Spiritualist rolls 3d6 and consults
slumbering ghosts who exist in all places to aid Table 3-24: Banishing and Controlling Undead. If
them. This can achieve results similar to casting the result of the roll is equal to or greater than the
a spell, but failure can cost Spiritualists their very number shown on the table, all undead creatures
lives. To use this ability successfully, the Spiritu- that can see the Spiritualist will flee from them for
alist must succeed in a saving throw. The saving 3d6 rounds. If unable to flee, undead affected by
throw is modified based on the spell effect to be this ability will cower helplessly where they stand.
produced. If the saving throw is failed, the spell If Table 3-24: Banishing and Controlling Undead
does not function and the spirits extract a terrible lists an entry as “C” then the undead creatures
price by suffering the amount of damage listed come under the control of the Spiritualist for a
below, Table 3-23: Spiritual Guidance Effects and number of rounds equal to the Spiritualist’s level.
Damage. If this damage reduces them to zero hit There is no limit to the number of times per day a
points, the Spiritualist is slain. Spiritualist may use this ability, but undead crea-
tures can only be affected by Banish and Con-
TABLE 3-23: SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE EFFECTS trol Undead once per encounter. Any undead
AND DAMAGE creature that a Spiritualist is unable to banish or
Spiritual Guidance Damage on Failed control when using this ability cannot be turned,
Spell Effect saving throw regardless of additional attempts by the Spiritu-
alist, for the remainder of the encounter.
Invisibility 2d6
Levitate 2d6
Locate Object 2d6
Crystal Ball 4d6
Fly 4d6
Confusion 6d6
Animate Dead 8d6
Passwall 8d6
Telekinesis 8d6
Raise Dead 10d6

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 73

 TABLE 3-24: BANISHING AND CONTROLLING UNDEAD

Undead Hit Dice Spiritualist Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Up to 1 10 7 4 C C C C C C C
1+1 to 2 13 10 7 4 C C C C C C
2+1 to 3 15 13 10 7 4 C C C C C
3+1 to 4 17 15 13 10 7 4 C C C C
4+1 to 5 – 17 15 13 10 7 4 C C C
5+1 to 6 – – 17 15 13 10 7 4 C C
6+1 to 7 – – – 17 15 13 10 7 4 C
7+1 to 8 – – – – 17 15 13 10 7 4
8+1 to 9 – – – – – 17 15 13 10 7
9+1 to 10 – – – – – – 17 15 13 10
10+1 to 11 – – – – – – – 17 15 13
11+1 to 12 – – – – – – – – 17 15
12+1 or higher – – – – – – – – – 17

Saving Throw Bonus: Spiritualists receive a +2 focused all their efforts in mastering it. Swash-
bonus on all saving throws made to resist effects bucklers are notoriously brash and are quick to
that cause instant death and against the abilities brag about their own remarkable proficiency.
of any undead creature (if the ability allows a sav- This sense of ego is quick to land them in trou-
ing throw). ble, which they are equally quick to solve with a
stroke of their sword.
OPTIONAL RULE: RESILIENT SPIRIT
TABLE 3-25: SWASHBUCKLER
With Referee permission, Spiritualists may also
ADVANCEMENT
receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws made
when using their Spiritual Guidance ability. Level XP HD AB ST
1 0 1d6 +0 14
Experience Point Bonus: Spiritualists that have a 2 2500 2d6 +1 13
Wisdom of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus on 3 5000 3d6 +2 12
all Experience Points earned.
4 10000 4d6 +2 11
5 20000 5d6 +3 10
SWASHBUCKLER
6 40000 6d6 +4 9
The Swashbuckler has elected to forego the use
7 80000 7d6 +4 8
of almost every other weapon in favor of master-
ing the art of the blade. Whether it is the long 8 160000 8d6 +5 7

sword, short sword or two-handed sword, the 9 320000 9d6 +6 6

Swashbuckler has chosen a single weapon and 10 640000 10d6 +6 5

74 | White Box Cyclopedia

 attacks against the Swashbuckler for a number of
rounds equal to the Swashbuckler’s level.

OPTIONAL RULE: DEFENSIVE FIGHTING

If the Referee permits it, then a Swashbuckler
may opt to fight defensively while wielding the
weapon associated with their Focused Train-
ing ability. Doing so means the Swashbuckler
receives no bonus to attack or damage while
fighting in this manner, but instead receives a
+1 bonus to their Armor Class. This bonus in-
creases to +2 to their Armor Class at 4th lev-
SWASHBUCKLER CLASS ABILITIES el and finally to +3 to their Armor Class at 8th
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Because of level.
their highly focused training, Swashbucklers are
only proficient in the dagger, long sword, short
sword, and two-handed sword. They can wear Two-Weapon Fighting: Beginning at 4th level
any armor they choose, though they often favor the Swashbuckler may wield a dagger in their off
light or even no armor to maintain maximum mo- hand as a secondary weapon. They receive an
bility. They are also permitted the use of shields. extra attack each combat round with that dag-
ger while fighting in this manner, but cannot use
Focused Training: A Swashbuckler selects one
two-handed weapons or shields while engaged
type of sword with which they are proficient—
in two-weapon fighting.
either long sword, short sword, or two-handed
sword. They receive +1 to all attack and damage Deadly Strikes: Upon reaching 6th level the
rolls when wielding that weapon. This bonus in- Swashbuckler inflicts double damage with the
creases to +2 at 4th level and finally to +3 at 8th weapon of their Focused Training when they roll
level. an unmodified (natural) 19 or 20 on an attack roll.
This means a short sword would inflict 2d6-2 dam-
age (minimum 2), a longsword would inflict 2d6
OPTIONAL RULE: QUICK DRAW
damage (minimum 2), or a two-handed sword
With Referee permission, it may be ruled that would inflict 2d6+2 damage (minimum 4) when
the Swashbuckler is always capable of draw- an unmodified 19 or 20 is rolled on an attack roll.
ing the weapon associated with their Focused
Training from its sheath without such an act
requiring an action and even being permitted OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPONS OF QUALITY
while the Swashbuckler is surprised. With Referee permission a Swashbuckler can
examine any dagger, long sword, short sword,
Display of Skill: Beginning at 2nd level a Swash- or two-handed sword they encounter for one
buckler can attempt to intimidate foes with an full minute to get a sense of its quality and
impressive flourish of their whirling blades in- even has a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of identifying any
stead of attacking. Any intelligent enemies who magical properties associated with the weapon.
are capable of feeling fear and are within 60 feet This chance of success is modified by a Swash-
of such a display must make a saving throw or buckler’s Intelligence modifier.
become intimidated, suffering a -2 penalty to all

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 75

 Saving Throw Bonus: Swashbucklers receive
a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to resist
effects that result in instant death and to avoid
traps.
Experience Point Bonus: Swashbucklers that
have a Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +5%
bonus on all Experience Points earned.

THIEF
While there are many who wield sword and spell
while exploring tombs and dungeons, the Thief
hopes to recover lost riches through the use THIEF CLASS ABILITIES
of guile and stealth. Though trained in arms, Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Thieves are
Thieves are not combatants by trade. Instead, agile and skilled in combat. They may wield any
they strike from the shadows, and their keen eyes weapon they choose. However, they prefer to rely
can perceive dangers their companions do not. on their reflexes and quickness over heavy armor
Thieves are rarely noble but are more often prag- which impedes their other abilities. They may
matic professionals looking for opportunities to only wear leather armor and do not use shields.
rapidly amass great wealth. Still, their unique skill
set makes them especially useful to dungeoneers
OPTIONAL RULE: THIEF’S CANT
and explorers and there are some among their ilk
who hold to a code of “honor among thieves.” With the Referee’s permission, a Thief may re-
ceive a free language: Thief’s Cant. This is less a
formal language and more a form of lingo and
TABLE 3-26: THIEF ADVANCEMENT double-speak that is used between Thieves
to communicate in public places about illegal
Level XP HD AB ST Thievery
activities without being understood by outsid-
1 0 1d6 +0 14 2 ers. If this ability is used, its use is automatic.
2 1250 1d6+1 +0 13 2 As long as both the speaker and listener are
3 2500 2d6+1 +0 12 2 Thieves and they are able to hear one another,
they can communicate effectively – though only
4 5000 2d6+2 +1 11 3
in matters directly related to their profession.
5 10000 3d6+2 +1 10 3
6 20000 3d6+3 +2 9 3
Backstab: Thieves prefer to catch their foes un-
7 40000 4d6+3 +2 8 4
aware and strike from positions of advantage.
8 80000 4d6+4 +3 7 4
Any time a Thief attacks an opponent who is un-
9 160000 5d6+4 +4 6 4 aware of their presence, the Thief receives a +2
10 320000 5d6+5 +5 5 5 bonus to the attack roll. If the attack is successful,
the Thief may roll his weapon damage twice to
calculate damage from the backstab.

76 | White Box Cyclopedia

 OPTIONAL RULE: DEADLY BACKSTAB spells from scrolls in order to cast them. If a
Thief fails when attempting to cast spells from a
With Referee permission, a Thief’s backstab
scroll, the scroll is wasted, its magic expended,
ability may become deadlier as they increase in
and in all likelihood, there is a spectacular mag-
level. At 4th level the Thief receives a total of +3
ical backlash that will likely endanger the Thief
to their attack roll and rolls their weapon dam- or others. The details of this magical backlash
age three times to calculate the damage from are determined by the Referee. This chance
a backstab. At 8th level this increases to a +4 of success is modified by a Thief’s Intelligence
to their attack roll and the weapon damage is modifier.
rolled four times.

Saving Throw Bonus: Thieves receive a +2 bo-

Thievery: Thieves are stealthy and light-footed. nus to any saving throw made to reduce or avoid
The Thievery ability may be used for any number the effects of any traps, whether magical or mun-
of clandestine or stealth-based actions. From dane.
picking pockets or locks, discovering and disarm-
ing traps, remaining silent and hidden while mov- OPTIONAL RULE: POISON USE
ing or even climbing walls free-handed – these
With the Referee’s permission, a Thief may be
talents are reflected in the ability of Thievery. The
knowledgeable regarding the uses of poison. If
Referee has the final say as to whether an action
they have access to poison, he can apply it to
falls under the purview of thievery or not. When
their weapons without any fear of accidentally
the Thief attempts to use this ability the Refer-
poisoning themselves and receive a +2 bonus
ee rolls 1d6. If the result of the roll is equal to or
to any saving throw made to resist the effects
lower than their rating in the Thievery ability, the
of a poison.
Thief is successful in their attempt. Thieves are
not often aware of when their attempts to remain
stealthy fail, and the Thief always believes they Experience Point Bonus: Thieves that have a
are successful. When a Thief fails using this abil- Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +5% bonus
ity while free climbing a wall or disarming a trap, on all Experience Points earned.
they can endanger themselves with either a great
fall or by being in the path of a poisonous dart or
concealed trap. This chance of success is modi- TOMB ROBBER
fied by a Thief’s Dexterity modifier. While many would-be heroes venture into the
dark and dangerous places of the world in an ef-
fort to protect civilization from the dangers that
OPTIONAL RULE: DECIPHER LANGUAGES
lurk in the deep places of the world, the Tomb
With the Referee’s permission, a Thief may use Robber chooses to risk life and limb for little
the Thievery ability to decipher maps, scripts, more than fortune and glory. While some are
and unknown languages. In the case of scripts honorable explorers hoping to discover relics of
and languages, a Thief is only able to glean the
the past, most are more interested in finding long
general meaning of the text when they use the
forgotten riches. Using a unique combination of
ability successfully. In addition, if the Referee al-
scholarly knowledge and lightning reflexes, they
lows it, the Decipher Languages ability may be
used to read Cleric and Magic-User
face traps, monsters and the monsters that dwell
in the shadows to unveil the mysteries of the past.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 77

 TABLE 3-27: TOMB ROBBER ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST Academia Decipher Device

1 0 1d6 +0 14 2 -
2 1500 2d6 +0 13 2 1
3 3000 3d6 +1 12 2 1
4 6000 3d6+1 +2 11 3 2
5 12000 4d6+1 +3 10 3 2
6 24000 5d6+1 +3 9 3 3
7 48000 6d6+1 +4 8 4 3
8 96000 6d6+2 +5 7 4 4
9 192000 7d6+2 +6 6 4 4
10 384000 8d6+2 +6 5 5 5

TOMB ROBBER CLASS ABILITIES

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Tomb Rob- OPTIONAL RULE: SPELL SCROLLS
bers can use any weapon they choose, but only If the Referee allows it, the Academia abili-
wear leather armor for protection. They may use ty may be used to read Cleric and Magic-Us-
shields. er spells from scrolls in order to cast them. If
Academia: Tomb Robbers are often well versed a Tomb Robber fails when attempting to cast
in matters of history and lore, including exten- spells from a scroll, the scroll is wasted, its mag-
sive linguistic knowledge. Academia can be used ic expended, and in all likelihood, there is a
to translate texts, decipher writing, understand spectacular magical backlash that will likely en-
maps, and reveal the general meaning of hiero- danger the Tomb Robber or others. The details
glyphics, ancient runes, and unfamiliar or dead of this magical backlash are determined by the
languages that are often found in dungeons and Referee.
abandoned ruins. When the Tomb Robber at-
tempts to use this ability the Referee rolls 1d6. If Decipher Device: Once a Tomb Robber reaches
the result of the roll is equal to or lower than their second level, they may use this ability to examine
rating in the Academia ability, the Tomb Robber mechanical devices often used to protect tombs
is successful in their attempt. Whether they glean and dungeons. Decipher Device is used to under-
the general meaning of the text or decipher it en- stand and disarm traps, complex puzzles, notice
tirely is up to the Referee. If the Tomb Robber unstable architecture, and mechanical devices,
fails in their attempt to use this ability, they must as well as to pick locks. The Tomb Robber must
wait until they gain one level of experience be- be aware of the presence of such a device to use
fore attempting to decipher that specific docu- this ability. When the Tomb Robber attempts to
ment or writing again. This chance of success is use this ability, they Referee rolls 1d6. If the result
modified by a ’s Intelligence modifier. of the roll is equal to or lower than their rating
in the Decipher Device ability, the Tomb Robber
is successful in their attempt. Failure means they

78 | White Box Cyclopedia

are unable to understand the device they are within ten feet of them. If the Tomb Robber is ac-
examining and may, at the Referee’s discretion, tively searching for concealed or secret doors this
potentially activate a deadly trap. This chance of chance increases to 1-5 on 1d6. This chance of
success is modified by a Tomb Robber’s Intelli- success is modified by a Tomb Robber’s Intelli-
gence modifier. gence modifier.
Saving Throw Bonus: Tomb Robbers receive a
OPTIONAL RULE: DECIPHER MAGICAL +2 bonus to any saving throw made to reduce or
DEVICE avoid the effects of any trap, whether magical or
If the Referee permits, Tomb Robbers can use mundane.
their Decipher Device ability to identify, un- Experience Point Bonus: Tomb Robbers that
derstand, and even use magical items that are have a Dexterity of 15 or higher receives a +5%
normally exclusive to other classes. When using bonus on all Experience Points earned.
items normally prohibited because of their class
they must make a successful Decipher Device
check. If this check fails, the item may backfire
and cause magical backlash. The details of this WANDERER
magical backlash are determined by the Refer- Whether cast out from their homeland by fear-
ee. This includes noticing and disarming mag- ful villagers, forced to travel the road endlessly
ical traps. due to some great curse or obligation, or simply
choosing to call no realm home, the Wanderer
walks an endless road from town to town. Life as
Sharp Eyes: Tomb Robbers are keenly aware of
a vagabond has taught them a unique collection
the dangers of underground environments. They
of skills that aid them in surviving the dangers of
can spot secret or concealed doors with a 1-3
a transient life and in their travels they inevitably
on 1d6 chance of success simply when they pass
pick up an odd collection of skills and abilities.

TABLE 3-28: WANDERER ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST Uncanny 1st Level 2nd Level 3rd Level

Awareness Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6 +0 14 2 - - -
2 2000 2d6 +0 13 2 - - -
3 4000 3d6 +1 12 2 - - -
4 8000 3d6+1 +2 11 3 - - -
5 10000 4d6+1 +3 10 3 1 - -
6 20000 5d6+1 +3 9 3 2 - -
7 40000 6d6+1 +4 8 4 2 1 -
8 80000 6d6+2 +5 7 4 2 2 -
9 160000 7d6+2 +6 6 4 2 2 1
10 32000 8d6+2 +6 5 5 2 2 2

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 79

 WANDERER CLASS ABILITIES vancement. A Wanderer must spend 15 minutes
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Wanderers each day preparing their spells regardless of the
are not martial by nature and prefer to remain on Wanderer’s level.
the move, even in combat. They can wield clubs, Traveler’s Trinkets: A Wanderer often picks up
daggers, quarterstaves, short swords, and slings various useful pieces of equipment in their travels
in combat. They may only wear leather armor and that are forgotten until the right situation. When
do not make use of shields. the Wanderer or their allies need a piece of small,
mundane, non-magical gear that no one has on
hand (such as flint and steel, a small empty sack,
OPTIONAL RULE: HAD A BIT OF TRAINING
a knife or other small hand tool) the Wanderer
At the Referee’s discretion, the Wanderer may
may spend five rounds looking through their gear
select one weapon of choice, either ranged or
to see if they have such an item. If the Wanderer
melee, that is outside their weapon restrictions
makes a successful saving throw, they are able to
that they are allowed to wield in combat with-
produce the item. This ability can only be used
out penalty as a reflection of a bit of martial
once per day.
training they’ve picked up in their travels.

OPTIONAL RULE: RARE ITEMS

Scrape By: A Wanderer is always able to find just
At the Referee’s discretion, the Wanderer may
enough food and shelter to survive, whether in
also attempt to produce rare and valuable (but
urban environments, dungeons, or the wilder-
still non-magical) items using their Traveler’s
ness. This is not necessarily comfortable or nice,
Trinkets ability. Examples include a silver holy
but they are not going to die from lack of basic
symbol, spyglass, or vial of holy water. When at-
necessities. They cannot use this ability to ac-
tempting to use Traveler’s Trinkets to see if they
quire similar resources for more than one person.
happen to have such an item in their supplies,
Spellcasting: Wanderers of 5th level or higher the Wanderer suffers a -4 penalty to their saving
can cast spells in a fashion identical to that of a throw to determine if the item is present.
Magic-User as detailed on page 44. Wanderers,
however, do not begin play with a spellbook and
must purchase a spellbook and find spell scrolls Uncanny Awareness: Wanderers have to keep
to inscribe in this book in order to cast spells. their eyes sharp and their ears open to survive
Reading from this book, the Wanderer mystical- the dangers of the road. This ability allows a Wan-
ly imprints the ability to activate a specific spell’s derer to avoid being surprised, detect ambushes,
effect in their mind. This is known as preparing hear otherwise imperceptible noises, and notice
a spell. A Wanderer can only prepare spells they secret or concealed doors simply by passing near
have written in their spellbook. Once prepared, them. Whenever the Wanderer wishes to use
the spell may be cast at any time as an action. Uncanny Awareness the Referee rolls 1d6. If the
This previously prepared spell vanishes from the number rolled is equal to or under the number
Wanderer’s mind and the spell takes effect. The indicated on the Table 3-28: Wanderer Advance-
Wanderer will need to prepare that now expend- ment, then the attempt is successful. This chance
ed spell again if they wish to cast it again. Howev- of success is modified by a Wanderer’s Wisdom
er, it is possible to prepare the same spell multiple modifier.
times using the available slots in the Wanderer’s
memory, as noted on Table 3-28: Wanderer Ad-

80 | White Box Cyclopedia

 HERITAGE-AS-CLASS
OPTIONAL RULE: BENEATH NOTICE
Selecting a Heritage-As-Class is only available
At the Referee’s discretion, a Wanderer may go with Referee permission. Essentially when a player
undetected in social environments such as when elects to play a character that is heritage-as-class,
passing through towns, on crowded city streets, they are foregoing the selection of a heritage and
or when amongst the patrons of a tavern. They have only a class. This class reflects a unique and
simply seem to fade into the background. immutable aspect of their fantastic heritage. In
Whenever the Wanderer wishes to use Beneath the original Swords & Wizardry White Box the
Notice the Referee rolls 1d6. If the number Elf was available as the sole heritage-as-class op-
rolled is equal to or under the number indicat- tion. For the sake of clarity, this heritage-as-class
ed on the Table 3-28: Wanderer Advancement is renamed Elf Blademage. Unlike both standard
with the same chance of success as their Uncan- and optional classes, when a player elects to play
ny Awareness ability, then the attempt is suc- a heritage-as-class, they may find themselves
cessful. This chance of success is modified by a limited in level advancement and are not often
Wanderer’s Dexterity modifier. If the Wanderer able to reach 10th level. In addition, some heri-
does anything to intentionally draw attention to tage-as-class characters do not receive a saving
themselves, such as attacking, casting a spell, throw bonus or experience point bonus as part of
or making loud noise, this ability automatically their heritage-as-class.
fails. It is also of little use in wilderness or dun-
geon environments, instead being of primary
use in urban or social environments..

Wanderer’s Luck: Once per day the Wanderer

may re-roll any one failed attack roll or saving
DWARF BATTLE PRIEST
throw.
A Dwarf Battle Priest blends the martial prowess
Saving Throw Bonus: Wanderers receive a +2
of the Fighter with the divine abilities of a Cleric.
bonus on all saving throws to resist effects which
They are powerful adversaries in battle, capable
would result in automatic death and to reduce
of wading into melee combat where they are able
the effects of environmental hazards.
to heal and empower allies right from the van-
Experience Point Bonus: Wanderers that have a guard of a skirmish. Dwarf battle priests may ad-
Constitution of 15 or higher receives a +5% bo- vance to 6th level.
nus on all Experience Points earned.

TABLE 3-29: DWARF BATTLE PRIEST ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST 1st-Level 2nd-Level 3rd-Level

Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6+1 +1 14 - - -
2 3500 2d6+1 +1 13 1 - -
3 7000 3d6+1 +2 12 2 - -
4 14000 4d6+1 +3 11 2 1 -
5 28000 5d6+1 +3 10 2 2 1
6 56000 6d6+1 +4 9 3 2 1

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 81

 per level each round. So, a 4th level Dwarf Battle
Priest facing three goblins can make four attacks
in a single combat round, as long as at least
three of those attacks are directed at the goblins.

OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPON

SPECIALIZATION
If the Referee permits it, Dwarf Battle Priests
may select one specific weapon type (i.e., bat-
tle axe, short sword, war hammer, etc.) in which
they are specialized. When fighting with this
specific type of weapon they receive a +1 bonus
on all attack rolls and damage rolls. This bonus
increases to +2 to attack and damage rolls at
DWARF BATTLE PRIEST HERITAGE-AS-
4th level.
CLASS ABILITIES
Alignment Restrictions: All Dwarf Battle Priests
must be either Lawful or Chaotic in alignment. Giant-Foe: Giants, ogres, trolls, and other gi-
Lawful Dwarf Battle Priests serve gods of justice, ant-like creatures have difficulty fighting Dwarf
order, and righteousness. Chaotic Dwarf Battle Battle Priests and their attacks only inflict one-
Priests serve gods of darkness, chaos, and deceit. half the normal damage when they successfully
The player and the Referee should work together attack a dwarf.
to determine the exact nature of the god that a
Magic Resistant: Dwarf battle priests do not use
player character’s Dwarf Battle Priest worships.
arcane magic and are quite resistant to its effects.
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Dwarf bat- They receive a +4 bonus on all saving throws
tle priests can wield any weapon they choose in made to resist magical effects and magical spells.
combat and wear any armor. They can also use
Spell Casting: Dwarf battle priests cast divine
shields.
spells from the Cleric Spell List. Each day, the bat-
tle priest must pray for 15 uninterrupted minutes
OPTIONAL RULE: MULTIPLE ATTACKS for a certain set of spells. The player then choos-
At the Referee’s discretion Dwarf Battle Priests es any spells from the Cleric Spell List available to
of 5th level or higher may make two attacks in a them based on the limits of their level as noted
combat round, though these attack must either on Table 3-29: Dwarf Battle Priest Advancement.
both be melee attacks or both be ranged at- Dwarf battle priests of specific gods might have
tacks, regardless of their foes’ hit dice. entirely different sets of spells as designed by the
Referee, but the standard Dwarf Battle Priest uses
the Cleric Spell List found on page 140.
Strength of Arms: Dwarf battle priests, unlike
A Dwarf Battle Priest cannot pray to gain spells in
other heritage-as-classes, add their Strength
this fashion more than once per day. Lawful Dwarf
modifier (if any) to all melee attack rolls.
Battle Priests typically pray at sunrise or noon,
Fell Lesser Foes: Against foes with one hit die or while Chaotic Dwarf Battle Priests typically pray
less, Dwarf Battle Priests get one attack per lev- at sunset or midnight.
el each round, to a maximum of one extra attack

82 | White Box Cyclopedia

Banishing Undead: Undead creatures can be There is no limit to the number of times per day
made to flee or even be turned to ash by a Dwarf a Dwarf Battle Priest may use this ability, but un-
Battle Priest if the Dwarf Battle Priest presents dead creatures can only be affected by Banish
their holy symbol forcefully towards the target Undead once per encounter. Any undead crea-
or targets. This is called Banishing Undead. At- ture that a Dwarf Battle Priest is unable to banish
tempting to use this ability is an action and when when using this ability cannot be turned, regard-
it is attempted the Dwarf Battle Priest rolls 3d6 less of additional attempts by the Dwarf Battle
and consults Table 3-30: Dwarf Battle Priest Ban- Priest, for the remainder of the encounter.
ishing Undead. If the result of the roll is equal to
or greater than the number shown on the table,
OPTIONAL RULE: CONTROL UNDEAD
all undead creatures that can see the Dwarf Bat-
tle Priest’s holy symbol will flee from Lawful Dwarf If the Referee permits, a Dwarf Battle Priest of
Battle Priests for 3d6 rounds. If unable to flee, Chaotic alignment may, instead of destroying
undead affected by this ability will cower help- any undead during an attempt to Banish Un-
lessly where they stand. If Table 3-30: Dwarf Bat- dead, may instead, take control of those un-
tle Priest Banishing Undead lists an entry as “D” dead creatures for a number of rounds equal to
then the undead creatures automatically crumble the Dwarf Battle Priest’s level.
to ash on the spot.

TABLE 3-30: DWARF BATTLE PRIEST BANISHING UNDEAD

Undead Hit Dice Dwarf Battle Priest Level

1 2 3 4 5 6
Up to 1 10 7 4 D D D
1+1 to 2 13 10 7 4 D D
2+1 to 3 15 13 10 7 4 D
3+1 to 4 17 15 13 10 7 4
4+1 to 5 – 17 15 13 10 7
5+1 to 6 – – 17 15 13 10
6+1 to 7 – – – 17 15 13
7+1 to 8 – – – – 17 15
8+1 to 9 – – – – – 17

Under-Sense: Dwarf battle priests have a keen Dwarf Battle Priest’s Intelligence modifier can be
sense of awareness when in underground envi- applied to this ability.
ronments. When underground they can detect Languages: Dwarf battle priests can speak and
traps, sloping passages, and shoddy construc- are literate the common tongue of the world and
tion when passing within 10 feet of these things their own native language known simply as dwar-
with 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success. When actively vish. In addition, they can also speak and are lit-
searching for these things, this chance of success erate in the languages of gnomes, goblins, orcs,
increases to 1-3 on 1d6 chance of success. The and kobolds.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 83

 ELF BLADEMAGE
OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL DWARF
The heritage-as-class Elf Blademage is a hybrid
BATTLE PRIEST HERITAGE-AS-CLASS
of the Fighter and Magic-User classes, reflecting
ABILITIES
their natural ability to blend martial prowess and
If the Referee wishes they can include any or all arcane ability with startling effectiveness. They
of the following abilities for players who select may advance to 8th level.
Dwarf Battle Priest as their heritage-as-class.

Dark Vision: Dwarf battle priests have acclimat-

ed to living in the lightless world underground.
They can see up to a distance of 60 feet when
in total darkness.

Disease Resistance: Dwarf battle priests are

naturally more resilient and robust. They receive
a +4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist
the effects of any diseases they encounter.

Hatred of Orcs: Whenever a Dwarf Battle

Priests making a melee or ranged attack against
an orc they receive a +1 bonus to their roll.

Poison Resistance: Dwarf battle priests are re-

sistant to the effects of poisons. They receive a
+4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist the
effects of poisons.

Robust Health: Any time the Dwarf Battle

Priest gains a hit die (including at character cre-
ation), they gain an additional +1 hit point on
top of whatever is rolled.

TABLE 3-31: ELF BLADEMAGE ADVANCEMENT

Level XP HD AB ST 1st Level 2nd Level 3rd Level 4th Level

Spells Spells Spells Spells
1 0 1d6+1 +1 14 1 -- -- --
2 5000 2d6+1 +1 13 2 - - -
3 10000 3d6+1 +2 12 3 1 - -
4 20000 4d6+1 +3 11 4 2 - -
5 40000 5d6+1 +3 10 4 2 1 -
6 80000 6d6+1 +4 9 4 2 2 -
7 160000 7d6+1 +5 8 4 3 2 1
8 320000 8d6+1 +5 7 4 3 3 2

84 | White Box Cyclopedia

ELF BLADEMAGE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS
ABILITIES OPTIONAL RULE: EXPANDED SPELLBOOK
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Elf blademag-
At the Referee’s discretion, an elf bladgemage’s
es have no restrictions when it comes to arms and
spellbook may contain more than one random-
armor. They can use any weapons, any armor, and
ly determined 1st-level spell. Several methods
any shields.
of determines what exactly an Elf Blademage’s
Ancestral Enemies: When making a melee or spellbook contains are offered below.
ranged attack roll against goblins, orcs, intelli-
Apprentice’s Education: The Elf Blademage’s
gent undead, and lycanthropes Elf Blademages
spellbook contains Detect Magic, Read Mag-
receive a +1 bonus to that attack roll. They also
ic, and one 1st-level spell selected by the Elf
receive a +1 bonus to all damage rolls against
Blademage.
such creatures.
Multiple Random Spells: The Elf Blademage’s
Fell Lesser Foes: Against foes with one hit die or
spellbook contains three randomly determined
less, Elf Blademages get one attack per level each
1st-level spells.
round, to a maximum of one extra attack per level
each round. So, a 4th level Elf Blademage facing The Basics: The Elf Blademage’s spellbook
three goblins can make four attacks in a single contains Detect Magic, Read Magic, and one
combat round, as long as at least three of those randomly determined 1st-level spell.
attacks are directed at the goblins.

Spell Scrolls: If the Elf Blademage finds scrolls

OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPON that have been inscribed with spells from the
SPECIALIZATION Magic-User Spell List during an adventure, they
can copy them into their spell book or cast the
If the Referee permits it, Elf Blademages may
spell directly from the scroll. Casting directly from
select one specific weapon type (i.e., battle
the scroll expends the scroll’s magic and makes
axe, short sword, longbow, etc.) in which they
it impossible for the Elf Blademage to scribe it
are specialized. When fighting with this specif-
into his spell book later, but casting from a scroll
ic type of weapon they receive a +1 bonus on
does not expend a spell slot and no preparation
all attack rolls and damage rolls. This bonus in-
is necessary.
creases to +2 to attack and damage rolls at 4th
level.
OPTIONAL RULE: SCRIBE SCROLLS

Spellbooks: All Elf Blademages begin play with With Referee permission, an Elf Blademage
a spellbook (see pg. 97) free of charge as part of may copy any spell in their spellbook onto a
their starting equipment. It contains one random- scroll, thus creating a spell scroll of that spe-
ly determined 1st-level spell. cific spell for later use. It must be a spell the
Elf Blademage is capable of preparing. This re-
quires one hour per level of the spell prepared
and costs 100 gold pieces per level of the spell
prepared. It must be done in a safe environment
and cannot be done while actively adventuring.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 85

 Spellcasting: An Elf Blademage owns a book
of spells, aptly known as a spellbook. An Elf OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL ELF
Blademage’s spellbook does not necessarily con- BLADEMAGE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS
tain all the spells listed on the Magic-User Spell ABILITIES
List found on pages 141-142. In fact, most do
If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
not. Instead, the spellbook of an Elf Blademage
of the following abilities for players who select
contains a collection of spells they have discov-
Elf Blademage as their heritage-as-class.
ered and transcribed into that book over the
course of their arcane education. Reading from Charm Resistance: Elf blademages are surpris-
this book, the Elf Blademage mystically imprints ingly resistant to the effects of the Charm Per-
the ability to activate a specific spell’s effect in son spell and any effects that mimic this spell.
their mind. This is known as preparing a spell. They receive a +4 bonus on all saving throws to
An Elf Blademage can only prepare spells they resist such effects.
have written in their spellbook. Once prepared, Ghoul Resistance: Elf blademages are immune
the spell may be cast at any time as an action. to the paralyzing touch of ghouls.
This previously prepared spell vanishes from the
Night Vision: Elfblademages are acclimated to
Elf Blademage’s mind and the spell takes effect.
seeing in twilight and other low-light environ-
The Elf Blademage will need to prepare that now
ments, such as by starlight or moonlight. They
expended spell again if they wish to cast it again.
can see up to a distance of 120 feet when in
However, it is possible to prepare the same spell
partial darkness.
multiple times using the available slots in the Elf
Blademage’s memory, as noted on Table 3-31: Sleep Immunity: Elf blademages are immune
Elf Blademage Advancement. An Elf Blademage to the effects of the Sleep spell.
must spend 15 minutes each day preparing their
spells regardless of their level.
Keen Senses: Elf Blademmages have exception-
HALFLING FOLK MAGE
al eyesight and are able to spot secret or con-
cealed doors with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success Particularly isolated halfling communities have
simply when they pass within ten feet of them. If one among them who understands a bit more of
the Elf Blademage is actively searching for con- the arcane and has a touch more wisdom than
cealed or secret doors this chance increases to your traditional farmer or shepherd. These Hal-
1-4 on 1d6. This chance of success is modified by fling Folk Mages blend arcane training, an in-
the character’s Intelligence modifier. stinctive understanding of the natural world, and
the natural abilities of the small folk to provide a
Languages: Elf Blademages can speak and are
unique blend of powers which serve to protect
literate the common tongue of the world and
and defend the community. Halfling Folk Mages
their own native language known simply as elvish.
may only advance to 4th level.
In addition, they can also speak and are literate in
the languages of gnolls, goblins, orcs, and hob-
goblins.

86 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE 3-32: HALFLING FOLK MAGE ADVANCEMENT

Spells
Level XP HD AB ST Forestry Spells Known 1st Level 2nd Level
1 0 1d6 +0 14 2 -2 1 --
2 2500 1d6+1 +0 13 3 4 2 -
3 5000 2d6+1 +0 12 3 6 3 1
4 10000 2d6+2 +1 11 4 8 4 2

HALFLING FOLK MAGE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Halfling Folk • Brightwater: By going to fountains and natural
Mages may wield clubs, daggers, slings, and springs and asking for blessings from the fey,
short swords in combat. They can only wear leath- the high weaver is able to distill an essence of
er armor and cannot use shields. blessed water that can be poured over twelve
All But Unseen: As long as a Halfling Folk Mage meals and or into twelve drinks in any combina-
remains unmoving and with some means of con- tion. Any consumables touched by Brightwater
cealment, they are all but invisible and very easily function as if they had a Purify Food & Drink
overlooked. spell cast upon them.

Forestry: Halfling Folk Mages are most at home • Herbal Brew: This concoction is brewed from
in the wilderness, among the flora and fauna of a secret mixture of herbs, roots, and leaves.
the world. Their Forestry ability may be used to It tastes horrible, but functions exactly as a
track both humanoids and animals in natural en- Potion of Healing.
vironments. When in these natural environments,
• Paste of the Beastspeaker: By crafting a
Forestry may also be used to remain both unseen
crude paste of mud, twigs, animal fur, avian
and silent while moving, thus supplementing
feathers, and even shed serpent skins, the high
the Halfling Folk Mage’s All But Unseen ability.
weaver makes a paste they can be applied to
Finally, when a Halfling Folk Mage encounters a
the tongue, allowing anyone brave enough to
natural wild beast they may utilize this ability in
an attempt to sooth and calm such an animal. To
spread it across their tongue and stuff a bit into
their ears the ability to speak with and under-
use the ability, the Referee rolls 1d6. If the num-
stand natural animals for 1d6 hours.
ber rolled is equal to or below the Halfling Folk
Mage’s Forestry ability, they have succeeded. • Stone Acorn: These tiny acorns are gathered
This chance of success is modified by a Halfling from an oak tree and blessed with secret mag-
Folk Mage’s Wisdom modifier. ics. They may be thrown at a range of up to 30
High Weaver: Once a Halfling Folk Mage reach- feet. If the missile attack is successful the target
es 4th level they gain the title of High Weaver. In must make a saving throw or become the victim
addition to gaining a position of respect in their of a Hold Person spell, as a thin layer of rigid
community they may also craft minor magical stone covers their body and prohibits move-
items. Once per week they may craft any one of ment. Up to 1d6-2 Stone Acorns may be gath-
the following magical trinkets if given eight hours ered in a week, to a minimum of a single acorn.
of time to gather supplies from a wilderness en-
vironment:

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 87

 Resistant to Magic: Halfling Folk Mages, in spite Languages: Halfling Folk Mages can speak and
of their magical abilities, are quite resistant to are literate in the common tongue of the world
spells and other magical effects. They receive a and their own native language known simply as
+4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist mag- halfling. In addition, the Referee may allow them
ical effects and magic spells. to speak other languages as are appropriate to
Sharp Aim: Halfling Folk Mages receive a +2 the individual campaign.
bonus on all attack rolls made when wielding a
ranged weapon. This includes thrown weapons. OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL HALFLING
Spellcasting: A Halfling Folk Mage is able to cast FOLK MAGE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES
spells in a manner similar to a Magic-User, though If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
they do not keep a book of spells. Instead, they of the following abilities for players who select
recall, songs, ancient stories, and legends which Halfling Folk Mages as their heritage as class.
are cherished and beloved by halfling to achieve
Dark Vision: Halfling Folk Mages often make
magical effects. These magical effects function
their homes in comfortable underground bur-
exactly like Magic-User spells, having the same
rows and are quite acclimated to the dark. They
names, limits, and effects of these spells. They
can see to a distance of up to 30 feet in com-
are drawn from the Magic-User Spell List on pag-
plete darkness.
es 141-142. A Halfling Folk Mage can cast any
spell they know, but are limited to the number Easy Going Demeanor: Halfling Folk Mages
of spells they can cast each day and the level of are personable by nature and increase the Loy-
the spells they can cast, as shown on the chart alty of any hirelings they retain by +1.
above. At 1st level the Halfling Folk Mage knows Poison Resistance: Halfling Folk Mages are
two 1st-level spells at character creation. When surprisingly robust and can more easily shrug
the character reaches 2nd level they may select off mild poisons. They receive a +2 bonus to
two additional 1st-level spells. Upon reaching 3rd all saving throws made to resist the effects of
level, the Halfling Folk Mage can select two spells poisons.
of either 1st or 2nd level and at 4th level they may
Small Size: Due to their small size, Halfling Folk
select another pair of 1st or 2nd level spells.
Mages receive a +1 bonus to their Armor Class
Unlike magic users, Halfling Folk Mages do not as long as they are aware of the attack.
need to prepare their spells. They may cast any
spell they know without having to “prepare”
them. They simply recall the songs and secrets
they learned from an elder folk mage in the com-
munity to create their magical effects. However,
they cannot use a spell they have not learned
and may only cast a number of spells based upon
their level, as shown on the Table 3-32: Halfling
Folk Mage Advancement.
Underfoot: Giants, ogres, trolls, and other gi-
ant-like creatures have difficulty fighting Halfling
Folk Mages and their attacks only inflict one-half
the normal damage when they successfully attack
the halfling.

88 | White Box Cyclopedia

SIDHE day: Charm Person, Invisibility, and Phantasmal
Force.
Sidhe, sometimes called true fey or high elves,
are creatures of immortal beauty and inhuman Inspiring Presence: Witnessing a Sidhe in bat-
grace. They range between six and six-and-a-half tle is like watching a legend unfold before one’s
feet tall with fair skin, hair and eyes with point- eyes. Allies are heartened and rallied by their
ed ears and almond eyes, similar to an elf – but majesty, while enemies cower in fear. While a Sid-
their features are even more refined and chiseled. he is in combat all his allies within 60 feet of the
Proud, cold, and detached from the affairs of the Sidhe receive a +1 bonus to all attack rolls and
world, they consider the affairs of the mortal all enemies within 60 feet of the Sidhe suffer a -1
realm beneath them. It is said they rule a realm penalty to their saving throws.
beyond the horizon called Avalon, a deathless Keen Detection: Sidhe have exceptional eye-
place where beauty lives forever. They make er- sight and are able to spot secret or concealed
rant expeditions into what they call “the Imper- doors with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success simply
fect Realm” out of sheer curiosity. m that they do when they pass within ten feet of them. If the Sid-
so in an effort to understand what they call “the he is actively searching for concealed or secret
imperfect world,” where other creatures live. Sid- doors this chance increases to 1-4 on 1d6. This
he may progress up to 8th level. chance of success is modified by an Sidhe’s Intel-
ligence modifier.
TABLE 3-33: SIDHE ADVANCEMENT
Saving Throw Bonus: Sidhe are naturally resis-
Level XP HD AB ST tant to mortal magic and receive a +2 bonus to
1 0 1d6+1 +0 14 all saving throws made to resist magic spells and
2 3000 2d6+1 +1 13 magical effects..

3 6000 3d6+1 +2 12 Languages: Sidhe can speak and are literate in

the common tongue of the world and their own
4 12000 4d6+1 +2 11
native language, sylvan. In addition, they can also
5 24000 5d6+1 +3 10
speak and are literate in the languages of elves,
6 48000 6d6+1 +4 9 giants, gnomes, goblins, and hobgoblins.
7 96000 7d6+1 +4 8
8 192000 8d6+1 +5 7
OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL SIDHE
HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES
If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
SIDHE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES
Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Sidhe are able of the following abilities for players who select

to wield any weapon in combat, and may make Sidhe as their heritage-as-class.

use of any armor or shields to protect themselves. Charm Immunity: Sidhe are immune to mortal

Detect Magic: Because of their natural connec- attempts to enchant their mind, meaning they

tion to the arcane, all Sidhe are able to cast De- cannot be affected by the Charm Person spell

tect Magic from the Magic-User Spell List at will, and any effects that mimic this spell.

but no more than once per hour. Negative Energy Immunity: Sidhe are im-

Glamour: Beginning at 2nd level, the Sidhe are mune to the paralyzing touch of ghouls and the

able to weave some minor enchantments and level-draining effects of many undead crea-

illusions. They may cast each of the following tures.

spells from the Magic-User Spell List once per

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 89

 TABLE 3-34: SPRITE ADVANCEMENT
Night Vision: Sidhe are acclimated to seeing in Spells
twilight and other low-light environments, such
Level XP HD AB ST 1st 2nd
as by starlight or moonlight. They can see up to Level Level
a distance of 120 feet when in partial darkness.
1 0 1d6 +0 12 1 -
Sleep Immunity: Sidhe are immune to the ef- 2 3000 1d6+1 +1 11 2 -
fects of the Sleep spell and in fact do not need
3 6000 2d6+1 +2 10 2 1
to naturally sleep themselves.
4 12000 2d6+2 +2 9 2 2

SPRITE HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Sprites are
not martial by nature and their tiny size prohibits
them from using any weapon, except for daggers
and their own unique bows – known as elf-shot
bows. They may not wear armor or use shields.
Elf-Shot Bow: Sprites who spend a day foraging
in a forest can gather the necessary materials to
craft a tiny bow suited to their size and 20 arrows.
Though tiny in size, it functions identically to a
short bow.
Flight: Sprites can both fly and walk at a base
speed of 12. They cannot, however, carry more
than 10 lbs of equipment and still take flight.
Near Invisibility: When not engaged in combat,
Sprites can be quite stealthy, making themselves
hard to spot and moving in almost total silence.
While concealed in this fashion they are invisible
SPRITE to all but magical perceptions.
These tiny fairies stand between twelve and eigh- Spell Casting: A Sprite owns a book of spells
teen inches tall, with glittering gossamer wings woven of gossamer and leaves, aptly known as a
and elfin features. In most cases, they go about spellbook. A Sprite’s spellbook does not neces-
their own business deep in the wild places of sarily contain all the spells listed on the Magic-Us-
the world and are content to ignore the outside er Spell List found on pages 141-142. In fact, most
world. They wear clothing crafted from leaves do not. Instead, each Sprite’s spellbook contains
and spider-silk. Sprites are merry pranksters, of- a collection of spells they have discovered and
ten seeking adventure for its own sake and using transcribed into that book over the course of
their plethora of tricks and fey magic for acts of their arcane education. Reading from this book,
jest and mockery. Sprites may progress to up to the Sprite mystically imprints the ability to acti-
4th level. vate a specific spell’s effect in their mind. This is
known as preparing a spell. A Sprite can only pre-

90 | White Box Cyclopedia

pare spells they have written in their spellbook.
Once prepared, the spell may be cast at any time OPTIONAL RULE: ADDITIONAL SPRITE
as an action. This previously prepared spell van- HERITAGE-AS-CLASS ABILITIES
ishes from the Sprite’s mind and the spell takes If the Referee wishes they can include any or all
effect. The Sprite will need to prepare that now of the following abilities for players who select
expended spell again if they wish to cast it again. Sprites as their heritage-as-class.
However, it is possible to prepare the same spell
Charm Immunity: Sprites are immune to mortal
multiple times using the available slots in the
attempts to enchant their mind, meaning they
Sprite’s memory, as noted on Table 3-34: Sprite
cannot be affected by the Charm Person spell
Advancement. A Sprite must spend 15 minutes
and any effects that mimic this spell.
each day preparing their spells regardless of the
Sprite’s level. Natural Foresters: Sprites have a natural af-
finity for nature and have a Forestry ability at
Tiny Size: Because of their remarkably small size,
a rating of 4. This ability does not improve as
Sprites are extraordinarily difficult to strike in
they gain levels. More information on Forestry
combat. They receive a +6 bonus to their Armor
can be found on page 56 under the Druid class
Class when fighting all but the tiniest of foes.
description.
Sprites can speak and are literate in the common
Night Vision: Sprites are acclimated to seeing
tongue of the world and their own native lan-
in twilight and other low-light environments,
guage, sylvan. In addition, they can also speak
such as by starlight or moonlight. They can see
and are literate in the languages of elves, giants,
up to a distance of 120 feet when in partial dark-
gnomes, goblins, and hobgoblins.
ness.

Sleep Immunity: Sprites are immune to the ef-

fects of the Sleep spell.

Chapter Three: Character Classes | 91

 CHAPTER FOUR
EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL, AND
ACCOLADES
This chapter details general gear, weapons, ar-
mor, methods of transportation that Referees are
likely to make available for purchase during their
campaign. This includes hirelings and assistants.
The prices listed are suggestions and may be al-
tered by the Referee based on the circumstances
of their individual campaigns.

ADVENTURING GEAR
Adventuring Gear is a general term for equip-
ment commonly used by those exploring the wil-
derness or delving into dungeons. The Referee
should feel free to add or remove items from this
list to suit the individual campaign.

TABLE 4-1: ADVENTURING GEAR

Adventuring Gear Weight (in lbs.) Cost (in gold pieces)

Animal Trap 5 10
Backpack 3 3
Bedroll 2 3
Belladonna (bunch) N/A 25
Bell (handheld) 1 2
Belt Pouch 1 1
Bottle of Wine 3 1
Bowstrings (3) N/A 1
Caltrops (1 lbs bag) 1 5
Candles (12) 2 1
Case (map or scroll) 0.25 3
Chalk (1 lbs) 1 1
Cloak 2 1
Cloth (bolt) 4 5
Clothing (common) 3 1
Clothing (traveling) 5 3
Clothing (fine) 3 10
Compass 1 50

92 | White Box Cyclopedia

Adventuring Gear Weight (in lbs.) Cost (in gold pieces)
Crowbar 15 5
Deck of Cards N/A 2
Dice (bone or wood, one pair) N/A 1
Falcon (trained) 3 100
Fishing Pole 2 1
Fishing Tackle 5 2
Flint and Steel 1 1
Frying Pan or Cookpot 5 3
Garlic (bunch) N/A 10
Grappling Hook 5 5
Hammer (small) 3 2
Healer’s Kit 5 10
Helmet 5 5
Holy Symbol (silver) N/A 25
Holy Symbol (wooden) N/A 1
Holy Water (vial) 0.25 25
Hunting Dog 25 - 75 60
Ink (small bottle) 0.25 5
Jeweler’s Glass N/A 100
Journal (blank) 3 50
Lantern 5 10
Marbles (1 lbs bag) 1 1
Mirror (handheld) 1 20
Musical Instrument 1 - 10 1 - 100
Net (10 ft. x 10 ft.) 5 10
Oil (pint) 1 2
Parchment (one sheet) 0.10 2
Pole (ten foot) 5 1
Quills (6) N/A 3
Rations, trail (1 day) 1 1
Rations, dried (1 day) 1 3
Rope, hemp (50 ft.) 15 2
Rope, silk (50 ft.) 5 10
Sack (15 lbs. capacity) 3 2
Sack (30 lbs. capacity) 5 4
Shovel 5 3

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 93

 Adventuring Gear Weight (in lbs.) Cost (in gold pieces)
Sledgehammer 15 5
Spellbook or Academic Journal (blank) 3 100
Spikes, iron (12) 6 5
Stakes, wooden (12) 3 2
Tent 10 5
Tool Kit 1 25
Torches (6) 3 3
Twine (300’ ball) 1 1
Waterskin 1 1
Whetstone 1 1
Wolfsbane N/A 15

ADVENTURING GEAR DESCRIPTION Bell: A small handheld brass bell typically used
Described below are many pieces of adventuring by town criers or to draw attention.
gear commonly purchased by player characters
in their travels. The Referee should feel free to Belt Pouch: This small leather pouch can be
add, remove, increase, or decrease the listed easily hung from a belt. It can hold up to five
prices, or make other alterations to these items pounds.
based on the nature of their individual campaign.
Bottle of Wine: A single one gallon bottle of
wine of fair quality.
Animal Trap: This is a small cage trap used to
catch a creature no larger than a hare. Each Bowstring: This is a replacement string for a bow
hour it remains set and baited in the proper or crossbow. Typically sold in bundles of three.
area there is a 1 in 1d6 chance that it will catch
a suitable creature. Caltrops: Sold in bags weighing around a pound,
caltrops are nails or other sharp pieces of metal
Backpack: This leather backpack is capable of that have been twisted together so that when
holding up to thirty pounds of gear. dropped they become exceedingly painful
if stepped on and hinder pursuit via injury. A
Bedroll: A bedroll is a large padded blanket or single bag of caltrops can be dispensed over
sleeping bag that can keep a traveler warm and a 10’x10’ area. Anyone who crosses that are
a bit more comfortable while resting in the wil- traveling at a speed faster than their cautious
derness. movement rate must make a saving throw or
suffer 1d6-1 damage (minimum 1) and be un-
Belladonna: This plant is extremely toxic and can able to move faster than their cautious move-
be used to make poisons. It is also known as ment until they have stopped and removed the
deadly nightshade. It is sold in bunches. offending caltrops.

94 | White Box Cyclopedia

Candles: Sticks of tallow or wax with a cord wick. Dice: Sold in pairs, these knuckle bones are used
They provide only ten feet of illumination, are in games of chance and have six sides each.
easily extinguished, and are sold in bundles of Loaded dice can be purchase for twice the list-
twelve. ed cost.

Case: These watertight cases are made of ivory

OPTIONAL RULE: CHEATING AT CARDS OR
and are used to carry scrolls, maps, and sheafs
DICE
of parchment.
With Referee permission, any character wishing
Chalk: Sold in large sticks or simply a one-pound to cheat at a game of cards or dice has a 1 in
block, it can be used to mark corridors or 1d6 chance of success. The character’s Dex-
ground to dust. terity modifier is applied to this chance of suc-
cess. This means agile characters may be more
Cloak: A simple traveler’s cloak of heavy cloth. skilled at cheating, while clumsy characters are
certain to get caught. Thieves may use their
Cloth: This is a bolt of heavy spun cloth measur- Thievery skill when attempting to cheat instead
ing approximately 40 yards in length. of this method. Failure means the character has
been caught.
Clothing: Common clothing is worn most often
by peasants, farmers and tradesmen. Traveling
clothing is heavier and more durable and usual- Fishing Tackle: Fishing tackle includes a length
ly comes with a stout pair of leather boots. Fine of fishing line, weights, and other associated
clothing is silk cut, sewn and dyed for nobles trappings. It usually comes in a small wooden
and aristocrats. box.

Compass: Expensive and difficult to craft, a com- Fishing Pole: Little more than a length of wood
pass allows the user to automatically determine with a small line covered in protective wax
magnetic north. They are delicate and can be which ends in a small hook. Typically used by
easily broken if dropped or jostled. Large de- peasants and farmers in small streams, rivers,
posits of naturally magnetic metals can also and lakes.
render them ineffective.
Flint and Steel: Stored in a small metal tin, flint
Crowbar: An iron bar approximately four feet in and steel is used to create a spark and is used
length that is spiked on one end and brought to start camp and cook fires.
to a broad flat head on the other. It is often
used to pry open stuck doors or leverage large
objects.

Deck of Cards: A deck of playing or soothsaying

cards commonly used by gamblers and oth-
er ne’er-do-wells. Marked decks can be pur-
chased for twice the listed cost.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 95

 Frying Pan or Cookpot: Cast iron and great for a Ink: A single pot of ink, typically black or dark blue
meal! Cook pots can hold up to 3 gallons. in color. It used with a quill and parchment, a
journal, or spellbook to write notes, maps, and
other information. Sold in corked glass contain-
OPTIONAL RULE: CULINARY COMBATANT ers with about half a cup of ink.
If the Referee allows, then a character may wield
a frying pan in combat. It functions identically as Jeweler’s Glass: This specially cut glass disc is
a club (see page 100) when used as such except mounted in a metal frame with a strap allowing
for the fact that it is unwieldy and all melee at- it to be worn over a single eye. It allows the
tack rolls made with it suffer a -2 penalty. Some wearer to examine things in magnified detail
Referees may allow halflings and river halflings when held close to that eye.
to wield a frying pan in combat without penalty
at their discretion.
OPTIONAL RULE: CRAFTSMAN’S EYE
At the Referee’s discretion, any character whose
Garlic: Whether seasoning for dinner or warding
heritage is dwarf who spends 1d6 rounds using
off evil, garlic is a common sight.
a jeweler’s glass to examine a gem or jewel has
a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of determining its value
Grappling Hook: A many pronged metal hood
and whether or not it is fake. Characters who
which is typically secured at the end of a length
are of the Thief class can do the same with a
of rope. It is used to assure a rope’s security
chance of success equal to their Thievery abili-
before ascents are attempted.
ty and Tomb Robbers can similarly make use of
their Decipher Device ability.
Hammer: A small, hand held hammer – often
used to drive spikes or stakes.
Journal: A blank parchment journal with a leather
Healer’s Kit: This simple wooden box contains cover. It has one hundred pages.
linen bandages, salves, and healing herbs. It is
required when binding wounds after a battle. Lantern: A hand-held oil burning lantern used
Its resources are expended in the process of for illumination. Bullseye lanterns can be pur-
doing so. chased for twice the listed cost.

Helmet: Worn to protect the head in battle, met- Marbles: Sold in a small bag containing about 75
al helms come in a myriad of styles. tiny perfectly spherical stones, they are most
commonly used by children at play but can
Holy Symbol: Whether a hand-held talisman or have a myriad of other uses.
worn trinket, holy symbols are carved images or
symbols representing any one of the many di-
LOST YOUR MARBLES
vine beings worshiped in the world. They range
from simple carved wood to pure, solid silver. Clever characters seeking to slow pursuers can
spill a one pound bag of marbles over a 10x10
Holy Water: A small glass vial of water which has area. Any bipedal creatures attempting to trav-
been blessed by a Cleric or other formal cler- el over that ground at a speed faster than their
gyman. normal movement rate must make a saving
throw or fall prone.

96 | White Box Cyclopedia

Mirror: A small hand-held mirror set in a steel Rope: Typically sold in coils of fifty feet, hemp
frame. rope is thick and heavy while silk rope is light
and strong. Hemp rope can support about 400
Musical Instrument: From a lyre, to a flute to a lbs before breaking, while silk rope can hold up
hand held harp, this covers all manner of por- to 1000 lbs.
table musical instruments favored by traveling
minstrels. The more complex an instrument, Sack: A simple cloth sack with a drawstring. A
the more expensive it tends to be whether it small sack can hold 15 pounds and a large sack
be a simple wooden recorder to an intricately can hold 30 pounds.
carved and tuned viol.
Shovel: A large spade mounted on a long wood-
Net: This spun net is 10’ x 10’ and can be used for en pole, typically used for digging and exca-
fishing or storage. vation.

Oil: A pint of highly flammable lantern oil. One Sledgehammer: This large maul is used to smash
pint of oil will burn for six hours. stone or break down doors, albeit slowly and
loudly.
Parchment: A thin sheet of specially prepared
calf, goat, or sheep skin used for writing. A typ- Spellbook or Academic Journal: A meticulously
ical scroll is approximately ten inches wide and crafted journal with an oiled leather cover and
twelve inches long. a locking clasp. It has 100 pages.

Pole: A ten foot wooden pole – an adventuring Spikes: Six-inch long iron spikes, sold in bundles
classic! of twelve.

Quill: Large bird feathers used with ink to write Stakes: Ten-inch long wooden spikes, sold in
notes - most often on parchment, in journals, bundles of twelve.
or even in spellbooks. Sold in bunches of half
a dozen. Tent: A small two-man tent meant to offer some
protection from the elements.

Tool Kit: Tool kits are designed for the manipu-

lation of fine mechanics and doing highly de-
tailed work. This can range from setting stones
into jewelry to picking locks. Using Thievery or
any other ability which allows a character to
pick locks or disarm traps requires the use of
a tool kit.

Torch: Large wooden stakes with oiled rags

Rations: Preserved, often bland food to sustain wrapped at their tops, these can be lit and will
travelers in their journeys. Trail rations will spoil burn for one hour before dying. Sold in bundles
within a few days if not consumed, while dry ra- of twelve.
tions can last up to a month.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 97

 Twine: Used to tie things down or keep items se- TRANSPORTATION GEAR DESCRIPTION
cured against minor disturbances, twine is thin Described below are many pieces of transporta-
and can be easily broken with a few pounds tion gear commonly purchased by player charac-
of pressure or a cut from a knife. It is sold in ters in their travels. The Referee should feel free
a small ball which contains a single length of to add, remove, increase, or decrease the listed
300 feet. prices, or make other alterations to these items
based on the nature of their individual campaign.
Waterskin: Typically a specially prepared animal
bladder or water tight bag. A waterskin can
Barding: This is a suit of metal plates and chain
hold one gallon of water.
mail crafted to protect a warhorse in battle. It
grants the horse a +4 bonus to the steed’s Ar-
Whetstone: A broad, flat stone used to sharpen
mor Class when worn.
metal tools and weapons.

Boat: This describes all manner of small boats,

Wolfsbane: Sprigs of wolfsbane are said to ward
from two-man row boats used to fish, to long
off evil creatures, but the plant itself is highly
boats crewed by two dozen sailors used to go
toxic if consumed.
ashore by crews aboard larger vessels.

TRANSPORTATION GEAR Donkey or Mule: These stubborn beasts of bur-

den are sure-footed, but neither swift nor smart.
TABLE 4-2: TRANSPORTATION GEAR
Cart: A simple cart which can be pulled by ei-
Transportation Gear Cost (in gold pieces)
ther two or four horses. It can be covered and
Barding 320
used to ferry up to six passengers or when built
Boat 100 with an open top can transport up to 2000 lbs
Cart 80 of cargo.

Donkey or Mule 20
Galley (large) 30000
Galley (small) 10000
Horse (draft) 30
Horse (riding) 40
Raft 40
Saddle 25
Saddle Bags 10
Sailing Ship (large) 20000
Sailing Ship (small) 5000
Wagon 160
Warhorse (large) 200
Warhorse (medium) 100

98 | White Box Cyclopedia

Galley: These low, slender ships are powered by
both sail and trained crew members. They are
quick and highly maneuverable. A small galley
can be crewed by 25 sailors and a large galley
by twice that number.

Horse: Draft horses are bred for strength and

endurance, found most commonly as work ani-
mals on a farm capable of carrying 500 lbs. Rid-
ing horses are lighter and faster, but may only
carry 300 lbs.

Raft: A simple wooden raft capable of traversing

small bodies of calm water. Some may even
have a single tiny sail. A raft can carry four peo- WEAPONS & ARMOR
ple. Adventurers are likely to face life or death threats
in their travels and typically arm themselves in
Saddle: A saddle includes harness, bit, bridle, preparation for this. Weapons and armor have
and all the necessary trappings to ride a horse several properties described below.
and help a rider remain comfortable and en-
dure a long journey while astride a horse. Some MELEE WEAPONS
saddles are high-backed, designed to help
Weapon: The name of the weapon.
keep a rider atop his horse when clad in heavy
armor or when struck by a lance.
Damage: The dice and modifiers rolled when a
character makes a successful melee attack. The
Saddle Bags: A pair of large leather bags typical-
cumulative total of this number and any appro-
ly set across a horse’s back. They can carry up
priate modifiers total is subtracted from the tar-
to twenty pounds of gear.
get’s hit points if the attack is successful.

Sailing Ship: Small sailing vessels typically have

Weight: The weight of the weapon.
a pair of sails and are designed for quick trans-
port of goods or large scale fishing. Large sail-
Cost: The cost of the weapon to purchase new,
ing ships are the classic three-masted galleon
typically in gold pieces.
or “pirate ship,” and can be heavily armed and
are often crewed by skilled sailors. A small sail-
Traits: Some weapons may be marked with spe-
ing vessel requires a crew of between 5 to 15,
cific traits. A weapon with the two-handed trait
while large sailing ships require 25 or more and
requires two hands to wield in combat and can-
often have an accompanying crew of marines
not be used while carrying a shield or holding
and boarding specialists.
an object in the wielder’s off-hand. Weapons
with the thrown trait can also be thrown as a
Wagon: A smaller, open-topped cart able to be
ranged weapon. If a weapon has the horseback
pulled by a single horse and carry a driver and
trait it can only be used while mounted.
a passenger. They can haul up to 500 pounds
of cargo.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 99

 TABLE 4-3: MELEE WEAPONS

Weapon Damage Weight (in lbs.) Cost (in gold pieces) Traits
Battle Axe 1d6+1 15 7 Two-Handed
Club 1d6 5 N/A
Dagger 1d6-1 2 3 Thrown
Flail 1d6 15 8
Hand Axe 1d6-1 5 3 Thrown
Lance 1d6+1 15 10 Horseback
Long Sword 1d6 7 10
Mace 1d6 10 5
Morning Star 1d6+1 15 8 Two-Handed
Polearm 1d6+1 15 10 Two-Handed
Quarterstaff 1d6 7 1 Two-Handed
Short Sword 1d6-1 4 8
Spear 1d6 10 2
Two-Handed 1d6+1 15 15 Two-Handed
Sword
Warhammer 1d6 10 5 Thrown

MELEE WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS cal head (which is sometimes spiked) by a short

Melee weapons are used in combat with an ad- chain. It is often used by infantry and horsemen.
jacent foe.
Hand Axe: This small, one-handed axe is mount-
Battle Axe: A double-headed chopping weapon ed on a wooden haft of between twelve and
with broad, sharp blades set on a haft of metal eighteen inches. It can be thrown short distanc-
or wood between three and four feet long. This es and recovered after being thrown.
weapon must be wielded with two hands.
Lance: A long spear measuring upwards of twelve
Club: A simple one-handed wooden cudgel to fifteen feet in length, it is used almost exclu-
between three and four feet long. The wield- sively by mounted cavalry and is ineffective as a
er receives a +1 to damage if using a club melee weapon when wielded on foot.
two-handed.
Long Sword: When most individuals think of a
Dagger: A double-edged blade that ranges in “sword,” they envision a long sword. Alter-
length from six inches to a foot. As much a tool nately called an arming sword, broad sword, or
as a weapon, almost everyone carries a dagger. war sword it consists of a double-edged metal
blade between three and four feet long with a
Flail: This weapon consists of a hand-held haft handle long enough to accommodate a one or
made of wood or metal connected to cylindri- two-handed grip. Blade and handle are sepa-
rated by a cross guard and the bottom of the

100 | White Box Cyclopedia

 handle is balanced by a weighted pommel. The
wielder inflicts a bonus +1 to damage if using a Warhammer: A warhammer has a wooden haft
long sword two-handed. that runs between three and four feet long and
ends in a large head similar to that of a normal
Mace: A mace is a wooden or metal hafted weap- hammer. In many cases the opposite side of the
on between two and three feet long that ends metal hammer head is crafted into a spike. It
in a large head of metal which is flanged or can be thrown short distances and be recov-
studded. ered after being thrown.

Morning Star: A morning star is similar in design

to a mace, except that it has a half between
four and six feet long and ends in a large metal
head which is typically covered in long spikes.
It must be wielded with two hands.

Polearm: Polearms are a broad category of weap-

ons which feature a long wooden shaft that run
at least eight feet long and are capped with
metal axe blades, broad bladed spearheads, or
blunt striking surfaces. They were designed for
use by infantry facing off against a charge of
cavalry and require two hands to wield.

Quarterstaff: A simple length of wood which has RANGED WEAPONS

been treated by lacquer or hardened by fire, it Weapon: The name of the weapon.
is as common as a dagger and often used by
travelers as both a tool and means of self-de- Damage: The dice and modifiers rolled when a
fense. It requires two hands to wield. character makes a successful ranged attack.
The cumulative total of this number and any
Short Sword: A short double-edged sword with appropriate modifiers total is subtracted from
a blade between eighteen inches and two feet the target’s hit points if the attack is successful.
long, it is a thrusting weapon used for close
quarters combat. Range: This is the distance between the attacker
and the defender in which the weapon can be
Spear: A long wooden pole either carved to a fired effectively. Ranged attacks may be made
sharp point or affixed with a pointed metal beyond this distance, up to twice the listed val-
head. It is a common weapon and very versa- ue, but are done with a -2 penalty to the attack
tile. It can be thrown short distances and recov- roll.
ered after being thrown.
Weight: The weight of the weapon.
Two-Handed Sword: Often called a great sword
or claymore, a two-handed sword is similar in Cost: The cost of the weapon to purchase new,
design to a long sword, except it has a blade typically in gold pieces.
that runs upwards of six feet in length. It re-
quires two hands to wield in combat.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 101

 TABLE 4-4: RANGED WEAPONS

Weapon Damage Range Weight (in lbs.) Cost (in gold pieces)
Arrows (20) N/A N/A 5 5
Arrow (Silver) N/A N/A 1 5
Bolt (20) N/A N/A 5 5
Dagger 1d6-1 10 ft. 2 3
Hand Axe 1d6-1 10 ft. 5 3
Heavy Crossbow 1d6+1 80 ft. 10 25
Light Crossbow 1d6 60 ft. 5 15
Long Bow 1d6 70 ft. 5 40
Short Bow 1d6-1 50 ft. 5 25
Sling 1d6-1 30 ft. 1 2
Spear 1d6 20 ft. 10 2
Stones (20) N/A N/A 5 1
Warhammer 1d6 10 ft. 10 5

RANGED WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS

Arrow: Long, slender wooden shafts either Heavy Crossbow: Heavy Crossbows are con-
sharpened to a point or set with pointed metal structed by taking bent and cured wood sim-
heads. Both short and long bows use arrows, ilar to a bow, but smaller, and mounting it on
which are sold in quivers of 20. Arrows are ex- a large horizontal stock with a crank that is
pended when fired, regardless of whether or turned to pull back and ready the string. They
not they hit the intended target. Silver-headed can be cocked and loaded by use of this crank,
arrows may be purchased, but are sold singu- but loading and shooting a heavy crossbow
larly and are very expensive. prohibits any other actions in a combat round.
Crossbows use bolts, not arrows, and are often
Bolt: Bolts are thick, short hafted projectiles fired used by infantry because of their ease of use.
from crossbows. They are sold in a cases of 30.
Bolts are expended when fired, regardless of Light Crossbow: Light Crossbows are construct-
whether or not they hit the intended target. ed by taking bent and cured wood similar to a
bow, but smaller, and mounting it on a horizon-
Dagger: A double-edged blade that ranges in tal stock. It is then strung. They can be cocked
length from six inches to a foot. As much a tool and loaded by hand. Crossbows use bolts and
as a weapon, almost everyone carries a dagger. are often employed by infantry because of their
Daggers can be thrown short distances and be ease of use.
recovered after being thrown.
Long Bow: Long bows are between five and six
Hand Axe: This small, one-handed axe is mount- feet in length and capable of shooting farther
ed on a wooden haft of between twelve and than their smaller counterparts. Long bows use
eighteen inches. It can be thrown short distanc- arrows, which are sold in quivers of 20.
es and recovered after being thrown.

102 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Warhammer: Though most often used as a me-
lee weapon, war hammers can be thrown short
distances. They can be recovered after being
thrown.

OPTIONAL RULE: WEAPON QUALITY

If the Referee permits, player characters may
opt to buy weapons that, though non-magical
in nature, have unusual properties that may
provide benefits or penalties in certain circum-
stances.

Cold Iron: Cold iron weapons are fashioned

from iron that has never been forged in fire.
Short Bow: Short bows are bent and cured It has literally remained cold. Fairies and oth-
wood between three and four feet long, tight- er fey creatures who are otherwise immune to
ly strung, and able to shoot arrows over fairly mundane weapons can be damaged normally.
long distances. Short bows use arrows, which Unfortunately, striking any other creature with
are sold in quivers of 20. this type of weapon causes the weapon to bend
and become useless. In addition, weapons that
Sling: A sling is a small pouch strung between are primarily crafted of wood (like the quarter-
two strips of leather and is used to hurl stones staff) cannot be made from cold iron. Purchas-
long distances at great force. ing a cold iron weapon doubles its listed cost.

Poor Quality: Characters who are low on funds

Spear: A long wooden pole either carved to a or trying to save a few coins can opt to pur-
sharp point or affixed with a pointed metal chase a weapon of inferior quality. These func-
head. It is a common weapon and very versa- tion exactly as detailed above, except that if
tile. It can be thrown short distances and recov- the character rolls an unmodified 1 on the d20
ered after being thrown. when making an attack roll, the weapon breaks
and is rendered useless junk. Buying a weapon
Stone: Most often used as ammunition in a sling, of inferior quality reduces its cost by one-half
these are simple smooth rocks small enough (rounded up).
to hold in a man’s fist. When thrown by hand
Silver: Fragile, but useful against lycanthropes
stones inflict a single point of damage and
(like werewolves), silver weapons function iden-
have a range of 20 feet. They can be purchased
tically to their normal counterparts except they
in bags of twenty, or a character can attempt
can damage lycanthropes who are typically
to scour a river bank or river bed. Each hour of
otherwise immune to mundane weapons. Sil-
searching yields 1d6 stones. Stones cannot typ-
ver weapons cost five times the listed cost, but
ically be recovered after being fired or thrown.
have a 1 in 1d6 chance of bending or breaking
if used against creatures not especially vulnera-
ble to silver, thus rendering them useless.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 103

 ARMOR AND SHIELDS DESCRIPTIONS
Described below are the most commonly avail-
able armor and shields for player characters to
purchase.

Chain Mail: Chain mail is a shirt of interlocking

metal rings which form a protective mesh. Also
called a hauberk, they cover the wearer’s tor-
so, shoulders, arms and typically hang to the
thigh. It includes a coif of chain mail worn on
the head.

ARMOR AND SHIELDS Leather Armor: Leather armor typically consists

Armor and shields are utilized by most characters of a breastplate of boiled leather, along with
to provide protection from the dangers of com- matching shoulder guards, greaves and vam-
bat and and adventure. braces. It is light and allows the wearer to re-
main mobile.

Armor: The name of the protective item. Plate Mail: Plate mail consists is a suit of metal
plates that interlock and encase their wearer
Armor Class Bonus: This is the bonus provided in a protective shell which is set atop a suit of
to the wearer’s Armor Class, making them more chain mail. It provides extraordinary protection,
difficult to injure in battle. The benefits provid- but is cumbersome. The helmet fully enclos-
ed by armor and shields are cumulative, though es the wearer’s head, typically providing little
a character cannot benefit from more than one more than a slot for viewing their surroundings.
suit of armor and one shield at the same time.
Shield: Shields range in design from the knight-
Weight: The weight of the armor or shield. ly heater shield to the round wooden target
shield used by many men-at-arms, it offers sup-
Cost: The cost of the protective item to purchase plemental protection when combined with any
new, in gold pieces. armor worn.

TABLE 4-5: ARMOR AND SHIELDS

Armor AC Bonus Weight Cost (in gp)

(in lbs.)
Chainmail +4 50 30
Leather +2 25 15
Armor
Plate +6 75 50
Armor
Shield +1 10 10

104 | White Box Cyclopedia

OPTIONAL RULE: GEAR PACKS Burglar’s Pack: A bag of marbles, ball of twine,

If the Referee permits it, players speed up the a bell, 5 candles, 2 belt pouches a cloak, a

final steps of character creation by selecting a crowbar, a hammer, 10 metal pitons, a lantern, 2

Pack. flasks of oil, flint, and steel.

All gear packs include the items detailed be- Delver’s Pack: A ball of chalk (1 lbs), a crowbar,

low. In addition to this, each character receives a hammer, 10 pitons, 10 torches, flint and steel,

a dagger or quarterstaff, plus two mundane 5 days of dry rations, 50’ of silk rope, grappling

weapons of their choice and one set of armor hook.

they are capable of wearing that is no heavier Fool’s Pack: Two bottles of wine, a set of
than chainmail armor. Ranged weapons that re- fine clothing, a deck of cards, a deck of cards
quire ammunition come with 20 uses of that am- (marked), a bag of marbles (1lbs), a pair of dice,
munition. To determine whether a character has a pair of dice (loaded), a musical instrument
a shield, roll 1d6. On a 1-2 the character begins (portable), a laborer hireling (paid in advance
play with a shield, provided they are capable of for one month of service).
using one.
Scholar’s Pack: Two cases for maps and scrolls,
Classes that have an ability that is reliant on a a set of fine clothes, a bottle of ink, 6 quills, a
specific piece of gear (such as a Thief’s neces- lantern, 2 flasks of oil, a blank journal.
sity for a toolkit to pick locks or disarm traps a
Wanderer’s Pack: A bedroll, an animal trap, a
Cleric’s holy symbol necessary for spellcasting,
hunting dog, a tent, frying pan, shovel, flint, and
or a Magic-User’s necessity to have a spellbook
steel, 50’ of rope.
to study and memorize spells) also receive items
Warrior’s Pack: A bedroll, bowstrings (3), a
appropriate to this ability, pending approval
dagger, a helmet, a lantern, 2 flasks of oil, a
from the Referee. All characters also receive the
whetstone.
following basic gear: a backpack, a set of travel-
ing clothes, five days worth of trail rations, and
a waterskin. After noting their basic weapons,
class-related items, and basic gear, select one
gear pack from the list below and roll 3d6+2 to
determine the number of gold pieces they have
on hand.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 105

 HIRELINGS AND ASSISTANTS Man-at-Arms: A simple soldier, trained as an in-
fantry soldier or skirmisher. Equipment: Bolts (20),
Hirelings and assistants are two types of non-play-
dagger, light crossbow, chainmail, shield, spear.
er characters that player characters can hire to aid
them in their endeavors. The primary difference Servant: A simple torch bearer or laborer willing
between hirelings and assistants is that hirelings to brave the dangers of the dark places of the
actively join player characters on adventures, world. Servants do not fight in combat unless
while assistants do not. they have no other choice. Equipment: Dagger,
large sack, quarterstaff.
HIRELINGS
While there are a near infinite variety in the types
of hirelings a player character might hire to aid OPTIONAL RULE: PLAYER CHARACTER
them on their adventures, a few are detailed CLASS ASSISTANTS
below. Unless otherwise noted by the Referee,
Referees may choose to offer other types of as-
a player character may not have more than four
sistants or hirelings as suits their own games.
hirelings accompany them on an adventure. All
Player characters may even have the option of
hirelings have a listed cost, which is their expect-
hiring non-human characters who are trained
ed weekly rate of pay. Hirelings who are not paid
adventurers with a class of their own. This does
on time reduce their Loyalty rating each day they
not come cheaply. When retaining the services
are unpaid by one and make a Loyalty check at
of hirelings who have a class, player characters
the end of the day. In addition, most hirelings will
may only hire first level characters in this fash-
want a cut of any treasure recovered during an
ion. The typical cost for this is 100 gold pieces
adventure.
per week; twice as much when hiring non-hu-
mans. Such hirelings have a Loyalty of 7.
TABLE 4-6: HIRELINGS

Hireling Type Weekly Pay Rate Loyalty

(in gold pieces) LOYALTY
Archer 20 6 Each hireling has a Loyalty rating. This is how
Cavalry 50 7 dedicated to aiding their employer, a hireling is
in the face of danger. If this dedication is put into
Man-at-Arms 10 6
question, the Referee rolls 2d6. As long as that
Servant 5 6
roll is equal to under the hireling’s Loyalty rating,
the hireling remains true to their employer. If the
HIRELING DESCRIPTIONS roll is higher than the hireling’s Loyalty score, the
Archer: Lightly armored and armed with a short hireling reconsiders their service to their employ-
bow, they offer support to their employer through er and flees at the first opportunity. Loyalty checks
ranged combat. Equipment: Arrows (20), leather may be called on in the following circumstances:
armor, dagger, short bow, short sword.
• The hireling is reduced to one-half their hit
Cavalry: Armored and astride a riding horse, cav- points
alrymen are capable of inflicting great damage
• The employer is reduced to one-half their hit
with their long swords and lances. Equipment:
points
Chainmail, dagger, lance, longsword, riding
horse shield. • The employer treats the hireling poorly

106 | White Box Cyclopedia

• The employer commits a traitorous act against Assistant Rate of Pay (in gold pieces)
someone else in front of the hireling
Engineer 200
• The party encounters an obvious and over- Messenger 50
whelming danger Laborer 2
Sailor 3
Scholar 500
Spy 125

ASSISTANT DESCRIPTIONS
Described below are several assistants that might
be available for hire in some civilized area. Their
abilities and additional costs are listed here as
well.

Animal Trainer: These assistants are skilled at

training and breaking animals. Each animal
trainer specializes in the training of a specific
type of animal. Examples include horse train-
ASSISTANTS ers, hound experts, and falconers. For each
Assistants are specialists who possess mastery of week that an animal trainer is left to train an
a specific field of study that may be of potential animal it can teach that animal one command
use to player characters in circumstances outside (like “charge,” “stop,” “fetch,” and the like) or
the adventure. They are not combatants and do break a wild animal so that it can be trained
not join player characters on expeditions. Instead, to take commands. The animal trainer’s rate of
they are paid to perform a specific task depend- pay covers one week of training.
ing on their area of expertise. Several distinct Apothecary: Apothecaries are skilled at crafting
types of assistants are detailed below, but more and identifying liquids, poultices, and salves.
may be available for hire at the Referee’s discre- After one week of service they have a 1-4 in 1d6
tion. The cost of hiring an assistant depends on chance of identifying any magical or non-mag-
the nature of their specialty and how long it will ical liquid they study or craft a reagent that of-
take them to complete the task for which they fers some protection that grants a +2 bonus on
have been hired. Further details on this are pro- all saving throws against poisons and disease.
vided in each the Assistant Descriptions section The apothecary’s pay covers one week of ser-
detailed below. vice.
Barrister: If a character finds themselves in legal
TABLE 4-7: ASSISTANTS
trouble they may turn to a barrister for legal
Assistant Rate of Pay (in gold pieces) representation. Barristers often remain in ser-
Animal Trainer 50 vice anywhere from two months to a year (2d6
months) before such a trial is complete. A bar-
Apothecary 250
rister’s pay covers one week of service.
Barrister 25
Captain: In addition to hiring sailors to operate
Captain 75 a seafaring vessel, a captain must be hired to
Craftsman 10 command this crew. A captain’s pay covers one
month of service.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 107

 Craftsman: From blacksmiths, to armorers, to STRONGHOLDS
stonemasons, to woodworkers, craftsmen can
At any level they choose, a character may opt to
be hired for custom work. Each craftsman has
build a stronghold provided they are able to af-
a specific area of specialty and their rate of pay
ford the cost. In this context, a stronghold is a
covers one week of service.
permanent residence under the domain and con-
Engineer: Engineers are expensive experts
trol of that player character. Characters who are
whose services are needed for months on end
heritage-as-class can only establish a private res-
to guide and assist in the construction of large
idence as their stronghold.
fortifications and strongholds. Without an en-
gineer, construction of most strongholds is im- The nature of a character’s stronghold is deter-
possible. The engineer’s pay rate covers one mined by their class. Unless otherwise noted, it
week of service. costs 50,000 gold pieces to build a stronghold
Messenger: Messengers are swift riders capable and takes 4d6 months to complete its construc-
of covering distances of 1d6+4 times ten (50 to tion. A character may only own and operate one
100) miles on horseback, typically carrying crit- stronghold at any given time, though if their
ically important written messages. Their rate of stronghold is destroyed the character can opt to
pay is per day of travel. build a new one. Varioustypes of strongholds are
Laborer: Unskilled laborers are often required to detailed below.
aid in the construction of strongholds and oth- Referees should feel free to limit the availability
er large structures. Their rate of pay covers one to strongholds to high level (9th level or high-
week of service. er) or maximum level characters. Maintaining a
Sailor: Seaman of average experience, from for- stronghold often requires a lot of time and per-
mer merchant sailors to press ganged thugs, sonal effort on the part of a player character and
they are nevertheless necessary to sail a ship. may prevent them from actively adventuring. It is
Their rate of pay is per week of service. often the crowning action of a player character
Scholar: Scholars can be hired to identify mag- before they retire from adventuring.
ic items, translate texts, or decipher obscure
maps. Identifying a magic item or deciphering Academy: An academy is a place where formal
a map takes one week and translating a text education is offered to anyone willing to pay the
takes one day per page. Their rate of pay is for price of attendance. The player character who
one week of service. constructs an academy becomes the principal of
Spy: Spies can be hired to discover hidden se- the school and will attract 1d6+2 Bards, Meta-
crets, rumors, or information. This reconnais- physicians, and Tomb Robbers of 1st level to
sance takes 1d6 days and had a 1-2 in 1d6 serve as instructors at the academy. Each year the
chance of recovering information useful to academy will host 10d6 students, each of whom
the player characters. Spies can sometimes will pay a tuition fee to attend. After the costs of
be hired as Assassins, functioning as 1st-level paying staff and maintaining the academy have
human Assassins (see pg 48 for more informa- been paid, the principal of the academy will earn
tion on the Assassin class). Their rate of pay is 1d6x100 gold pieces. The academy includes am-
per secret recovered and costs for assassina- ple living quarters for the principal and once per
tion can range from twice the listed cost to ten semester the principal can recruit 1d6 hirelings
times the listed cost or more. who are either 1st level Bards, Metaphysicians,
or Tomb Robbers to join them on an adventure.
These hirelings will have a base Loyalty of 9. In
addition, the principal of the academy can tap

108 | White Box Cyclopedia

the collective wisdom of their staff to get what from competing clandestine organizations or law
effectively amounts to one free scholar assistant enforcement each month.
once per month.
OPTIONAL RULE: ALTERNATE GUILDS
OPTIONAL RULE: ALTERNATE ACADEMIES If the Referee allows, then player characters can
If the Referee allows, then player characters can build alternate guild types if they are of a spe-
build alternate academy types if they are of a cific heritage or class.
specific class.
Adventurer’s Guild: This type of guild provides
Bardic College: Bards can set up a bardic col- basic lodging and non-magical medical care to
lege that instructs students in history and musi- adventurers. A character of any class can be-
cal performance. All instructors will be 1st level come the guildmaster of an adventurer’s guild.
Bards and is able to call on the aid of a scholar As long as they remain guildmaster, they are
twice per month. able to hire Player Character Class Assistants at

Arcane Academy: Magic-users can set up an one-half their normal cost, and the Loyalty rat-

arcane academy that instructs students in the ing of those hirelings is increased by +1.

magical arts. All instructors they attract will be Assassin’s Guild: An Assassin can opt to open
1st level Magic-Users. In addition to calling on an assassin’s guild. As long as they are guild-
a scholar’s aid, the academy staff can craft one master of the assassin’s guild they can, once
1st-level Magic-User scroll per week. per month hire an Assassin to eliminate one

Fencing Academy: Swashbucklers can set up a mundane human target. This Assassin can be

fencing academy that instructs students in the no higher than 5th level. It will take the Assassin

art of swordplay. All instructors they attract will 1d6 days to eliminate the target and to deter-

be either 1st level Fighters or Swashbucklers. mine if the attempt was successful, the Referee

Instead of being able to call on a scholar for should roll 1d6 and if the number rolled is equal

aid, students who attend the academy for three to or lower than the level of the hired Assassin

months and pay 500 gold pieces can wield the then the target was eliminated. The cost of hir-

long sword without penalty regardless of their ing an Assassin in this manner is 100 gold piec-

class. es per level of the Assassin being hired. With

the guildmaster’s permission others may also
hire the Assassins of the guild, though at twice
Guild: A guild is a term used for any stronghold the above price.
that is designed to provide a service. This can in-
Inn: Humans and halflings can open an estab-
clude establishing and running a place of com-
lishment that is not truly a guild, but instead a
merce, an inn or tavern, or even illegal services
large and bustling inn capable of housing doz-
such as a thief’s guild or assassin’s guild. Upon
ens of travelers and featuring a full tavern. It is
establishing a guild, the player character will earn
a boisterous, raucous place full of lively chatter
the title of guildmaster and attract a small cadre
and outlandish rumors. As long as the owner
of 2d6+3 employees who are associated with the
maintains the inn they can increase their Cha-
services offered by that guild. The guild will gen-
risma by one point as they maintain their abili-
erate 2d6x100 gold pieces every three months
ty to make others feel welcome and at ease. In
in profit if it is a legal business or 4d6x100 gold
addition, they will hear 1d6 rumors every three
pieces if it is an illegal business. Illegal businesses
months that may lead to new adventures.
have a 1-in-1d6 chance of experiencing trouble

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 109

 Thief’s Guild: A Thief may choose to establish a Warren: Instead of constructing a stone fortifi-
thief’s guild. They can then hire Thieves as hire- cation, the ruler of the keep builds a vast under-
lings at one-half the normal cost. In addition, a ground mine and residence. Only dwarves and
guildmaster can choose to increase the revenue other heritages native to underground terrain
generated by clandestine activity from 4d6x100 approved by the Referee may construct a war-
gold pieces to 6d6x100 gold pieces every three ren. Warrens generate an additional 1d6x100
months, but this increases the chance of draw- gold pieces each season, but once per season
ing attention from competitors or law enforce- there is a 1-in-1d6 chance that they will draw the
ment to 1-2 on 1d6. attention of some great subterranean threat,
such as a large band of shadow elves, a horde
of goblins, or even a dragon!
KEEP
A keep is a fortified stone castle or similar struc-
ture designed to provide protection and defense PRIVATE RESIDENCE
to the local residents of the surrounding area. A private residence is exactly that, the personal
Once a keep has been constructed, the charac- home of the character who has it constructed.
ter will earn the title of Lord or Lady and draw It costs a mere one-tenth of other strongholds,
the service of 2d6x10 soldiers who will take up requiring only 5000 gold pieces and 2d6 weeks
residence in the keep to act as protectors of the to construct. Though simpler than other strong-
surrounding area. That area will cover approxi- holds, it is still often rather robust for a personal
mately three miles in all directions and in return estate and might be an impressive mansion, iso-
for the ruler of the keep providing appropriate lated stone tower, or hunting lodge deep in the
protection to those people, the ruler of the keep forest — among other things. Any actions that
will be provided with a seasonal tithe of 2d6x100 require a safe environment that is free of distrac-
gold pieces. tion can be performed at a private residence —
though not necessarily the physical components
OPTIONAL RULES: ALTERNATE KEEPS of such an action. The owner of the residence
If the Referee allows, then player characters can finds greater comfort at their private residence
build an alternate type of keep if they are of a than in other places, thus allowing them to natu-
specific heritage or class. rally heal at twice the listed rate (see page 126 for
information on natural healing).
Fort: Instead of constructing a great fortress
of stone, a Ranger or Druid can opt to build a
wooden palisade that surrounds a collection of
cabins and other wooden structures. This fort
must be built in a wilderness area that is either
devoid of civilization or with only a very mea-
ger presence of civilized people. A fort costs
one-half the listed cost and generates one-half
the revenue of a normal keep, but increases the
Ranger or Druid’s Forestry ability by +1, to a
maximum of 5. Unfortunately, forts are prone to
monster attacks and extreme weather and such
an event has a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of occurring
each season.

110 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Stone Hall: Dwarves can construct a small
OPTIONAL RULES: ALTERNATE PRIVATE underground home, typically in a mountain-
RESIDENCES side or deep beneath the earth. While often

If the Referee allows, then player characters can spartan affairs, a stone hall includes a section

build an alternate type of private residence if where the dwarf can practice their craftwork.

they are of a specific heritage or class. Once constructed, the dwarf selects one form
of metalcraft (like armorer, blacksmith, jeweler,
Burrow: Halflings of any class can construct a
or weaponsmith). Once per month they can, for
burrow, a cozy underground home with warm
free, craft one item associated with their cho-
beds and full pantries. These full pantries can
sen craft. The item is of superior quality and can
be drawn from by the owner, who is able to raid
be sold for twice its normal value or be used in
them for 5d6 days worth of dried rations and
adventuring or for later enchantment by spell-
an equal supply of wine up to once per month.
casters. Dwarf jewelers make fine baubles that,
In addition, whenever halfling rests in a burrow,
while of little use to adventurers, can be sold
they recover 1d6-2 (minimum 1) hit points for
for 1d6x100 gold pieces in the same amount of
each day of complete relaxation and rest there.
time.
Flet: Elves of any class can construct a flet, a
light and airy tree house that blends nearly
perfectly with the natural surroundings. Elves TEMPLE
dwelling there become friendly with the natural A temple is a large building, typically made of
birds and beasts that live in the wilderness. No stone, constructed to honor a deity, Temples are
natural beasts or non-magical creature will at- typically constructed by Clerics or Friars to honor
tack the owner of the residence as long as the the god they serve. When a player character con-
elf is within one mile per level of their flet unless structs a temple, they earn the title of hierophant.
the elf acts in a threatening manner to these After constructing a temple, the hierophant will
creatures. This friendship includes the service draw 2d6x10 loyal followers to worship and serve
of a falcon or small woodland creature who will the deity for which the temple was constructed.
remain with them as a companion as long as the These worshippers will remain loyal, tithing one
elf owns the flet. gold piece per follower every three months. In
Lodge: Humans are capable of building a small addition, as long as the hierophant leads regu-
hunting cabin in a wilderness area where they lar services and provides spiritual counsel to their
can live small, private lives and forage or hunt flock, then the hierophant and their followers re-
to survive. The human gains a Forestry ability at main under the perpetual benefit of a Bless spell
a rank of 1 if they do not already possess it and (see pg. 148). In addition, the hierophant can cre-
draws the service of a loyal hunting dog as long ate 1d6 vials of holy water each month at their
as they maintain the lodge. temple.

OPTIONAL RULES: ALTERNATE TEMPLES

If the Referee allows, then player characters can
build an alternate type of temple if they are of
a specific class.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 111

 CHIVALRY AND KNIGHTHOOD
Grove: Druids, elves, Rangers may establish a
The iconic image of the knight in shining armor
grove. A grove is an untouched patch of wilder-
astride his powerful steed has permeated our so-
ness, typically in a forested area where the char-
ciety for centuries. From Arthurian myth to pop
acter can commune with nature. Groves cost
culture, these noble warriors are ever-present in
only 500 gold pieces to establish, but must be
our consciousness and have been a part of fanta-
at least ten miles from any sign of civilization.
sy gaming from the beginning. In traditional fan-
Groves generate no revenue and do not draw
tasy role-playing games this role was reserved for
followers.The creator of the grove must tend to
Fighters and other martially oriented classes. But
it regularly, but in return the character is able to
these options present rules which allow any char-
rest safely in the grove regardless of any natu-
acter, regardless of heritage or class, to become
ral or monstrous threat. In addition, they attract
a knight and earn this noble title by drawing upon
the service of a number of wild animals who will
the historic basis of knighthood. These rules are
act as loyal companions whose total hit dice do
entirely optional and are only in use if the Referee
not exceed the character’s level. In addition, the
expressly informs the player characters that they
beasts in the area surrounding the grove to a
are available in the current campaign.
distance of ten miles will report to the charac-
ter any strangeness or threats occurring in the Knights are loyal servants and vassals of a noble
wilderness. lord who are called to their lord’s banner in times
of war and strife. They serve in whatever capac-
Monastery: Monks and Friars may establish a
ity they are able – whether by providing gold,
monastery in an isolated location at least ten
resources, or soldiers. These rules allow PCs to
miles from any civilized settlement. These cost
earn knighthood by performing great deeds for
only 10,000 gold pieces to establish, and after
a noble lord – in return they receive training, re-
the monastery is established the character will
sources, and soldiers to command. But should
draw 2d6 1st level Monks and 1d6+1 1st level
they betray their lord, they will find all of that and
Friars who will arrive to train and practice with
more taken away and be left as paupers and ex-
the ffounder. Monasteries do not generate
iles – if they are lucky.
revenue. As long as the founder maintains the
monastery and trains regularly with their follow-
ers, they receive a +1 bonus on all attack rolls EARNING KNIGHTHOOD
and damage rolls on all unarmed attacks and a Any character, regardless of their class, can be
+1 to their Armor Class while not wearing ar- knighted. Historically knighthood was an inherit-
mor. ed status, but it is possible for a player character
Shrine: A shrine is little more than a humble to earn such a status in a fantasy game. This is
roadside building, often a single room. It costs most often done as reward for a great deed done
a mere 1000 gold pieces to establish a shrine, in service of a noble lord - or in some cases to
but it must be adjacent to an established road. a holy order with significant political influence.
No followers or revenue come to the shrine, but When a character receives their accolades and
pilgrims will pass by the shrine to pay their re- is knighted, they are expected to provide loyal
spects regularly. They will provide the founder service to their lord and in return they are given
of the shrine with 1d6 rumors per month, and food, lodging and the protection of their newly
every three months the founder of the shrine sworn liege. In many cases they are also provided
maintains it, they learn one additional language a small fiefdom and keep to defend these lands
from the travelers visiting the shrine. and the peasants who work it.

112 | White Box Cyclopedia

When a player character has performed a great is often known as a Deed of Service. The total
service for a noble lord or church official, there of that roll is the character’s Accolade Rating.
is a chance that the character will be offered a The potential knight may add their level to this
knighthood by that noble. Typically, such deeds roll and apply any of the appropriate modifiers
include defending and protecting a lord’s land shown on Table 4-8: Accolade Modifier. The mod-
or family from great threats. In rare cases knight- ifiers are then added up. If, after applied modifi-
hood can be granted at a lord’s whim for political ers, the Accolade Rating is 20 or higher – then
reasons. Knighthood is rarely granted to peas- the character is offered a knighthood. If a natural,
ants or serfs, except in circumstances where such unmodified 20 is rolled then the character is of-
a low-born character’s service is both particularly fered a knighthood regardless of other modifiers.
heroic or public. The player should make note of the character’s
To determine whether or not a noble lord will of- Accolade Rating, as it will be important in regards
fer a character knighthood, the Referee should to both what the character is provided and how
roll 1d20 after a player character has succeeded they are regarded by their liege lord and those
with a great act in service of a noble lord. This under their protection.

TABLE 4-8: ACCOLADE MODIFIER

Character Heritage Modifier

Character is a human +0
Character is an elf or half-elf -2
Character is a dagonite, dhampir, dwarf, gnome, or half-orc -3
Character is a halfling, river halfling, sylvan elf -4
Character is a goblin, shadow elf, or troll-kin -6
Character is Heritage-as-Class See Below
Character Alignment Modifier
Character is of lawful alignment +2
Character is chaotic alignment -2
Character Social Class Modifier
Character is a peasant or serf -5
Character Class Modifier
Character is a Bard, Cleric, Friar, Ranger, or Swashbuckler +1
Character is a Cavalier, Fighter, or Paladin +2
Character is a Dwarf Battle Priest, Magic-User, Metaphysician, Monk, or Spiritualist -4
Character is an Acrobat, Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Elf Blademage, Thief, or Tomb Robber -5
Character is an Errant Fool, Halfling Folk Mage, Jester, or Wanderer -6
Character is a Sidhe or Sprite -8
Deed Performed Modifier
Deed of Service was witnessed by many +2

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 113

 Character Heritage Modifier
Deed of Service was particularly heroic +2
Deed of Service won a great battle +2
Deed of Service saved the lord’s life +4
Character Reputation Modifier
Character is known to be heroic and honorable +2
Character is known to be dishonorable -4

ACCEPTING KNIGHTHOOD REFUSING KNIGHTHOOD

When a character accepts knighthood their Ac- If a player character is offered a knighthood and
colade Rating determines what benefits they are refuses it, such an act is considered a great insult.
initially provided by their new liege lord. Regard- The character will likely be told to leave the Lord’s
less of modifiers, no character may start with an domains and be considered to have a Charisma
Accolade Rating of higher than 41. See Table 4-9: of 3 when interacting with them in the future.
Gifts of Service for these benefits.

TABLE 4-9: GIFTS OF SERVICE

Accolade Benefits
Rating
20-25 Chain mail armor, shield, spear (or lance), sword, mace, riding horse.
26-30 Plate mail armor, shield, spear (or lance), sword, mace, riding horse, horse barding, 0th level
squire, 100 gold pieces.
31-35 Plate mail armor, shield, spear (or lance), sword, mace, warhorse, horse barding, 1st level
Fighter squire, 500 gold pieces.
36-40 Plate mail armor, shield, spear (or lance), sword, mace, warhorse, horse barding, 1st level
Fighter squire, a keep (with staff), 1000 gold pieces.
41+ Plate mail armor, shield, spear (or lance), sword, mace, warhorse, horse barding, 4th level
Fighter squire, a keep (with staff), 5000 gold pieces.

BECOMING A KNIGHT as wield a shield and ride a horse. Some classes

(such as Fighters) might already be skilled with
Once a character has been knighted and re-
these weapons, but this is the rare opportunity
ceived their accolades, they will be expected to
for classes such as Magic-Users to gain proficien-
train in the arts of warfare, horsemanship, courtly
cy in the tools of warfare. Smaller heritages, such
etiquette, and heraldry. All knights are expect-
as halflings and dwarves who are incapable of
ed to be able to wield the following weapons in
wielding long spears or lances have no obliga-
combat: sword (or long sword), mace, lance, and
tion to wield such weapons – but they are rarely
spear (or lance). In addition, they must be able to
knighted. Clerics are not expected to violate their
wear both chain and plate armor in battle as well
holy vows against using bladed weapons.

114 | White Box Cyclopedia

In addition to being skilled warriors, knights are
expected to know how to interact with other no-
bles when at court, learn basic military tactics,
and recognize the banners of other noble hous-
es. These will aid them in matters of diplomacy
and large scale warfare. No character class or her-
itage is assumed to have extensive knowledge in
these areas by default, and must train to become
proficient.
A newly knighted character is expected to invest
25% of all experience points earned in learning
these new abilities – no more, no less. These ex-
perience points are then invested in one of the
areas of training listed on Table 4-10: Knightly
Training. This invested experience is not added
to a character’s experience points for purposes
of gaining experience levels. Once that area of
training is completed, the character receives the
benefit listed. Classes that are already able to
wield the weapons or wear the protective items
listed in the training are not required to spend
these experience points. After a character com-
pletes all required areas of training they may in-
crease their Accolade Rating by one point.

TABLE 4-10: KNIGHTLY TRAINING

Training XP Cost Benefit

Sword Training 750 Character can wield swords without penalty
Mace Training 500 Character can wield a mace without penalty
Spear/Lance Training 500 Character can wield a spear/lance without penalty
Chain Mail Training 750 Character can wear chain mail armor*
Plate Mail Training 1000 Character can wear plate mail armor*
Shield Training 500 Character can make use of a shield*
Courtly Etiquette 1000 Character receives a +2 to all Reaction Rolls at Court
Heraldry 250 Character recognizes all regional coats of arms on sight
Military Tactics 1000 All hirelings, retainers and squires receive a +1 to all attack rolls.

*Magic-Users cannot cast spells when wearing chain mail, plate mail or using shields.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 115

 KNIGHTLY STYLE KNIGHT ERRANT (FREE-RIDER)
After completing their training as a knight, a char- You hold no lands, and serve your liege lord by
acter can choose to focus their knightly activity traveling across the width and length of his land
and take a Knightly Style – though a character can to protect his subjects.
only have one Knightly Style and once it is cho-
Requirements: You may not own a keep.
sen it cannot be changed. They simply declare to
the Referee that they are beginning their training. • 1000 XP: When traveling in your land of ser-
They then invest 25% of their earned XP into their vice, you never get lost.
Knightly Style and may earn up to three benefits
• 2500 XP: Any steed you ride receives a +3
as listed below. Some Knightly Styles have re-
bonus to its Armor Class.
quirements.
• 5000 XP: Any steed you ride receives a +3
BLACKGUARD bonus to its Movement.
You are a warrior who uses fear and intimidation
as your weapons of choice. You follow a twisted KNIGHT PROTECTOR
code of honor if any at all.
You have sworn to protect those you serve,
Requirements: Must be of Chaotic alignment. whether king, lord, or ward. You value shield and
• 1000 XP: Character no longer has a minimum sacrifice over the sword and the lance.
Accolade Rating to retain knighthood. Requirements: Must be of Lawful alignment.

• 2500 XP: Cast Cause Fear as a 3rd level caster • 1000 XP: You receive a +1 bonus to your Armor
once per day. Class when wearing plate mail and using a
shield.
• 5000 XP: +1 to damage when making a melee
attack. • 2500 XP: Cast Cure Light Wounds as a 3rd level
caster once per day.

HOUSE KNIGHT • 5000 XP: Once per day, grant one adjacent ally
You are more at home at court than on the bat- a +2 bonus to their Armor Class for five rounds.
tlefield, enjoying the poison of politics and the
dance of thrones and clash of crowns.
Requirements: None.
• 1000 XP: +1 Loyalty to all allies at court

• 2500 XP: Cast Charm Person, once per day –

but the duration is only 1 hour.

• 5000 XP: Permanently increase your Charisma

by 1 point. It cannot be increased above 18.

116 | White Box Cyclopedia

LOW TEMPLAR Requirements: None.
You are a simple mercenary who earned his • 1000 XP: +1 on all attack rolls with long swords,
knighthood with coin and blood. Though you spears, and lances.
now serve a liege lord, gold and glory are your
• 2500 XP: Any horse you ride receives a +2
true cause.
bonus to its Armor Class
Requirements: You may not be Lawful alignment.
• 1000 XP: You may fight dishonorably without • 5000 XP: If you successfully perform a charge
attack your target is automatically knocked
losing Accolade Points.
prone.
• 2500 XP: You pay Hirelings, Henchmen and
Retainers at 1/2 the normal cost.
ACCOLADE RATING
• 5000 XP: You inflict double damage when A character must maintain an Accolade Rating of
attacking a surprised foe in melee combat. at least 20 to maintain their knighthood, with the
exception of the blackguard. The deeds and ac-
tions of a character can increase or decrease their
PEASANT KNIGHT Accolade Rating, but only if there are witnesses.
You rose up from the dirt and salt of the earth to An Accolade Rating is not an abstract represen-
become a noble knight – but you have not forgot- tation of a character’s honor. It is a measure of
ten your roots and still hold a great love for the the character’s reputation with the liege lord who
downtrodden of the world. knighted them.

Requirements: Must have been a commoner be- That being said, acting in an honorable fashion
fore being knighted. does often lead to an increase in the character’s
Accolade Rating, simply by the fact these types
• 1000 XP: +2 to the Loyalty of all commoner and
of actions reflect well on a knight’s liege lord.
peasant Hirelings, Henchmen and Retainers
These actions must often be seen by the vassals
you keep in your service.
and subjects of the liege lord. Actions, regardless
• 2500 XP: You are able to find basic food and of how honorable or dishonorable, must be wit-
shelter in any village you visit. nessed or proven to affect a character’s Accolade
Rating.
• 5000 XP: Commoners and peasants you keep
Should a knight’s Accolade Rating drop too low,
as Henchmen, Hirelings and Retainers receive
they could be stripped of their knighthood and
a +1 bonus to all attack rolls.
branded a traitor and criminal to their liege lord.
As a knight’s Accolade Rating increases, they re-
ceive additional rewards and gifts for their loyal
TOURNAMENT KNIGHT service as shown on the table below.
You are the legendary knight in shining armor.
You travel from festival to festival, jousting tour-
nament to jousting tournament to show off your
skills as a jouster and swordsman.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 117

 If a character’s Accolade Rating drops below 20
their liege lord revokes their land and holdings
and orders a new noble be placed in command
of these resources. In addition, it is likely that the
liege lord will (at the very least) exile the former
knight from their realm, if not call for the dishon-
ored warrior’s head to be brought before them.
The former knight does not lose any of the train-
ing they previously received, only the tangible
resources and servants provided to them by their
ex-liege lord. Blackguards who have invested at
least 1000 XP in their Knightly Style do not lose
their knighthood status should their Accolade
Rating drop below 20.
When rolling to determine an increase or de-
crease in a knight’s Accolade Rating, the results
cannot be less than 1. A knight always either
gains or loses at least one point of Accolade Rat-
ing for their deeds, both loyal and traitorous.

TABLE 4-11: ACCOLADE BONUS

Deed Accolade Modifier

Petty crimes against the liege lord’s vassals (minor theft, etc) Lose 1
Major crimes against the liege lord’s vassals (destruction of property, etc) Lose 1d6-3 (min. 1)
Cruelty, brutality, and murder of the liege lord’s vassals Lose 1d6-2 (min. 1)
Cowardice in battle Lose 1d6-4 (min. 1)
Speaking ill of a noble loyal to the liege lord Lose 1
Speaking ill of the knight’s liege lord Lose 1d6-3 (min. 1)
Unduly striking a noble or lady Lose 1
Bravery in battle Gain 1
Protecting the liege lord’s vassals from a minor threat (bandits, etc) Gain 1d6-4 (min. 1)
Protecting the liege lord’s vassals from a major threat (monstrous horde, etc) Gain 1d6-3 (min. 1)
Protecting the liege lord’s vassals from a deadly threat (dragon, invading army, Gain 1d6-2 (min. 1)
etc)
Leading a successful military campaign against an enemy nation Gain 1d6
Tithing revenue to the liege lord (typically per 1000 gold pieces) Gain 1
Protecting or defending the assets of a noble loyal to the liege lord Gain 1d6-3 (min. 1)
Protecting or defending the assets of the liege lord Gain 1d6-2 (min. 1)

118 | White Box Cyclopedia

Knights and Stronghold Followers: Characters
who have fulfilled the necessary requirements of
their class to attract followers still attract them in
addition to any benefits they have received from
their knighthood. These followers are expected
to be incorporated into their existing holdings
and duties required by their knighthood.

ACCOLADE REWARDS
As the character’s Accolade Rating increases,
they gain new rewards and benefits from their
liege lord determined by Table 4-12: Accolade
Rewards. These rewards are cumulative.

TABLE 4-12: ACCOLADE REWARDS

Accolade Rating Reward

26-30 Plate armor, barding a 0th level Squire and 100 gold pieces.
31-35 Warhorse, squire is trained into a 1st level Fighter or a new 1st level Fighter is pro-
vided as a squire, 400 gold pieces.
36-40 A keep (with followers), 500 gold pieces.
41-45 Squire is trained into a 4th level Fighter or a new 4th level Fighter is provided as a
squire, 4000 gold pieces.
46-50 A 3rd level Cleric or 3rd level Magic-User (knight’s choice) is provided to serve as an
adviser at the small keep the knight now maintains.
51-55 The liege lord commissions carpenters and masons to upgrade the knight’s keep
into a full blown castle, doubling in size, along with the increased staff to maintain it.
56-60 The liege lord sends a contingent of 20 – 120 (2d6x10) human soldiers (armed with
short swords, spears, leather armor, and shields), 10 – 60 (1d6x10) human soldiers
(armed with spears, leather armor, short bow, and dagger), and 10 - 60 (1d6 x10)
human sergeants-at-arms horsemen (armed with long sword, spear, chain mail,
shield, riding horse) to aid the knight in protecting their realm.
61+ The liege lord bestows upon the knight a magical weapon of significant power. The
exact details of this weapon should be defined by the Referee and should be con-
sidered a great boon to suit the knight’s abilities.

Chapter Four: Equipment, Personnel, and Accolades | 119

 CHAPTER FIVE Basically, the player and the Referee work to-
gether, with the Referee handling the details of
PLAYING THE GAME a dangerous fantasy world, and the player han-
Once characters have been created, and the dling what their character does in it. The epic
Referee has adventuring material prepared then story of a character’s rise to greatness (or death in
actual play of the game begins. In most instanc- the effort) is the player’s to create in the Referee’s
es this is as simple as the Referee describing the world.
current location of the player characters and mak-
ing sure to take into account more than just what GAINING EXPERIENCE
they see. Sight is certainly important, but the Characters are awarded Experience Points (XP)
sounds they hear, what they smell, and the feel for killing monsters and accumulating treasure.
of the environment around them can provide a When enough XP is earned. the character raises
deeper sense of immersion into the game world a level. Monsters have Experience Point values in
and provide context clues to the players and their their descriptions, and one gold piece acquired
characters in any given situation.. Sitting down to is equal to one XP. Experience is awarded for ac-
play White Box Cyclopedia once is sometimes cumulating treasure because every gold piece
called a session of play. Several sessions of play gained by a character is an index of the player’s
that follow the same narrative arc and short term skill. Awarding experience only for killing mon-
objectives are sometimes called an adventure. sters fails to reward a party of adventurers that
While a series of adventures that feature the same successfully lures a dragon away from its hoard so
players and their characters is usually referred to that its treasure can be stolen without a fight— it
as a campaign. fails to reward characters that operate by intelli-
The session could begin anywhere. A rural vil- gence, stealth, trickery, and misdirection.
lage, a bustling city, an untamed wilderness, the
entrance to a forgotten tomb, or the classic “ev-
eryone meets in a tavern” are all examples. Once
the Referee has set the scene, players describe
what their characters do. Going down stairs,
attacking a dragon, and talking to other player
characters (PCs) or non-player characters (NPCs)
controlled by the Referee are just a few exam-
ples of actions that players may choose to have OPTIONAL RULE: XP FOR TREASURE SPENT
their characters take. The Referee then describes Instead of awarding treasure for simply accu-
what happens as a result of the player characters’ mulating treasure, Referees may rule that a
actions. Perhaps a set of ancient stairs lead down player character does not receive XP for gold
to a huge tomb, a dragon they are attempting to they recover while adventuring until that mon-
sneak past might awaken and attack, or an NPC ey is spent. This helps prevent characters from
might react as is appropriate to their own moti- hoarding wealth and encourages them to en-
vations to interactions with the player character. gage with the campaign setting via the wealth
The rules in this chapter are guidelines for han- they have earned.
dling the most common situations that come up
during play, but the Referee should always feel
free to modify the rules as they see fit or make
a judgment call in areas where the rules do not
provide guidance.

120 | White Box Cyclopedia

TIME TABLE 5-1: MOVEMENT RATE

The Referee will need to make general rulings re- Weight Carried Human-Sized Small
garding the passage of time through the course 0 - 75 lbs 12 9
of the game. Things like “A few hours later...” or
76 - 100 lbs 9 6
“After several days of exploring the woods...”
These should be governed by the Referee’s com- 101 - 150 lbs 6 3
mon sense and judgment. There are two specif- 151 - 300 lbs 3 3
ic measurements of time that warrant discussion
in White Box Cyclopedia – the “turn” and the
“combat round.” (Sometimes the combat round TABLE 5-2: MOVEMENT RATE ADJUSTMENTS
is known simply as a “round”). A turn is the equiv- Movement Type Adjustment
alent of ten minutes of time and is used to track
Careful Half of Movement Rate
and measure actions, movement, and resources
when player characters are in dangerous places. Normal Movement Rate

Combat rounds are much shorter (typically a min- Running Double Movement Rate
ute) and are used when player characters are in
battle, allowing for a faster account of the action.
Characters moving at half speed are considered
One Turn is equal to ten Combat Rounds and
to be moving carefully and are more likely to
vice-versa.
notice ambushes, concealed enemies or other
subtle dangers than those moving at their nor-
MOVEMENT mal movement rate. Characters who are moving
Base movement for all heritages is calculated on at double their movement rate, or running, are
the table below in tens of feet per round. Char- highly unlikely to notice these types of dangers.
acters with a Strength between 15 and 17 can
carry an additional 50 pounds before suffering a COMBAT
reduction in movement and if their Strength is 18
When the player characters come into conflict
they can carry an additional 100 pounds before
with enemies and combat begins the combat
suffering a reduction in movement, unless oth-
rounds are run as described below.
erwise noted in the description of their heritage
abilities.
SURPRISE
Human-sized heritages are Dagonite, Dhampir, The Referee determines if one side or the other
Elf, Elf Blademage, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human, is entitled to a free attack or move as a result of
Sidhe, Shadow Elf, Sylvan Elf, and Troll-Kin (see surprise. This is determined by either Referee’s
Broad Shoulders heritage ability on page 35). judgment or by requiring each player character
Small heritages are Dwarf, Dwarf Battle Priest, to roll 1d6, depending on the circumstances. In
Halfling, Halfling Folk Mage, Gnome, Goblin, Riv- most cases any character who rolls a 1 or 2 on 1d6
er Halfling, and Sprite (see Flight heritage ability is surprised, though certain heritages or classes
on page 90). may have a reduced chance or even no chance of
being surprised. Particularly stealthy adversaries
may increase the chance of being surprised.
A character who is surprised may take no actions
during the first round of combat.

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 121

 OPTIONAL RULE: KEEPING A WEATHERED appropriate. Then the other side acts in a similar
EYE fashion. When the last character has acted in a
With Referee permission, if a player charac- round, initiative is not re-rolled – but instead the
ter states they are being cautious and vigilant combat round ends and a new one begins. The
for ambushes and similar surprise attacks and character who acted at the beginning of the pre-
moves at Careful Movement, their chance of vious round may act again.
being surprised is reduced to 1 on 1d6. In the event that there is a tie in the initiative all
parties act simultaneously. The Referee should
use their judgment in these situations but one
INITIATIVE thing is paramount: The damage inflicted by the
combatants during any simultaneous initiative
Initiative is a roll to determine who acts first during
is inflicted even if one of the combatants dies
each combat round. After surprise has been de-
during the round. It is possible for two combat-
termined and its effects resolved, one player
ants to kill each other in this situation.
and the Referee each roll 1d6. This is sometimes
called Group Initiative.
The Referee also rolls 1d6 to determine the ini- OPTIONAL RULE: DECLARE ACTIONS
tiative for the adversaries facing off against the If the Referee wants to place greater value on
player characters and applies any individual mod- initiative then after initiative has been deter-
ifiers the monsters may have to determine their mined, the side that lost initiative must declare
group initiative what they are doing during the combat round.
The side that rolled a higher number on their This will allow the side that won initiative to act
group initiative acts first, with every character on according to the intent of their adversaries.
that side acting in whatever order they decide is

122 | White Box Cyclopedia

ACTIONS target further away than the weapon’s listed
range then the attack roll is made at a -2 penalty.
The most common actions taken in combat are
Ranged weapons cannot be fired at a target that
attacking, casting a spell, or doing a running
is more than twice their listed range away. How-
movement. Other actions are possible, but Refer-
ever, characters can fire ranged weapons during
ees will need to use their judgment to determine
melee combat or into an active melee combat
if they are feasible in the span of time taken of a
between an adversary and their allies. When do-
single combat round.
ing so, they suffer a -2 to all such ranged attack
Some characters may be able to take more than rolls and if an unmodified 1 is rolled on their at-
one action in a combat round due to a heritage or tack roll, they have hit their ally! Other modifiers
class ability, a magical effect, or some other mod- may also apply to both melee and ranged attacks
ifier. Whether or not this is possible is detailed in based on the character’s heritage or class, wheth-
the descriptions for those respective areas of the er or not they are wielding a magical weapon and
game. When a character is able to take multiple other situational modifiers as determined by the
actions in a single combat round they are all re- Referee.
solved on that character’s initiative.
If the attack is successful, the attacker rolls their
Attacking: To attack with a weapon, the player damage die, adds the appropriate modifiers, and
rolls a d20 and adds any bonuses to the result. the defender subtracts that amount from their
These bonuses include the Attack Bonus of their current hit points.
class, may include a strength bonus (for certain A character can make an attack and still move
classes making attacks with hand held weapons), their normal movement either before or after do-
a Dexterity bonus (for attacks with ranged weap- ing so in a single combat round.
ons), bonuses from a character’s heritage or class,
and any bonuses for magic weapons. Additional
situational modifiers may apply based on the cir- OPTIONAL RULE: CRITICAL HITS AND
cumstances of the attack. The player then sub- HELMETS
tracts any attack penalties they might have from
If the Referee permits it, any character (whether
their roll. All modifiers are cumulative. If the total
player character or non-player character) that
of the attack roll meets or exceeds the defender’s
rolls a natural, unmodified 20 on an attack roll
Armor Class, the attack is successful and hits the
inflicts a critical hit. Critical hits roll their dam-
defender.
age dice twice and apply it to the target’s hit
If an attack hits, it inflicts damage. The amount of points.
damage inflicted is determined by the weapon’s
Helmets: With the Referee’s permission, any
damage die, plus any modifiers. In melee com-
character wearing a helmet can ignore the ef-
bat, characters may add their strength modifier.
fects of one critical hit from a melee or ranged
Melee attacks may only be made against adja-
attack, but this destroys the helmet. Plate mail
cent targets.
armor is assumed to have a helmet as part of its
Ranged weapons do not receive a damage bo- design. Helmets must otherwise be purchased
nus from a wielder’s high strength unless they are (see pg. 96). Only character classes permitted
thrown weapons such as daggers or hand axes. to wear chain mail or plate mail armor may use
As the name implies, all ranged weapons have helmets in this manner.
a range listed in their description (beginning on
page 102) and if a ranged weapon is fired at a

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 123

 Casting a Spell: Some heritages and classes
have the ability to cast magic spells. All spells, OPTIONAL RULE: DETAILED
unless otherwise noted, take one action to cast. If MISCELLANEOUS ACTIONS
a spell-casting character is successfully attacked Described below are a few examples of mis-
during the simultaneous initiative while they are cellaneous actions that the Referee may allow
attempting to cast a spell then their attempt to characters to perform in combat. Referees
cast that spell fails automatically, that spell slot is should feel free to produce other miscellaneous
spent with no effect. A character can cast a spell actions to suit their individual campaigns.
and still move their normal movement either be-
Assist in Battle: Instead of attacking in melee
fore or after doing so in a combat round.
a character may assist an ally in battle. If that
character is standing adjacent to both an ally
OPTIONAL RULE: SPELLCASTING and an opponent that the ally makes a melee
COMPOSURE attack against in the same combat round that

Instead of automatically losing a spell when it the character declares they are Assisting in Bat-

is cast, the Referee may permit the spellcaster tle, then their ally receives a +2 bonus on any

to make a saving throw. If that saving throw is melee attack rolls against that opponent.

successful, the spell is not lost from the spell- Charge: If a character is mounted on a horse or
caster’s memory and can be cast again later. similar steed and is able to move that mount’s
full movement before attacking with a lance or
spear, they receive a +2 bonus to their melee
Running Movement: Normally a character may
attack roll. If that attack roll is successful, the
make a Normal Movement and still take an ac-
attack inflicts double damage.
tion during a combat round. Characters can opt
to make a Running Movement in combat, moving Cheap Shot: This includes any number of un-

twice their Movement in that time – but if they do derhanded tactics to distract or limit a foe’s

so they cannot take another action. ability in combat. Whether it is a quick knee
to the groin, throwing a pocket full of sand in
an opponent’s eyes, or any other number of
Miscellaneous Actions: During a combat round, less than honorable tactics, a character who
a player character may take a number of other attempts this must make a successful attack
miscellaneous actions. Examples include trying against an opponent in melee at a -4 penalty.
to pick a lock, disarm a trap, force open a stuck If that attack is successful, the opponent suffers
door, draw a weapon, drink a potion, use a magic a -2 penalty to either their attack rolls or Armor
item, pick an object up that has been dropped Class (chosen by the player making the cheap
near them, and countless other quick activities. shot) for the remainder of the combat round.
Whether or not a player can move their normal
Cover: When a character’s action comes up in a
movement rate before or after taking a miscella-
combat round and a character is armed with a
neous action is determined by the Referee.
ranged weapon they can declare they are cov-
ering one 10’x10’ area with a ranged weapon
they have at the ready. If, for the remainder of
the combat round, an enemy steps into that
area, the character can immediately make a
ranged attack against that opponent with a +2
bonus on their ranged attack roll.

124 | White Box Cyclopedia

Dodge: By making no attacks or casting spells
and focusing solely on finding cover and dodg-
ing incoming projectiles, the character receives
a +2 bonus to their Armor Class against ranged
attacks.

Parry: By making no other attacks or casting

spells and focusing parrying and feinting with
the melee weapon they have on hand, the char-
acter receives a +2 bonus to their Armor Class
against melee attacks.

Set Spear: If the character takes no other action

during a combat round and is wielding a spear
or lance, they can set that weapon to receive a
charge. If anyone makes a charge (see above)
against them, the character can make a melee
attack with a +2 bonus against that opponent ARMOR CLASS
before they are attacked by the charging op-
Armor Class represents how difficult a defender
ponent. If this attack against the charging op-
is to strike during combat. Normally, player char-
ponent is successful, it inflicts double damage.
acters have an Armor Class of 10. This can be in-
Shield Bash: If the character is using a shield creased if the character has a high Dexterity, uses
while in melee combat they can attempt a a shield, or is under the effect of items or spells
shield bash as part of their attack. This gives which grant magical protection. When an attack
them an additional attack in melee combat that which requires an attack roll is made against a
inflicts 1d6-1 damage, but the attack is made character, the attacker must roll equal to or above
at a -4 penalty and they lose any protection of their target’s Armor Class (after applying all mod-
benefits granted by their shield for the remain- ifiers) in order to successfully strike their target.
der of the combat round.
Some spells or area-of-effect attacks do not re-
Tumble: A character can attempt to move quire an attack roll and automatically inflict some
through a space occupied by an opponent or amount of damage.
opponents, but must make a successful saving
throw to do so. This movement must begin and
end in a space not occupied by an opponent.
DAMAGE & DEATH
If this saving throw fails, the character is halted When a character is the victim of a successful at-
adjacent to the nearest opponent and can take tack or other damage source (such as a spell), the
no other action. A character cannot also attack amount of damage rolled is deducted from their
and tumble in the same combat round and the current hit points. When a character reaches zero
Referee may rule that a small character (such hit points, they are dead.
as halflings) receive a +4 bonus to this saving
throw.

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 125

 OPTIONAL RULE: SPLINTERED SHIELDS Bleeding Out: A character reduced to 0 hit

If the Referee allows, then any time a character points suffers an additional point of damage at

would suffer damage from a melee attack they the end of each round. Bleeding out can only

can declare their shield has been destroyed. If be stopped via magical means, such as a Cure

the shield is magical, then it is not destroyed, Light Wounds spell or pouring a Potion of Heal-

but instead permanently reduces its magical ing into the mouth of the unconscious charac-

bonus by one. Thus a shield+2 that is splintered ter.

becomes a shield+1. If that same shield+1 were

splintered again it would become a mundane
shield and if that mundane shield were splin- HEALING & BINDING WOUNDS
tered, it would be permanently destroyed. Characters heal 1 Hit Point per day of rest in a safe
location. Referees can allow characters to bind
1d6-1 hit points (minimum 1) worth of wounds
following a battle. This takes several minutes and
represents players taking the time to clean and
OPTIONAL RULE: DEATH’S DOOR
dress any wounds they have suffered, stop, and
If the Referee is looking for a less lethal option catch their breath and generally recover from the
they can choose to allow a character reduced to battle. It requires a Healer’s Kit (see pg. 96), which
zero hit points to simply fall unconscious from is expended in the process of binding wounds.
extensive injury. Once reduced to fewer than
A character can only bind their wounds once after
zero hit points, the Referee can use one of the
a battle.
following options to reduce the lethality of their
individual campaign.

Constitution-Based: The character is not dead INVISIBLE OPPONENTS

until they reach negative hit points equal to An invisible opponent can only be attacked if its
their Constitution score. general location is known, and the attacker suf-
Level-Based: The character is not dead until fers a -4 penalty on their attack roll Note that
they reach negative hit points equal to their lev- more powerful monsters (those with sensitive
el. Thus a first-level character is dead at -1 hit smell, hearing, or those with more than 6 HD) will
points, while a seventh level character would be frequently be able to detect invisible opponents;
able to survive until reaching -7. the Referee should determine the chance of this
based on the creature and the situation.
Saving Throw: Each round a character is at
negative hit points they must make a saving
throw with a penalty equal to their negative hit MORALE
points. Failure results in death.
Certain monsters, such as unintelligent creatures
Ten Below: The character is not dead until they or mindless undead, will fight to the death. The
reach -10 hit points. majority of adversaries are not so foolish and will
Regardless of which option is used, a character seek to surrender, retreat, or flee from battle. The
with zero or fewer hit points is unconscious and Referee will typically decide when monsters or
may bleed out. other adversaries will abandon the battle or re-
treat – often based on how intelligent they are
– but as a general rule, when a monster or oth-
er adversary is reduced to one-half of their max-

126 | White Box Cyclopedia

imum hit points or when it is obvious that they
cannot achieve victory the Referee can choose to
roll 2d6. If that number is equal to our greater
than the monster’s Morale, they will flee or end
combat in the manner most likely to result in their
survival. Some monsters may simply turn tail and
run, while more intelligent beings might surren-
der or attempt to barter with the player charac-
ters for their lives.

NEGOTIATION AND DIPLOMACY

Some battles can be avoided with a few well-
placed words (or even lies). An adventuring party TRAPS
may elect to negotiate with, deceive or attempt Most traps and pits are triggered on a 1-4 on
to convince a hostile foe they encounter that 1d6 when any character passes over the trigger-
avoiding combat is in the best interest of all in- ing mechanism. Characters falling into a pit trap
volved. Such attempts should be roleplayed out, suffer 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet fallen.
though attempting such peaceful discussions Pit traps are the most common, though other
after the first arrow has been fired or sword has traps can include collapsing chambers, or hidden
been swung is extremely unlikely in most cases. spears. The Referee determines the damage for
these traps, which can range from 1d6 for more
SAVING THROWS common traps to as high as 10d6 for traps so
cataclysmic that they destroy the very structures
From time to time, a spell, or some other kind
around them.
of hazard (such as a trap) requires you to make a
“saving throw.” A successful saving throw means SEARCHING FOR TRAPS AND CONCEALED
that the character avoids a threat or lessens its OR SECRET DOORS
effect. Each character class has a saving throw
While exploring underground environments such
target number which gets lower and lower as the
as dungeons or catacombs it is possible to en-
character gains levels. To make a saving throw, roll
counter traps, concealed and secret doors. The
a d20. If the result is equal to or greater than the
rules for navigating these situations are detailed
character’s saving throw target number, the sav-
below.
ing throw is successful. Monsters can also make
saving throws (their saving throw target number is Traps: To search for a trap, a character must de-
their HD subtracted from 19, minimum 2). clare specifically that they are doing so and note
a 10’x10’ area where they are conducting the
FALLING search. Unless otherwise stated, such a search
When a character falls from a great height, they has a 1 in 1d6 chance of success and takes ten
lose 1d6 hit points for every ten feet fallen, to a minutes per 10’x10’ area being searched.
maximum of 10d6 if they fall from a height of 100 Concealed and Secret Doors: When a character
feet or greater. At the Referee’s discretion this passes within ten feet of a concealed or secret
damage may be reduced by one half by land- door while moving at cautious speed or slower,
ing on a reasonably soft surface (such as a large there is a 1 in 1d6 chance that they will automat-
snowbank or hay pile) or completely nullified by ically detect a concealed or secret door if one
landing in reasonably deep water. is present. To actively search for a concealed or

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 127

 secret door a character must declare specifically
that they are doing so and note a 10’x10’ area
where they are conducting the search. Unless
otherwise noted there is a 1-2 in 1d6 chance of
detecting a concealed or secret door if one is
present in the area being searched and this takes
ten minutes per 10’x10’ area being searched. TORCHES, LANTERNS, AND LIGHT
SOURCES
LISTENING AT DOORS
When traveling in a lightless environment, such
Characters can press their ear to a door and at-
as a dungeon or underground cavern, characters
tempt to listen for noise on the other side. They
need to have access to something which provides
have a 1-in-1d6 chance of success, though they
illumination. Characters attempting to perform
are unlikely to be able to make out the details of
sight-based actions in the dark, such as attacks
such noise unless it is particularly loud. They only
or saving throws which rely on vision make use
receive general information at best about what is
of a d20, suffer a -4 to their roll. Other tasks may
on the other side.
be penalized as the Referee deems appropriate,
such as a -1 or -2 on attempting to use Thievery
OPTIONAL RULE: LISTENING AND to pick a lock or disarm a trap in the dark. Faint il-
SEARCHING USING THIEVERY lumination, such as that provided by candlelight,
With the Referee’s permission a character with moonlight, starlight, or other meager sources
the Thievery ability can use that ability when reduce this penalty by one-half, though some
listening at doors and searching for concealed non-human characters may be able to see in low
or secret doors if their chances of success are or even no light. The most common source of
increased by doing so. Any character with the illumination are torches and lanterns, providing
Thievery ability always uses that ability when illumination to a range of 30 feet. Candles, on the
searching for traps. other hand, only illuminate a 10 foot area.
Characters can fight in combat with a torch as a
OPTIONAL RULE: INTELLIGENCE club, though every time they make an attack with
MODIFIERS AND SEARCHING FOR the weapon, they must make a saving throw, or
CONCEALED OR SECRET DOORS the torch is extinguished.
Referees may opt to apply a character’s Intelli- Characters with darkvision can see perfectly in
gence modifier when searching for and noticing natural darkness, though may still be blinded by
Concealed or Secret Doors. When attempting magical darkness.
to search for secret or concealed doors, a char-
acter applies their ability score modifier to their
chances of success. Thus, if a concealed door
WILDERNESS EXPLORATION AND
would normally be detected on a 1 or 2 on 1d6,
HEX CRAWLING
a character with an Intelligence of 15 or higher Not all adventures need to take place in a dan-
would succeed on a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6. Converse- gerous dungeon or seemingly abandoned crypt.
ly, a character with an Intelligence of 6 or less There are plenty of dangers to be found upon
would only succeed on a 1 on 1d6. This modifi- the surface. As player characters move further
er applies to noticing and actively searching for and further away from the civilized places of the
both concealed and secret doors. world, the dangers of the wilderness become
more a threat.

128 | White Box Cyclopedia

Traditionally, traveling over wilderness environ- TABLE 5-3: WILDERNESS EXPLORATION
ments is done by using a hex map which the Ref- ENCOUNTERS
eree has either prepared before play or is taken
Roll (1d6) Encounter Type
from a published source. These rules assume
1-2 Natural Hazard
that each hex on such a map represents about
ten miles of space and represents the amount of 3-4 Wandering Monster
ground an adventuring party can normally cover 5-6 Band of Travelers
in a single day of travel.
Travel across the wilderness typically begins from
While engaged in Wilderness Travel, characters
a civilized location, such as a town, village, city, or
must track the consumption of traveling rations
castle. As previously stated, adventurers can typ-
and other resources necessary to feed the party
ically cross a single hex (between 5 and 10 miles,
during the journey. Characters without the neces-
roll 1d6+4) in a single day. In the case of partic-
sary resources for this expenditure suffer the ef-
ularly rough or difficult terrain (such as a dense
fects of starvation as detailed on page 130 until
forest, murky swamp, or winding mountain can-
they receive proper nutrition and rest.
yons) the speed of their progress is reduced by
one-half.
For each day of travel, whether the travelers
EXPLORING ROUGH TERRAIN
have progressed across a hex or not, the Referee While wilderness is, by definition, more difficult
should roll 1d6. If the number rolled is equal to or to traverse than civilized terrain, each type of
lower than the number of hexes separating the wilderness has their own unique challenges. The
travelers from a civilized location, then they en- Referee can choose to apply the following modi-
counter a natural hazard, wandering monster, or fiers while characters are engaged in Wilderness
band of travelers. So, for example, if there is one Exploration, based on the terrain:
hex between the travelers and the nearest village • Dense Forest: Characters cannot see far
then they would have an encounter on a 1 on 1d6, and are more likely to lose their way or get
but if they were five hexes out, they would have ambushed. Surprise chance is increased by 1
an encounter on any roll between 1 to 5 on 1d6. for all encounters.
No matter how far from civilization travelers go,
a roll of 6 on 1d6 while engaged in Wilderness • Desert: Characters must consume twice the
Exploration always means they do not have an normal amount of water each day to represent
encounter. the need for extra hydration against the sun
and heat.
The exact nature of what is encountered should
be determined by the Referee based on their • Grasslands: High, swaying grass slows travel
individual campaign, or it can be determined and makes it easier for predators to sneak up
randomly using the chart below. Natural haz- on the characters. Reduce daily movement
ards should be appropriate to the environment through Grasslands by two (to 1d6+2 miles
through which the characters are traveling. Wan- per day), and all small monsters increase their
dering monsters should be equally appropriate chance to surprise the characters by 1.
to that environment. A band of travelers can
range from wandering pilgrims, ambushing high- • Mountains: Difficult climbs and winding, pre-
waymen, another adventuring party, or any other carious rock paths slow travel to a painfully
group of civilized people met in the wilderness. halting pace. Reduce daily movement through
mountains to 1d6-3 miles per day (minimum 0).

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 129

 • Swamp: Reduce daily movement through and allows them to recover food and water for a
swamps to 1d6-1 miles per day (minimum 0) as number of people equal to their level. Barbarians
the characters wade through muck and mire. have their own unique class ability that lets them
There is also an increased likelihood of catch- forage automatically as described on page 50,
ing a disease due to the wet environment and under their class ability “Wilderness Survival.”
pervasive presence of insects, at the Referee’s
discretion. SEAFARING
• Tundra: Cold, wind-swept, and unforgiving Each ship type has a base movement rate shown
characters traveling across the tundra must below. In favorable winds that movement rate is
make a saving throw for every hour of exposure increased by 50%, while unfavorable conditions
or suffer 1d6-4 (minimum 1) points of damage such as traveling against the current and winds or
from exposure. facing serious storms, reduces this by 50%.

FORAGING AND STARVATION TABLE 5-4: SEAFARING MOVEMENT

Each day of wildness exploration requires the
Seafaring Vessel Nautical Miles Per Day
character to consume one pound of food and
Sailing Ship (Large) 50
drink one gallon of water. The amount of water
required may be increased in arid conditions, Sailing Ship (Small) 40
such as trekking through the desert. If a char- Galley 30
acter cannot find proper sustenance, they lose Boat 20
1 hit point that cannot be healed by magical or
Raft 10
mundane means until they have received proper
refreshment.
To determine the wind conditions each day, the
If a character wishes, they can attempt to forage
Referee should roll 1d6 and consult the Table 3-4
in the wilderness for food and water. Foraging for
Seafaring Wind Conditions and compare it to the
one day worth of food and water takes 2d6 hours
type of seafaring vessel in use.
and requires a successful saving throw. Foraging
in particularly difficult or sparse terrain, such as TABLE 5-5: SEAFARING WIND CONDITIONS
underground natural caverns, volcanic waste-
lands, or harsh deserts imposes a -4 penalty to Roll Wind Effect
this saving throw. Failing this saving throw means (1d6) Conditions
the character finds nothing. A character can at- 1 Favorable Increase Nautical Miles
tempt to forage as many times per day as they Per Day by 50%
like, time permitting. While foraging a character 2–5 Normal Normal Nautical Miles
cannot travel or make progress in their travels. Per Day
Optional classes with the Forestry ability can 6 Unfavorable Decrease Nautical Miles
make a Forestry check to forage for food and wa- Per Day by 50%
ter in any environment with no penalty for harsh
environments. Doing this requires only 1d6 hours

130 | White Box Cyclopedia

SEAFARING ENCOUNTERS ter. On the day rolled, the Referee then rolls a
At the Referee’s discretion, Seafaring characters second d6. If the second roll is a 1, then a Seafar-
may potentially have a random encounter once ing Encounter has occurred. A third roll is made
every 1d6 days. The Referee rolls 1d6 once to on Table 5-6: Seafaring Encounters to determine
determine the number of days that pass at sea the nature of the encounter, or the Referee can
before there is the potential of a random encoun- simply choose an encounter.

TABLE 5-6: SEAFARING ENCOUNTERS

Roll (2d6) Seafaring Encounter

2 Terrible Storms. The ship is tossed and turned and is most certainly off-course because of it.
10-60% (1d6 x 10%) of the ship’s crew was tossed into the sea by its fury.
3-4 Dense cloud cover prevents navigation. One character aboard the ship must make a saving
throw or the ship becomes lost at sea for 3d6 days. If the character has a compass, they
receive a +2 bonus on this saving throw.
5-6 A galley is encountered, with a full crew. It may be friendly (1-2 on 1d6), neutral (3-4 on 1d6)
or hostile (5-6 on 1d6).
7-9 A merchant vessel, typically a small sailing ship, is encountered. It can be avoided, parlayed
with, or attacked. It is not aggressive, but its crew will defend themselves. The Referee
determines the details of this ship and its cargo.
10-11 A strange monster is discovered and attacks the ship! The Referee randomly selects this
creature.
12 A previously undiscovered island or landmass is found! The Referee determines the details
of this new land.

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 131

 SAILING AT SEA VERSUS SAILING ON A actions (or more at the Referee’s discretion) and
RIVER may require a save throw or other roll. Depend-
One of the unique aspects of rafts, boats, and ing on the nature of a character’s attempt, the
galleys is the fact that these ships are remarkably Referee should determine the appropriate roll to
shallow on the draft and were capable of sailing accomplish the task, if any. For instance, climbing
up rivers. However, not all of their vessels were up an enemy ship might require a saving throw,
designed for sailing on the open seas. Boats and while using a boarding plank might require no
rafts were designed specifically for coastal and roll, provided it has been secured between ships.
river travel. When caught in a Terrible Storm per
Table 5-6: Seafaring Encounters, all characters SETTING A SHIP ON FIRE
aboard either of these vessels must make a saving A particularly effective way to destroy a ship is
throw or be tossed overboard and risk drowning. through fire. Setting a vessel on fire requires a
If the characters are on a raft, this saving throw is flame of equal or greater size than a torch. At-
made with a -4 penalty. tempting to set a ship on fire requires a saving
throw, though if a character applies oil to a large
NAUTICAL COMBAT wooden area of the ship beforehand (which typi-
Combat can sometimes occur between the crews cally requires at least one round of work), this sav-
of two different seafaring vessels. In this case, ing throw is made with a +4 bonus.
characters will need to either board their ene-
Less reckless arsonists may opt to fire flaming ar-
my vessel or make attacks at range with ranged
rows at a ship or its sails. Assuming an open flame
weapons such as bows.
is available, it takes one round to light an arrow
Some ships designed for sea travel have the edge on fire. As long as the target ship is within range
of their decks lined with shields. Any character us- of the attacker, that attacker needs only to make
ing these shields for cover from incoming ranged an attack roll against a Armor Class of 10. If this
fire receives a +1 bonus to their Armor Class as if attack is successful they may make a saving throw
they were wielding that shield themselves. at a -4 penalty. If the saving throw is successful,
Another, more reckless option, is attempting to the ship has caught fire.
destroy an enemy’s ship directly with a ranged Once a ship is on fire it suffers 1d6 points of
or melee weapon. In these instances, all ships damage on the first round of combat that it set
ignore the first 5 points of damage and have hit aflame. This damage increases to 2d6 on the sec-
points equal to their Nautical Rate of Travel. Thus ond round, and 3d6 on the third round, up to a
a large Sailing Ship has 50 hit points, while a Raft maximum of 5d6 after five rounds of being on
only has 10 hit points. For every point of damage fire. For every 1d6 of fire sweeping across a ship’s
suffered by a vessel, its Nautical Rate of Travel is surface, an area ten square feet wide is covered.
reduced by one. If a vessel is reduced to zero hit Characters standing in an area that is burning
points it begins to break up and will sink in 2d6 suffer 1d6 points of damage. Attempting to put
minutes. out a fire is an ongoing and arduous process. A
character can spend an entire round trying to put
GETTING ABOARD AN ENEMY SHIP out the flames. Doing so requires a saving throw.
Attempting to board an enemy ship can be done Success reduces the next fire damage roll by 1d6.
through a myriad of means. Whether it is leaping If fire damage is reduced to 0d6 then the fire is
a short distance between vessels or climbing up extinguished. Failure means the fire continues to
the side of an enemy ship to stand upon the deck, spread. Up to five characters can attempt to ex-
these efforts always take at least a full round of tinguish fire at any given time aboard a vessel.

132 | White Box Cyclopedia

 age each round and can take no actions. How-
OPTIONAL RULE: TARGETING THE SAIL ever at the beginning of each round a character
is drowning they may make a saving throw to re-
At the Referee’s discretion, archers may use
cover and end this effect. Once a character has
flaming arrows and target a ship’s sails. Attacks
recovered from drowning, any damages suffered
against a ship’s sail are made against a Armor
as a result of drowning heals at the rate of one hit
Class of 14, but the saving throw to ensure an
point per minute that the character rests after be-
accurate shot that catches fire is made without
ing plucked from the water. Referees can impose
the penalty noted above. However, characters
bonuses or penalties to a character’s drowning
attempting to put out a burning sail suffer a -2
saving throw, based on the circumstances (such
on their own saving throws to reduce the spread
as rough waters) or other conditions. Characters
of the flames as noted above.
and monsters that do not need to breathe cannot
drown.

REPAIRING A DAMAGED SHIP

As long as a ship has not been reduced to zero
hit points it can be repaired. However, this is a
long and arduous process. Until all damage is
repaired, the ship will move at a reduced Move-
ment as noted above. While all the crew partici-
pates in the repairs, one character is declared the
Foreman. At the end of each day in which a ship
is being repaired, the Foreman makes a saving
throw. If this saving throw is successful, the ship
has repaired a single hit point of damage.

SWIMMING AND DROWNING POISONS

Characters move at Cautious Movement whenev- Some monsters, traps and special effects cause
er they are swimming through water and can hold a target to become poisoned. A poisoned target
their breath for three rounds, plus their Constitu- must make a saving throw or perish immediately.
tion modifier. Characters holding their breath for Particularly weak or potent poisons may modi-
shorter than this time or carrying or wearing their fy this saving throw. At the Referee’s discretion,
Strength ability score times five with no inherent poisons may inflict damage or have effects oth-
risk of drowning. Thus a character with a Strength er than death. For example, a poison might only
of 8 could be carrying 40 lbs worth of gear, while paralyze a character and prevent their movement
a character with a Strength of 12 could be car- for an extended period if they fail their saving
rying up to 60 lbs of gear. Anything more than throw or a slow acting poison might inflict 1d6
this limit and the character runs the risk of drown- points of damage each hour until the character is
ing, as does being underwater for longer than a able to find an antidote.
character can hold their breath. A character in
danger of drowning must make a saving throw
every round to avoid drowning. Once a character
begins to drown, they suffer 1d6 points of dam-

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 133

 EXAMPLE OF PLAY Referee: “Good call. In the flickering light of the
torch you can see a naturally occurring tunnel
Vandal (a human Fighter), Sero (a human Bard),
wind off in the distance, going well beyond the
and Bindle (a halfling Thief) are exploring the for-
light of your lantern. The cavern is still and silent.”
gotten Vault of Tharkhun - an ancient dwarven
vault that is long since been taken over by gob-
lins and is riddled with traps and monsters - when Bindle’s Player: “I’ll take point, in case of any
a new danger arises. traps.”

Referee: “You two have managed to slip deep Vandal’s Player: “You sure? You cannot see once
into the Vault’s lower levels through a secret tun- you go outside the light of the lantern. Why do
nel that descended straight into the heart of the not I take point, you bring up the rear, and we
mountain.” will keep Sero in the middle. That way if anything
does attack I’m most likely to survive.”

Bindle’s Player: “Yeah. Excellent job, Sero. I can-

not believe you convinced that miner to sell us Bindle’s Player: “Yeah, that sounds good. Just
that old map for thirty gold pieces. We avoided be careful.”
the first three levels of the Vault by using this.”

Sero’s Player: “Protected on both sides? Sounds

Sero’s Player: “Words are worth more than coins. good to me!”
Besides, he did not realize there was secret dwar-
vish runes on the back that led us to the passage.
He thought it was just his grandfather’s old min- Vandal’s Player: “Alright, that’s the plan. We
ing map.” slowly move down the passage at Cautious
Movement. Nobody touch anything. That means
you, Bindle.”
Referee: “Right. It was a clever bit of roleplay-
ing, and thirty gold pieces is no small amount to
a farmer. So you guys slip out of the tunnel into Bindle’s Player: “One time...”
a vast natural cavern. The area is strewn with old
mining equipment - picks, mattocks, sledges,
Referee: “Alright, you set off as quietly as you
carts - all of which are covered in dust and look
can. Which is not exactly silent since Vandal’s
untouched for ages. Who has a light source?”
chainmail armor clinks with every step - but you
are not making undue noise. The natural cavern
Vandal’s Player: “You’ve got it, right Sero?” winds on and you can see more signs of ancient
mining efforts - nooks of rock chipped away in
search of ore, more old tools, and the like. You
Sero’s Player: “Yep! I have a lantern tied to my round one corner to see a great stone door, eas-
belt that helped us see on the way down the ily eight feet high and half as wide, with a heavy
shaft. I untie it from my belt and hold it in my off wooden beam laid across it as if to bar it from this
hand so Vandal’s free to use her long sword and side. There are half a dozen dwarven skeletons,
shield and Bindle can be stealthy if he needs to.” claimed by time and covered in dust, piled be-
fore the door. A few of them are clutching melee
weapons like short swords and battle axes.”

134 | White Box Cyclopedia

Sero’s Player: “Well, that doesn’t bode well.” from the door. They are wearing what you would
expect of dwarven miners and a few of them have
tool packs and belt pouches that shift or fall away
Vandal’s Player: “I’d say not. Bindle, you wanna
as they are being shifted about. Do you wanna
check it out?”
go through them to see if they have any gold on
them?”
Bindle’s Player: “Yeah, I guess so. A halfling’s
work is never done, I tell ya.”
Bindle’s Player: “Ye-

Referee: “How exactly are you checking it out,

Sero’s and Vandal’s Players (at the same time):
Bindle?”
“No!”

Bindle’s Player: “I’m not checking out anything

Bindle’s Player: “...fine. So the door is clear of
yet. Can you two tall-folk move these skeletons
any obstruction?”
away from the door? Last time we saw a pile of
bones like this, they came to life and almost killed
us all.” Referee: “Yep!”

Vandal’s Player: “Fair. How many bodies are Bindle’s Player: “You said there’s all kinds of
there?” dust, broken rock pieces, stones, and the like all
around the tunnel?”

Referee: “Looks to be four.”

Referee: “Yeah, why?”

Vandal’s Player: “I drag them away from the

door, about twenty feet back, one by one. You Bindle’s Player: “I pick up a handful, tell every-
two keep your weapons at the ready.” one to stand back about 20 feet. Once everyone’s
done that, I throw it at the door, just to make sure
there’s no kind of touch-activated trap.”
Sero’s Player: “I pull out my short sword. Can’t
ready my short bow without putting the lantern
down.” Referee: “The dust and stones clatter against the
door harmlessly.”

Bindle’s Player: “I have my dagger at the ready,

but step into a shadow on the edge of the torch- Bindle’s Player: “Cool. I examine the door close-
light. Can I use my halfling heritage ability All But ly. The seams and details. I look for hinges, han-
Unseen?” dles, and the like. Trying to get a sense of how
it opens and closes. But, I don’t actually touch it
yet.”
Referee: “Yep. But as soon as you move, you are
visible. All right, it takes you a few minutes and its
gruesome work, but you drag the skeletons away Referee: “OK, it’s a bit tough to make out in the

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 135

 lamplight, but you can see faint dwarven runes that bar out of the way. Is it wood?”
written on it. You also see what appears to be a
small keyhole just below where the bar is set in
Referee: “Yep. A big, long wooden beam. Prob-
place.”
ably weighs quite a bit. Anyone want to give me
an Open Stuck Doors check?”
Bindle’s Player: “Dang. I do not read dwarvish.
Sero? Vandal?”
Sero’s Player: “Well, it’s not really stuck...”

Vandal’s Player: “Nope.”

Referee: “No, but same principle. Using strength
to get a door open.”
Sero’s Player: “Me either. But can I use my Lore
ability to at least get a sense of what the writing
Sero’s Player: “OK. That makes sense. Vandal?
says, even if I cannot read it?”
You’re the muscle.”

Referee: “Sure, Sero! I’m using the optional rule

Vandal’s Player: “Wait. Instead of making an
where you can use Lore to Decipher Script - so
Open Stuck Doors check, can the three of us work
you could actually translate it.”
together and just lift it?”

Sero’s Player: “Oh, sweet! I’ll do that.”

Referee: “There’s nothing in the rules about that,
but yeah, that makes total sense. You can just do
Referee: “Alright. You step up and spend a few it if the three of you work together. It takes a bit of
minutes examining the runes. <Rolls a d6 behind doing, but you get the beam down so Bindle can
a screen. Sero has a Lore of 2 and the Referee get a closer look at the keyhole.”
rolls a 2, which is equal to or under Sero’s Lore
ability. So it’s successful, but the Referee just tells
Bindle’s Player: “Ya know, one of those skeletons
Sero what he deciphers - not whether it’s accu-
may have a key on them. We could just check
rate.> Alright, from what you can make out it ap-
them for that, guys. And if we happen to find any
pears to say something like ‘You are now leaving
gold...”
the southwestern mining chamber and entering
the Great Southern Hall, May the Ancestors Bless
All Stones That You See.’” Sero’s and Vandal’s Players (again, at the same
time): “No!”
Sero’s Player: “I relay that to the party and tell
them it seems safe enough.” Bindle’s Player: “Fine. OK, Ref, I take a look in-
side the keyhole. Any unusual mechanisms I can
see?”
Vandal’s Player: “If it was safe they’d have not
barred it from this side. Be careful.”
Referee: “Nope. Nothing you’ve not seen in a
dozen other locks.”
Bindle’s Player: “Speaking of. We need to lift

136 | White Box Cyclopedia

Bindle’s Player: “Great. Can I see through it to
the other side?” Referee: “The sound of flapping feet on stone
and the echo of insane tittering against the rock.
Referee: “Yeah, but it’s pitch dark so not much Along the edge of your lantern light, a pair of
to see.” goblins gaze at you with hungry yellow eyes.
Scouts or patrol officers, they have clearly noticed
you and are drawing weapons. Who wants to roll
Bindle’s Player: “Alright. I pull out my tools and Initiative for the group?”
set to picking the lock.”

Sero’s Player: “I got it! I got a 5.”

Referee: <Rolls 1d6, getting a 1. Bindle has a
Thievery of 2, so he is successful at picking the
lock.> “It takes a bit of working, but you even- Referee: “You catch them a bit off guard and are
tually hear the satisfying click of the lock disen- able to act before them. They got a 3. Which of
gaging.” you wants to act first?”

Bindle’s Player: “Bindle gestures towards the Bindle’s Player: “I’d like to, guys. I throw the
door with a flourish and says, ‘All yours, heroes.’ dagger I have in hand at the nearest goblin.”
before moving behind Vandal and Sero. He puts
away his tools and draws his dagger again.” Referee: “Sounds good. He is 30 feet away,
though. Daggers only have a range of 10 feet
Vandal’s Player: “Alright, Sero. Get right behind when thrown. You wanna move your full move-
me so I have that lantern light. I press my shield ment and throw the dagger?”
into the door and slowly push it open.”
Bindle’s Player: “Heck no! I’ll close to 20 feet
Referee: “You push the door open. It swings and take the -1 penalty for a long-range throw
open quite easily at your touch - clearly a product since that’s double the dagger’s listed range.”
of fine dwarven craftsmanship.”

Vandal’s Player: “Nice. What can I see in the

chamber beyond?”

Referee: “It’s a huge open cavern, the floor is

perfectly carved and polished, with stone col-
umns running so high they go beyond your lan-
tern light. In fact, the entire chamber extends
beyond the range of your lantern. A long silence
hangs in the dark hall for a few seconds and then
you hear it...”

Sero’s Player: “Oh no. Hear what?”

Chapter Five: Playing the Game | 137

 Referee: “Alright. Make your attack roll.” Sero’s Player: “That is fine. I wanna keep these
guys at a distance.”

Bindle’s Player: “I’m only a 3rd level Thief, so my

class doesn’t give me an attack bonus. So that is Referee: “Alright, it is the goblins’ turn. The first
+1 for my Dexterity of 15 and +2 to attack rolls one rushes past Bindle and attempts to impale
when using a thrown weapon because I am a hal- Vandal with his crude, blood-stained spear. What
fling - right?” is your Armor Class, Vandal?”

Referee: “Yeah, but you have a -1 for being at Vandal’s Player: “I’m wearing chainmail and
long range with that thrown dagger. So, +2 total.” have a shield, so that’s +4 for the armor, +1 for
the shield - so 15.”

Bindle’s Player: “Right. <Rolls a d20, adds +2>

I rolled a 12, so I got a 14 total. Does that hit?” Referee: <Rolls a d20, adding the goblin’s attack
bonus> “A 14! You narrowly raise your shield in
time as the goblin darts in with surprising alacrity,
Referee: “They have an Armor Class of 13, so
bloodlust in its eyes.”
yes! Roll damage!”

Sero’s Player: “Wow… that was close.”

Bindle’s Player: “That’s 1d6-1 <Bindle’s Player
rolls a d6 and reduces the number rolled by 1> I
rolled a 3, so that’s 2 damage.” Vandal’s Player: “Yeah, but there’s still one
more.”

Referee: “Your dagger spirals out of your hand,

glinting in the torchlight and striking the goblin Referee: “Speaking of the second goblin is up!
in the shoulder. It snarls in pain and looks at you He turns tail and runs into the darkness, barking
with fresh hatred!” crude words in his native tongue that reverberate
through the massive stone chamber.”

Vandal’s Player: “I’ll move up and position my-

self between Bindle and the goblins, but not at- Vandal’s Player: “Great… now everyone’s gonna
tack.” know we’re here.”

Referee: “Sounds good. What about you, Sero?” Sero’s Player: “And we’ve still got this one on
top of us that seems bent on turning Vandal into
dinner.”
Sero’s Player: “I set the lantern down, drop my
shortsword beside it and ready my short bow.”
Bindle’s Player: “Maybe coming here wasn’t
such a good idea….”
Referee: “That’s a fair amount, so if you do all
that you can’t move or attack this round.”

138 | White Box Cyclopedia

CHAPTER SIX universe. Magic-user spells are prepared by re-
viewing the formulae and notes in a spellbook.
MAGIC AND OTHER ARCANA A character can only prepare a certain number of
This chapter details information related to the spells to bring along on an adventure – see the
active use of magical and other supernatural abil- description of the character classes to find out
ities. While it is assumed that both Magic-User how many, and what level.
spells and Cleric spells are available in all cam- Then the spells are invoked or cast, which is the
paigns, not all spells from these spell lists are process of saying the magic words and making
appropriate to all campaigns and players should the magic gestures to achieve the effect of a
consult with their Referee to determine if any of specific spell. It then takes effect and the mag-
the spells detailed in this chapter are restricted. ic described by each individual spell happens. In
In addition, this chapter includes rules for psy- the normal sequence of combat, the caster starts
chic abilities and magical duels, neither of which preparing at the beginning of the round and
should be assumed to be available uniless also casts the spell whenever their personal initiative
confirmed as such by the Referee. comes up in a combat round.
Each spell description lists a Level, Range and
SPELLS Duration.
Magic spells (often simply called “spells”) are
Level: This is a general measurement of a spell’s
strange and powerful things. They are broken up
power. Lower-level spells are typically weak-
into two broad categories: Magic-User spells and
er than higher level spells. Classes able to cast
Cleric spells. These categories are named as such
spells gain access to a more diverse and power-
because of their strong association with each of
ful selection of spells as they increase in level. A
those individual classes. Magic-user spells re-
third level Magic-User, for example, can memo-
quire study, scholarly research, and analysis to
rize 2 first-level spells and 1 second-level spell
learn and cast. These kinds of spells take years or
each day, while a first level Magic-User can mem-
decades of study to master but allow the caster
orize only a single first-level spell.
to quite literally bend reality to their will. Cleric
spells are granted by divine forces by the Gods Range: Each spell has a range. This is how far
of Law or Chaos to their most devoted servants away the spell caster can be from the target of
or by the great primordial forces of nature to a the spell and still affect this target. Spells with
few chosen protectors. They are, quite literally, a range of “Self” can only affect the caster and
miracles. spells with a range of “Touch” require the caster
to touch the target.
Some classes other than Magic-Users and Cler-
ics may also have some limited access to these Duration: Magic spells rarely last forever. Spells
spells based on their individual class features and have a duration, which is how long their magic
abilities. For example, Bards have limited use of remains effective or active. Some spells have a
Magic-User spells even though they are not actu- duration of “Instantaneous.” In the case of spells
al Magic-Users and Paladins can cast Cleric spells which restore hit points, cure diseases or cleanse
in a limited capacity even though they are not poisons, this means the benefits are instanta-
Clerics. neously applied – not that the healing occurs in-
stantly and then ends. By contrast. on spells that
Casting a spell has some requirements. First,
inflict damage do so instantaneously, hence the
spells must be prepared (or memorized). Cleric
same listed duration.
spells are prepared through prayer, meditation
or communing with the natural forces of the

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 139

 CLERIC SPELL LIST 3rd Level Cleric Spells

1st Level Cleric Spells Cure (Cause) Disease

Cause Fear Deathspeak

Circle of Protection Empower Turning

Cure (Cause) Light Wounds Light (Dark), Continual

Detect Chaos (Law) Locate Object

Detect Magic Remove Curse

Detect Undead Soul Blaze

Hymn of the Holy

4th Level Cleric Spells
Ignite
Cure (Cause) Serious Wounds
Light (Dark)
Mask of Death
Protection from Chaos (Law)
Neutralize Poison
Purify (Putrefy) Food and Drink
Protection from Chaos (Law), 10 ft. radius
Rally
Purification
Remove Fear
Speak with Plants
Sharpen Senses
Sticks to Snakes
Speak with Spirits
Weather Ward 5th Level Cleric Spells
Commune
2nd Level Cleric Spells
Create Food and Drink
Bless (Curse)
Dispel Chaos (Law)
Conjure Holy Symbol
Holy Light
Find Traps
Insect Plague
Hold Person
Quest
Paralyze Undead
Raise Dead
Set to Rest
Speak with Animals

140 | White Box Cyclopedia

MAGIC-USER SPELL LIST Halfling’s Luck

1st Level Magic-User Spells Hypnotize

Arcane Dart Invisibility

Bind Familiar (Basic) Knock

Blinding Flash Levitate

Charm Person Light (Dark), Continual

Circle of Protection Locate Object

Danger Sense Phantasmal Force

Detect Magic Sharpen Senses

Detect Undead Summon Spellbook

Hold Portal Summon Vermin

Ignite Terrify

Last Words Wall Crawling

Light (Dark) Web

Obscuring Fog Wizard Lock

Protection from Chaos (Law)

3rd Level Magic-User Spells
Read Languages
Alter Time
Read Magic
Bind Familiar (Advanced)
Sleep
Bind Object (Basic)
Summon Bound Object
Crystal Ball
Summon Servant
Darkvision
Weather Ward
Dispel Magic

2nd Level Magic-User Spells False Death

Acid Beam Fireball

Cause Fear Fly

Defender’s Ward Footfall

Defiling Touch Footpad’s Grace

Detect Chaos (Law) Hold Person

Detect Invisibility Invisibility, 10 ft. radius

Detect Thoughts Paralyze Undead

Disarm Protection from Chaos (Law), 10 ft. radius

Dwarfish Mettle Protection from Normal Missiles

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 141

 Spectral Presence Hold Monster
Summon Protector Lay Enchantment
Swordsman’s Skill Magic Jar
Unnatural Stillness Passwall
Water Breathing Shadow Form
Summon Greater Undead
4th Level Magic-User Spells
Telekinesis
Charm Monster
Teleport
Confusion
Transform Rock to Mud
Dimensional Portal
Vampire’s Touch
Empower Dread
Wall of Stone or Iron
Fire Binding
Giant’s Strength 6th Level Magic-User Spells
Hallucinatory Terrain Anti-Magic Shell
Massmorph Bind Beyond Death
Plant Growth Blight
Polymorph Control Weather
Remove Curse Death Spell
Soul Blaze Disintegrate
Summon Lesser Undead Dragon’s Breath
Threshold Invisible Stalker
Wall of Fire or Ice Move Earth
Wall of Shadow Move Water
Wizard Eye Project Image
Wizard’s Gaze Quest
Reincarnation
5th Level Magic-User Spells
Transform Stone to Flesh
Animal Growth
Walk the Planes
Animate Dead
Bind Familiar (Magical)
Bind Object (Advanced)
Cloudkill
Conjure Elemental
Contact Other Plane
Feeblemind

142 | White Box Cyclopedia

OPTIONAL RULE: DRUID SPELL LIST 3rd Level Druid Spells

Some Referees may wish to have a more flavor- Darkvision

ful spell list for the Druid class (see page 55).
False Death
With Referee permission Druids may use the
Footfall
spell list below instead of the standard Cleric
Spell List. When determining the duration and Hold Person
range of a spell that appears on both the Cleric Light (Dark), Continual
Spell List and Magic-User Spell List, Druids use
Locate Object
whichever is more advantageous. When casting
a spell strongly associated with Law or Chaos, Protection from Normal Missiles
the Druid selects which version they are casting Water Breathing
at the time they use the spell.
4th Level Druid Spells
1st Level Druid Spells
Charm Monster
Detect Magic
Conjure Elemental
Ignite
Hallucinatory Terrain
Light (Dark)
Neutralize Poison
Obscuring Fog
Plant Growth
Protection from Chaos (Law)
Purification
Purify (Putrefy) Food and Drink
Speak with Plants
Read Languages
Sticks to Snakes
Remove Fear

Weather Ward 5th Level Druid Spells

Control Weather
2nd Level Druid Spells
Create Food and Drink
Detect Law (Chaos)
Dispel Chaos (Law)
Detect Thoughts (ESP)
Insect Plague
Find Traps
Move Earth
Levitate
Move Water
Set to Rest
Reincarnation
Sharpen Senses

Speak with Animals

Summon Vermin

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 143

 SPELL DESCRIPTIONS increase the target’s speed. If the caster chooses
to use Alter Speed for a slowing effect, all vic-
Described below are all of the Cleric and Mag-
tims have their Move reduced by one-half (round
ic-User spells that may be available in an individ-
down) and must chose to either move or attack
ual campaign. The Referee should feel free to
(or equivalent action) each combat round - they
expand or restrict this list as they see fit. Cleric
cannot do both. Victims of this slowing effect may
spells that protect from or diminish the power
make a saving throw each round to end this ef-
of Chaotic beings or summon or empower Law-
fect.
ful-aligned beings can only be cast by characters
of Lawful alignment. Cleric spells that protect
from or diminish the power of Lawful beings or ANIMAL GROWTH
summon or empower Chaotic-aligned beings can
Spell Level: Magic-User 5 (Druid 3)
only be cast by characters of Chaotic alignment.
If the optional Druid class is allowed, Druid spell Range: 120 ft.
levels are noted in parentheses. Duration: 2 hours
This spell causes 1d6 normal creatures to grow
ACID BEAM immediately to giant size. The affected creatures
can attack as per a giant version of the normal
Spell Level: Magic-User 2 animal. This typically includes a +4 bonus on all
Range: 120 ft. attack rolls, a doubling of their hit points, and a
Duration: 1 round per level doubling of damage from all attacks.

When a Magic-User casts this spell, they launch

a ray of bubbling acid at their target. The Mag- ANIMATE DEAD
ic-User makes a ranged attack roll roll with a +3
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
bonus against a single target within 120 feet.
If the attack is successful the target suffers 1d6 Range: Referee’s discretion
points of damage, though the target may make a Duration: Permanent
successful saving throw in order to take half dam-
This spell animates skeletons (1-4 on 1d6) or zom-
age (minimum one point). On successive round
bies (5-6 on 1d6) from dead bodies. 1d6 undead
of the spell’s duration, the target suffers another
are animated per level of the caster above 8th.
1d6 points of damage, though they may make an-
The corpses remain animated until destroyed or
other saving throw in order to take half damage.
dispelled.

ALTER SPEED
ANTI-MAGIC SHELL
Spell Level: Magic-User 3
Spell Level: Magic-User 6
Range: 240 ft.
Range: Caster
Duration: Ten rounds per level
Duration: 2 hours
The caster must announce which of the two op-
An invisible bubble of force surrounds the caster,
tions is being cast. Both options have a 60-foot
impenetrable to magic. Spells and other magical
radius area of effect. Anyone caught in this area
effects cannot pass into or out of the shell. The
of effect finds their Move speed doubled and may
shell is centered on the caster and moves with
make one additional attack (or equivalent action)
them.
in a single combat round if the caster chooses to

144 | White Box Cyclopedia

ARCANE DART vice. It will follow basic commands (sit, stay, attack,
etc.) and the Magic-User can sense the familiar’s
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
basic emotional state (happy, afraid, nervous). In
Range: 240 ft. addition, while the Magic-User is concentrating,
Duration: 10 minutes + 1 minute per level. they can view the world through the senses of
their familiar, provided that the familiar is with-
This spell creates a ball of magical energy that
in one mile of the Magic-User. The newly bound
hovers above their shoulder for the spell’s du-
familiar is loyal to the Magic-User and cannot be
ration. At a mental command from the caster, a
magically compelled to betray them.
bolt of energy launches from the energy ball to a
visible target up to 240 feet away. The bolt strikes Regardless of the animal chosen, all basic famil-
without error and does 1d6+1 points of damage. iars have the following statistics: AC: 14, HD 3,
An additional bolt can be drawn from this ball of HP 18, Atk: +3, Dmg: 1d6, ST: +4, Mv: 12.
energy when the caster reaches the 4th, 7th, and Familiars may have unique traits depending on
10th level. Each bolt can be sent at a separate their animal type. Horses can be used as mounts
target, or multiple bolts at a single target, at the or beasts of burden and wolves have a keen
caster’s mental command. When the spell’s du- sense of smell, for example. The Referee is the
ration ends or all bolts have been launched, the final arbiter of what the familiar’s capabilities are.
spell ends. The energy ball provides only meager
If the familiar is ever slain, the caster permanent-
illumination, no more than a lit candle.
ly loses a single hit point and a single point of
Constitution. A Magic-User may release a familiar
BIND BEYOND DEATH from their service at any time through an hour-
long ritual but may never be bound to more than
Spell Level: Magic-User 6
one familiar at any given time.
Range: 30 ft
Duration: Permanent
When this spell is cast, all creatures within 30 feet
of the caster must make a saving throw. Those
who fail this saving throw will rise as undead crea-
tures in the service of the caster when they die.
Most will rise as skeletons, zombies, or in rare
cases wights. The spell itself does no damage.

BIND FAMILIAR (ADVANCED)

Spell Level:Magic-User 3
Range: Special
Duration: Permanent
In order to cast this spell, the Magic-User must
gather 1000 gold pieces in material components
and spend four hours preparing a ritual circle.
After casting the spell, a medium or large-sized
mundane creature (like a bear, horse, or wolf) is
summoned and bound to the Magic-User’s ser-

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 145

 BIND FAMILIAR (BASIC) a shared language. The Magic-User can sense
the familiar’s basic emotional state (happy, afraid,
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
nervous). In addition, while the Magic-User is
Range: Special concentrating, they can view the world through
Duration: Permanent the senses of their familiar provided that the fa-
miliar is on the same plane of existence as the
In order to cast this spell, the Magic-User must
Magic-User. The newly bound familiar is loyal to
gather 100 gold pieces in material components
the Magic-User and cannot be magically com-
and spend one hour preparing a ritual circle. Af-
pelled to betray them, though magical familiars
ter casting the spell, a small mundane creature
may have motivations of their own and seek the
(like a cat, rat, raven, or squirrel) is summoned
Magic-User’s aid in accomplishing them.
and bound to the Magic-User’s service. It will
follow basic commands (sit, stay, attack, etc.) Regardless of the familiar chosen, all basic famil-
and the Magic-User can sense the familiar’s ba- iars have the following statistics: AC: 16, HD: 5,
sic emotional state (happy, afraid, nervous). The HP 30, Atk: +5, Dmg: 1d6+2, ST: +6, Mv: 12.
newly bound familiar is loyal to the Magic-User Familiars may have unique traits depending on
and cannot be magically compelled to betray their magical nature. Most magical familiars are
them. capable of casting three first-level Magic-User
Regardless of the animal chosen, all basic famil- spells per day as well as detecting magic at will.
iars have the following statistics: AC: 12, HD 1-1, The details of these abilities as well as the pres-
HP 5, Atk: +0, Dmg: 1d6-2, ST: +2, Mv: 12. ence of any other special abilities are determined
by the Referee, but they should be appropriate to
Familiars may have unique traits depending on
the magical creature summoned. Imps might be
their animal type. Cats may see well in darkness
able to detect law and fly while pixies could lay
or be difficult to surprise and ravens have the
charm spells or turn invisible, for example. The
ability to fly, for example. The Referee is the final
Referee is the final arbiter of what the familiar’s
arbiter of what the familiar’s capabilities are.
capabilities are.
If the familiar is ever slain, the caster permanently
If the familiar is ever slain, the caster perma-
loses a single hit point. A Magic-User may release
nently loses a single hit point, a point of Consti-
a familiar from their service at any time through
tution, and a level of experience. A Magic-User
an hour-long ritual but may never be bound to
may release a familiar from their service at any
more than one familiar at any given time.
time through an hour-long ritual but may never
be bound to more than one familiar at any given
BIND FAMILIAR (MAGICAL) time.

Spell Level: Magic-User 5

Range: Special BIND OBJECT (ADVANCED)

Duration: Permanent Spell Level: Magic-User 5

In order to cast this spell, the Magic-User must Range: Special
gather 5000 gold pieces in material components Duration: Permanent
and spend eight hours preparing a ritual circle.
In order to cast this spell, the Magic-User must
After casting the spell, a minor magical creature
gather 5000 gold pieces in material components
(like an imp or a pixie) is summoned and bound
and spend eight hours preparing a ritual circle.
to the Magic-User’s service. It is intelligent and
The Magic-User then selects an article of clothing
can communicate freely with the Magic-User via

146 | White Box Cyclopedia

(such as a cloak, robe, pair of boots), a weapon of experience. A Magic-User may end their bond
(such as a dagger, staff, or sword), or piece of jew- with an object at any time through an hour-long
elry (such as a pair of bracers, a necklace, or a ritual but may never be bound to more than three
ring) to serve as the bound object. objects at any time.
After the spell is cast, the target object of the
spell gains several magical properties, though BIND OBJECT (BASIC)
these properties are only active when the object
is worn or wielded by the Magic-User. Spell Level: Magic-User 3

All bound objects can be teleported to the Mag- Range: Special

ic-User’s hand through the use of a Summon Duration: Permanent
Bound Object spell. In order to cast this spell, the Magic-User must
If the bound object is an article of clothing, the gather 1000 gold pieces in material components
Magic-User gains a +4 bonus to their Armor Class and spend four hours preparing a ritual circle.
and increases their maximum hit point total by The Magic-User then selects an article of clothing
five while the item is worn. (such as a cloak, robe, pair of boots), a weapon
(such as a dagger, staff, or sword), or piece of jew-
If the bound object is a weapon, then it gains a
elry (such as a pair of bracers, a necklace, or a
+3 enchantment while wielded by the Magic-Us-
ring) to serve as the bound object.
er and the Magic-User is considered able to wield
the weapon without penalty even if he would After the spell is cast, the target object of the
otherwise be prohibited – such as through class spell gains several magical properties, though
restrictions. In addition, the weapon can radiate these properties are only active when the object
a magical light which illuminates an area up to is worn or wielded by the Magic-User.
30’ to be activated or extinguished with a simple All bound objects can be teleported to the Mag-
mental command from the Magic-User. This light ic-User’s hand through the use of a Summon
has no duration limit. If the weapon is a ranged Bound Object spell.
weapon, twenty rounds of the appropriate am-
If the bound object is an article of clothing, the
munition and an appropriate storage container
Magic-User gains a +2 bonus to their Armor Class
for that ammunition also appears.
while the item is worn.
If the object is a piece of jewelry, the Magic-User
If the bound object is a weapon, then it gains a
receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws while the
+1 enchantment while wielded by the Magic-Us-
object is worn.
er and the Magic-User is considered able to wield
If the object is ever destroyed, the caster perma- the weapon without penalty even if he would oth-
nently loses a point of Constitution and a level erwise be prohibited – such as through class re-
strictions. In addition, the weapon can radiate a
magical light which illuminates an area up to 5’ to
be activated or extinguished with a simple men-
tal command from the Magic-User. This light has
no duration limit.
If the object is a piece of jewelry, the Magic-User
receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to
resist a specific effect (such as to avoid traps, re-
sist poison, or protect themselves from fire) while
the object is worn.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 147

 If the object is ever destroyed, the caster per-
manently loses a point of Constitution. A Mag-
CAUSE FEAR
ic-User may end their bond with an object at any
time through an hour-long ritual, but may never Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 2
be bound to more than three objects at any time. Range: 60 ft. (Cleric), Touch (Magic-User)
Duration: 1 round per level (Cleric), 1 round
BLESS (CURSE) per level (Magic-User)

Spell Level: Cleric 2 A single victim must make a saving throw or im-
mediately flee from the caster as fast they possi-
Range: One character per level of the caster
bly can for its duration. They will not knowingly
within 120 ft.
endanger themselves to escape and creatures
Duration: 1 hour immune to mind-based or fear-affects are im-
The caster must announce which of the two op- mune to this spell.
tions is being cast. The recipient of this spell can-
not be in combat when it is cast. As a Bless spell,
CHARM MONSTER
the recipient is granted a +1 bonus to all attack
rolls and morale checks. As a Curse spell, the Spell Level: Magic-User 4 (Druid 4)
recipient is cursed with a -1 penalty to all attack Range: 60 ft.
rolls and morale checks
Duration: Until dispelled
This spell operates in the same manner as Charm
BLIGHT
Person, but can affect more powerful monsters.
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 When cast, the caster can select one monster of
up to 9 HD as the target oraffect a group of 3d6
Range: 120 feet
monsters of fewer than 3 HD. If the spell succeeds
Duration: Permanent (saving throw allowed), the unfortunate creature
The caster curses the land around him with dark (or creatures) falls under the caster’s influence, re-
magic, permanently increasing the Dread rating garding them as a dear friend. If the caster does
by 1 point. This spell is extraordinarily taxing to anything to blatantly contradict this assumption,
cast, and may only be cast once per month. It is such as asking the victim to undertake a blatant-
only available in campaigns where the Referee ly suicidal task or treating them in a particularly
is using the optional Dread rules found on page poor manner, the victim can make a saving throw
191. to end the spell’s effects. Otherwise the victim
must have Dispel Magic cast upon them to end
its effects.
BLINDING FLASH

Spell Level: Magic-User 1

CHARM PERSON
Range: 120 ft.
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
Duration: Ten rounds
Range: 120 ft.
This spell targets a single subject who is exposed
to a bright flash which bursts forth from the cast- Duration: Until dispelled
er’s hand. Unless the target makes a successful This spell affects living bipeds of human size or
saving throw they are blinded for the duration of smaller, such as goblins or dryads. If the spell
the spell. succeeds (saving throw allowed), the unfortunate

148 | White Box Cyclopedia

creature falls under the caster’s influence, re- forming a cloud 15 feet in radius. Any creature of
garding them as a dear friend. If the caster does 5 Hit Dice or less or of 5th level or lower caught in
anything to blatantly contradict this assumption, the cloud must make a saving throw or immedi-
such as asking the victim to undertake a blatant- ately choke to death. The cloud moves away from
ly suicidal task or treating them in a particularly the caster at a rate of 6 feet per minute unless
poor manner, the victim can make a saving throw its direction or speed is affected by winds. Un-
to end the spell’s effects. Otherwise the victim usually strong gusts can dissipate and destroy it.
must have Dispel Magic cast upon them to end Poison-laden, the horrid mist is heavier than air,
its effects. and thus sinks down any pits or stairs in its path.
Creatures immune to poison or not needing to
breathe are immune to this spell.
CIRCLE OF PROTECTION

Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1

COMMUNE
Range: 20 ft. x 20 ft. area
Spell Level: Cleric 5
Duration: 1 hour per caster level (Cleric), 10
rounds per caster level (Magic-User) Range: Caster

This spell requires one hour of preparation be- Duration: 3 questions

fore being cast. The caster must inscribe on the Higher powers grant answers to three questions
ground or floor, a circle of magical runes and re- the caster poses. Higher powers do not like being
agents. The cost for these materials is 25 gold constantly interrogated by mere mortals, so the
pieces. When this spell is cast, the prepared circle spell should be limited to one casting per week
becomes empowered with magical protections, or so. The Referee may rule that a caster may cast
granting all those within it is 20’x20’ area a +2 a double strength Commune spell composed of
bonus to their Armor Class and +2 to all saving six questions once per year.
throw for the duration of the spell.

CONFUSION

Spell Level: Magic-User 4

Range: 120 ft.
Duration: 2 hours
This spell confuses people and monsters, making
them act randomly. The effects of the confusion
may shift every 1d6 rounds. Roll 2d6 to determine
the creature’s behavior:

TABLE 6-1: CONFUSION REACTION TABLE

CLOUDKILL Roll Reaction

2–5 Attack the caster (or their nearest ally)
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
6–8 Stand baffled and inactive
Range: Close
9–12 Attack an ally
Duration: 1 hour
Foul and poisonous vapors boil from the thin air, The spell affects 2d6 creatures, plus an additional

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 149

 creature for every caster level above 8th. Crea- CONJURE HOLY SYMBOL
tures of 3 HD or fewer are automatically affected
Spell Level: Cleric 2
by the spell, receiving no saving throw to resist its
effects, and it takes effect immediately. Creatures Range: Self
of 4 HD receive a saving throw to resist its effects Duration: 8 hours
once initially targeted and again each time their
This spell conjures a holy symbol into the caster’s
confusion shifts.
hand that is suitable for Banishing Undead.

CONJURE ELEMENTAL
CONTACT OTHER PLANE
Spell Level: Magic-User 5 (Druid 4)
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
Range: 240 ft.
Range: None
Duration: Until dispelled
Duration: See table
The caster summons a 16 HD elemental (any
The caster creates a mental contact with the
kind) from the elemental planes of existence, and
planes, forces, powers, and geometries of the
binds it to their commands. Each type of elemen-
beyond, in order to gain affirmative or negative
tal may only be summoned once per day. The el-
answers to the questions or unique insights that
emental obeys the caster only for as long as the
might otherwise be unavailable. The spell’s ef-
caster concentrates on it; when the caster ceases
fect depends on how deeply the caster wishes to
to concentrate, even for a moment, the elemen-
delve into the planes of existence. Doing so is not
tal is released and act on its own will. The caster’s
without risk and many spellcasters who delve the
concentration is broken if they suffer any damage
planes for answers beyond human ken find them-
or attempt to perform another task that requires
selves driven to a catatonic state should things
significant mental focus. As long as the caster has
go awry. The caster has extraordinarily little con-
control over the elemental it can be returned to
trol of which plane they touch. Roll 1d6 and con-
its home plane of existence with a simple mental
sult Table 6-2: Contact Other Plane to determine
command.
which plane of reality the caster contacts. The
Referee then rolls 1d20 and provides the answer
OPTIONAL RULE: DRUIDIC ELEMENTAL (or affliction of catatonia) to the caster. The caster
CONJURING does not know whether the answer they received
At the Referee’s discretion, Druids whose con- is actually right or wrong.
centration is broken while attempting to main-
tain a Conjure Elemental spell simply find their TABLE 6-2: CONTACT OTHER PLANE
conjured elemental returns to its home plane of
existence. Plane* Catatonia† Right Wrong‡
1 1–2 3–11 12–20
2 1–4 4–13 14–20
3 1–6 7–16 16–20
4 1–8 9–17 18–20
5 1–10 11–18 19–20
6 1–12 13–19 20*

150 | White Box Cyclopedia

 * Planes are the “depth” at which the caster lens is not expended when the spell is cast. After
chooses to seek the truth; number of Yes/No the spell is cast, the caster either holds the lens
questions asked to their eye to achieve a clairvoyance effect, or
† Temporary catatonia lasts for as many weeks to their ear to achieve a clairaudience effect. The
equal to the depth of the plane where the caster clairvoyance effect allows them to see through
sought to find answers. During that time, the physical objects no more than one foot thick. As
character cannot speak or meaningfully act or a clairaudience effect, it allows the caster to hold
speak and will simply shuffle along at half their the lens to a surface on one side and their ear
Move when guided by another. on the other to hear through a physical object no
‡ This represents the possibility of being misled or more than one foot thick as if it were not there.
misinterpreting an answer Lead (the metal) blocks both the clairaudience
and clairvoyance effects. It is sometimes used in
hammered sheets to create areas that are safe
CONTROL WEATHER
from scrying.
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 (Druid 5)
Range: Referee’s discretion CURE (CAUSE) DISEASE
Duration: Referee’s discretion
Spell Level: Cleric 3
The caster can summon or stop rainfall, torna-
Range: Touch
does, create unusually high or low temperatures,
clear the sky of clouds, or summon clouds into Duration: Instantaneous
being. This can have any number of effects, alter- As a Cure Disease spell, the recipient is cured of
ing landscapes, destroying settlements, or shift- all diseases—including those magically inflicted.
ing tides - often permanently. Its exact effects are When reversed for a Cause Disease effect, the
determined by the Referee, depending on what recipient is inflicted with a disease to be deter-
the caster was attempting to accomplish. mined by the Referee unless they make a suc-
cessful saving throw. The typical disease reduces
the victim’s strength, Dexterity, or constitution by
CREATE FOOD AND DRINK
1 point for 1d6 days. If any of these are reduced
Spell Level: Cleric 5 (Druid 5) to 0, the victim dies - but a cure disease ends this
Range: Close effect and after the 1d6 days have passed, the re-
duced scores regenerate at the rate of one point
Duration: Instantaneous
per day.
This spell creates a one-day supply of simple
food and drinking water for 24 people or beasts
CURE (CAUSE) LIGHT WOUNDS
of burden.
Spell Level: Cleric 1
CRYSTAL BALL Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Level: Magic-User 3
Range: 60 ft. As a Cure Light Wounds spell, the caster restores
1d6+1 hit points to the target. As a Cause Light
Duration: 2 hours
Wounds spell, the caster causes 1d6+1 damage
To cast this spell, the caster must have a small to a target with a successful melee attack, but
crystal lens that costs no less than 50 gp, but the they receive +4 to their melee attack roll.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 151

 CURE (CAUSE) SERIOUS WOUNDS DEATHSPEAK

Spell Level: Cleric 4 Spell Level: Cleric 3

Range: Touch Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous Duration: 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per level
As a Cure Serious Wounds spell, the caster re- The caster is able to speak with any dead crea-
stores 3d6+3 hit points to the target. As a Cause ture, though they must be either touching a piece
Light Wounds spell, the caster causes 3d6+3 of the corpse (such as a lock of hair, a fingernail
damage to a target with a successful melee at- clipping, or the flesh of their body) or be hold-
tack, but they receive +4 to their melee attack ing an object of great importance to the target
roll. when he or she was alive (such as a wedding ring).
They may ask one question per round and they
will hear the answer in their own mind, though
DANGER SENSE
the dead target is under no obligation to answer
Spell Level:Magic-User 1 truthfully. The dead are as diverse in personality
Range: Caster as the living and these traits linger beyond the
grave.
Duration: 6 hours
While this spell is active, the caster can only be
DEFENDER’S WARD
surprised on a 1 on 1d6., regardless of circum-
stances or modifiers. Spell Level:Magic-User 2
Range: Caster only.
DARKVISION Duration: Ten rounds per caster level

Spell Level: Magic-User 3 (Druid 3) By making a rapid magical gesture of protection,

Range: Touch the caster receives a +3 bonus to their Armor
Class and a +1 bonus to all saving throws for the
Duration: 1 day
duration of this spell.
The recipient of the spell can see in total dark-
ness, whether magical or mundane, to a range of
DEFILING TOUCH
60
Spell Level: Magic-User 2
DEATH SPELL Range: Touch
Duration: 1d6 rounds +1 round per caster level
Spell Level: Magic-User 6
Range: 240 ft. The target of this spell must make a saving throw
or have their Strength reduced by 1d6 for the du-
Duration: Permanent
ration of the spell. Creatures without a Strength
Within a 60 foot radius of the caster, up to 3d6 score suffer a penalty equal to one-half this
creatures with fewer than 7 HD perish. They may amount on all melee damage rolls. Characters
make a saving throw to avoid this effect at a -4 with their Strength reduced to 0 are unable to
penalty. move or act.

152 | White Box Cyclopedia

DETECT CHAOS (LAW) probing. Unconscious targets will not be detect-
ed unless they are asleep and actively dreaming.
Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 2 (Druid 2)
The spell cannot penetrate more than two feet of
Range: 120 ft. (Cleric), 60 ft. (Magic-User) stone and is blocked by even a thin sheet of lead.
Duration: 1 hour (Cleric), 20 min. (Magic-User)
As a Detect Chaos spell, the caster detects crea-
tures of Chaos, or those with chaotic enchant-
ments, intentions, thoughts, alignments, or auras
within the spell’s range. Poison is not inherently
evil or chaotic and cannot be detected by means
of this spell. As a Detect Law spell, the spell works
exactly like Detect Chaos except that it detects
Law.

DETECT INVISIBILITY

Spell Level: Magic-User 2

Range: 10 ft. per caster level
Duration: 1 hour
The caster can perceive invisible creatures and
DETECT UNDEAD
objects that come within this spell’s range of the
caster. Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1
Range: 120 ft (Cleric), 60 ft (Magic-User
DETECT MAGIC Duration: 1 hour (Cleric), 20 minutes (Mag-
ic-User_
Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1 (Druid 1)
The caster can sense the presence of undead
Range: 60 ft.
creatures within the spell’s range, though they
Duration: 20 minutes
cannot sense their exact location, nature, or level
The caster can perceive in places, people, or of power.
things the presence of a magical spell or enchant-
ment. Magical items or secretly placed charms
DIMENSIONAL PORTAL
may be discovered with this spell. The exact na-
ture of this magic or enchantment is not revealed, Spell Level: Magic-User 4
only its presence.
Range: 10 ft. casting, 360 ft. teleport
Duration: Instantaneous
DETECT THOUGHTS (ESP)
Dimensional Portal is a weak form of the Teleport
Spell Level: Magic-User 2 (Druid 2) spell that can be managed by lesser magicians.
The caster can teleport himself, an object, or
Range: 60 ft.
another person within 10 feet of the caster with
Duration: 2 hours
perfect accuracy to the stated location, up to a
The caster can detect the surface thoughts of distance of 360 feet.
other beings, but does not allow any deeper

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 153

 DISARM DISPEL MAGIC

Spell Level:Magic-User 2 Spell Level: Magic-User 3

Range: 120 ft. Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Instant Duration: Permanent or 10 minutes per level
(see below)
The Magic-User selects a single target within 120
feet. That target must make a saving throw or Dispel magic can be used to completely dispel
immediately drop an object (such as a weapon most spells and enchantments. It is generally cast
or shield) held in their hand. The item can be re- in one of two ways. It can be cast on an individual
trieved normally, though doing so prevents the under the influence of a spell (such as Charm Per-
target from attacking on the round of retrieval. son or Confusion) or an area affected by a spell
(such as Continual Light or Circle of Protection)
to immediately end that effect. This includes us-
DISINTEGRATE
ing Dispel Magic to close magical portals. When
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 used in this manner, the Dispel Magic’s effects
are permanent and effectively immediately end
Range: 60 ft.
a spell’s duration.
Duration: Permanent
Alternatively, it can be cast to temporarily sup-
The caster defines one specific target such as a
press a permanent magical effect such as magi-
door, a peasant, or a statue, and it disintegrates
cal trap or an area under the effect of a pervasive
into dust. Magical materials are not disintegrat-
magical effect not specifically tied to a spell. In
ed, and living creatures (such as the aforemen-
this second method of use, the Referee is the fi-
tioned peasant) are permitted a saving throw.
nal arbiter of whether or not a magical effect of
The Disintegrate spell cannot be dispelled.
this nature can be suppressed - if it can, then it is
suppressed for ten minutes per level of the caster.
DISPEL CHAOS (LAW) Dispel Magic has no effect on magical items un-
less otherwise specified in that item’s description.
Spell Level: Cleric 5 (Druid 5)
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: 10 min. OPTIONAL RULE: SPELL STRENGTH
As a Dispel Chaos spell, the spell is similar to When a caster is attempting to suppress a spell
the arcane spell Dispel Magic, but works against or effect that has been created by a powerful
items, spells, or agents of Chaos. However, un- caster or magical entity, the Referee can rule
like Dispel Magic, this spell also functions against that such an attempt to Dispel Magic may fail.
chaotic extraplanar beings, including dreams or In such instances, the Referee may require the
supernatural hunting-beasts. As a Dispel Law caster to make a successful saving throw for the
spell, the spell works exactly like Dispel Chaos, Dispel Magic spell to function properly and may
except that it will dispel Law. Extraplanar beings choose to impose a penalty ranging from -1 (for
targeted by this spell are immediately dismissed effects slightly above the caster’s general magi-
to their home plane of existence unless they cal ability) to -15 (for near godly magical effects)
make a saving throw at a -4 penalty. to that saving throw.

154 | White Box Cyclopedia

DRAGON’S BREATH This spell allows the caster to roll 4d6 instead of
the normal 3d6 when attempting to Banish Un-
Spell Level:Magic-User 6
dead.
Range: Caster
Duration: 24 hours (see below)
FALSE DEATH
For the duration of this spell the caster can, once
Spell Level: Magic-User 3 (Druid 3)
per round, breath a cone of fire 90 feet long and
30 feet wide at its base. This cone does damage Range: Touch
equal to twice the Magic-User’s maximum hit Duration: 12 hours
points. All targets caught in the effects of this
This spell causes the caster or touched target to
spell may make a saving throw for half damage.
immediately fall into a torpor. The target will ap-
After the Magic-User has used this ability three
pear to all mundane and magical investigations
times the spell ends. The spell’s benefits other-
to be dead. If the target suffers damage while in
wise end after 24 hours if any uses remain.
this state or when the spell’s duration expires, the
target awakens. It cannot be used on unwilling
DWARFISH METTLE targets.

Spell Level:Magic-User 2
Range: Caster
FEEBLEMIND

Duration: 1 round per caster level Spell Level: Magic-User 5

For the duration of this spell the caster takes half Range: 240 ft.
damage from all attacks made by giants, ogres, Duration: Permanent until dispelled
trolls, and other giant-type creatures.
Feeblemind is a spell that only affects characters
able to cast Magic-User spells. The saving throw
EMPOWER DREAD against the spell is made at a -4 penalty, and if
the saving throw fails, the target becomes feeble-
Spell Level: Magic-User 4
minded until the magic is dispelled. In this state
Range: 120 feet they have an Intelligence of 3, can only speak in
Duration: 1 hour babbling incoherence, and are unable to cast
spells.
This spell temporarily increases the Dread rating
of an area by 1d6-3 (minimum 1) for its duration. It
is only available in campaigns where the Referee FIND TRAPS
is using the optional Dread rules found on page
Spell Level: Cleric 2 (Druid 2)
191.
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: 20 min.
EMPOWER TURNING
Find Traps allows the caster to automatically per-
Spell Level: Cleric 3
ceive both magical and non-magical traps at a
Range: Caster distance of 30 feet.
Duration: 2 rounds

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 155

 spell’s area of effect must make a saving throw
or suffer 7d6 points of damage, Those who save
take half damage.

FLY

Spell Level: Magic-User 3

Range: Touch
Duration: 1d6 turns + 1 turn/level
This spell grants the power of flight, with a move-
ment rate of 120 feet per round. The Referee rolls
for the duration of the spell in secret and does
not disclose this information to the player.

FIREBALL FOOTFALL

Spell Level: Magic-User 3 Spell Level:Magic-User 3 (Druid 3)

Range: 240 ft. Range: Touch.
Duration: Instantaneous Duration: 1 hour per caster level

A missile shoots from the caster’s finger to ex- While under the effects of this spell, the target of
plode at the targeted location in a furnace-like this spell does not set off pressure sensitive traps,
blast of fire. It has a burst radius of 20 feet and can walk on ice, snow (or other lightly packed
damage is 1d6 per level of the caster. The blast earth) without sinking, and if the target falls ten
shapes itself to the available volume. A successful feet or more, they float gently to the ground like
saving throw means that the target only takes half a feather.
damage. Combustible items explode or ignite if
they are caught in the blast and soft metals may
FOOTPAD’S GRACE
melt at the Referee’s discretion.
Spell Level:Magic-User 3

FIRE BINDING Range: Caster

Duration: 1 hour per level
Spell Level:Magic-User 4
A caster under the effects of this spell is stealthy
Range: Touch
and skilled. They can remain hidden in shadows
Duration: 1 hour per caster level, or until acti- and move silently when traveling at one-half
vated. speed with a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of success. They
This spell allows the Magic-User to enchant a are also able to search for and disarm traps and
doorway or similarly sized portal that they touch pick locks with a 1-2 on 1d6 chance of success,
at when this spell is cast. The first person to pass though they will still require the necessary tools
through an entryway enchanted with this spell for these tasks.
sets off a magical explosion affecting all targets
within 30 feet of the portal. Everyone within the

156 | White Box Cyclopedia

GIANT’S STRENGTH down an illusionary tree in that forest, then the
effect would be dispelled.
Spell Level: Magic-User 4
Range: Caster
HOLD MONSTER
Duration: 1 round per level
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
For the duration of this spell, the caster has
strength akin to that of a giant. Their unarmed Range: 120 ft.
melee attacks inflict 2d6+3 damage and they re- Duration: 1 hour + 10 min./level
ceive a +3 bonus melee attack rolls when making
The caster can target either 1d6+1 creatures of
an unarmed attack. In addition, they can auto-
no more than 15 hit dice or a single victim to be-
matically open stuck doors, and are capable of
come completely immoble and speechless for
breaking locked doors with a 1-3 on 1d6 and even
the duration of this spell. When used on a group,
physically breaking through a magical lock with a
all victims may make a saving throw to avoid
1-2 on 1d6.
these effects, while when targeted against a sin-
gle individual that victim has a -2 penalty to their
HALFLING’S LUCK saving throw.

Spell Level:Magic-User 2
Range: Caster
HOLD PERSON

Duration: 1 round per caster level Spell Level: Cleric 2, Magic-User 3 (Druid 3)
For the duration of this spell the caster receives Range: 180 ft. (Cleric), 120 ft. (Magic-User)
a +2 bonus on all ranged attack rolls and can be Duration: 90 min. (Cleric), 1 hour + 10 min. per
quite stealthy when not engaged in combat or level (Magic-User)
performing other obvious actions (such as casting
Targets of this spell find themselves unable to
spells) rendering them almost hard to spot and
move or speak. The caster can target either 1d6
almost totally silent.
human-sized targets no taller than 8’ or weighing
more than 500 lbs within the spell’s range who re-
HALLUCINATORY TERRAIN ceive a saving throw to avoid this effect or may
instead target a single human-sized target who
Spell Level: Magic-User 4 (Druid 4) must make their saving throw at a -2 penalty.
Range: 240 ft.
Duration: Until touched by an enemy or dis- HOLD PORTAL
pelled
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
This spell changes the appearance of the terrain
into the semblance of what the caster desires. A Range: Touch
hill can be made to disappear, or could be re- Duration: 2d6 turns
placed with an illusory forest, for example. The
This spell magically holds a door or gate touched
spell dissipates when a sentient creature attempts
by the caster in position for the spell’s duration
to interact with this illusionary terrain in a mean-
(or until dispelled). Creatures that are inherently
ingful way. Thus a character walking through an
magical in nature or particularly powerful (6 Hit
illusionary forest would not cause Hallucinatory
Dice or more) can shatter the spell easily.
Terrain to dispel, but if they attempted to chop

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 157

 HOLY LIGHT IGNITE

Spell Level: Cleric 5 Spell Level:Cleric 1, Magic-User 1 (Druid 1)

Range: 60 feet Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous Duration: Instant
The caster radiates a sunburst of holy light that The Magic-User can cause one flammable object
goes outward 60 feet in all directions. All demons (such as oil, dry kindling, or straw) within 120 feet
and undead creatures within 60 feet of the caster to immediately catch fire.
must make a saving throw or be destroyed. Those
who succeed in their saving throw take 5d6 points
INSECT PLAGUE
of damage.
Spell Level: Cleric 5 (Druid 5)

HYMN OF THE HOLY Range: 480 ft.

Duration: 1 day
Spell Level: Cleric 1
This spell only works outdoors. A storm of insects
Range: 120 feet
gathers, and goes wherever the caster directs.
Duration: 10 minutes per caster level. The cloud is approximately 400 square feet (20 ×
This spell reduces the Dread rating of a location 20 feet, with roughly corresponding height) and
by one point. This spell is only available if the Ref- has a Move of 6. Any creature with fewer than 2
eree is using the optional Dread rules found on hit dice seeing the cloud of insects will flee in ter-
page 191. ror (no saving throw). Regardless of a creature’s
hit dice, any being caught in this swarm of rav-
enous insects is subjected to bites and stings on
HYPNOTIZE
an unimaginable scale. They suffer 4d6 damage
Spell Level: Magic-User 2 per round that an individual remains within the
Range: 30 feet swarm. The swarm cannot be damaged, except
by area of effect damage such as fireball spells
Duration: See Description
or large scale effects. If targeted by such an at-
A single target within thirty feet of the caster must tack, the swarm is immediately dissipated and
make a saving throw or be held in a half-aware destroyed, but anyone caught in the storm also
stupor for as long as the cast speaks in a low, suffers damage from whatever effect destroyed
soothing tone. The caster can attempt to implant the insects.
a simple suggestion in the target’s mind with a
1-2 in 1d6 chance of success. This suggestion
INVISIBILITY
cannot directly endanger the target. Because this
spell requires quiet and concentration, it cannot Spell Level: Magic-User 2
be cast in combat.
Range: 240 ft.
Duration: Until dispelled or an attack or signifi-
cant action is made
The object of this spell, whether a person or a
thing, becomes invisible to both normal vision
and to darkvision. If the Referee is using the in-

158 | White Box Cyclopedia

visibility rules unchanged, the result is that an
invisible creature cannot be attacked unless its
approximate location is known, and all attacks
are made at -4 to-hit. Attacking, casting a spell,
or taking a significant and obvious action (such
as kicking in a door) while under its effects this
automatically ends this spell.

INVISIBILITY, 10 FT. RADIUS

Spell Level: Magic-User 3

Range: 240 ft.
Duration: Until dispelled or an attack is made
Identical to the Invisibility spell, which makes the
target creature or object invisible to normal vision
and to dark vision, except that it also throws a
sphere of invisibility (with a 10 foot radius) around
the recipient, which moves along with the target.
Anyone who steps out of the sphere becomes
visible and does not return to their invisible
KNOCK
state upon re-entering the sphere. If anyone in
the sphere that is under the effects of this spell Spell Level: Magic-User 2
attacks, casts a spell, or takes a significant and Range: 60 ft.
obvious action (such as kicking in a door) while
Duration: Instantaneous
under its effects this automatically ends the spell.
This spell unlocks and unbars all doors, gates,
and portals within its range, including those held
INVISIBLE STALKER
or locked by normal magic. This does not include
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 belt buckles or boot straps.

Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Until mission is completed LAST WORDS

This spell summons an Invisible Stalker with 8 HD. Spell Level: Magic-User 1
The stalker will perform one task as commanded Range: Touch
by the caster, regardless of how long the task may
Duration: 1 minute
take or how far the stalker may have to travel. The
stalker cannot be banished by means of Dispel The caster touches a corpse and immediately
Magic; it must be killed in order to deter it from hears the corpse’s voice in his mind. The caster
its mission. hears the last words or thoughts of the target in
his mind, just before the target died.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 159

 LAY ENCHANTMENT LEVITATE

Spell Level: Magic-User 5 Spell Level: Magic-User 2 (Druid 2)

Range: Special Range: 20 ft. per caster level
Duration: Permanent Duration: 10 min. Per caster level
This spell allows the caster to create a Lesser This spell allows the caster to levitate themselves,
Miscellaneous Magic Item, Lesser Ring, Lesser moving vertically up or down, but the spell itself
Wand, Potion, or Magical Weapon with a +1 bo- provides no assistance with lateral movement. A
nus. Creation of such an item takes 7d6 days of wall, cliff side, or ceiling could be used to move
preparation and costs the Magic-User an amount along hand-over-hand.
of gold pieces in components as determined by
Table 6-3: Lay Enchantment Costs below. In addi- Levitation allows up or downward movement
tion, the caster should have access to spells that at a rate of up to 6 feet per minute (60 feet per
mimic the effects of the item created or have spe- turn), and the caster cannot levitate more than
cialized components necessary to craft the item 20 feet per level from the ground level where the
being created as determined by the Referee. spell was cast (such range being applied both to
Such components often require special quests to movement into the air and to downward move-
retrieve and can be dangerous to acquire. ment into a pit or chasm).
When casting Lay Enchantment, the caster also
runs the risk of permanently losing a point of LIGHT (DARK)
Constitution as they expend part of their very es-
sence during the item’s creation. At the end of a Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1 (Druid 1)
successful item creation, the caster must make a Range: 120 ft.
saving throw, modified based on the type of item Duration: 2 hours (Cleric), 1 hour + 10 min./
created. If the saving throw fails, the caster loses level (Magic-User)
a point of Constitution permanently, though the
As a Light spell, the caster targets a person or ob-
item is still created. See Table 6-3: Lay Enchant-
ject which then produces a light about as bright
ment Costs for cost and saving throw modifiers.
as a torch with a radius of 20 feet. As a Dark spell,
the caster instead causes night-time darkness to
TABLE 6-3: LAY ENCHANTMENT COSTS
fall upon the area with a radius of 20 feet.
Item Type Cost Saving Throw
Modifier LIGHT (DARK), CONTINUAL
Minor Potion 50 gp +4
Spell Level: Cleric 3, Magic-User 2 (Druid 3)
Lesser Wand 500 gp +2
Range: 120 ft.
Minor General Magic 1000 gp +0
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Item
As a Light, Continual spell, the caster targets a
+1 Weapon 1000 gp +0
person or object which then produces a light
Lesser Ring 1000 gp -2
about as bright as a torch with a radius of 20 feet.
As a Dark, Continual spell, the caster instead
causes night-time darkness to fall upon the area
with a radius of 20 feet.

160 | White Box Cyclopedia

LIGHTNING BOLT by the caster is slain, the caster’s life essence re-
turns immediately to the jar. If the caster’s body
Spell Level: Magic-User 3
is destroyed while his soul is in the magic jar, the
Range: 60 ft. soul no longer has a home other than within the
Duration: Instantaneous magic jar (although the disembodied caster can
still possess other bodies as before). If the jar it-
A nearly ten foot wide bolt of lightning extends
self is destroyed while the caster’s soul is within,
60 feet from the fingertip of the caster. Anyone
the soul is lost. The caster can return from the jar
in its path suffers 1d6 points of damage per lev-
to their own body whenever desired, thus ending
el of the caster, though a successful saving throw
the spell.
halves damage. The bolt always extends 60 feet,
even if this means that it ricochets backward from
something that blocks its path, though the Ref- MASK OF DEATH
eree may rule the lightning bolt blasts through
Spell Level: Cleric 4
comparatively fragile objects like thin wooden
doors or bails of hay. Range: Self
Duration: 1 hour per caster level
The caster takes on the appearance and some
LOCATE OBJECT
traits of an undead creature. They are immune
Spell Level: Cleric 3, Magic-User 2 (Druid 3) to the level-draining attacks from undead crea-
tures and all mind-affecting spells such as Charm
Range: 90 ft. (Cleric), 60 ft. + 10 ft. per level
(Magic-User) Person and Confusion. The character also does
not need to eat or sleep while in this state and is
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
therefore immune to Sleep. The character cannot
This spell gives the caster the correct direction be turned, but does register as undead if Detect
(as the crow flies) toward an object the caster Undead is cast. If the Referee is using the option-
specifies with a description. The object cannot be al Dread rules on page 191, the caster also gains
something the caster has never seen, although a Dread rating of 2 for the spell’s duration.
the spell can detect an object in a general class
of items known to the caster: stairs, gold, etc.
MASSMORPH

MAGIC JAR Spell Level: Magic-User 4

Range: 240 ft.
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
Duration: Until negated or dispelled
Range: See below
One hundred or fewer human-sized creatures are
Duration: See below
changed to appear like innocent trees. The illu-
This spell relocates the caster’s life essence, intel- sion is so perfect that creatures moving through
ligence, and soul into an object (of virtually any the “forest” will not detect the deception. This
kind). The “jar” must be within 30 feet of the cast- spell can be targeted by a Dispel Magic spell,
er’s body for the transition to succeed. which ends its effects entirely. Each individual,
Once within the magic jar, the caster can possess however, breaks the spell’s benefit upon them-
the bodies of other creatures and people, provid- selves if they attack, cast a spell, or take a sig-
ed that they are within 120 feet of the jar and fail nificant and obvious action (such as kicking in a
a saving throw. The caster can return their soul to door) while under its effects.
the magic jar at any time, and if a body controlled

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 161

 MOVE EARTH while in the fog or attacking a target hidden in
the fog with a ranged weapon is done with a -3
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 (Druid 5)
penalty. The cloud cannot be seen through and
Range: 240 ft. may also conceal those within it at the Referee’s
Duration: Permanent discretion.

This spell can only be used above ground. It al-

lows the caster to move hills and other raised PARALYZE UNDEAD
land or stone at a rate of 6 cubic feet per minute
Spell Level: Cleric 2, Magic-User 3
for 1 hour.
Range: 60 feet
Duration: 10 minutes
MOVE WATER
The target of this spell must make a saving throw
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 (Druid 5)
or be paralyzed for ten minutes. It can only be
Range: 240 ft. used on undead creatures.
Duration: See below
The caster must announce which of the two op- PASSWALL
tions are being cast: It can lower the depth and
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
water level of lakes, rivers, wells, and other bod-
ies of water to 1/2 their normal levels for no more Range: 30 ft.
than one turn per caster level. Alternatively, it can Duration: 30 minutes
be used to create a gap through water, but only
This spell creates a hole through solid rock. The
to a depth and width of 10 up to feet per level,
hole or tunnel is up to 10 feet deep per caster
effectively parting the water. Used this way, the
level and is 10 feet wide, to allow ample space for
spell lasts for one hour per caster level.
an average sized human.

NEUTRALIZE POISON
PHANTASMAL FORCE
Spell Level: Cleric 4 (Druid 4)
Spell Level: Magic-User 2
Range: Touch
Range: 240 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
Duration: Until negated or dispelled
This spell instantly counteracts poison, but does
This spell creates a realistic illusion that can make
not bring the dead back to life.
limited auditory noise. So the spell could conjure
the illusion of a dragon who roars and rumbles,
OBSCURING FOG the illusion could not make an illusion of a dragon
with fully articulate speech. The illusion can be no
Spell Level:Magic-User 1 (Druid 1)
larger than 10 cubic feet per level of the caster.
Range: 60 ft. When seeing or interacting with the illusion in-
Duration: 1 hour per level dividuals only receive a saving throw to realize it
is an illusion if they inform the Referee of such
The caster summons forth a cloud of thick, heavy
suspicions. Otherwise, the first time the character
fog rises from the ground and fills an area no larg-
and the illusion make physical contact, a saving
er than 20 cubic feet. This fog is very difficult to
throw is made. If it fails, the witness believes the
see through, and attacking with a ranged weapon

162 | White Box Cyclopedia

illusion to be real. Illusions believed to be real ing, then they receive a saving throw to avoid this
can inflict “damage,” though such illusionary in- effect. This transformation lasts one day per level
jury immediately “heals” when the illusion is dis- of the caster.
covered.

PROJECT IMAGE
PLANT GROWTH
Spell Level: Magic-User 6
Spell Level: Magic-User 4 (Druid 4) Range: 240 ft.
Range: 120 ft. Duration: 1 hour
Duration: Permanent until dispelled This spell projects a three-dimensional image of
Up to 300 square feet of ground can be affected the caster to a maximum range of 240 feet. Not
by this spell; undergrowth in the area suddenly only does the projected image mimic the caster’s
grows into an impassable forest of thorns and sounds and gestures, but any spells they cast
vines. This is considered rough terrain and would will appear to originate from the image. Unlike
require extensive culling to cross at any pace fast- most illusions, the projected image remains even
er than ¼ the traveler’s movement. The caster can when interacted with or attacked and appears for
decide the shape of the area to be enchanted. all intents and purposes to be the caster.

POLYMORPH PROTECTION FROM CHAOS (LAW)

Spell Level: Magic-User 4 Spell Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1 (Druid 1)

Range: See below Range: Caster
Duration: See below Duration: 2 hours (Cleric), 1 hour (Magic-User)
The caster must announce whether the spell is As a Protection from Chaos spell, the spell creates
targeted upon the caster, or on someone else: a magical field of protection around the caster
the effects are different. to block out all chaotic monsters, who suffer a -1
If the spell targets the caster, the caster may as- penalty on all attack rolls against the caster, and
sume the form of any object or creature, gaining the caster gains +1 on all saving throws against
the new form’s physical trait (the use of wings, for such spells and effects that have a chaotic crea-
example), but not its hit points or combat abili- ture or source as their origin. As a Protection from
ties. The Referee might allow the benefit of the Law spell, it does the same thing except that law-
new form’s Armor Class if it is due to heavily ar- ful creatures suffer the -1 penalty and the saving
mored skin. A great deal of the spell’s effect is left throw bonus is granted against lawful creatures
to the Referee to decide. This form of the spell and spells..
lasts for roughly one hour plus one additional
hour for each level of the caster. PROTECTION FROM CHAOS (LAW), 10 FT.
RADIUS
When someone other than the caster is targeted,
this spell allows the caster to turn one target with- Spell Level: Cleric 4, Magic-User 3
in 60 feet into a different type of creature (such Range: 10 ft. radius around caster
as a dragon, a garden slug, and of course, a frog
Duration: 2 hours (Cleric), 1 hour (Magic-User)
or newt). The polymorphed creature gains all the
physical abilities of the new form, but retains its This spell functions exactly as a Protection from
own mind and hit points. If the target is not will- Chaos spell (see above), but with a 10 ft. radius

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 163

 around the caster. As a Protection from Law, 10 ft. traordinarily taxing for the caster and may only be
radius spell, it has the same effect as Protection cast once per week.
from Law—except that its effect covers an area
rather than an individual. Anyone stepping out-
PURIFY (PUTREFY) FOOD AND DRINK
side the radius loses this benefit, but regains it
upon reentry. Spell Level: Cleric 1 (Druid 1)
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
As a Purify Food and Drink spell. the caster caus-
es enough food and beverages for up to a dozen
people to be made pure, removing spoilage and
poisons. As a Putrefy Food and Drink spell. the
caster causes enough food and beverages for up
to a dozen people to be made putrid, creating
spoilage and poisons.

QUEST
PROTECTION FROM NORMAL MISSILES Spell Level: Cleric 5, Magic-User 6
Spell Level: Magic-User 3 (Druid 3) Range: 30 ft.
Range: 30 ft. Duration: Until completed
Duration: 2 hours If the victim fails his saving throw, the caster may
The recipient becomes invulnerable small set a task for him. If the target fails their saving
non-magical missiles. Only those missiles pro- throw and still ignores the mandates of Quest al-
jected by normal men and/or weapons, like ar- together, they lose 1 hit point per day until dead.
rows or sling stones, are affected. Siege weapons These hit points cannot be healed by any means
or thrown boulders are unaffected by the spell. magical or mundane until the target takes up the
assigned task.

PURIFICATION
RAISE DEAD
Spell Level: Cleric 4 (Druid 4)
Spell Level: Cleric 5
Range: Touch
Range: Line of sight
Duration: Permanent
Duration: See below
This spell is only available if the Referee is using
the optional Corruption rules found on page190. Raise Dead allows the Cleric to raise a corpse
When a character is targeted by this spell they from the dead, provided it has not been dead
must immediately make a saving throw, even too long. The normal time limit is 4 days, but for
if they are a willing target. The target suffers a every caster level higher than 8th, the time lim-
penalty to their saving throw equal to the target’s it extends another 4 days. Characters who had a
current Corruption points. If the saving throw is constitution score of 6 or less in life must make
successful, the target of the spell reduces their a saving throw or they cannot survive the ordeal
total Corruption points by one. This spell is ex- of being returned to life and are permanently

164 | White Box Cyclopedia

dead. Even for those with a strong constitution, This spell brings a dead character’s soul back
a period of two weeks is required before they can from the dead, but the soul reappears in a newly
function normally. This spell only functions on formed body of the same alignment as the de-
heritages that can be used for Player Characters ceased. When a character is reincarnated, the
(i.e., “human-like”). Referee should roll on Table 6-4: Reincarnation
to randomly determine what form the reincar-
nated character takes based on the alignment
RALLY
they held in their former life. If the new form is
Spell Level:Cleric 1 a player character heritage, the player either re-
Range: 360 ft. turns to life in their former class at one level lower
than they previously attained or the Referee de-
Duration: 10 rounds
termines the closest appropriate class. For char-
When this spell is cast all hirelings and henchmen acters who return to life as a monstrous being
in service of the caster may immediately receive that does not normally have a class, the player
a +1 bonus to all morale checks, loyalty checks, can continue playing the character as a monster.
attack rolls, and saving throws. In such instances, they do not gain experience
and the Referee should use whatever method
they feel most appropriate to determine the new
READ LANGUAGES
monstrous character’s ability scores. The mon-
Spell Level: Magic-User 1 (Druid 1) strous character retains the saving throw, move,
Range: Reading distance Attack Bonus, special abilities, and other features
noted in the appropriate bestiary stat block.
Duration: 1 or 2 readings
This spell allows the caster to read directions, in-
TABLE 6-4: REINCARNATION
structions, cyphers, and similar notations that are
written in unfamiliar or even unknown languages. Roll Lawful Neutral Chaotic
It is especially useful for treasure maps. (1d6)

1 Blink Dog Centaur Bugbear

READ MAGIC 2 Dwarf Elf Goblin

3 Gnome Fairie Dragon Ogre
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
4 Halfling Giant, Firbolg Orc
Range: Caster only
5 Treant (7 HD) Human Phase Cat
Duration: 2 scrolls or other writings
6 Unicorn Lycanthrope, Planar
This spell allows the caster to read magical writ- Werebear Bladesman
ings on items and scrolls. Magical writing cannot
be read without the use of this spell.
REMOVE CURSE

REINCARNATION Spell Level: Cleric 3, Magic-User 4

Range: Close/Touch
Spell Level: Magic-User 6 (Druid 5)
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: Touch
This spell removes one curse from a person or
Duration: Instantaneous
object. Particularly powerful curses may require

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 165

 the caster to make a saving throw to successfully SHARPEN SENSES
cast this spell. Some curses may not be remov-
Spell Level:Cleric 1, Magic-User 2 (Druid 2)
able unless specific circumstances are met, at the
Referee’s discretion. Range: Touch
Duration: 6 hours (Cleric), 1 hour + 10 minutes
per caster level (Magic-User)
REMOVE FEAR
The target of this spell can detect secret and con-
Spell Level: Cleric 1 (Druid 1) cealed doors on 1-2 on 1d6 simply by passing
Range: Touch within 10 feet of them. If actively searching, the
Duration: Instantaneous chance of success increases to 1-4 on 1d6. They
may even attempt to search for traps with a 1-2
This spell ends any fear-based effects currently
on 1d6 chance of success, though they are not
affecting a target.
able to disarm them.

SET TO REST
SLEEP
Spell Level: Cleric 2 (Druid 2)
Spell Level: Magic-User 1
Range: Touch
Range: 240 ft.
Duration: Permanent
Duration: Referee’s discretion
This spell can only be cast on a creature which
This spell puts 2d6+3 hit dice worth of creatures
is already dead. The creature cannot thereafter
within a 240’ radius around the caster into an en-
be turned into an undead creature by an Animate
chanted slumber, but targets with more than 4 hit
Dead or other similar magic. They can still benefit
dice (or higher than 4th level) are immune to this
from a Raise Dead spell. This spell has no effect
spell. The creatures with the lowest hit dice are
on creatures who are already undead.
affected first, with those of higher hit dice being
impacted last.
SHADOW FORM Example: A Magic-User casts sleep on a group
Spell Level: Magic-User 5 consisting of 3 goblins, 2 hobgoblins, and 2 bug-
bears. Rolling 2d6+3, the caster gets a total of
Range: Caster only.
9. This means the goblins are affected first (they
Duration: 1 round per caster level have the lowest hit dice) and fall into a slumber.
The caster is able to briefly take the form of a This expends 3 of the 9 hit dice affected. The
shadow. They gain many traits of the undead hobgoblins fall next, expending another 2 of the
creature of the same name. The caster is im- 9 hit dice of monsters affected. With 5 hit dice
mune to Charm Person, Sleep, and mind-affect- worth of monsters affected, the first bugbear
ing spells. They are also immune to damage from (who is a 3 hit dice creature) falls asleep, but the
non-magical attacks and weapons. Though they second does not because the sleep spell only has
cannot be destroyed by someone attempting to one remaining hit die it can affect.
Banish Undead, they can still be turned or forced
away while in this form.

166 | White Box Cyclopedia

SOUL BLAZE SPEAK WITH SPIRITS

Spell Level: Cleric 3, Magic-User 4 Spell Level: Cleric 1

Range: Touch Range: Touch
Duration: 10 rounds per caster level (Cleric), 1 Duration: 1 hour
round per caster level (Magic-User)
This spell allows the caster or other other target
While under the benefits of this spell, the target to speak with incorporeal undead, such as ghosts,
cannot suffer from necromantic or magical effects specters, and wraiths. They are not necessarily
which would cause them to lose experience lev- predisposed to like the speaker but might impart
els or attribute points. They are simply immune. knowledge or insight to those who are willing to
In addition, any creature attempting to use such help set them to rest. The spirit must be within
an ability on the target of this spell must make a the sound of the target’s voice and understand
saving throw or suffer 3d6 points of damage. the language being spoken.

SPEAK WITH ANIMALS SPECTRAL PRESENCE

Spell Level: Cleric 2 (Druid 2) Spell Level: Magic-User 3

Range: 30 ft. Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour Duration: 1 hour
The caster can speak with animals within range. This spell allows a character under its effects to
There is a chance that the animals will assist him, see, hear, and interact with ghostly and incorpo-
and they will not attack him or his party (unless real creatures as if they were solid. Their mun-
he has something particularly offensive to say). dane weapons are able to damage creatures of
Animals have their own concerns, priorities, and this nature who would otherwise be immune to
perceptions on the world around them and can non-magical attacks.
sometimes seem strange to speak with.

STICKS TO SNAKES
SPEAK WITH PLANTS
Spell Level: Cleric 4 (Druid 4)
Spell Level: Cleric 4 (Druid 4) Range: 120 ft.
Range: 30 ft. Duration: 1 hour
Duration: 1 hour
The caster may turn as many as 3d6 normal sticks
The caster can speak to and understand the re- into snakes, each one having a 1-3 in 1d6 chance
plies of plants. Plants will obey his commands of being venomous. The snakes follow his com-
as far as they are able (e.g., twisting or bending mands but turn back into sticks at the end of the
aside to ease his passage, etc.). If questioned spell (or when killed). These snakes have statics
about the environment or events around them, identical to a centipede, giant (small) on page
plants will often have a truly alien view of things. 202, with non-venomous snakes inflicting 1 point
An old tree might, for example, say he saw a of damage on a bite.
band of orcs pass by recently - but to a 500 year
old tree “recently” has an entirely different mean-
ing than to a human.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 167

 SUMMON SERVANT

Spell Level:Magic-User 1
Range: Special
Duration: 1 hour per level
The caster summons an invisible, incorporeal ser-
vant which has a Strength of 10. It can carry ob-
jects and perform simple tasks but does not fight
and cannot be targeted in combat. It will only act
in a manner commanded by the caster and can-
not speak or function independently.

SUMMON SPELLBOOK

Spell Level:Magic-User 2
Range: Caster
Duration: Instant
SUMMON BOUND OBJECT The caster immediately summons a single spell-
Spell Level:Magic-User 1 book they own to their hand as long as it is on the
same plane of existence.
Range: Special
Duration: Instant
SUMMON GREATER UNDEAD
The caster immediately summons one bound ob-
ject (see Bind Object, page 147) to their hand as Spell Level: Magic-User 5
long as it is on the same plane of existence. Range: 60 ft.
Duration: 2 hours
SUMMON PROTECTOR This spell summons 2d6 Wights or 1d6 Wraiths
Spell Level:Magic-User 3 (mounted or unmounted, caster’s choice). The
monsters serve the caster loyally until destroyed
Range: 10 ft.
or until the spell’s duration ends.
Duration: Ten minutes per level
This spell summons a magically animated suit of
SUMMON LESSER UNDEAD
plate armor which is armed with a sword+1 and
a shield. It serves the caster loyally as a protector Spell Level: Magic-User 4
until destroyed or the duration ends. It will only Range: 60 ft.
act in a manner commanded by the caster and
Duration: 2 hours
cannot speak or function independently.
The caster summons forth 4d6 skeletons or 3d6
Protector: AC: 17, HD: 3+3 (lp 21), Atk: Sword+1
zombies when this spell is cast. The monsters
(1d6+1), Sv: 16, Mv: 9, HDE/XP: 3/120.
serve the caster loyally until destroyed or until the
spell’s duration ends.

168 | White Box Cyclopedia

SUMMON VERMIN TELEPORT

Spell Level: Magic-User 2 (Druid 2) Spell Level: Magic-User 5

Range: 120 ft. Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent Duration: Instantaneous
The caster summons and binds to his service This spell transports the caster or another person
either a rat, a bat, or carrion bird. The creature to a destination that the caster knows (at least
serves loyally until it is slain. As long as the caster knowing what it looks like from a painting or a
and the creature are within 120 feet of one anoth- map). Success depends on how well the caster
er the caster can see, hear and smell through the knows the targeted location:
senses of the creature and can sense its general If the caster has only indirect experience of the
mood and health at any range. A character can destination (known only through a picture or
only have one such vermin bound to its service map) there is a 1-5 on 1d20 chance of success—
at any time. with failure resulting in death.
If the caster has seen but not studied the des-
SWORDSMAN’S SKILL tination there is a 1-3 in 1d20 chance of failure.
Half of failures (1-3 on 1d6) will place the traveler
Spell Level:Magic-User 3
2d6 × 10 feet below the intended location, pos-
Range: Caster sibly resulting in death from arrival within a solid
Duration: 1 round per level substance. The other half of failures (4-6 on 1d6)
The caster immediately replaces the Attack Bo- will place the traveler 2d6 × 10 feet above the tar-
nus defined by their class with the Attack Bonus geted location, possibly resulting in a deadly fall.
of a Fighter of equal level. They are also able to If the caster is familiar with the location or has
wield any weapon for the duration of the spell. A studied it carefully there is a 1 in 1d20 chance of
magical weapon (defined by the caster) with a +1 failure, with 1 in 1d6 failures arriving below or a
bonus also appears in their hand for the duration 2-5 in 1d6 arriving above the targeted location. In
of the spell. If it is a ranged weapon, it appears either case, the arrival is 1d6 × 10 feet below or or
with 20 rounds of the appropriate ammunition. above the intended location.
The weapon and any unspent ammunition vanish
when the spell ends.
TERRIFY

Spell Level: Magic-User 2

TELEKINESIS
Range: 60 feet
Spell Level: Magic-User 5
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Range: 120 ft.
All creatures within 60 feet of the caster must
Duration: 1 hour
make a saving throw. Those who fail become
The caster can move objects using mental power terrified of the caster. They find their strength
alone. The amount of weight the caster can lift drained if they attempt to attack the caster and
and move is 20 pounds per level. suffer a -2 penalty to all damage rolls when mak-
ing melee or ranged attacks while they are within
60 feet of the caster.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 169

 THRESHOLD When this spell is cast shadows lengthen and si-
lence hangs heavily in the air. The caster and all
Spell Level:Magic-User 4
within 120 feet of them move in perfect silence
Range: 1 hour per level as long as they travel at half their normal speed.
Duration: 2 hours per level In addition, if there are shadows large enough to
conceal a character within 120 feet they become
This spell can be cast on any doorway or entrance.
automatically hidden when attempting to con-
For the duration of the spell any extraplanar crea-
ceal themselves within such a darkness.
ture (such as a demon) attempting to cross it
must make a saving throw (with a -2 penalty) or
they are halted and suffer 5d6 points of damage. VAMPIRE’S TOUCH
In addition, the caster is immediately aware the Spell Level:Magic-User 5
threshold has been crossed whenever any crea-
Range: Touch
ture, extraplanar or otherwise, attempts to cross
this threshold. Duration: 1 round per level
For the duration of this spell the caster receives a
+2 bonus on all melee rolls made while unarmed.
TRANSFORM ROCK TO MUD
In addition, any target they strike in unarmed me-
Spell Level: Magic-User 5 lee combat suffers 2d6 points of damage and the
Range: 120 ft. caster heals the same amount of hit points as the
damage inflicted, though the caster cannot ex-
Duration: 3d6 days, or spell reversal
ceed their maximum hit point total. Undead are
This spell transforms rock (and any other form immune to this spell.
of earth) into mud, or mud to rock. An area of
roughly 300 ft. x 300 ft. becomes a deep mire,
WALK THE PLANES
reducing movement to one-half of normal.
Spell Level:Magic-User 6
Range: 10 ft.
TRANSFORM STONE TO FLESH
Duration: 1d6 rounds
Spell Level: Magic-User 6
The caster tears a hole in the fabric of reality
Range: 120 ft. to another plane of existence of their choice.
Duration: Permanent until reversed This can include an elemental plane, the astral
plane, or any other reality agreed upon by the
This spell transforms flesh into stone or stone into
Referee. This hole is large enough for the cast-
flesh, as desired by the caster. A saving throw at
er or other human-sized creature to step through
a -4 penalty is permitted to avoid being turned
and remains open for the duration of the spell.
into stone, but if the spell succeeds the victim is
In addition, for the next eight hours, the caster
transformed into a statue.
and anyone else stepping through the hole is
immune to any naturally occuring effects of that
UNNATURAL STILLNESS plane which would normally be detrimental. So
a character stepping onto the elemental plane
Spell Level: Magic-User 3
of water would be able to breathe water, or one
Range: 120 feet stepping onto the elemental plane of fire would
Duration: 10 minutes be immune to fire damage, etc. The exact nature
of this benefit is determined by the Referee.

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WALL CRAWLING WALL OF SHADOW

Spell Level:Magic-User 2 Spell Level: Magic-User 4

Range: Touch Range: 60 feet
Duration: 1d6 rounds per level Duration: Concentration
The target of this spell can walk on walls and When this spell is cast, the Magic-User chooses
other vertical surfaces at their normal movement to either conjure a wall that is 60 feet long and
rate for the spell’s duration. They may even walk 20 feet high or a circular wall with a 15 foot radius
on ceilings for the duration, though only at half that is also 20 feet high. The wall radiates an aura
movement. When this spell’s duration ends, the of unnatural fear. It is built of pure darkness and
target is immediately at the mercy of gravity. those who attempt to look through it see only an
infinite blackness. Any creatures of 3 or fewer hit
WALL OF FIRE OR ICE dice who touch the wall immediately flee in fear.
Additionally they lose a single point of Strength
Spell Level: Magic-User 4 permanently as well as taking 2d6 points of dam-
Range: 60 ft. age as their life force is sucked from them. Char-
Duration: Concentration acters and creatures of more than 3 hit dice may
attempt a saving throw to diminish these effects.
The caster must announce which of the two op-
Those who succeed in their saving throw do not
tions are being cast:
lose a point of Strength, suffer only 1d6 points of
1. As a Wall of Fire spell, the caster conjures damage, and are able to pass through the wall.
a wall of fire that flares into being and burns
for as long as the caster concentrates upon it.
WALL OF STONE OR IRON
Creatures with 3 or fewer hit dice cannot pass
through it, and no creature can see through Spell Level: Magic-User 5
it to the other side. Passing through the fire
Range: 60 ft.
inflicts 1d6 hit points of damage (no saving
throw) and undead creatures sustain twice the Duration: Permanent (stone) or 2 hours (iron)
normal damage. The caster may choose to cre- The caster must announce which of the two op-
ate a straight wall 60 feet long and 20 feet high, tions are being cast:
or a circular wall with a 15 foot radius, also 20 As a Wall of Stone spell, the caster conjures a wall
feet high. of stone 2 feet thick, with a surface area of 1,000
2. As a Wall of Ice spell, the caster conjures up a 6 square feet. As a Wall of Iron spell, the caster
foot thick wall of ice. The caster may choose to conjures an iron wall from thin air. The wall is 3
create a straight wall 60 feet long and 20 feet feet thick, with a surface area of 500 square feet.
high, or a circular wall with a 15 foot radius, also
20 feet high. Creatures with 3 or fewer hit dice WATER BREATHING
cannot affect the wall, but creatures of 4+ hit
dice are able to smash through it, taking 1d6 Spell Level: Magic-User 3 (Druid 3)
points of damage in the process. Creatures Range: 30 ft.
with fire-based metabolisms (like fire giants) Duration: 2 hours
take 2d6 instead of the normal 1d6. Fire spells
This spell grants the ability to breathe underwa-
and magical effects are negated within 10 feet
ter until the spell’s duration expires.
of the wall.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 171

 WEATHER WARD WIZARD’S GAZE

Spell Level:Cleric 1, Magic-User 1 (Druid 1( Spell Level: Magic-User 4

Range: Touch Range: Caster only.
Duration: 24 hours Duration: Instant
For the duration of this spell the target is immune Using this spell, the caster can gaze into the eyes
to the mundane annoyances of natural weather. of a single target no more than 30 feet away. The
They will not go snow blind when traveling in a target may make a saving throw to resist its ef-
blizzard or get wet during a rainstorm, for exam- fects. If this saving throw fails, the caster immedi-
ple. They are still at the mercy of extreme heat, ately knows the target’s true heritage, class, level,
extreme cold, and other major effects of extraor- and alignment. They also know the target’s great-
dinary weather. est hope, their greatest fear, their current goals,
and whether or not they are under an enchant-
ment or other magical binding.
WEB

Spell Level: Magic-User 2

WIZARD LOCK
Range: 30 ft.
Spell Level: Magic-User 2
Duration: 8 hours
Range: Close
Fibrous, sticky webs fill an area up to 10 × 10 ×
20 feet. It is extremely difficult to get through the Duration: Permanent until dispelled
mass of strands—it can be burnt away with 1d6 A single opening (such as a door, chest, book
rounds of work if a torch or a flaming sword are clasp, or other portal) is permanently sealed,
used. Creatures larger than a horse can break with a few exceptions. Anyone capable of cast-
through in 2d6 rounds, but do not damage the ing Magic-User spells that is three levels or high-
web. turns. Humans take longer to break through, er than the initial caster of the Wizard Lock can
typically 3d6 rounds. Being caught in the web im- open the portal, and a Knock or Dispel Magic
poses a -2 penalty to the victim’s attack rolls and spell will open it as well.
Armor Class, and reduces movement to ¼ of its
normal rate.

WIZARD EYE

Spell Level: Magic-User 4

Range: 240 ft.
Duration: 1 hour
The caster conjures up an invisible, magical “eye”
through which the caster can see that can move
a maximum of 240 feet from its creator. It floats
along as directed by the caster, at a rate of 120
feet per turn.

172 | White Box Cyclopedia

 LATENT Latent Casters. They do not need to memorize or
SPELLCASTERS AND otherwise prepare these spells, but instead cast
BLESSED SCIONS them as needed from their selection of known
spells. They simply select one of their known
Latent Spellcasters and Bless-
spells and cast it just as if they were a Magic-User
ed Scions are entirely option-
casting it after memorization.
al and players should consult
with the Referee before as- Spells Known: Beginning at 2nd level, Latent
suming they are available as Casters instinctively learn the methods necessary
an option for their character. to cast a small selection of spells. At 2nd level,
they may select one first level Magic-User spell
While most arcane spellcast-
which they “know.” The number of spells known
ers train for years (or even de-
increases as they advance in level and at 8th lev-
cades) to master the arcane
el, the Latent Caster character even gains an un-
arts, a rare few are born with
derstanding of more advanced 2nd level spells.
a natural affinity for magic.
These rare few, known as the XP Cost: Latent Casters are less focused on their
Latent Casters, find that mag- profession due to their arcane nature. They must
ic flows through their veins pay the listed XP cost in addition to that required
and they are instinctively able to cast a select few by their class in order to advance in level. This
Magic-User spells. Though they will never learn is added to their required Experience Points to
the powerful enchantments of a formally trained advance each level.
spellcaster, Latent Caster characters nevertheless
Note: Latent Casters cannot use scrolls contain-
find themselves able to call upon a few useful en-
ing Magic-User spells, nor do they gain any other
chantments when caught in a pinch.
abilities normally reserved for Magic-Users.
At character creation, a player may elect to have
their character be a Latent Caster. Only characters
whose class does not already grant them access Blessed Scions
to the Magic-User Spell List can be Latent Casters Referees can also choose to allow characters to
and any heritage that receives an inherent bonus select spells from the Cleric Spell List instead of
to saving throws made to resist spells or magical the Magic-User Spell List. These rare individuals
effects is also prohibited from becoming a Latent have been touched by the divine in some perma-
Caster. nent capacity and are known as Blessed Scions.
Only characters whose class does not already
As shown on Table 6-5: Latent Casters, the char-
grant them access to the Cleric Spell List can be
acter has a truncated progression of Magic-User
Blessed Scions. They otherwise function identi-
spells.
cally to Latent Casters.
Spells Per Day: Beginning at 2nd level, a Latent
Caster can cast a number of spells from the Mag-
ic-User Spell List per day as shown on Table 6-5:

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 173

 TABLE 6-5: LATENT CASTERS

Level 1st Level Spells 2nd Level Spells 1st Level Spells 2nd Level Spells Additional
per Day per Day Known Known XP
Cost
1 0 0 0 0 125
2 1 0 1 0 250
3 1 0 2 0 500
4 1 0 3 0 1,000
5 2 0 3 0 2,000
6 2 0 3 0 4,000
7 2 0 3 0 8,000
8 2 1 3 1 16,000
9 2 1 3 2 32,000
10 2 1 3 3 64,000

ARCANE DUELS Once both Magic-Users have agreed to engage

in an Arcane Duel and selected a suitable loca-
Arcane duels are entirely optional and players
tion, they focus their natural magical energy into
should consult with the Referee before assuming
a pool of Spell Points. Magic-users begin an Ar-
they are available as an option for their character.
cane Duel with a number of Spell Points deter-
Only Magic-Users can participate in arcane duels.
mined by their character level as shown on Table
Two Magic-Users sometimes choose to settle dis- 6-6: Base Spell Points.
putes via the ancient art of the arcane duel. Us-
ing their magical talents, they stand against one
TABLE 6-6: BASE SPELL POINTS
another in a formalized and ancient form of ritual
combat: the Arcane Duel. Level Spell Points

An Arcane Duel can only occur between two Mag- 1 1

ic-Users and only if both parties agree to engage 2 3
in one. Typically, once a duel has been agreed 3 6
upon by two Magic-Users they find a large, unde-
4 10
veloped area away from bystanders and civiliza-
5 15
tions in order to prevent collateral damage. Be-
cause of the immense power drawn upon during 6 21
an Arcane Duel, very few Magic-Users of lower 7 28
than 6th level engage in them – though it is pos- 8 36
sible.
9 45
10 55

174 | White Box Cyclopedia

 ARCANE DUEL
OPTIONAL RULE: BONUS SPELL POINTS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
FOR HIGH INTELLIGENCE
• Step One: Decide Actions
At the Referee’s discretion, Magic-Users with
an Intelligence of 15 or higher engaging in an • Step Two: Reveal First Action
Arcane Duel may receive a number of bonus
• Step Three: Roll Initiative
Spell Points equal to their character level. This
is added to the spell point amount determined • Step Four: Highest Initiative Takes First
by their character level shown on Table 6-6: Action. Resolve Results
Base Spell Points.
• Step Five: Lowest Initiative Takes First
Action. Resolve Results.
PREPARING FOR THE DUEL • Step Six: Highest Initiative Takes Second
Before the Arcane Duel begins, each Magic-User Action. Resolve Results.
can spend a total number of spell points equal to
• Step Seven: Lowest Initiative Takes Second
their character level to gain any of the following
Action. Resolve Results.
benefits. Each benefit may be purchased multiple
times and its effects last for the duration of the • Step Eight: Round Resolution
Arcane Duel.
An Arcane Duel is broken down into combat
• Arcane Shielding: The Magic-User receives a
rounds, just like normal combat. There are sev-
+1 bonus to all saving throws made to resist or
eral differences, detailed below. During a single
reduce damage during the Arcane Duel.
combat round during an Arcane Duel, each Mag-
• Grounding: The Magic-User receives a +1 ic-User can take two actions from the list below.
bonus to all saving throws made to resist
Energy Drain effects during the Arcane Duel.
STEP ONE: DECIDE ACTIONS
• Warding: The Magic-User receives a +1 bonus Before Initiative is determined, each Magic-User
to their Armor Class for the duration of the involved in the Arcane Duel secretly decides what
Arcane Duel. their actions are going to be for that round. This
should be written down on an index card or spare
• Weaving: The Magic-User receives a +1 bonus
sheet of paper to avoid concerns over either side
to all saving throws made to resist ability score
changing their actions after the fact. Listed below
loss during the Arcane Duel.
are the actions available to the duelists. Each op-
tion listed below is considered to take one action.
Spell Points spent while preparing cannot be
used during the Arcane Duel. However, these A duelist can spend a number of spell points
prepared benefits last for the duration of the Ar- equal to their character level on an action, if ap-
cane Duel and end when the Duel is over. plicable. They can choose to spend less than this.
They must notate how many spell points are be-
ing spent on an action when deciding actions.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 175

 • Arcane Bolt: The duelist launches a bolt of STEP TWO: REVEAL FIRST ACTION
magical energy at their opponent, inflicting After both combatants in the Arcane Duel have
1d6 points of damage per spell point spent. determined both of their actions for the round,
The defender may make a saving throw for half those actions are revealed. Now both combatants
damage. know what is about to happen, though the con-
• Drain Life: The duelist attempts to drain the sequences of those actions are not yet resolved.
very life essence of their opponent. They
choose a single attribute or ability score of their STEP THREE: ROLL INITIATIVE
opponent (such as Strength or Intelligence). Initiative in arcane duels is handled similarly to
The attack reduces that attribute by 1d6-3, with standard combat. Both sides roll 1d6, with the
a minimum loss of one point per die rolled. higher roll going first. The winner applies the
The target may make a saving throw to reduce effects of their First Action. The loser of the Ini-
this loss by one-half. If only one attribute point tiative then applies the effects of their First Ac-
would be lost before a saving throw is rolled tion. The winner then resolves the effects of their
and the saving throw is successful, the target Second Action, and finally the loser resolves the
suffers no reduction to their attribute. effects of their Second Action.

• Empower Arcane Shielding: The duelist In the event of a tie, First Actions resolve simul-
receives a +1 per spell point spent to all saving taneously on both sides, then Second Actions re-
throws made to resist damage for the remain- solve simultaneously on both sides. This means
der of the round. it is possible for both participants to defeat one
another in a single instant. This is considered a
• Empower Grounding: The duelist receives +1 draw.
per spell point spent to all saving throws made
to resist Energy Drain for the remainder of the
OPTIONAL RULE: INTELLIGENT INITIATIVE
round.
At the Referee’s discretion, arcane duelists may
• Empower Warding: The duelist receives +1 per add their Intelligence modifier to their Initiative
spell point spent to their Armor Class for the roll during an Arcane Duel.
remainder of the round.

• Empower Weaving: The duelist receives +1 per

spell point spent to all saving throws to resist STEP FOUR: HIGHEST INITIATIVE TAKES
FIRST ACTION. RESOLVE RESULTS
• Energy Drain: The duelist launches a bolt of With actions determined and revealed and Initia-
magically draining energy at their opponent. tive rolled, the effects of the First Action taken by
The opponent loses 1d6-3 spell points, with a the winner of Initiative take effect and are applied
minimum loss of one spell point per die rolled. immediately.
The target may make a saving throw to reduce
this loss by one-half. If only one spell point STEP FIVE: LOWEST INITIATIVE TAKES FIRST
would be lost before a saving throw is rolled ACTION. RESOLVE RESULTS.
and the saving throw is successful, the target
The First Action taken by the loser of Initiative
loses no spell points.
takes effect and is applied immediately.

176 | White Box Cyclopedia

STEP SIX: HIGHEST INITIATIVE TAKES
SECOND ACTION. RESOLVE RESULTS.
The Second Action taken by the winner of Initia-
tive takes effect and is applied immediately.

STEP SEVEN: LOWEST INITIATIVE TAKES

SECOND ACTION. RESOLVE RESULTS.
The Second Action taken by the loser of Initiative
takes effect and is applied immediately.

STEP EIGHT: ROUND RESOLUTION

With both First and Second Action resolved by
both duelists, the effects of Empower Arcane
Shielding, Empower Grounding, Empower Ar-
cane Warding, and Empower Arcane Weaving
all end. The dueling round ends and a new one
begins.

PSYCHIC TALENTS
WINNING AN ARCANE DUEL
If at any point a duelist is reduced to zero hit Many classic fantasy settings feature characters
points or has an ability score (such as Strength or with extraordinary mental powers. This section
Wisdom) reduced to zero, they immediately lose introduces entirely optional rules which allow
the duel. The loser is not slain by being reduced characters to mimic these types of characters
to zero in either of these areas, but instead simply in their own campaigns, provided they have re-
knocked unconscious for one hour. ceived express permission to do so by the Ref-
eree. These abilities, called Psychic Talents are
Hit points and ability score values lost during an
not magical in nature and do not detect as such.
Arcane Duel recover at the rate of one per hour.
Instead they come from a unique mental focus
that the character has either harnessed through
DUELS TO THE DEATH training or somehow mastered as an exceptional-
Particularly violent Magic-Users sometimes en- ly rare mental gift.
gage in a Duel to the Death. Once both combat-
If the Referee is using the rules presented here,
ants have agreed to engage in an Arcane Duel,
then a player may choose to determine if their
they can choose to engage in a Duel to the Death.
character possesses a psychic talent – though
During such a combat all hit point damage is real
they can automatically decide that their character
and ability score loss is permanent. If either com-
has no such gift. The presence of a psychic talent
batant is reduced to zero hit points or zero in an
can only be determined at character creation –
ability score, they are permanently slain as their
either a character is born with this gift or they are
soul is obliterated by magical energy. So severe
not.
is this destruction that they cannot be raised from
the dead or brought back to life – their very es- All characters have a 1-in-1d20 chance of pos-
sence has been destroyed. sessing a psychic gift. Characters may add their
Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma modifiers
to this chance. Thus a character with a Wisdom

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 177

 modifier of +1 and a Charisma modifier of +1 Roll (1d20) Psychic Talent
would have a psychic talent if they rolled a 1, 2, or
13 Sense Evil
3 on 1d20. Whether or not a character has a psy-
14 Sense Extraplanar Being
chic talent can only be determined at character
creation and at no other time, unless expressly 15 Sense Life
told otherwise by Referee. 16 Sharpen Vision
Characters that do have a psychic talent then roll 17 Stasis
1d20 and consult the Table 6-7: Psychic Talents to 18 Strengthen Resolve
determine what psychic talent they possess. This
19 Unnerve Target
must always be determined randomly and should
20 Roll twice
not simply be selected on player preference.
Whenever a character with a psychic talent at-
tempts to use their ability they must roll a sav- PSYCHIC TALENT DESCRIPTIONS
ing throw. If that saving throw is successful, the
Described below are the psychic talents that a
character is able to use their psychic talent. Psy-
character may possess.
chic talents grant bonuses or special abilities in
specific situations and have a specific duration
ACCELERATE HEALING
which are listed in each individual description.
Attempting to activate a psychic talent is consid- Duration: 24 hours
ered an action, whether successful or not if done The character gains no additional benefit from
during combat – though it cannot be interrupted. magical healing, but instead the character’s nat-
If a character fails in their attempt to use a psy- ural healing rate is doubled for the next twen-
chic talent they cannot attempt to use it again for ty-four hours.
twenty four hours. A character may also not have
more than one psychic talent active at any given AMPLIFY HEARING
time.
Duration: 1 hour

CHART 6-7: PSYCHIC TALENTS The character is able to hear even faint nois-
es with particular clarity. Characters who have a
Roll (1d20) Psychic Talent
special ability that already represents sharpened
1 Accelerate Healing hearing may roll twice when using this ability and
2 Amplify Hearing take the more favorable of the two rolls. Charac-
3 Calm Animal ters who do not have a class or heritage ability
that reflects sharpened hearing are instead able
4 Charming Aura
to hear faint noises on a 1-3 on 1d6 while this tal-
5 Danger Sense
ent is active.
6 Dark Vision
7 Detect Deception
CALM ANIMAL
8 Direction Sense
Duration: 10 minutes
9 Project Thoughts
Whenever the character encounters a natural
10 Read Thoughts
beast that is hostile they may activate this ability
11 Regulate Metabolism in an attempt to calm the creature, though it may
12 Regulate Breathing only be used to target a one such creature. The

178 | White Box Cyclopedia

target must make a saving throw or immediately detecting when anyone within 60’ of them is at-
cease being hostile towards the character. While tempting to lie to or deceive them.
not friendly, it regards them with a benign disin-
terest for the duration of this psychic talent. DIRECTION SENSE
Duration: Instant
CHARMING AURA
The character who successfully activates this
Duration: 1 hour talent can immediately sense which direction is
The character is able to project an aura of charm North as well as sense their distance from the
and amiability if they successfully activate this ground, whether above or below it.
ability. Once activated, the character using this
ability receives a +2 bonus to all reaction or social
PROJECT THOUGHTS
rolls made when interacting with NPCs who speak
a shared language and are able to communicate Duration: 1 round
with the character. This is not a Charm Person or A character who successfully activates this abili-
magical effect and if the character is caught act- ty may send a brief mental message to the mind
ing in an obviously hostile or antagonistic manner of any intelligent creature within 360 feet. They
the benefits of this talent immediately end. do not need to see the target to use this ability,
though they do need to have a general sense of
DANGER AWARENESS their location. This message cannot be more than
Duration: 1 hour one sentence and comes into the target’s mind as
the character’s voice speaking to them.
The character has a kind of sixth sense making
them aware of danger a split second before it
strikes. When this ability is active the character
can only be surprised on a 1 on 1d6, regardless
of any stealth measures taken by an opponent.
This ability only applies to danger to the individu-
al character, and not to his allies or those nearby.

DARK VISION
Duration: 1 hour
Once active, the character can see perfectly, even
in pitch darkness to a distance of up to 60 feet.
READ THOUGHTS
They can, however, still be blinded and suffer the
Duration: 1 round
normal penalties associated with that condition if
they are rendered blind. The character is able to read the surface thoughts
of a single target within 60 feet if they successfully
use this ability. They must be able to see the tar-
DETECT DECEPTION
get. If the character and the target do not speak
Duration: 10 minutes the same language then the character only gets
This ability allows the character to sense when a vague sense of the target’s mental state and in-
an individual is knowingly deceiving them. Once tentions.
active, the character has a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 179

 REGULATE METABOLISM
Duration: 24 hours
The character is able to regulate their body to
such a degree that while this ability is active they
suffer no penalties from lack of food or water.
They also receive a +1 to all saving throws made
to resist poison while Regulate Metabolism is
active. Once this ability wears off, the character
immediately suffers all the effects that would be
applicable from a lack of food and water. A char-
acter who would die from such things immediate-
ly drops dead when they reach that point, even if
this talent is active.

REGULATE BREATHING
Duration: 1 hour
Once activated the character can hold their
breath for the duration of this ability. This means
they do not risk drowning, nor can they be affect-
ed by gas, odors, or poisons which must be in-
haled to be effective. SENSE LIFE
Duration: Instant
SENSE EVIL The character is able to detect the presence of
Duration: Instant any living creature within 120 feet. This does not
When activated the character is able to detect the include plant life and only detects mundane in-
presence of any evil characters or items which are sects when they are present in vast quantities.
enchanted through evil sorcery within 120 feet.
They do not know the nature of the evil detected, SHARPEN VISION
only that it is present and mildly unnerving. Duration: 1 hour
When active, the character is able to see twice as
far as normal. In addition, they receive +1 to all
SENSE EXTRAPLANAR BEING
ranged attack rolls.
Duration: Instant
When activated the character is able to detect STASIS
the presence of any extraplanar beings within
Duration: 1 week
120 feet. This includes any such beings which are
masquerading in other forms or concealed. They The character enters a deep meditative state
do not know the nature of these creatures, nor to when this talent is activated. To the casual ob-
what plane they are aligned – only that they are server they will appear dead in this coma-like
present. condition. However, while in stasis they do not
need food or water to survive, though as soon

180 | White Box Cyclopedia

as they exit the condition they immediately need
to consume a day’s worth of food and water. A Headband of the Iron Mind: The wearer of the
character who suffers damage while in stasis is iron circlet is immune to all psychic talents used
immediately awakened, though he is not other- against him. They simply do not function and
wise aware of his surroundings. the character cannot be targeted.

Psychic Stone: This oddly colored stone radi-

STRENGTHEN RESOLVE ates no magic, but a character carrying one is
Duration: 1 hour considered to possess one additional psychic
talent, even if they do not already have one.
The character steals his mind against fear and
This talent is determined randomly or selected
doubt. Once this talent is active, the character
by the Referee.
receives a +4 bonus to resist all mind-influencing
spells, such as Confusion or Feeblemind.

UNNERVE TARGET
Duration: 5 rounds
By projecting an aura of menace, the character is
able to sow fear and doubt in the mind of a single
target within 60 feet.. The target of this ability suf-
fers a -1 penalty to all attacks against the charac-
ter and a -1 penalty to all saving throws made to
resist spells cast by the character as terror gnaws
at them from their subconscious mind.

OPTIONAL RULE: PSYCHICALLY ATTUNED

ITEMS
If the Referee permits it, characters may en-
counter psychically attuned items in their cam-
paign. These are extraordinarily rare in any case
- more so than most magic items. For more in-
formation on magic items, see Chapter Nine:
Treasure.

Amulet of the Focused Mind: This item only

functions for characters who have psychic tal-
ents. Such a character may attempt to use their
psychic talent twice per day in the event that
they fail their saving throw when attempting to
activate their psychic talent.

Chapter Six: Magic and Other Arcana | 181

 CHAPTER SEVEN not afraid to get creative to keep things exciting
then you will do just fine. The White Box Cyclo-
RUNNING THE GAME pedia is a game where creativity and the ability
Running White Box Cyclopedia is a bit different to customize the game are cornerstones of play.
from many roleplaying games with a more mod- Any and every rule in this book is optional - even
ern design. Many of these modern games have the ones that do not say “optional.” This is your
highly detailed rules that present specific rules game.
from nearly every situation imaginable. But don’t
let the size of this book fool you, White Box Cy- PRINCIPLES OF BEING A REFEREE
clopedia is built around the idea that there is a Here are a few key principles to keep in mind as
level of faith between the players and the Referee the Referee.
and that the Referee can be trusted to arbitrate
Games Should Be Fun: You and your friends are
the rules and circumstances that will occur during
sitting down to play White Box Cyclopedia to
a session of play in a logical manner. The Referee
have fun. Everything else - every rule, every chart,
should rely on common sense and the shared cul-
every option - in this book is secondary to that.
ture between everyone at the table and be trust-
If White Box Cyclopedia is not the type of game
ed to make a reasonable decision in the moment
that you as the Referee would enjoy running or
instead of having to look up a rule for each and
your players would not enjoy playing, there is
every situation.
nothing wrong with that. Customize it to make
This means that Referees will be making rules the game more suited to your group’s sensibili-
calls and reacting to the actions of the players ties and if you are still not having fun then there is
in the moment quite often. This can seem intim- nothing wrong with playing another game.
idating, but if you as the Referee are fair and are

182 | White Box Cyclopedia

Player Creativity is More Important Than What might be worth a shot. Maybe they only have a
is on a Character Sheet: Even with all the op- 5% chance of succeeding (i.e. they need to roll
tions available to player characters in this book, an unmodified natural 20 on the die), but it could
you could still easily fit all a character’s informa- happen. And, well, if it does not then it will likely
tion on an index card. That is because a character come with horrible consequences like the magic
sheet never ever tells a player what their char- spell in the scroll causing some kind of horrible
acter can and cannot do. It is simply a collection backlash - but that’s the kind of risk that makes
of recommended methods to address the prob- for exciting adventures! This does not mean bla-
lem at hand. As the Referee, do not stifle a play- tantly impossible things can be attempted. After
er character’s creativity just because something all, you can’t hide a giant behind a mulberry bush.
is not written on their character sheet. Instead, But if there is a slim chance of success and the
arbitrate what would happen if say a Magic-User outcome will be exciting for the players, regard-
who’s never held a sword in their life picks up a less of success or failure, then make a call and roll
two-handed sword and wades into melee com- some dice!
bat, or a halfling tries to squeeze into a particular-
ly tight spot too large for their human friends, or The Referee is Not a Novelist: It is tempting
a player character decides the best course of ac- to lock the player characters into a narrative the
tion is to leap into the dragon’s open jaws and try Referee is familiar with so nothing too unfamiliar
to stab it from the inside. Players can always try comes up and the Referee can know how to react
to do something, to do anything. It is your job as to the actions of those player characters. Do not
Referee to reasonably determine the likelihood do that. If you want to tell a story where you al-
of success of whatever they’re trying to do in a ready know how everything is going to go, author
fair and balanced manner. Suicidal heroics are a novel. The Referee’s job is to provide oppor-
more likely to get a player character killed, while tunities for player characters to interact with and
surprising approaches that effectively address a get involved with the events of the world around
problem may allow them to circumvent a prob- them. The Referee presents player characters
lem in completely unexpected ways. with the open book, they do not write the story
Agency is a foundational part of the joy of a ta- ahead of time.
bletop roleplaying game. Not only are your play- Actions Have Consequences, But So Does In-
ers not limited by the constraints of banality in a action: As mentioned before, agency is a huge
world of dragons, magic, and other strangeness, part of the appeal of roleplaying games. Being
they are also not limited by what a character sheet able to draw your sword and stand toe-to-toe
or class says they can or cannot do. If a player with great and terrible forces of evil and come
character wants to try something and there’s a away victorious, learning to tap into strange and
snowball’s chance in hell it might work, let ‘em! fantastic magical powers, or being skilled enough
Make a call about the likelihood of their success, to slip past that sleeping dragon with nothing but
and let them roll a die. Remember, the numbers a tattered cloak and an old pair of boots - it feels
on a d20 each have a 5% chance of coming up good. Referees need to let their player characters
on any given roll. So, if you’ve got a Fighter who be active, take the initiative. But these actions,
has been backed in a corner with no weapons whether for good or for ill, will have consequenc-
and that Fighter has spent 6 levels adventuring es. Sure, if they defeat the bandit camp that is
with a Magic-User, if the player looks at you and waylaying the local road then crime will decrease.
says “I’ve seen the Magic-User cast a bunch of But inaction also has consequences. If the player
spells, can I at least try to use a scroll?” then it characters decide, for example, not to aid a com-

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 183

 munity being raided by goblins then that goblin
band may grow into an army and threaten the en- Begin with a location where the adventure will
tire region - and the player characters may earn start. This can be the classic fantasy cliche “you
a reputation as apathetic sellswords not worth all meet in a tavern,” but try to go a bit further.
hiring. Traditionally, most adventures begin at a point of
civilization. This can be a rural village, a seaside
The World Does Not Wait for the Player Char- city, a noble’s castle, a dwarven mining camp, or
acters: The player characters are part of a living, a trading outpost - just to name a few examples.
breathing world full of people with their own Once you have decided on a starting location,
agendas and desires. The Referee should re- flesh out a few details of that location. Maybe
member that while the player characters are the name half a dozen or so points of interest and
proverbial stars of this show, the rest of the world the non-player characters or specific features as-
continues to change around them. Seasons pass, sociated with them. Maybe the rural village has
the elderly die and children are born, political a small church to a Lawful god with a fire and
alliances are forged and broken, and the world brimstone preacher, or the town’s well has a fairie
carries inexorably on. If the player characters are dragon that likes to play pranks on local children.
looking to cross a dangerous mountain pass in You do not need to get too detailed - just enough
early fall, they need to move quickly before the info to make it feel alive. Make a simple map to
winter snows make it impassible and that inn- give you a sense of how the location is laid out.
keeper who fled the village after being discov- It does not need to be too detailed - just enough
ered as the evil leader of a cult may crop up in a that you can use it as reference when expressing
nearby city hellbent on revenge in a few months. the location’s details to the player characters.

WHEN TO USE A RULE AND WHEN TO Next you’ll need a few hooks. Hooks are prob-
IGNORE IT lems or conflicts that impact the location in which
This might sound a bit strange, but do not use the player characters will have the opportunity to
every rule in this book at once. The White Box involve themselves. Traditionally, this is “there’s
Cyclopedia, primarily, a tool kit to allow Referees a dangerous dungeon or underground complex
and players to build the fantasy roleplaying ex- near the village that’s threatening the communi-
perience they want to build. If you do not want ty and the locals are looking to hire someone to
gnomes, Friars, Druid spells, psychic talents, or deal with the problem,” but it doesn’t have to al-
seafaring combat in your game that is just fine. ways be that. Adventure can be found anywhere!
Do not use it. Every single rule in this book simply
meant to help you create a game that is as fun as To continue the above example, perhaps the
possible for everyone at the table. If a rule is not fairie dragon that lingers near the well is looking
adding to the fun, change it or ignore it. for a trinket it dropped down the well, but can’t
go down because of an ancient ward and tries
to convince the player characters to retrieve the
DESIGNING AN ADVENTURE item for them - only then do the player characters
In the context of White Box Cyclopedia the term discover a dangerous network of tunnels under
adventure is just shorthand for the game’s setting the village! Perhaps the fire and brimstone priest
and the events that occur in it. This usually in- fears that an evil cult has infiltrated the com-
cludes a map of the portion of that setting where munity and since he trusts no one in town hires
these events are going to take place. Designing the player characters as outsiders to investigate
an adventure is not too hard and try not to over- around town.
think it or overplan.

184 | White Box Cyclopedia

Make notes on what is likely to be encountered help you draw out your campaign naturally. To
if the player characters follow one of these hooks continue the above example, maybe the fairie
and use that as a guide of how the world around dragon is the pet of a fairy queen that lives in the
them will react to their actions. Sometimes this in- heart of a nearby forest filled with strange mon-
cludes a fully mapped out and stocked dungeon sters and a hidden city of elves. Maybe the fire
complex and other times it might include notes and brimstone priest reports to a cathedral in a
on the motivations of duplicitous non-player far off metropolis. What is that queen like? What
characters around town. Sometimes, the player is the city where the cathedral is located like? Is it
characters will go off in a completely unexpected a bustling coastal trade hub? A fortress-like the-
direction and you as the Referee may find your- ocracy?
self winging it! Do not worry! Just think logically Let your imagination run wild, and think back on
about what the player characters would encoun- that first adventure and what parts of the adven-
ter or discover as they head off in this new direc- ture really interested the players. Incorporate
tion, add a few surprises, and let them chart their hints that those interests may be explored as the
own path. player characters set off after their first adventure
and you will have a wide world set out before
them in pieces that you can continue hinting at
and then assembling based on your own ideas
and your players interests. This will help keep the
players engaged with the campaign and encour-
age them to be proactive, thus making your job
easier since they’re less likely to sit around in a
tavern waiting for a quest to fall out of the sky.
Remember, you are not building an entire world
from scratch when you construct a campaign. You
are just building the part of the world that the
player characters are interacting with.
Now, if your players are interested in a particular
fantasy setting, whether it be from books, televi-
sion, films, comic books, or any other medium,
then you can use that. Many of the most famous
fantasy settings have a plethora of detailed his-
CREATING A CAMPAIGN tory and maps that will be familiar to those who
A campaign is simply the greater world beyond have expressed interest in having adventures in
a single adventure. If an adventure is a single set such campaign settings - and if everyone is up
piece, a campaign is the entire stage. All the cit- for it then go for it! But, keep in mind that you
ies, forests, mountains, oceans, kingdoms, peo- may need to tweak or alter some of the specif-
ple, monsters, and surprises of a fantasy world ic rules elements of White Box Cyclopedia to
make up a campaign. It is recommended that you fit a specific campaign setting. Moreover, these
as Referee do not begin designing a campaign settings typically have their own canon and you
until after the first adventure is completed. This as the Referee need to decide if the actions of
will give you a better sense of what elements your player characters can break that canon. The
of the game and the small piece of the setting consequences of doing so can be exhilarating
they are interested in exploring deeper. Expand as fresh new adventures never imagined spring
on things established in your initial adventure to forth in what is now effectively a tangent timeline

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 185

 or they can remove the very narrative immersion Recommended Heritages: Human.
your players were looking for in the first place. So Recommended Classes: Fighter; Acrobat, Assas-
don’t be afraid to use a pre-existing setting, but sin, Barbarian, Swashbuckler, Thief, Tomb Robber
be sure you know what everyone’s expectations
are when you do.
OPTIONAL RULES FOR A CITY OF
FANTASY: MORE THAN JUST A GENRE THIEVES CAMPAIGN
White Box Cyclopedia is a fantasy roleplaying Everyone is a Thief: While classes with the Thiev-
game, but fantasy is a very broad genre and if the ery ability are obviously the most skilled at acts of
Referee is looking to run a campaign that leans larceny, everyone in City of Thieves knows a thing
into a particular subgenre of fantasy that they or two about clandestine endeavors. All charac-
think the players would enjoy, they shouldn’t hes- ters who do not receive the Thievery ability as
itate to alter or tweak the rules to highlight that part of their class have a Thievery of 1.
genre. Described below are four subgenres of
Never Trust to Sorcery: Permanent magic items
fantasy inspired by classic media to serve as ex-
are rare in the extreme and highly sought after,
amples of how the Referee might alter the rules
with many willing to commit terrible atrocities (in
of their campaign to fit these subgenres. Each
secret, of course) to get them. However, anyone
sub-genre also includes a list of recommended
can dabble in magic. Player characters, regard-
heritages and classes that are common in that
less of class, can use wands, staves, and scrolls
subgenre.
freely. However, each time they use a spell scroll
or expend a charge from a wand or staff they
must make a saving throw or suffer a Backlash
CITY OF THIEVES
of Sorcery as determined by rolling on Table 7-1:
A City of Thieves is a low magic setting where the Backlash of Sorcery.
players take up the role of anti-heroes who work
for coin and the thrill of adventure as an end unto
itself. They are larger than life, finding limitless
wealth in the cursed and forgotten places of the
world, which they promptly spend on every luxury
imaginable upon returning to the city. Magic and
those who wield it are rare and should be feared
for their willingness to tap into dark corners of re-
ality for the sake of power. Non-humans are rare
in the extreme. Player characters will often find
themselves in the employ of (or on the run from)
various thief’s and assassin’s guilds, corrupt poli-
ticians, or powerful patrons who would rather hire
deniable assets. The Gods in these worlds are of-
ten distant, if present at all, and divine magic is
rare in the extreme. The primary inspiration for
this campaign style would be Fritz Lieber’s Lankh-
mar stories. To emulate this style of play, the Ref-
eree can implement the following optional rules
if they like.

186 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE 7-1: BACKLASH OF SORCERY

Roll (2d6) Backlash Effect

2 The character explodes in a bright blast of magical fire. They are slain instantly and every-
one within a 30’ radius suffers 10d6 damage.
3 The magical energy is discharged into another plane of existence, with no apparent effect.
The effect goes off 3d6 rounds later, as if the user had activated it then.
4 Attempting to twist the fabric of reality rips at the character’s psyche, scarring their mind.
They permanently lose a point of Wisdom (1-2 on 1d6), Intelligence (3-4 on 1d6), or
Charisma (5-6 on 1d6).
5 The item functions as intended, but the target is randomly determined by the Referee,
excluding the intended target.
6 A magical discharge shoots through the character’s body, inflicting 1d6+1 damage.
7 The character is marked by a physical indication of their uses of sorcery. This can include
milky eyes, the tendency to randomly mutter to themselves, or the scent of brimstone lin-
gering about them.
8 A curse of ill-luck befalls the character. They lose one Lucky Coin. If they have no Lucky
Coins, they permanently lose 1 hit point.
9 The user and everyone within 10’ suffers 1d6+1 damage as magical energy fills the area.
10 The magic item the character is attempting to use discharges once per round for the next
1d6+1 rounds, with the target randomly determined by the Referee. This occurs regardless
of the item’s number of uses. After this backlash ends, the item is permanently inert.
12 The user’s body withers and twists from the magical backlash. They scream, paralyzed in
pain for 1d6 rounds. After this pain passes they permanently lose 1 point from their Strength
(1-2 on 1d6), Dexterity (3-4 on 1d6), or Constitution (5-6 on 1d6).
12 A rip in the very fabric of reality occurs and a Baalroch Demon steps through, intent on
destroying everything it sees - starting with the foolish dabbler.

Sorcery Inevitably Corrupts the Soul: Mag- Trust to Luck: Each player character begins every
ic-Users must be Chaotic alignment. Any other session of play with one Lucky Coin, represented
class that gains access to Magic-User spells has by a physical token they have near their charac-
their alignment shifted to Chaotic as soon as they ter sheet. It can be spent at any time to add +4
gain access to Magic-User Spells. to any attack roll or saving throw, even after the
Tis But a Scratch: Blows that prove to be less roll is made. Each time the player character rolls
than lethal and seem to heal at an uncanny rate a natural, unmodified 1 on an attack roll or sav-
for player characters in the City of Thieves. They ing throw they gain a Lucky Coin, but each time
naturally recover hit points at the rate of one per they roll a natural, unmodified 20 on an attack roll
hour per level of the player character. Thus, 1st or saving throw they lose a Lucky Coin. A player
level player characters recover 1 hit point per character can never have fewer than zero Lucky
hour, while a 3rd level player character would re- Coins.
cover 3 hit points per hour. If this rule is used,
the Referee should not permit divine magic in the
campaign.

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 187

188 | White Box Cyclopedia
FAIRY STORY Magic in the Deeds of the Mighty: Instead of
creating magic items or simply discovering them
Fairy Stories (not to be confused with fairy tales)
in treasure hoards, player characters can perma-
are a type of fantasy where good and evil are
nently enchant their equipment after performing
clearly defined and locked in an epic conflict for
a deed of epic heroism with that item. After ev-
the fate of the world. Player characters take on
ery session of play, the player character can peti-
the role of heroes of the age, the ones fated to
tion the Referee that one action they performed
take up the battle against the darkness and serve
during a session of play was a truly heroic act
as a bastion of hope to a world beleaguered by
worthy of being recalled in legend. If the Referee
the forces of evil. In such stories, there are often
agrees, the player rolls 1d6. If the number rolled
ancient kingdoms that were once proud and no-
is equal to or lower than the player character’s lev-
ble that have fallen to ruin or been forgotten to
el, an item they own gains a minor enchantment
the ages of time. A regular feature of such fairy
(such as becoming a +1 weapon) or other appro-
stories is often the restoration of these forgotten
priately themed magical item. At higher levels,
kingdoms, which often comes as a consequence
the Referee may allow these enchantments to
of defeating the forces of evil. Magic in these
be more substantial. The enchantment pressed
types of stories is often tied to the very nature
upon the item must be thematically appropriate
and fabric of reality, as ever present and often
to the deed performed.
unnoticed as the wind or the changing of the
seasons. The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The
Terrible to Behold: Whenever a player character
Chronicles of Narnia are examples of Fairy Story
encounters a monster or fantastic creature whose
fantasy.
HDE is 5 or more higher than that character’s lev-
Recommended Heritages: Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, el, the player character must make a saving throw
Human; Gnome, Half-Elf, River Halfling, Sylvan or be gripped by fear in the face of such a mighty
Elf. agent of evil. If this saving throw fails, they suffer
Recommended Classes: Fighter, Magic-User; a -2 on all attack rolls and saving throws while in
Bard, Cavalier, Druid, Ranger, Thief, Wanderer. the presence of that creature.

The Gift of Hope: At the beginning of each ses-

OPTIONAL RULES FOR A FAIRY STORIES
sion of play, the party of player characters has a
CAMPAIGN
pool of Hope Points equal to the total level of all
Good vs. Evil: The world of Fairy Stories is not
the player characters in the party. Thus, a party
one of Law vs. Chaos. Instead, it is one of Good
of five 2nd level characters would have ten Hope
vs. Evil. All rules, spells, effects, or descriptors
Points. Players may not spend Hope Points for
that mention Law or Chaos (such as Detect Cha-
their own benefit, but may give them to another
os or Protection from Chaos), have their terms
member of the party when that party member is
changed to Good or Evil, respectively. This firmly
about to take an action or make a saving throw
sets those who use spells that draw upon what
but has not rolled their d20. If this Hope Point
was previously identified as the powers of Chaos
is accepted, the player character receiving the
morally unambiguous drawing upon the power of
Hope Point receives +4 to the roll they are about
evil. Unless the Referee gives express permission,
to make. If a player asks for a Hope Point from
it is assumed that all the player characters are of
the party or hints that they would like one, the
Good alignment.
Referee should feel free to veto other characters
from making the offer.

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 189

 GOTHIC HORROR
A genre typically associated with the Victorian
era, Gothic Horror blends quite well with fantasy.
Great gothic cathedrals, crumbling castles high
upon a mountain peak in the middle of a mon-
ster-ridden forest, panicked villagers fearful of
any outsider, corrupt clergy using threats of dam-
nation to hold on to power - all of these tropes of
the Gothic Horror genre fit perfectly into a fan-
tasy roleplaying game. Add classic monsters like
flesh golems, werewolves, and a slew of undead
you have brought Gothic Horror perfectly in line
with fantasy. Gothic Horror is often aggressive-
ly human-centric, with non-humans and arcane
spellcasters feared to the point of being actively
hunted by many within the setting. The forces of
Chaos run rampant in such a world, and the forc-
es of Law often react by clamping down on what
little power they have with an oppressive iron listed number of Corruption Points. Some mag-
grip. It is a bleak, dark subgenre where heroes ical spells are so vile that merely casting them
are rare and are often seen as meddling outsiders imposes a Corrupting saving throw or even au-
who are more likely to bring damnation down on tomatic points of Corruption. Though all player
an innocent peasantry than save them from the characters begin with zero Corruption Points,
damned. Examples of Gothic Horror include the as this number increases manifestations of the
novel Dracula, the Netflix series Castlevania, and darkness they have been exposed to or horrors
the film The Last Voyage of the Demeter. they have performed begin to manifest and only
grows from there. Lingering feelings of fear grow
Recommended Heritages: Human; Dagonite, into full blown paranoia, the unmistakable feeling
Dhampir, Troll-Kin. of something crawling over your skin becomes an
all-consuming fear that one is being consumed
Recommended Classes: Cleric, Fighter, Mag- from the inside out. When a player character ac-
ic-User; Druid, Friar, Metaphysician, Paladin, cumulates a number of Corruption Points equal
Ranger, Spiritualist, Tomb Robber, Wanderer. to one-half their Wisdom score, evidence of path
into darkness becomes evident. Perhaps their
OPTIONAL RULES FOR A GOTHIC eyes glow with a predatory red color, animals flee
HORROR CAMPAIGN in their presence, they cannot abide the sight of
Corruption: Whether driven mad from witness- holy symbols, or flowers wilt as they pass. The ex-
ing the horrors hidden in the shadows, or driven act effect is determined by the Referee. Finally,
to acts of depravity as the darkness takes hold when a player character accumulates a number of
of one’s soul, when Corruption takes hold in the Corruption Points equal to their Wisdom score,
heart of a hero it neer lets go. Each time a player they are wholly consumed by the evil that has in-
character witnesses or commits an act listed on fested their soul and are no longer viable player
Table 7-3: Corruption they must make a saving characters. They become evil non-player charac-
throw with the appropriate modifier or gain the ters controlled by the Referee.

190 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE 7-3: CORRUPTION MODIFIERS

Action Witnessed or Committed Saving Throw Modifier Corruption Points

Witnessing an Act of Extreme Sadism or Torture +0 1
Witnessing the Death of a Close Friend or Family +0 1
Member
Encountering a Powerful Undead Creature for the First +0 1
Time
Encountering a Demon for the First Time -1 1
Having Your Mind Controlled or Dreams Invaded -1 1
Defiling a Holy Site -1 1
Breaking a Holy Vow -2 2
Being the Victim of Extreme Sadism or Torture -2 2
Making or Alliance or Pact with a Demon -2 2
Betrayal of a Close Friend or Family Member -2 2
Committing an Act of Extreme Sadism or Torture -3 3
Committing Cold-Blooded Murder -4 4
Committing Large-Scale Murder or Genocide -8 8

DREAD lord, on the other hand, may have a Dread rating

by itself.
Some creatures or locations are inherently terri-
fying. Perhaps there is a natural sense of unease An individual creature with a Dread rating impos-
when around them, or some long dormant evil still es a penalty equal to that rating on all attack rolls
lingers. Regardless of its source, there is a palpa- made against it, a penalty on all saving throws
ble sense of foreboding surrounding these loca- made to resist its abilities and spells, and a pen-
tions, which unnerves most who encounter them alty all attempts to use Banish Undead (or simi-
known as Dread. In a Gothic Horror campaign lar abilities) when within 120 feet of it. A location
the Referee may rule that locations and beings with a Dread rating imposes a penalty equal to
of great evil have a Dread rating between one that rating on all attack rolls, saving throws, and
and five. Locations which have a Dread rating can Banish Undead attempts made while at the lo-
range from a slight sense of unease that comes cation.
from entering the scene of a terrible murder that
happened long ago (Dread 1) to pulsating evil OPTIONAL RULE: DREADED DARKNESS
that radiates from a summoning circle that is a At the Referee’s discretion, characters in a lo-
conduit to Hell itself (Dread 5). Most places and cation with a Dread rating will have their light
people, even those of an evil nature do not have source diminished, whether that light be mag-
a Dread rating. Only supernatural evil creatures in ical or natural. For each point of Dread a loca-
massive numbers or of singularly amazing power tion has, sources of light have their effective
of a Dread rating. A massive horde of zombies radius reduced by ten feet.
might have a Dread rating, but a single zombie
would not. A terrible death knight or vampire

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 191

 Gladiator, Conqueror, King: All characters, re-
gardless of class, have the Fighter’s Fell Lesser
Foes class ability.

Before the Realization of Steel: Several pieces

of equipment found in most White Box Cyclope-
dia campaigns are not available due to a lack of
resources and the fact that the very understand-
ing to craft such items has not been achieved yet.
Plate mail and heavy crossbows do not exist and
the Referee should feel free to exclude particu-
larly “advanced” pieces of equipment like com-
passes or the jeweler’s glass.

RIDDLE OF STEEL Worship of Dark Masters: Clerics in a Riddle

of Steel campaign worship strange, capricious
A Riddle of Steel campaign is one set in a myth-
gods. There are no Lawful Clerics. Clerics gain
ic age forgotten and unknown in the past of
power not through their worship of these entities
Earth. An age before the Land of Mu sank into
beyond their understanding, but instead from the
the sea, when people made their fortune with the
number of cultists they can draw to that being’s
strength of their arm and the swiftness of their
worship. For every unique individual they can
axe. Evil men worship serpent gods or cast in-
convince to make their first sincere prayer to the
human magical incantations and those brave or
Cleric’s god, they earn 5 XP. This is the only way
foolish enough to stand against them were not
Clerics can gain Experience Points in a Riddle of
heroes because of their virtue, but heroes by their
Steel campaign.
own deeds. The land is bleak and beautiful, harsh
and unforgiving,, and the full strength of steel has
yet to be realized. EXPERIENCE POINTS
Recommended Heritages: Human. Experience Points are awarded to players for
Recommended Classes: Cleric, Fighter, Assassin, gaining treasure and killing monsters, as an ear-
Barbarian, Monk, Ranger, Thief, Tomb Robber. lier Player’s section has described. It may seem
counterintuitive that treasure somehow makes
A Bleak and Beautiful Land: A Riddle of Steel characters more experienced, but that’s not what
campaign is one with vast deserts, labyrinthine awarding experience for gold pieces is all about.
mountain passes, and thick jungles. The verdant Gold pieces are an after-the-fact measurement of
and welcoming forests found in many fantasy how ingenious the character (and the player con-
settings are rare or all together absent from such trolling them) was in getting them. The gold piec-
settings. In spite of the ability’s name, Forestry es are not the source of the experience—they are
can be used to survive in such an inhospitable the measurable product of it.
realm. Moreover, all player characters, regardless That being said, there are many alternative ways
of class, have a Forestry of 1. Unfortunately, the for Referees to award XP. For example, active par-
harshness of this unforgiving realm means that ticipation in the campaign might warrant expe-
even one day without food and water inflicts 1d6 rience for each hour of real-time play, as could
damage on a character. solving puzzles and aiding allies. A particular-

192 | White Box Cyclopedia

ly clever solution or epic victory might warrant
double the normal XP amount awarded, while OPTIONAL RULE: CAROUSING FOR XP
an abysmal failure might merit half. Perhaps you It is a common trope in much of classic fan-
award XP not for simply recovering gold pieces, tasy for a protagonist to return from their ad-
but only when it is spent so that player characters venture laden with gold and jewel and riches
don’t hoard wealth for its own sake. Another op- uncounted, only to rapidly blow it on material
tion might be to award partial XP for players who pleasures at an astonishing rate. Food, drink,
are particularly clever at avoiding or incapacitat- and pleasurable company - all of which one
ing a monster when killing it has exceptional risks rarely remembers because they were so intox-
or consequences. icated at the time - all come at a price. This is
Some Referees make all earned Experience called Carousing.
Points a part of a community total to be divid- At the Referee’s discretion, a player can inform
ed evenly, since not all the characters have the them that their character is going to Carouse
same opportunities in a given adventure. Others for Experience Points instead of receiving a
prefer a more competitive game, whereby each standard XP reward for their treasures as de-
player earns XP according to individual accom- tailed above. The Referee then rolls 1d6, adds
plishments. the player character’s level and Charisma mod-
If you find that whatever system you are using ifier, and consults Table 7-4: Carousing for XP
leads the players toward bad decisions—seeking to determine how much XP the player character
out unnecessary combat or looking for traps to earns, how much gold they have lost, and what
spring—you might consider adjusting your sys- unforeseen consequences have come from
tem. This is true for the “official” system of award- their indulgent behavior.
ing experience as well. Remember, the Referee is
the ultimate judge of what works best for a game
and any rule can be changed to fit the group.

TABLE 7-4: CAROUSING

Roll (1d6+ PC
Level + Cha Mod) Carousing Result
1 I Messed With the Wrong People: The character loses all their gold, earns no XP,
and wakes up beaten and robbed in a dirty back alley of some city street.
2 A Total Bust: The player character spends all their gold with nothing to show for it.
They earn only 1 XP for every 5 gold pieces they lost.
3 What Did I Waste My Coin On?: The player character spends all their gold with noth-
ing to show for it. They earn only 1 XP for every 2 gold pieces they lost.
4 At Least it Was Fun: The player character spends all their gold with nothing to show
for it. They earn only 1 XP for every gold pieces they lost.
5 Broke Even At The Tables: The player character loses none of their gold, and earns 1
XP for every gold piece they acquired on their previous adventure.

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 193

 Roll (1d6+ PC
Carousing Result
Level + Cha Mod)

6 A Lucky Streak: The player character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they acquired
on their previous adventure and receives an additional amount of gold equal to 1d20
x their current level. (20 gp for 1st level, 100 gp for 5th level, etc.)
7 A Fine Week of Celebration: The player character earns 1 XP for every gold piece
earned during their previous adventure, but spends half of it carousing. They spent
so much time in a local watering hole that the tavern keeper will provide them with
room and board for free every time they visit and is a reliable source for news and
rumors.
8 Wait, That’s Not a Beer: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they earned
during their previous adventure, but spends half of it on carousing. They somehow
managed to get their hands on one randomly determined Minor Potion (See Table
9-7: Minor Magical Potions).
9 It Was a Helluva a Brawl: The character earns one XP for every gold piece they
earned during their previous adventure, but spends half of it carousing. They appar-
ently got into quite the barroom brawl while drunk and earned the admiration of
a Human Fighter who is one-half their level that accompanies them on their next
adventure.
10 I Stole What?: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they earned on their
previous adventure. They lost none of their gold and in fact, find themselves in pos-
session of a rare and highly sought after gem worth 5d20x10 gold pieces. People will
come looking for it and a buyer will be difficult to find.
11 I Must’ve Made an Impression: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they
earned during their previous adventure, but spends half of it carousing. Somehow
they earned the admiration of a rich paramore who is infatuated with the player char-
acter and may be able to offer favors or political influence in the future - provided
they aren’t spurned and turned into an enemy.
12 Accidentally Started A Revolution: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece
they earned during their previous adventure, but loses one quarter of it carousing.
News spreads across the region that they were the originator of a riot that did sig-
nificant damage to a city or village, but has earned them the service of 2d6 random
hirelings who participated in the riot.
13 I Guess I Made A Friend: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they earned
during the previous adventure, but loses all their wealth. They woke up in the wilder-
ness with a Blink Dog (1-3) or Worg (4-6) curled up around them who regards them as
a lifelong boon companion and will defend the player character with their life.
14 I Guess It is My Sword Now: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they
earned during the previous adventure and loses none of their wealth. In addition,
they are now the proud owner of a Medium Magical Weapon (See Table: 9-15:
Magical Weapons and Armor, Medium column) that they got from… somewhere.

194 | White Box Cyclopedia

Roll (1d6+ PC
Carousing Result
Level + Cha Mod)

15 Pulled off the Big One: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they earned
during the previous adventure, but finds they have doubled the number of gold
pieces they earned on their previous adventure. Soon after they hear news of a fierce
dragon, marauding the land in search of its stolen treasure.
16+ It’s Good to Be King: The character earns 1 XP for every gold piece they earned
during the previous adventure, but loses none of their wealth. The player character
comes to in a fully constructed stronghold that is fully staffed. All the staff, servants,
and guards are loyal to them and keep calling the player character “My liege.”

SCALE OF ADVANCEMENT characters are known “heroes” and thus the level
Referees all have their own style of campaign, cap from White Box Cyclopedia was set at 10. A
and it would be silly for one author to impose Referee who wishes to extend the tables to high-
needless restrictions on anyone playing the er levels is encouraged to do so if it fits the style
game. However, it is worth noting that this rules of the campaign.
set was designed with the notion that 4th level

Chapter Seven: Running the Game | 195

 CHAPTER EIGHT they possess, to a maximum of +15 for creatures
with 15 hit dice or more. Creatures with less than
BESTIARY 1 hit die have a +0 Attack Bonus.
Player characters will face off against all manner
of creatures dark and terrible. From classic mon-
Attacks
This lists the number of attacks a monster has in a
sters like goblins and dragons to weird and exotic
single combat round and the damage they inflict.
creatures like brain lords and sidhe, this chapter
provides the Referee with a diverse collection of
Experience Points
monsters they can use as adversaries, allies, and
Experience Points are presented after a monster’s
NPCs through the course of the campaigns and
Hit Dice Equivalent (HDE) rating, and list the
adventures they design.
number of XP the adventuring party gains as a re-
The following is a quick reference guide for how sult of killing the creature. In some cases, howev-
to read monster descriptions: er, the Referee may choose to award experience
points for defeating a creature without killing it
Armor Class (circumventing it by creative means, capturing it
Armor Class is explained earlier in the rules for to bring home, etc.). Some monsters have multi-
combat found on page 125 in Chapter Five: Play- ple Experience Points listed—this is because cer-
ing the Game.. tain monsters have a range of hit dice. Order is
always from lowest HD to highest HD.
Attack Bonus
All monsters have an Attack Bonus, just like play- Hit Dice
er characters. It functions in exactly the same Hit Dice is the number of dice (d6) rolled to deter-
manner, adding to any attack rolls made against mine an individual creature’s hit points. If there is
their foes. Unless otherwise stated, all monsters a plus or minus after the number, add or subtract
have a +1 to their Attack Bonus for every Hit Die that number once from the total rolled.

196 | White Box Cyclopedia

Hit Dice Equivalent MONSTER DESCRIPTIONS
Hit Dice Equivalent (abbreviated HDE) is used to Contained herein are all of the monsters present-
separate monsters into generalized difficulty lev- ed in alphabetical order.
els so that when creating an adventure the Refer-
ee has some guidelines concerning what charac-
ANGEL, CHERUB
ters can and cannot handle. Some monsters have
multiple HDE’s listed—this is because certain Armor Class: 17
monsters have a range of hit dice. Order is always Hit Dice: 3
from lowest HD to highest HD.
Attack Bonus: +3
Attacks: Short Bow (1d6-1)
Move Special: Regeneration (1 lp per round), Protec-
Move is the monster’s movement rate and is han- tion from Chaos
dled identically to the way it is handled for player
Saving Throw: 16
characters as described on page 121 of Chapter
Move: 9 (12 when flying)
Five: Playing the Game.
HDE/XP: 4/120
Appearing as small feather-winged children wear-
Monsters and Saving Throws ing white robes and carrying small bows, these
All creatures have a saving throw. It is the number are messengers of the higher planes. Though
on the d20 the monster needs to equal or exceed not combative by nature, they are skilled archers.
in order to avoid a threat or lessen its effect. It is They can cast Protection from Chaos as a Cleric
found by subtracting the monster’s HD from 19. at will, and will often use this ability to bless the
For example, a monster with 4 HD has a saving weak and innocent in times of danger. They re-
throw of 15. Monsters cannot have a saving throw generate one hit point of damage each round.
lower than 2. When a cherub is slain, their physical form and all
their trappings disappear in a flash of light and
their soul is returned to the heavenly realm.
OPTIONAL RULE: CLASS-BASED MONSTER
SAVING THROWS
ANGEL, SERAPH
At the Referee’s discretion, a monster can sim-
ply be treated as a Fighter or whatever char- Armor Class: 17
acter class is most thematically appropriate for Attack Bonus: +9
that monster, with the monster’s hit dice being
Hit Dice: 9
used for its level when determining this value
Attacks: Flaming Sword (3d6)
Special: See Below
Special Saving Throw: 10
The Special section is a generalized listing to Move: 12 (15 when flying)
note any special abilities unique to an individual
HDE/XP: 10/1400
monster. Further details are provided in that indi-
vidual monster’s descriptive text. The Seraph, also known as avenging angels, are
agents of war sent from the heavenly planes to
combat great evil in the mortal world. They ap-

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 197

 pear as beautiful mortal men and women, clad in BANSHEE
plate armor and wielding a flaming sword which
Armor Class: 19
does 3d6 points of damage. Great white feath-
ered wings spring from their backs. They are im- Attack Bonus: +7
mune to all spells cast by characters of lower than Hit Dice: 7
7th level and receive a +6 bonus to saving throws
Attacks: Claw (1d6)
against spells cast by characters of higher than
Special: See below
7th level.. They can only be damaged by magi-
cal weapons and are capable of causing a holy Saving Throw: 12
light to flair out from their body which blinds all Move: 12
creatures within 60’ who do not make a success-
HDE/XP: 11/1,700
ful saving throw. This blindness remains until a
Dispel Magic spell is cast. Seraphs are fierce foes Banshees are horrid fey (or undead) creatures that
who have no tolerance for evil acts or demonic live in swamps and other desolate places. They
foes. They slay with righteous certainty. can only be harmed by magical or silver weap-
ons. Banshees receive a +4 bonus on all saving
throws to resist spells, and they are immune to
ANIMATED WEAPON illusions and charms. Their shriek (once per day)
necessitates a saving throw versus death or any-
Armor Class: 15
one within 240 feet who hears it will drop dead
Attack Bonus: +3
in 2d6 rounds. They can travel over water and
Hit Dice: 3+3 other terrain as if it were land, but crossing run-
Attacks: 1d6 ning water causes it to lose its magic resistance
for 3d6 hours. They look like gaunt humans with
Special: Flight
long, stringy hair and glowing yellow eyes. They
Saving Throw: 16
often wear hooded cloaks. At the Referee’s dis-
Move: 12 (flight only) cretion, such creatures might be undead rather
HDE/XP: 4/75 than faerie-folk, and are considered to have 9 HD
for turning purposes.
Weapons are sometimes enchanted by powerful
magic to operate independently and defend a
location under specific circumstances. These are BASILISK
called animated weapons and in most cases are
Armor Class: 15
enchanted to defend a specific location, such as
room or keep. They are typically created to attack Attack Bonus: +6
intruders and fight until destroyed. Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)
Special: Petrifying gaze
Saving Throw: 13
Move: 6
HDE/XP: 8/800
Basilisks are great lizards whose gaze turns to
stone anyone meeting its eye (fighting without
looking incurs a -4 penalty on all attack rolls). If

198 | White Box Cyclopedia

the basilisk’s own gaze is reflected back at it, it
has a 1 in 1d6 chance of forcing the basilisk into a OPTIONAL RULE: KILLER BEE HONEY
saving throw against being turned to stone itself. If the Referee allows it, player characters can
attempt to harvest honey from a killer bee hive
that has become accessible without fear of the
residential swarm. A giant killer bee hive con-
tains massive amounts of honey and it takes
days to harvest properly. Harvesting this honey
is no easy task and has only a 1-in-1d6 chance
of success. If the Referee is allowing optional
classes, classes with the Forestry ability can use
that ability to harvest honey instead. The har-
vesting process takes 1d6+2 days and requires
several large barrels to storm the crop. Each
harvest yields 1d6x100 pounds of honey. This
honey can be sold for 1 gold piece per pound.
The finest of killer bee honey can be distilled
into special salves and potions. Each harvest
yields enough exceptional honey for 1d6 such
BEE, GIANT KILLER drams. It takes three months of preparation to
make one such potion or salve and has only a
Armor Class: 12 1-2 in 1d6 chance of success. This exceptional
killer bee honey can be crafted into one of the
Attack Bonus: +1 three following items:
Hit Dice: 1 Burning Bee Salve: One serving of this excep-
Attacks: Sting (1d6) tional honey can be used to create a salve that
instantly heals burns and injury from fire or heat.
Special: Poison When rubbed on an individual so wounded, the
Saving Throw: 18 character recovers 5d6 hit points, provided that
damage came from a fire or heat-based source.
Move: 15 flying
Killer Mead: Favored by dwarves in particular,
HDE/XP: 2/30 one serving of exceptional honey can be used
These massive bees are anywhere between two to create 1d6+1 dose of a sweet, heavy mead
and five feet long, with queens being as large as that when consumed emboldens the drinker
before battle. After drinking a dose of Killer
ten feet. They build massive hives on cliff walls
Mead, the character receives a +1 bonus on all
and ancient trees. They are overly aggressive and melee attack and melee damage rolls, saving
will attack in large swarms any creature who inad- throws to resist fear-based effects, and morale
vertently disturbs their hive or their queen. Their checks for one hour.
sting is painful and contains a deadly poison. Preserving Honey: One serving of this excep-
Anyone stung by a giant killer bee must make a tional honey can be spread over up to 24 days
saving throw or die immediately. Giant killer bee worth of trail or dried rations, preserving it in-
queens rarely leave their hives, but are massive definitely against the elements and exposure.
Such food is even immune to the effects of Pu-
and fearsome. They have three hit dice, attack as
trify Food and Water.
three hit die creatures and all saves against their
These unique potions and balms can be sold to
poison are at a -2 penalty. Referees are encour-
the right buyer for 1d6x100 gold pieces.
aged to lend special properties to the honey of
giant killer bees as suits their individual games.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 199

 BEETLE, GIANT FIRE BLINK DOG

Armor Class: 15 Armor Class: 14

Attack Bonus: +1 Attack Bonus: +6
Hit Dice: 1+3 Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: Bite (1d6) Attacks: Bite
Special: None Special: Teleport
Saving Throw: 19 Saving Throw: 13
Move: 12 Move: 12
HDE/XP: 1/15 HDE/XP: 4/240
A giant fire beetle’s oily light-glands glow red, Blink dogs are pack hunters, intelligent and usu-
and continue to give off light for 1d6 days after ally friendly to those who are not of evil intent.
they are removed (shedding light in a 10 foot They can teleport short distances without error
radius). They are not typically aggressive unless (up to 240 feet) and attack in the same turn—in
cornered or their burrows are distrubed. most cases (1-4 in 1d6) a blink dog will be able to
teleport behind an opponent and attack from the
rear, which gives it a +2 bonus to their attack rolls
BLACK PUDDING
made from this position.
Armor Class: 13
Attack Bonus: +10 BLOOD RAVEN
Hit Dice: 10
Armor Class: 11
Attacks: Strike (1d6)
Attack Bonus: +1
Special: Acidic
Hit Dice: 1
Saving Throw: 9
Attacks: Peck (1d6-3)
Move: 6
Special: Devour the Eye
HDE/XP: 11/1,700
Saving Throw: 18
Black puddings are amorphous globs with an
Move: 6 (15 when flying)
acidic surface. They are subterranean predators
and scavengers. Any weapon used to attack a HDE/XP: 2/30
black pudding will be eaten away by the acid un- These large, red-eyed birds have feathers as black
less the attacker makes a successful saving throw. as midnight. It is not known whether they are tru-
Each time a black pudding makes a successful ly ravens or not – but they are most commonly
attack against an armored opponent, the victim found on ancient battlefields, barrow mounds
must make a saving throw or their armor or shield and in graveyards. They crave human flesh and
is destroyed, though shields are destroyed be- take particular delight in devouring the eyes of
fore armor. If a weapon, armor, or shield is mag- living victims when freshly dead carrion is not
ical, it can take an additional hit per +1 before available. Whenever a Blood Raven rolls an un-
being dissolved. Black puddings are immune to modified 19 or 20 on its attack roll, the target of
cold and divide when attacked by lightning. the attack must make a saving throw or find their

200 | White Box Cyclopedia

eye plucked from its socket and devoured. This BREATH STEALER
blindness can only be cured by powerful magic,
Armor Class: 12
though once a blood raven has devoured the eye
of its victim its lust for blood is slaked and it flies Attack Bonus: +1
contentedly away. They are known to travel in Hit Dice: 1-1
groups of 3 – 18 (3d6). These groups are known,
Attacks: Claw (1d6-4)
aptly, as a “murder” of blood ravens.
Special: Steal Soul
Saving Throw: 19
BRAIN LORD
Move: 12
Armor Class: 16 HDE/XP: 1/30
Attack Bonus: +7
Appearing as a common black house cat, the
Hit Dice: 7 Breath Stealer lives by feeding on the souls of the
Attacks: Projected Energy (2d6) magically gifted, including any character capable
of casting Magic-User spells. Once it has selected
Special: See Below
a victim, it approaches in a friendly manner and
Saving Throw: 12
attempts to befriend its target. After one day of
Move: 12 remaining in close proximity to its chosen spell-
HDE/XP: 9/1250 caster, the two form an Arcane Bond which grants
the would-be victim the ability to memorize one
These bizarre humanoids appear to have the
additional 1st level Magic-User spell each day.
head of an octopus and their bodies are cov-
ered in fish-like scales. They are highly intelligent, Within a 1d6 days of the Arcane Bond being es-
speaking only through telepathic communication tablished, the Breath Stealer will begin to sleep
– which they can do with any individual within atop the chest of its “master” or at the very least
120 feet. They believe all sentient beings other in a manner that allows the two to remain in phys-
than themselves to be inferior and wish to sub- ical contact. The next day, the spellcaster will find
ject them to thralldom through a combination of his spells weakened. Any who are a target of the
powerful mental abilities and charm spells. They victim’s Magic-User spells receive a +1 bonus to
avoid physical combat and instead prefer to at- saving throws made to resist the effects. Each
tack with a kind of psychically projected energy, evening that the Breath Stealer and the spell-
which they can target at any individual which they caster sleep while touching, this bonus increases
can see. Targets must make a saving throw or suf- by +1. When the total bonus has become equal
fer 2d6 points of damage and permanently lose to the victim’s level, the Breath Stealer will at-
one point from either their Intelligence (1-2 on tempt to devour the victim’s soul by climbing on
1d6), Wisdom (3-4 on 1d6), or Charisma (5-6 on his chest while he sleeps that night and drawing
1d6) attributes. Any time a Brain Lord reduces a the breath from his body. The victim must make a
target to 1 in any of these attributes, the subject saving throw at a penalty equal to the number of
becomes a mindless thrall in the service of its new days he has been Bonded with the Breath Stealer
master. All Brain Lords are also capable of casting or die.
Charm Person three times per day. Breath Stealers are naturally fearful of elves, hiss-
ing at them and avoiding their presence.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 201

 BUGBEAR Move: 12
HDE/XP: 2/30
Armor Class: 14
Attack Bonus: +3 Giant lethal centipedes of the small size are
about the length of a human’s arm and inflict a
Hit Dice: 3+1
lethal amount of poison with each bite, but inflict
Attacks: Weapon or bite (1d6) no damage if the saving throw is successful (+4
Special: Surprise opponents modifier to opponent’s saving throw). Those who
Saving Throw: 16 fail the saving throw will die in the next 1d6 hours
as the toxin spreads through their bodies.
Move: 9
HDE/XP: 3/120
CENTIPEDE, GIANT (MEDIUM)
These large, hairy, goblin-like humanoids are
stealthier than their size would suggest, almost Armor Class: 14
always getting the chance to surprise even the Attack Bonus: +2
most alert opponents with a roll of 1 to 3 on a d6.
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Bite (1d6-1)
CENTAUR
Special: Poison (see below)
Armor Class: 14 or 15 w/ small shield Saving Throw: 17
Attack Bonus: +4 Move: 15
Hit Dice: 4 HDE/XP: 4/240
Attacks: Weapon or kick (1d6) This human-sized giant centipede is a deadly
Special: None predator with armored segments, a vicious bite,
Saving Throw: 15 and a lethal (though relatively weak) poison (+4
modifier to opponent’s saving throw). Those
Move: 18
who fail the saving throw will die in the next 1d6
HDE/XP: 5/240 rounds as the toxin spreads through their bodies.
Half man, half horse, centaurs are fierce warriors
and well-known creatures of mythology. The Ref-
CENTIPEDE, GIANT (LARGE)
eree may choose any “version” of the centaur
from folklore for his campaign: some are chaotic, Armor Class: 19
some aloof, and some are soothsayers. Attack Bonus: +4
Hit Dice: 4
CENTIPEDE, GIANT (SMALL) Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)

Armor Class: 12 Special: Poison (see below)

Attack Bonus: +1 Saving Throw: 15

Hit Dice: 1-1 Move: 18

Attacks: Bite (see below) HDE/XP: 6/400

Special: Poison (see below) A twenty-foot long horror of chitin, multiple

Saving Throw: 19 legs, and clashing pincers dripping with venom
(+2 modifier to opponent’s saving throw). Those

202 | White Box Cyclopedia

who fail the saving throw will die in the next 1d6 the spells of a Magic-User, though to a lesser de-
rounds as the toxin spreads through their bodies. gree than traditional liches. A Clerical liche can
memorize and cast spells as a Magic-User with a
level equal to half their normal hit dice, rounded
CHIMERA
down. This means that a liche with 14 or 15 hit
Armor Class: 15 dice would memorize and cast spells as a 7th lev-
Attack Bonus: +9 el Magic-User and as a 10th level Cleric. Clerical
liches cannot paralyze with either their touch or
Hit Dice: 9
aura, but can Banish Undead as a Chaotic Cleric
Attacks: Bite (1d6+1, once per head) of 9th level.
Special: Breathes fire, flies
Saving Throw: 10 COCKATRICE
Move: 12/18 (when flying)
Armor Class: 13
HDE/XP: 11/1,700
Attack Bonus: +5
The chimera is a winged, three headed beast;
Hit Dice: 5
one is the head of a goat, one the head of a lion,
and one the head of a dragon. The dragon head Attacks: Bite (1d6-1)
can breathe fire three times per day with a range Special: Bite turns bitten into stone
of 50 feet, causing 3d6 damage to anyone caught Saving Throw: 14
within the fiery blast (saving throw for half dam-
Move: 6/18 (when flying)
age).
HDE/XP: 7/600
Resembles a bat-winged rooster with a long, ser-
CLERICAL LICHE
pentine tail. Its bite turns enemies to stone unless
Armor Class: 18 a successful saving throw is made.
Attack Bonus: +9
Hit Dice: 12 - 18
Attacks: By weapon (1d6)
Special: See Below
Saving Throw: 7 (12 HD), 6 (13 HD), 5 (14 HD), 4
(15 HD), 3 (16 HD), 2 (17+ HD)
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 15/2,900, 16/3,200, 17/3,500, 18/3,800,
19/4,100, 20/4,400, 21/4,700
While the vast majority of liches have mastered
the arcane arts of the Magic-User in rare cases,
some of them devote themselves to the service
of a malign god or goddess with such zeal that
they rise as powerful and terrible masters of cor-
rupted divine magic. These are known as Cleri-
cal Liches. They are able to cast spells as a 10th
level Cleric. In addition, they have also mastered

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 203

 CONFESSOR These terrible undead knights are clad in black
armor and wield terrible two-handed swords with
Armor Class: 21
great strength. In addition to increased damage,
Attack Bonus: +10 each time a death knight successfully strikes a
Hit Dice: 10 foe with their sword the target loses one level.
Death Knights are also immune to all spells of 5th
Attacks: Sword (2d6)
level or lower. They can cast a Fireball once per
Special: Searing Judgment
day that inflicts 7d6 points of damage. They are
Saving Throw: 9 immune to damage from mundane weapons and
Move: 12 cannot be banished by a Cleric.
HDE/XP: 11/1,400
DEMONS
These terrible beings appear as a billowing col-
Demons are creatures of the lower planes of ex-
lection of black robes and tattered rags, clutch-
istence, but they are occasionally encountered in
ing a sword in a skeletal hand. They have no oth-
places where they have been enslaved to serve
er physical presence. The Confessor is a spirit of
as guardians by powerful Magic-users or Chaotic
judgment which seeks retribution for sins. It does
Clerics. The more intelligent varieties might also
not speak, save to whisper the name of its victim
be interrupted while carrying out plots of their
over and over again. When it comes within 120
own. There is no meaningful game distinction
feet of its victim it immediately knows the great-
between demons and devils.
est sin committed by the individual and calls out
their name. If the named individual does not im-
mediately confess their greatest sin, it begins to DEMON, BAALROCH
attack them with its terrible sword until they are
Armor Class: 17
slain. Those struck must make a saving throw or
be paralyzed as they scream in agony from the Attack Bonus: +9
pain of their sins for 1d6 rounds. Hit Dice: 9
Confessors fight until slain and then fade to noth- Attacks: Sword or whip (2d6)
ing. Their magical blades crumble to dust upon Special: See below
defeat. They are undead creatures and can be
Saving Throw: 10
the target of the Banish Undead ability.
Move: 6/15 (when flying)

DEATH KNIGHT HDE/XP: 10/1,400

The Baalroch’s name means, roughly, the Bull of
Armor Class: 21
Baal: the Baal-aurochs (the aurochs was a bull
Attack Bonus: +10 that stood twelve feet tall at the shoulder, and
Hit Dice: 10 Baal is an ancient and evil pagan deity). These
Attacks: Two-Handed Sword (1d6+3) powerful demons somewhat resemble vast mino-
taurs with great, spreading bat-wings; they burn
Special: See Below
with the fires of hell and are wreathed in flame.
Saving Throw: 9 The spells of casters below 6th level do not affect
Move: 12 them, and against higher-level spell casters they
HDE/XP: 12/3200 are yet 75% immune to all spells. In combat, a
Baalroch uses whip and sword; the whip can be

204 | White Box Cyclopedia

used to reach great distances—on a successful DEMON, LEMURE
hit the victim is pulled close to the Baalroch and
Armor Class: 12
burned by the fires of the demon’s body (3d6
damage). Baalrochs are sometimes referred to in Attack Bonus: +3
ancient texts as Balor or Baalor, which may be the Hit Dice: 3
name of a single demon rather than a term for all
Attacks: Claw (1d6)
of them. A Baalroch could be forced or tricked
Special: Regenerate (1 hp/round)
into the service of a powerful wizard, but the risk
would be immense. Saving Throw: 16
Move: 3
HDE/XP: 4/120
Lemures are vaguely humanoid—their flesh is
mud-like, shifting, and soft upon their horrible
bodies. Like manes and wretches, lemures are
lower forms of demons, the fleshly manifestations
of damned souls. These demons can only be per-
manently destroyed by sprinkling their disgusting
bodies with holy water and otherwise regenerate
1 hit point each combat round.

DEMON, SUCCUBUS
DEMON, IMP
Armor Class: 15
Armor Class: 16 Attack Bonus: +6
Attack Bonus: +3 Hit Dice: 6
Hit Dice: 3 Attacks: Bite (1d6-1)
Attacks: Poison Tail Sting (1d6-1) Special: Charm Person
Special: See Below Saving Throw: 13
Saving Throw: 16 Move: 12 (15 when flying)
Move: 6 (12 when flying) HDE/XP: 6/800
HDE/XP: 3/240 A succubus is a demon of lust who appears as
These tiny devilish creatures are red or black in a scantily clad voluptuous human woman with
skin color with cat-like eyes, long pointed tails, with a great pair of bat-wings sprouting from her
and bat wings. They are the lowliest of demons shoulder blades. Though not effective in direct
and often serve as slaves to greater demons or combat, she can charm with a word or a kiss and
servants of powerful evil Clerics and wizards. Imps often surrounds herself with a horde of thralls
are immune to magical weapons and fire and can bent to her will. This ability allows the Succubus
cast Detect Magic at will and Invisibility once per to cast Charm Person at will. If slain, their physical
day – both as a wizard. Their tail has a moderately body returns to the infernal planes to which they
powerful poison which can kill if a saving throw are native.
is not successful, though the victim receives a +4
bonus to their roll.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 205

 DJINN HDE/XP: 5/240

Armor Class: 14 A doppelganger can change its form to resemble

the physical appearance (including clothing and
Attack Bonus: +7
gear) of any person. These creatures are immune
Hit Dice: 7+1 to sleep and charm, and are considered magic
Attacks: Fist or weapon (2d6) resistant for purposes such as breaking through
Special: See below wizard locks and similar spells. They have an in-
credibly good saving throw (+5) against magic of
Saving Throw: 12
all kinds.
Move: 9/24 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 9/1,100
DRAGONS
Djinn are one of the genies of folklore, creatures All dragons have a breath weapon of some kind,
of the air (and possibly of the elemental planes). which can be used up to three times in a day.
They can carry 700 pounds of weight, and have The Referee chooses when a dragon will use the
a number of magical powers. A djinni can create breath weapon or may roll for it (50% chance) in
food and water of high quality, as well as wooden any given round.
and cloth objects. They can also create objects of Referees should not roll for a dragon’s hit points,
metal (including coins), but all such magically cre- like one would for other monsters. Instead, de-
ated metals disappear in time. Djinn can call up termine the age category of the dragon—this will
illusions, and although these are quite excellent give both the dragon’s hit points per hit dice and
they disappear when touched. Djinni can turn how many points of breath weapon damage per
themselves into gaseous form (cannot attack or hit dice the dragon inflicts. Dragons also have a
be attacked, can enter any area that is not air- modifier to their Reduction Value based on their
tight), and can become invisible at will. Finally, a age.
djinni can turn itself into a whirlwind much like
an air elemental, sweeping away any creature
with one or fewer hit dice (the diameter of the
whirlwind is 10 feet). More powerful types of djinn
might be capable of granting limited wishes or
even true wishes.

DOPPELGANGER

Armor Class: 14
Attack Bonus: +4
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Claw (1d6)
Special: See below
Saving Throw: 15
Move: 9

206 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE 8-1: DRAGON AGE CATEGORY

Breath Weapon
Roll (2d6) Age Hit Points per Hit Die Damage per Hit Die AC Modifier
2 Very Young/Hatchling 1 1 -3
3 Young 2 2 -2
4 Immature 3 3 -1
5-8 Adult 4 4 0
9 Old 5 5 +1
10 Very Old (100 years) 6 6 +2
11 Aged (100–400 years) 7 7 +3
12 Ancient (400+ years) 8 8 +4

TABLE 8-2: DRAGON BREATH WEAPONS DRAGON, BLACK

Shape* Type Armor Class: 17

Cloud Gaseous Attack Bonus: +6 (Hatchling, Young), +7
Cone Fire or Frost (Immature, Adult, Old), +8 (Very Old, Aged,
Ancient)
Line Spitting
Hit Dice: 6–8
*The dimensions of a dragon’s breath differ Attacks: Bite (1d6+2)
according to the dragon’s type. For example, Special: Spits acid
an “Adult” dragon has both 4 hit points and 4
Saving Throw: 13 (6 HD), 12 (7 HD), 11 (8 HD)
points of breath weapon damage per hit dice. So
an “Adult” black dragon with 6 HD would have Move: 12/24 (when flying)
24 hit points and deal 24 points of acid damage HDE/XP: 8/800; 9/1,100; 10/1,400
when using its breath weapon.
Black dragons spit a deadly, corrosive acid rather
than a breath of fire. The acid covers everything
Note that dragons, while dangerous opponents, in a line 5 feet wide and 60 feet long.
are not by any means invincible. In a medie-
val-type fantasy world, dragons are a widespread
DRAGON, BLUE
problem rather than a godlike creature of leg-
end—so the statistics for dragons reflect a deadly Armor Class: 17
but not mythical foe. The Referee is, of course,
Attack Bonus: +8 (Hatchling, Young), +9
free to create stats for a more “mythical” con- (Immature, Adult, Old), +10 (Very Old, Aged,
ception of dragons. Since dice are not rolled for Ancient)
dragon hit points, it is possible for a truly mythical
Hit Dice: 8–10
dragon to have more “numbers” per die than it is
actually possible to roll on a hit dice. Attacks: Bite (2d6)
Special: Spits lightning
Saving Throw: 11 (8 HD), 10 (9HD), 9 (10 HD)

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 207

 Move: 12/24 (when flying) Move: 12/24 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 10/1,400; 11/1,700; 12/2,000 HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 10/1,400; 11/1,700
Blue dragons spit a blast of electric lightning, Green dragons breathe a cloud of poisonous gas
affecting everything in its path, in a line 5 feet that is 50 feet in diameter. A successful saving
wide and 100 feet long. A successful saving throw throw indicates half damage.
against the blast of lightning indicates half dam-
age.
DRAGON, RED

Armor Class: 17
DRAGON, GOLD
Attack Bonus: +9 (Hatchling, Young), +10
Armor Class: 17 (Immature, Adult, Old), +11 (Very Old, Aged,
Attack Bonus: +10 (Hatchling, Young), +11 Ancient)
(Immature, Adult, Old), +12 (Very Old, Aged, Hit Dice: 9–11
Ancient)
Attacks: Bite (2d6+1)
Hit Dice: 10–12
Special: Breathes fire
Attacks: Bite (2d6+2)
Saving Throw: 10 (9 HD), 9 (10 HD), 8 (11 HD)
Special: Breathes poisonous gas or fire
Move: 12/24 (when flying)
Saving Throw: 9 (10 HD), 8 (11 HD), 7 (12 HD)
HDE/XP: 11/1,700; 12/2,000; 13/2,300
Move: 12/24 (when flying)
Red dragons are the fire-breathing wyrms of leg-
HDE/XP: 12/2,000; 13/2,300; 14/2,600 end. They breathe fire in a cone-shape 90 feet
Gold dragons are of lawful alignment, can always long and roughly 30 feet wide at the base.
speak, and cast spells as if they were a Magic-us-
er of equal level to their age category (so that
DRAGON, WHITE
“Very Old” gold dragons are 6th level Magic-us-
ers). They can choose to either breathe fire in a Armor Class: 17
cone 90 feet long and roughly 30 feet wide at the Attack Bonus: +5 (Hatchling, Young), +6
base or breathe chlorine gas in a cloud 50 feet in (Immature, Adult, Old), +7 (Very Old, Aged,
diameter. Ancient)
Hit Dice: 5–7
DRAGON, GREEN Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)

Armor Class: 17 Special: Breathes cold

Attack Bonus: +7 (Hatchling, Young), +8 Saving Throw: 14 (5 HD), 13 (6 HD), 12 (7 HD)

(Immature, Adult, Old), +9 (Very Old, Aged, Move: 12/24 (when flying)
Ancient)
HDE/XP: 7/600; 8/800; 9/1,100
Hit Dice: 7–9
White dragons are usually found in cold regions,
Attacks: Bite (2d6) where they can utilize their natural camouflage
Special: Breathes poisonous gas in the ice and snow to ambush their prey. They
Saving Throw: 12 (7 HD), 11 (8 HD), 10 (9 HD) breathe intensely frigid air and frost in a cone
shape 70 feet long and roughly 30 feet wide at
the base.

208 | White Box Cyclopedia

DRYAD Statistics above are for the common Dwarf with
no particular unusual characteristics. A Dwarf-
Armor Class: 14
at-arms would usually have a full 7 hit points,
Attack Bonus: +2 reflecting skill and general toughness. Stronger
Hit Dice: 2 Dwarves (sergeants-at-arms, for example) might
have more hit dice or unusual bonuses to their at-
Attacks: Dagger (1d6-1)
tack rolls, or, even magical abilities if Dwarves are
Special: Charm Person
magical in your fantasy universe. (Norse myths are
Saving Throw: 17 a good example of this.) These stronger dwarves
Move: 12 will often have heavier armor and shields, affect-
ing their Armor Class and hit dice accordingly. Do
HDE/XP: 3/60
not bother to treat more powerful NPC Dwarves
Dryads are beautiful female tree spirits, and do as Fighters or character types; just assign the
not venture far from their home trees. They can right number of HD and abilities (if any) and keep
cast (as a native magical power) a strong charm moving along with the fantasy.
that operates as a Charm Person spell with a -2
saving throw. Those who are charmed seldom re-
turn, or might be kept for a hundred years and a EFREETI
day within the dryad’s tree.
Armor Class: 16
Attack Bonus: +10
DWARF
Hit Dice: 10
Armor Class: 14 or 15 w/ a shield Attacks: Fist or sword (2d6)
Attack Bonus: +1 Special: Wall of Fire
Hit Dice: 1+1 Saving Throw: 9
Attacks: War Hammer (1d6) Move: 9/24 (when flying)
Special: Stonework insight HDE/XP: 12/2,000
Saving Throw: 18 Efreet are a type of genie, associated with fire
Move: 6 (unlike the djinn, who have powers over the air).
Efreet can carry up to a thousand pounds of
HDE/XP: 1/15
weight, and under the right circumstances they
can be forced to serve as a slave (until they figure
out how to free themselves). An efreeti can cast
Wall of Fire three times per day. They appear as
giant humans with cruel features, their skin flick-
ering with flames.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 209

 ELEMENTALS
Elementals are living manifestations of the basic
forms of matter; earth, air, fire, and water. They
are usually summoned from their native planes
of existence to do the bidding of a powerful wiz-
ard. These beings can also be “chained” within
objects or structures to give the objects magical
properties. Elementals are barely intelligent at
all, but they are as powerful as the forces of na-
ture that they actually are.

ELEMENTAL, AIR

Armor Class: 17
Attack Bonus: +8 (8 HD), +12 (12 HD) or +15
(16 HD) Earth elementals are hulking man-shapes of rock
Hit Dice: 8, 12, 16 and earth. They batter opponents with their great
Attacks: Strike (2d6) fists, although damage is reduced by 1d6 if the
opponent is not standing upon earth or rock.
Special: Whirlwind
Earth elementals can tear apart stone structures,
Saving Throw: 11 (8 HD), 7 (12 HD), 3 (16 HD) able to rip down even a castle wall in a matter of
Move: 36 (when flying) 1d4+4 minutes.
HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 13/2,300; 17/3,400
Air elementals can turn into a whirlwind of air with ELEMENTAL, FIRE
a diameter of 30 feet, hurling any creature of 1
Armor Class: 17
HD or less for great distances (almost certainly
killing them). Elemental whirlwinds are approxi- Attack Bonus: +8 (8 HD), +12 (12 HD) or +15
mately 100 feet tall. (16 HD)
Hit Dice: 8, 12, 16

ELEMENTAL, EARTH Attacks: Strike (2d6)

Special: Ignite materials
Armor Class: 17
Saving Throw: 11 (8 HD), 7 (12 HD), 3 (16 HD)
Attack Bonus: +8 (8 HD), +12 (12 HD) or +15
(16 HD) Move: 12

Hit Dice: 8, 12, 16 HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 13/2,300; 17/3,400

Attacks: Fist (2d6) Fire elementals are formless masses of flame,

perhaps with a vaguely human shape. Their at-
Special: Stone destruction
tacks cause flammable materials to ignite if the
Saving Throw: 11 (8 HD), 7 (12 HD), 3 (16 HD) material fails a saving throw (as determined by
Move: 6 the Referee).
HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 13/2,300; 17/3,400

210 | White Box Cyclopedia

ELEMENTAL, LAVA ELF

Armor Class: 17 Armor Class: 14

Attack Bonus: +9 Attack Bonus: +1
Hit Dice: 9 Hit Dice: 1+1
Attacks: Strike (2d6) Attacks: Longbow or Long Sword (1d6)
Special: Engulf, ignite materials Special: None
Saving Throw: 10 Saving Throw: 18
Move: 3 Move: 12
HDE/XP: 9/1,400 HDE/XP: 1/15
Similar to fire elementals and native to the same The example above is for a typical Elf; trained war-
plane, lava elementals appear as massive animat- riors would likely have the maximum 7 hit points.
ed pools of lava. They attack by engulfing their Obviously, Elves encountered in the course of a
foes. Once a lava elemental has made a success- party’s adventuring will have a variety of powers
ful attack against a target he continues to engulf and different attributes. The Referee will assign
the target, inflicting 2d6 points of damage each such powers as he sees fit, in accordance with
round until the target is dead. They also ignite the way he envisions Elves. They might be the
materials in the same manner as a fire elemental. woodland dwellers of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, or
Lava Elementals only have a singular form and do the high Elves of the Lord of the Rings, or might
not grow or weaken in power. be the faerie-folk of Irish legend. In any case, as
with Dwarves, do not bother trying to fit your “ad-
vanced” elves into the constraints of character
ELEMENTAL, WATER
classes—just make up their attributes to fit what
Armor Class: 17 you need. NPCs are not subject to the rules that
Attack Bonus: +8 (8 HD), +12 (12 HD) or +15 govern building a player character; they are your
(16 HD) tools for good fantasy, not an exercise in formula
application.
Hit Dice: 8, 12, 16
Attacks: Strike (2d6)
ELF, SHADOW
Special: Overturn ships
Saving Throw: 11 (8 HD), 7 (12 HD), 3 (16 HD) Armor Class: 16

Move: 6/18 (when swimming) Attack Bonus: +2

HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 13/2,300; 17/3,400 Hit Dice: 2

Water elementals cannot move more than 60 feet Attacks: See Below
from a large body of water, and their damage is Special: See Below
reduced by 1d6 if the opponent is not standing Saving Throw: 17
(or in) a body of water. These powerful beings can
Move: 12
overturn small boats, and can overturn a ship if
given 1d6+2 minutes to work at it. On water, they HDE/XP: 2/60
can attack ships, battering them to pieces within These cousins of surface elves raid surface dwell-
one hour if not prevented or distracted. ers, for whom they have a cultural animosity. They
typically wield short swords (1d6-1 damage) and

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 211

 light crossbows whose bolts are coated in a par- Gargoyles are winged creatures resembling the
alytic poison (1d6 damage, save or be paralyzed carved monstrosities that bedeck the walls of ca-
for one turn). Most wear special chain mail craft- thedrals and many subterranean dungeons. They
ed with dark magic and carry bucklers. They are can be vicious predators.
extraordinarily stealthy, surprising their foes on
1-4 on 1d6. They are also highly resistant to mag-
ic, receiving a +4 bonus to all saving throws made
to resist it.

FAIRIE DRAGON

Armor Class: 15
Attack Bonus: +2
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Bite (1d6-1)
Special: Sleep Breath, Invisibility
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 9 (12 while flying)
GELATINOUS CUBE
HDE/XP: 2/120
Armor Class: 11
These small gossamer-winged dragons are no
larger than a house cat. They are playful and Attack Bonus: +4
friendly, not typically seeking combat. Instead Hit Dice: 4
they breathe a cloud of gas with a 20’ radius. All
Attacks: Strike (1d6)
creatures caught in the cloud must make a sav-
Special: See below
ing throw or be put to sleep for 2d6 hours. If cor-
nered, they will use their ability to cast Invisibility Saving Throw: 15
once per day to hide themselves. They are fond Move: 6
of shiny objects and twinkling baubles.
HDE/XP: 5/240
Gelatinous cubes are semi-transparent cubes
GARGOYLE that slosh through subterranean passages, en-
gulfing debris, and carrion to digest. Their entire
Armor Class: 14
substance is acidic: if the cube hits successfully,
Attack Bonus: +4
the victim must make a saving throw or become
Hit Dice: 4 paralyzed (6 turns)—during which time, the cube
Attacks: Claw (1d6) will attempt to devour its victim. Most gelatinous
cubes contain various metallic treasures or gems
Special: Flight
that they have engulfed but not yet digested. Ge-
Saving Throw: 15
latinous cubes are immune to lightning and cold.
Move: 9/15 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 6/400

212 | White Box Cyclopedia

GHOUL GIANT, FIRBOLG

Armor Class: 13 Armor Class: 16

Attack Bonus: +2 Attack Bonus: +9
Hit Dice: 2 Hit Dice: 9+2
Attacks: Claw Attacks: Weapon (2d6)
Special: See below Special: Hurl boulders, Detect Magic
Saving Throw: 17 Saving Throw: 11
Move: 9 Move: 12
HDE/XP: 3/60 HDE/XP: 10/1,400
Ghouls are pack-hunting undead, corpse eaters. Appearing as giant men (ten feet tall) with flam-
They are immune, like most undead, to charms ing red beards, firbolg dwell in rocky and volca-
and sleep spells. The most dangerous feature of nic regions where they live in clans of miners and
these horrid, cunning creatures is their paralyz- underground fungus farmers. Unlike other giants,
ing touch: any hit from a ghoul requires a saving they are not warlike by nature and instead prefer
throw or the victim becomes paralyzed for 3d6 to make prodigious use of their ability to throw
turns. boulders and fight from a distance, which inflict
2d6 points of damage.They are as intelligent as
humans and have the natural ability to cast De-
tect Magic at will.
GIANTS
Giants are a staple of fantasy gaming, huge and
dangerous creatures that often have a taste for GIANT, FIRE
human flesh. Most are not particularly intelligent.
Armor Class: 15
Attack Bonus: +11
GIANT, CLOUD
Hit Dice: 11+3
Armor Class: 15 Attacks: Weapon (2d6)
Attack Bonus: +12 Special: Hurls boulders, fire immunity
Hit Dice: 12+2 Saving Throw: 8
Attacks: Weapon (3d6) Move: 12
Special: Hurls boulders HDE/XP: 12/2,000
Saving Throw: 7 Fire giants are usually found near volcanic moun-
Move: 15 tains, in great castles of basalt or even iron. They
HDE/XP: 13/2,300 throw boulders for 5d6 hit points and are immune
to fire.
Cloud giants are cunning beasts, often living in
cloud-castles in the sky (hence their name). They
throw rocks for 6d6 hit points of damage. Cloud
giants are famous for their ability to smell out
food, enemies, and Englishmen.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 213

 Hill giants are the least of the giant races; most
are brutish cave-dwellers who dress in pelts and
uncured hides. They throw rocks for 2d8 points
of damage.

GIANT, STONE

Armor Class: 15
Attack Bonus: +9
Hit Dice: 9
Attacks: Club (2d6)
Special: Hurls boulders
Saving Throw: 10
Move: 12
GIANT, FROST
HDE/XP: 10/1,400
Armor Class: 15 Stone giants dwell in caves, isolated in the moun-
Attack Bonus: +10 tain fastness. They throw rocks for 3d6 points of
Hit Dice: 10+1 damage, and can be quite crafty in setting up
ambushes in their native mountains—travelers
Attacks: Weapon (2d6)
who wander into the territory of stone giants sel-
Special: Hurls boulders, cold immunity dom return.
Saving Throw: 9
Move: 12 GIANT, STORM
HDE/XP: 12/2,000
Armor Class: 18
Frost giants dwell in cold regions, where they
Attack Bonus: +15
build (or conquer) castles in remote places of ice
and snow. They throw boulders or great chunks Hit Dice: 16
of ice for 4d6 points of damage and are immune Attacks: Weapon (3d6)
to cold. Special: See below
Saving Throw: 3
GIANT, HILL Move: 15

Armor Class: 15 HDE/XP: 16/3,200

Attack Bonus: +8 Storm giants are the largest of giants, the most in-
Hit Dice: 8 telligent, the most magical, and the most likely to
talk with humans rather than simply devour them.
Attacks: Weapon (2d6)
Storm giants can live in underwater sea-castles as
Special: Hurls boulders well as on the heights of mountains. They throw
Saving Throw: 11 boulders for 7d6 points of damage, and have the
Move: 12 power to cast Control Weather once per day.

HDE/XP: 9/1,100

214 | White Box Cyclopedia

GNOLL GOBLIN

Armor Class: 14 Armor Class: 13

Attack Bonus: +2 Attack Bonus: +0

Hit Dice: 2 Hit Dice: 1-1

Attacks: Bite (1d6) or Morning Star (1d6+1) Attacks: Weapon (1d6)

Special: -1 to all attack rolls in sunlight
Special: None
Saving Throw: 19
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 9
Move: 9
HDE/XP: <1/10
HDE/XP: 2/30
Goblins are small creatures (4 feet tall or so) that
Gnolls are tall humanoids with hyena-like heads.
inhabit dark woods, underground caverns, and
They may be found both above ground and in
(possibly) the otherworldly realms of the fey. They
subterranean caverns. They form into loosely or-
suffer a -1 on all attack rolls when in the full sun-
ganized clans, often ranging far from home to
light.
steal and kill with rapacious ferocity. Gnolls often
let aloud, blood curdling howls to communicate
with one another over distances of up to a mile. GOLEMS
Golems are man-shaped creatures built to serve
their masters, usually powerful wizards, or high
GNOME
priests. They are often used as guardians. Go-
Armor Class: 12 lems cannot be hit with non-magical weapons,
and are immune to the sorts of spells used to cre-
Attack Bonus: +1
ate them (iron golems being immune to fire, for
Hit Dice: 1
instance). You can find the details in the specific
Attacks: Short Bow or Short Sword (1d6-1) monster descriptions.
Special: Phantasmal Force
Saving Throw: 18 GOLEM, FLESH
Move: 9
Armor Class: 10
HDE/XP: 1/15
Attack Bonus: +12
Gnome are industrious, peaceful beings. They
Hit Dice: 12
dwell mostly deep underground. They rarely
Attacks: Fist (1d6+4)
stand higher than 3’ and have long beards and
pointy noses. They are peaceful by nature, seek- Special: See below
ing only to mine for gems and other valuables, Saving Throw: 7
engaging in the occasional prank. Gnomes are
Move: 9
natural foes of goblins and kobolds, as well as
HDE/XP: 12/2,000
skilled illusionists. All gnomes can cast Phantas-
mal Force once per day. A creation stitched together from human limbs
and other parts, like Frankenstein’s monster.
Damage inflicted by lightning heals the golem,
and it is slowed to one-half movement by fire and

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 215

 cold - though it suffers no damage from these HDE/XP: 17/3,500
elements. No other type of spell than lightning, Iron golems are huge moving statues of iron. They
fire, or cold affects a flesh golem. Only +1 or bet- can breathe a 10 foot radius cloud of poison gas
ter magic weapons can harm it. as well as attack with great power. Anyone caught
in this gas cloud must make a saving throw or die
GOLEM, GLASS in a fit of coughing and choking in 1d6 rounds.
While choking in this manner the victim is unable
Armor Class: 13 to act, but if they can be removed from the gas
Attack Bonus: +9 cloud before the time has elapsed they will not
Hit Dice: 9 die. Only +3 or better magic weapons can harm
an iron golem. These hulking statues are slowed
Attacks: Fist or weapon (1d6)
to onel-half movement by lightning spells, but
Special: See Below fire-based spells actually restore hit points to
Saving Throw: 10 them equal to the amount of damage they would
Move: 9 otherwise inflict. No other type of spell affects
them.
HDE/XP: 9/1700
Whether crafted from animated stained glass, or
massive piles of jagged shards, these behemoths GOLEM, STONE
are sometimes animated to protect churches and Armor Class: 14
other holy sites. They are immune to non-magi-
Attack Bonus: +15
cal weapons and take only one point of damage
from attacks made with magical weapons which Hit Dice: 16
are not blunt. They take half damage from fire Attacks: Fist (2d6)
spells, but reduce their movement by half for one Special: See below
round after suffering it. They are immune to all
Saving Throw: 3
other forms of magic. Glass Golems can some-
times ambush targets by concealing themselves Move: 6
as part of a large stained glass window, surprising HDE/XP: 16/3,200
foes when they are able to do this with a 1-4 on Stone golems are massive stone statues animat-
1d6 chance of success. ed by immensely powerful magics (much more
than just animate objects, in other words). They
GOLEM, IRON are slowed by fire spells, and damaged or healed
by the rock to mud spell and its reverse, respec-
Armor Class: 16 tively.. The damage on the stone golem inflicted
Attack Bonus: +13 by such a spell is 10d6. Spells that affect rock (and
Hit Dice: 13 fire spells) are the only magic that affects them.
They can only be hit by weapons +2 or better.
Attacks: Fist or weapon (2d6)
Stone Golems can remain still and masquerade
Special: See below as statuary. When doing so they surprise foes on
Saving Throw: 6 a 1-3 on 1d6.
Move: 6

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GOLEM, WOOD GORGON

Armor Class: 14 Armor Class: 17

Attack Bonus: +10 Attack Bonus: +8
Hit Dice: 10 Hit Dice: 8
Attacks: Fist (1d6+2) Attacks: Gore (1d6+2)
Special: See Below Special: Stone breath
Saving Throw: 9 Saving Throw: 11
Move: 6 Move: 12
HDE/XP: 10/2000 HDE/XP: 10/1,400
These lumbering constructs are often mistaken Gorgons are bull-like creatures with dragon-like
for treants and typically protect hidden groves scales. Their breath sprays a 60 foot cone that
and glens claimed by powerful spell casters. is 30 feet wide at its end which turns people to
They are nearly invisible when in a forested area, stone (60 foot cone), though characters can make
surprising their enemies on a 1-5 on 1d6. They a saving throw to resist this effect. If a Gorgon is
are immune to mundane weapons and all magic, able to move its full Move before making a gore
except fire and fire-based spells, which inflict nor- attack, the damage this attack inflicts is doubled.
mal damage.

GREY OOZE

Armor Class: 11
Attack Bonus: +3
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: Strike (1d6)
Special: See below
Saving Throw: 16
Move: 1
HDE/XP: 5/240
Grey ooze is almost identical to wet rock, but is a
slimy, formless substance that devours prey and
carrion with its acidic secretions, lashing forward
to strike enemies. Grey ooze is immune to spells,
heat, and cold damage. Metal weapons and ar-
mor (but not stone or wood) that touch grey ooze
require the wearer tot make a saving throw rotted
to ruin. When the grey ooze hits a character in
metal armor, the armor must make an item sav-
ing throw. Enchanted or magical metal items are
unaffected. Only cutting and piercing damages a
grey ooze—it is impervious to blunt or crushing
attacks.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 217

 GREEN SLIME
OPTIONAL RULE: TRAINING A GRIFFON
Green slime is not technically a monster, just an
extremely dangerous hazard in underground If the Referees allow it, player characters who
tombs and other such places. Any metal or or- manage to recover a griffon egg or newly
ganic substance it touches begins to turn to hatched fledgeling can attempt to raise and
green slime unless a successful saving throw is train it. This requires a griffon roost, which must
made, suffering 2d6 damage each round in the be specially constructed at a cost of 250 gold
case of living beings. This damage continues as pieces. Over the next six months as the grif-
the green slime eats away at living flesh unless a fon grows to maturity, if the caretaker spends
Cure Disease spell is cast. It can be killed with fire 6 hours per day working with, befriending, and
or extreme cold, which destroys a 10’x10’ patch training the fledgeling as it grows to adulthood
for each 5 points of such damage inflicted on the they may roll 1d6 at the end of each month. If
Green Slime., Green Slime is typically found in they roll a 1, then that month of training was
patches of 1d6x10’ square feet. successful. If any other number is rolled, the
griffon is proud and stubborn and escapes at
the first opportunity. If, after six months, each
GRIFFON
of these months of training resulted in rolling
Armor Class: 16 a 1 on 1d6, then the griffon is bonded to the
caretaker and will act as a loyal mount and pro-
Attack Bonus: +7
tector. A caretaker can hire an Animal Trainer to
Hit Dice: 7
increase their chance of success each month to
Attacks: Bite (1d6) 1-2 in 1d6, or if the Referee is allowing option-
Special: Flight al classes then any character with the Forestry
ability may use this ability to determine each
Saving Throw: 12
month’s success instead of simply having a 1 in
Move: 12/24 (when flying)
1d6 chance. Each month of care and feeding of
HDE/XP: 8/800 a griffon costs 100 gold pieces.
Griffons have the body of a lion, with the wings,
head, and fore-talons of an eagle. These creatures
can be tamed and ridden as mounts, but this is a
long and complicated process. They usually nest
in high mountain aeries, where they lay their eggs
and hunt their prey. Because the fledglings can
be tamed, young griffons and griffon eggs com-
mand an extremely high price (typically 1000 gold
pieces) in the marketplaces of the great cities, or
to barons and wizards.

218 | White Box Cyclopedia

HALFLING HELL HOUND

Armor Class: 12 Armor Class: 15

Attack Bonus: +1 Attack Bonus: +4 (4 HD), +5 (5 HD), +6 (6 HD),
Hit Dice: 1-1 or +7 (7 HD)

Attacks: Small Weapon (1d6-1) Hit Dice: 4–7

Special: Stealth, Thrown Weapon Bonus Attacks: Bite (1d6)

Saving Throw: 19 Special: Breathes fire

Move: 9 Saving Throw: 15 (4 HD), 14 (5 HD), 13 (6 HD),

12 (7 HD)
HDE/XP: 1/15
Move: 12
These diminutive people stand no taller than four
HDE/XP: 5/240; 6/400; 7/600; 8/800
feet in height at the most, with curly hair, ample
bellies, and broad smiles. Insular and wary of Hell hounds are fire-breathing dogs of the un-
outsiders, halflings use their natural ability to go derworlds or lower planes. In addition to biting,
unnoticed when remaining still and concealed to they can breathe fire each round, inflicting 2 hit
avoid outsiders. When forced to fight, they favor points damage per hit die of the hell hound (30
ranged weapons, such as slings or short bows, foot range, saving throw for half damage). Hell
and receive a +1 bonus on all attack rolls with hounds are immune to fire and heat-based dam-
these weapons. age.

HARPY HIPPOGRIFF

Armor Class: 12 Armor Class: 14

Attack Bonus: +3 Attack Bonus: +3

Hit Dice: 3 Hit Dice: 3+1

Attacks: Talons (1d6) Attacks: Claws (1d6)

Special: Charming touch, flight, siren song Special: Flight

Saving Throw: 16 Saving Throw: 16

Move: 6/18 (when flying) Move: 12/18 (when flying)

HDE/XP: 4/120 HDE/XP: 3/60

Harpies have the upper body of a human female The hippogriff is similar to a griffon, having the
and the lower body and wings of a vulture. Their head, foreclaws, and wings of an eagle, but in-
song is a charm that draws its victims to the harpy stead of the body of a lion, it has the body of
unless they make a successful saving throw. Vic- a horse. Legend holds they are the offspring of
tims of this song move at no less than half their a griffon and a horse. Like their griffon cousins,
movement towards the harpy, even if that move- they are often sought after as aerial mounts and
ment would endanger them - though other ac- their eggs demand a high price (500 gold pieces).
tions can be taken. Once within melee range of They are more docile than griffons, but training
the harpy, it casts Charm Person on the poor vic- them is no easy task.
tim - though they receive a saving throw to resist
this effect as well.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 219

 OPTIONAL RULE: TRAINING A HIPPOGRIFF
If the Referees allow it, player characters who
manage to recover a hippogriff egg or newly
hatched foal can attempt to raise and train it.
This requires a hippogriff stable, which must
be specially constructed at a cost of 125 gold
pieces. Over the next six months as the hippog-
riff grows to maturity, if the caretaker spends 6
hours per day working with, befriending, and
training the foal as it grows to adulthood they
may roll 1d6 at the end of each month. If they
roll a 1 or 2, then that month of training was
successful. If any other number is rolled, the
hippogriff is proud and stubborn and escapes
at the first opportunity. If, after six months, each Hobgoblins are simply large goblins, possibly
of these months of training resulted in rolling a separate breed living apart from their smaller
a 1 or 2 on 1d6, then the hippogriff is bonded cousins. They are often military leaders and brutal
to the caretaker and will act as a loyal mount taskmasters in goblin communities, driving regu-
and protector. A caretaker can hire an Animal lar goblins to new heights of depravity with their
Trainer to increase their chance of success each threats and insults. A hobgoblin can spend one
month to 1-4 in 1d6, or if the Referee is allow- round barking orders and insults at any goblins
ing optional classes then any character with the under its command to grant any goblin within 60
Forestry ability may use this ability to determine feet of them a +1 bonus to all attack rolls for 1d6
each month’s success instead of simply having rounds.
a 1-2 in 1d6 chance. Each month of care and
feeding of a hippogriff costs 50 gold pieces.
HORSE

Horses have an Armor Class of 12. Draft horses,

riding horses, and ponies have 2 hit dice, while
HOBGOBLIN trained warhorses have 3 hit dice. All horses
move at a speed of 18 and do not participate in
Armor Class: 14
combat through attacking other foes.
Attack Bonus: +1
Hit Dice: 1+1
HUMANS
Attacks: Weapon (1d6)
Humans are such a versatile race that any num-
Special: Goblin Commander ber of “monsters” and NPCs can be made from
Saving Throw: 18 them. Berserker warriors, tribe members, cave
dwellers, princesses, evil high priests, captains of
Move: 9
the guard, foot-soldiers, and tavern-keepers are
HDE/XP: 1/15
all different human “monsters.”

220 | White Box Cyclopedia

Do not try to build your non-player characters ac- HUMAN, CULTIST
cording to the rules for player characters. Here
Armor Class: 12
are some samples, otherwise just make up their
stats and abilities as you see fit. Attack Bonus: +1
Hit Dice: 1

HUMAN, BANDIT Attacks: By weapon (1d6)

Special: See Below
Armor Class: 12
Saving Throw: 18
Attack Bonus: +1
Move: 12
Hit Dice: 1
HDE/XP: 1/15
Attacks: Weapon (1d6)
Cultists are those devoted to the worship of the
Special: Surprise Attack
dark forces of the world, whether they be de-
Saving Throw: 18
mons, devils, or unnamed gods. In most respects
Move: 12 they are identical to normal humans, but their
HDE/XP: 1/15 absolute devotion to their vile masters has ren-
dered them immune to fear-based effects, Charm
Bandits are roving groups of thieves, sometimes
Person spells and other mind-affecting magic. In
organized into small armies led by more powerful
large groups of cultists there is sometimes found
bandit chiefs and captains with higher hit dice.
a Cult Leader who can cast spells as a 4th lev-
Bandits who have prepared an ambush and lay in
el Magic-User or Cleric. In some cases, this Cult
wait surprise foes on a 1-3 on 1d6. If attacking a
Leader may even engage in a bloody ritual of sac-
surprised foe, bandits receive a +2 bonus on their
rifice to summon forth some evil spirit or elder
attack roll.
demon.

HUMAN, BERSERKER
HUMAN, SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Armor Class: 12
Armor Class: 14
Attack Bonus: +1
Attack Bonus: +3
Hit Dice: 1+2
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: Weapon (1d6+1)
Attacks: Weapon (1d6)
Special: Berserking
Special: Commanding Presence
Saving Throw: 18
Saving Throw: 16
Move: 12
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 2/30
HDE/XP: 3/60
Berserkers are normal humans, but they fight with
Human sergeants are normally found in command
astounding ferocity. A bonus of +2 is added to
of 1d6+5 human soldiers. These are the leaders
their attack rolls. When a berserker is reduced to
of city guard units and other small military groups
less than one-half their maximum hit points they
in castles and armies. They typically wear chain
are able to attack twice per round and are im-
mail, carry small shields, and wield one-handed
mune to fear-based effects or spells. They do not
weapons. While the sergeant at arms is within 60
wear armor heavier than leather armor.
feet of the soldiers under their command, those

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 221

 soldiers receive a +1 bonus to all attack rolls and is a matter of good strategy for adventurers to
morale checks. focus either on killing heads (when all the heads
are dead the body dies) or killing the creature by
attacking the body (in which case the heads die,
HUMAN, SOLDIER
too).
Armor Class: 12 or 13 w/ shield
Attack Bonus: +1
OPTIONAL RULE: SPECIAL HYDRAE
Hit Dice: 1
At the Referee’s discretion, players may en-
Attacks: Weapon (1d6) counter a rare fire-breathing or regenerating
Special: None hydra. As a general rule only 1 in 1d6 hydrae
are capable of breathing fire, while only 1 in 20
Saving Throw: 18 regenerate from their wounds.
Move: 12 Fire-Breathing Hydra: These hydrae can
HDE/XP: 1/15 breathe fire once per head during each com-
bat round. Each time one of the heads breathes
Human soldiers serve as city guardsmen, mer- fire, it expels a line of flame that is ten feet wide
cenaries, and men-at-arms. They are generally and thirty feet long. Anyone caught in this fire
armed with leather armor and a mace, sword, or suffers 3d6 damage, but may make a saving
spear and carry a shield. For every five guards- throw for half damage.
men there is usually a sergeant at arms. Regenerating Hydra: These hydrae regenerate
1 hit point per level, even if a head is severed
or the creature is reduced to zero hit points.
HYDRA Once a head has been destroyed, it must suf-
fer 1 additional point of fire-based damage to
Armor Class: 10 cauterize the wound and prevent the head from
Attack Bonus: +5 (5 HD), +6 (6 HD), +7 (7 HD), regrowing.
+8 (8 HD), +9 (9 HD), +10 (10 HD), +11 (11 HD),
or +12 (12 HD)
Hit Dice: 5–12 (equals # of heads) INVISIBLE STALKER

Attacks: 5–12 bites (1d6 each) Armor Class: 16

Special: See below Attack Bonus: +8
Saving Throw: 14 (5 HD), 13 (6 HD), 12 (7 HD), Hit Dice: 8
11 (8 HD), 10 (9 HD), 9 (10 HD), 8 (11 HD), or 7
Attacks: Strike (1d6)
(12 HD)
Special: Ambush, flight, invisibility
Move: 9
Saving Throw: 11
HDE/XP: 7/600; 8/800; 9/1,100; 10/1,400;
11/1,700; 12/2,000 Move: 12

Hydrae are great lizard-like or snake-like creatures HDE/XP: 9/1,100

with 5–12 heads, as determined by the Referee. Invisible stalkers are generally only found as a re-
Each head has one hit die of its own, and when sult of the spell Invisible Stalker. They are invisible
the head is killed, that head dies. The body has flying beings created to follow a single command
as many hit dice as the total of the heads, so it made by the caster. Most often, this is a command

222 | White Box Cyclopedia

to assassinate someone or protect a specific loca- Special: Swallow Whole
tion. Invisible Stalkers are always invisible, even Saving Throw: 4
when they attack and can fly at their Move speed.
Move: 15 swimming
Because they are invisible, an Invisible Stalker al-
ways surprises foes on the first round of combat HDE/XP: 15/3200
unless they are able to detect invisible creatures. These massive sea monsters resemble unimag-
When an invisible stalker attacks a surprised foe, inably large squids with eight (or more) wiggling
they inflict 3d6 damage instead of 1d6. appendages. They attack entire vessels, ripping
them apart and swallowing crew members whole
with their massive, tooth filled maw. When a krak-
KOBOLD
en attacks, it grabs a target with one of its ten-
Armor Class: 13 tacles on round one, attempts to bite them on
Attack Bonus: +0 round two, and then swallows them whole on
round three. A target who has been swallowed
Hit Dice: 1-2
whole is slain. Krakens typically have eight ten-
Attacks: Weapon (1d6-1) tacles and can make an attack with each one of
Special: Trapsmith them every combat round.
Saving Throw: 19
Move: 6 LEECH, GIANT
HDE/XP: < 1/10 Armor Class: 13
Kobolds are subterranean, vaguely goblin-like Attack Bonus: +3
humanoids. Though small and physically weak,
Hit Dice: 3
kobolds are expert trap smiths. Once per day, if
given ten rounds to work, a kobold can set a sim- Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)
ple trap that is set off when anyone over 50 lbs in Special: Suck Blood
weight enters a designated 10’x10’ square. The Saving Throw: 16
nature of this trap is crude - falling rocks, shallow
Move: 6
pits, scything blades and the like and it inflicts
1d6+1 damage on the victim. A saving throw re- HDE/XP: 3/95
duces this damage by one-half. Because of their Massive gray-green leeches are found in swamps
size, most kobolds use slings or short bows, and and stagnant waters of extraordinary size. They
they fight with short swords or clubs if forced into grow as large as a horse and will attack living crea-
melee combat. tures that draw close with their terrible bite. Once
a giant leech has made a successful attack it re-
mains attached to its target, sucking blood. Each
KRAKEN
round, they automatically inflict 1d6+1 points of
Armor Class: 17 damage in this way. When laying still in stagnant
Attack Bonus: +15 or swampy waters, giant leeches surprise their
foes on a 1-3 on 1d6.
Hit Dice: 15
Attacks: Tentacles (2d6) or Bite (4d6)

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 223

 LIZARDMAN

Armor Class: 12
Attack Bonus: +2
Hit Dice: 2+1
Attacks: Claw (1d6-1) or sword (1d6)
Special: See below
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 6/12 (when swimming)
HDE/XP: 2/30
Lizardmen are reptilian humanoids, usually living
in tribal villages in the depths of fetid swamps.
They can breath underwater and are lead by pow-
erful warriors who increase their Attack Bonus by
+2 and shamans who can prepare and cast spells
LICHE as a 4th level Magic-User. Some lizardmen wield
Armor Class: 11 a wicked sword made of sharp bone.

Attack Bonus: +12 (12 HD), +13 (13 HD), +14

(14 HD), or +15 (15+ HD) OPTIONAL RULE: BONESWORDS OF THE
Hit Dice: 12–18 LIZARDMEN
Attacks: Touch (1d6 + paralysis) At the Referee’s discretion, warriors among
Special: See below the lizardmen wield a unique bone long sword
crafted by their shamans and enchanted with
Saving Throw: 7 (12 HD), 6 (13 HD), 5 (14 HD), 4
dark magic. This weapon functions as a +1 long
(15 HD), 3 (16 HD), 2 (17 HD+)
sword that grants any lizardman wielding it the
Move: 6 ability to cast Sticks to Snakes (see page 167)
HDE/XP: 15/2,900; 16/3,200; 17/3,500; 18/3,800; once per week. if the wielder makes a success-
19/4,100; 20/4,400; 21/4,700 ful saving throw.
Liches are the undead remnants of wizards, either
made undead by their own deliberate acts during
life or as the result of other magical forces (pos- LYCANTHROPES
sibly including their own magics gone awry). A Lycanthropes are were-creatures, particularly
liche has the spell-casting powers of a 10th level those in whom the disease permits assumption
Magic-User and can also memorize one addition- of a hybrid form of the human and animal. They
al spell of any level (including 6th level) for each cannot be hit by normal weapons; only silver or
hit die over 10 that they possess.. A liche’s touch magical weapons inflict damage on them. If any
causes paralysis with no saving throw, and the character is brought below one-half their maxi-
very sight of one of these dread creatures causes mum hit points by a lycanthrope, the character
paralysis in any being of 4 HD or below. Liches will become a lycanthrope himself unless they
are highly malign and intelligent, often drafting make a successful saving throw.
hoards of undead into their service..

224 | White Box Cyclopedia

LYCANTHROPE, WEREBAT making three attacks ina single combat round:
two claw attacks and one bite. Unlike other ly-
Armor Class: 13
canthropes, werebears are not lovers of carnage
Attack Bonus: +3 or destruction for its own sake. Instead, they are
Hit Dice: 3 aggressive protectors of the natural world, both
flora and fauna and build lodges deep in the un-
Attacks: Weapon (1d6) or Bite (1d6-1)
touched wilderness where they act as defenders
Special: Climbing, control bats, flight, lycan-
of the wild. They have a particular fondness for
thropy
bees, including giant killer bees, whom they re-
Saving Throw: 16 gard as friends. There is a 1-2 in 1d6 chance that
Move: 12 (15 when flying) a werebear will be keeping a 1d6 hives of killer
HDE/XP: 4/120 bees. Each of these hives will be host to 5d6+20
killer bees, whom are loyal to the werebear and
These lycanthropes are capable of taking the
will defend him and his lodge if it is attacked. Un-
form of either a normal human, a common bat, or
like other lycanthropes, werebears do not infect
a hybrid man-bat creature that stands nearly sev-
others when injuring them nor do they require
en feet tall with unnaturally long fingers bound by
silver or magical weapons to be injured. They can
fleshy membranes that permit flight. Regardless
be slain by perfectly mundane weapons, but re-
of form, werebats can climb walls at their normal
generate 3 hit points per round. Werebear lycan-
move speed. They are only harmed by silver or
thropy is hereditary and werebears can only be
magical weapons. Once per evening a werebat
injured by magical weapons.
can summon up to 2d6 blood-sucking bats, which
will defend it until sunrise. These bats function
exactly like stirges. LYCANTHROPE, WERERAT

Armor Class: 13
LYCANTHROPE, WEREBEAR Attack Bonus: +3

Armor Class: 17 Hit Dice: 3

Attack Bonus: +7 Attacks: Weapon (1d6)

Hit Dice: 7+3 Special: Control rats, lycanthropy

Attacks: Claws (1d6+1) and Bite (2d6) or by Saving Throw: 16

weapon Move: 12
Special: Great Strength, Lycanthropy HDE/XP: 4/120
Saving Throw: 12 Wererats are mostly found in cities, lurking in
Move: 9 or 15 shadowy alleyways. Wererats can control rats,
HDE/XP: 8/800 and are extremely stealthy (surprising opponents
1–4 on a d6). They often gather in large groups
Werebears are lycanthropes capable of taking
that live in secret lairs in city sewers or aban-
the form of either a rugged and muscled human
doned buildings, hoping to spread plague and
or a grizzly bear. In human form they are excep-
disease across the community.
tionally strong and receive a +1 bonus to all me-
lee damage rolls. When in bear form their move-
ment is increased to 15 and they are capable of

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 225

 OPTIONAL RULE: WERERATS AND
THIEVERY
For Referees allowing optional classes, wererats
can perform backstab attacks exactly as a Thief
(see page 76) and have a Thievery skill of 4.

LYCANTHROPE, WERERAVEN

Armor Class: 12
Attack Bonus: +2
Hit Dice: 2
Move: 12
Attacks: Weapon (1d6) or Bite (1d6-2)
HDE/XP: 4/120
Special: Flight, linguistics, lycanthropy
Werewolves are the traditional Lycanthropes
Saving Throw: 17 seen in folk tales and horror movies. They are
Move: 12 (15 when flying) often only affected by silver or magical weapons,
HDE/XP: 3/60 and are often humanoid—except for during a full
moon or by some other lunar-related effect. The
Unlike most other lycanthropes, wereravens are
Referee can determine the exact nature of what
not inherently evil – though nor are they good.
causes a werewolf’s transformation based on the
They are curious and mischievous, often stealing
needs of their individual campaign. Werewolves
shiny or interesting objects and playing jokes or
in wolf form attack with a powerful bite attack,
engaging in riddles with those they encounter. A
while those capable of taking a hybrid man-wolf
wereraven in human form has a 1-4 in 1d6 chance
form are endowed with extraordinary strenth and
of successfully picking a target’s pocket. They can
attack with a terrible claw attack in addition to
change shape between human or raven, but have
this bite. In wolf form werewolves increase their
no hybrid form.
Move to 15.
Wereravens can communicate with many spoken
languages and even speak to other birds. In addi-
MANTICORE
tion, wereravens can only be damaged by weap-
ons made of gold (not silver) or magical weapons. Armor Class: 15
Attack Bonus: +6
LYCANTHROPE, WEREWOLF Hit Dice: 6+4

Armor Class: 14 Attacks: Bite (1d6-1), Claws (1d6), and Tail-

spikes (1d6)
Attack Bonus: +3
Special: Track by Scent, Flight
Hit Dice: 3
Saving Throw: 13
Attacks: Bite (1d6) or Claw (1d6+1)
Move: 12/9 (when flying)
Special: Lycanthropy
HDE/XP: 8/800
Saving Throw: 16

226 | White Box Cyclopedia

A horrid monster with bat wings, the face of a fe- MIMICKING MASQUERADERS
ral human, the body of a lion, and a tail tipped
Armor Class: 14
with 24 iron spikes. The manticore can hurl up to
6 of the iron spikes from its tail per round, at a Attack Bonus: +6
maximum range of 180 feet. Spikes regrow after Hit Dice: 6
one day. Predatory by nature, Manticores can
Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)
track by scent with a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of success
Special: Transformation
and have a taste for human flesh.
Saving Throw: 13
Move: 6
MEDUSA
HDE/XP: 4/175
Armor Class: 11
Mimicking Masqueraders are bizarre creatures
Attack Bonus: +6
that have adapted to dungeon dwelling by trans-
Hit Dice: 6 forming themselves into the shape of objects
Attacks: Poisoned bite or weapon (1d6-1) commonly found there such as treasure chests,
doors, or even pieces of flooring or bridges.
Special: Petrifying Gaze, Poison Bite
When transformed in this fashion mimicking mas-
Saving Throw: 13
queraders are undetectable as monsters. When
Move: 9 they come in contact with any living being that
HDE/XP: 8/800 individual must make a saving throw or become
stuck fast to the mimicking masquerader for the
Medusae are terrifying humanoids that appear
next 1d6+1 rounds, though they can spend the
sultry, attractive human females from the waist
entire round attempting to pull themselves free
up, save for a head of living, poisonous snakes.
with a 1 in 1d6 chance of success. Once some-
They have no legs, but the lower body of a great
one is stuck to a mimicking masquerader they are
serpent. The gaze of a medusa turns anyone
unable to use two weapons and lose any benefit
looking upon it into stone to a range of 120 feet.
offered by a shield as well as suffering a -2 penal-
In addition to the medusa’s relatively weak melee
ty on all attack rolls. The victim is also unable to
attack (they favor daggers and other concealable
move until they have separated themselves from
weapons), the snake-hair makes one attack per
the mimicking masquerader. Once it has been
round, causing no damage but the victim of this
discovered, a mimicking masquerader reveals a
bite must make a saving throw or be slain instant-
set of previously concealed razor-sharp teeth and
ly by the poison. Medusae often wear veils and
attempts to eat their victim.
long clohes to conceal their true nature, attempt-
ing to lure unsuspecting victims forward with Mimicking masqueraders
their melodic voice and shapely form. They are can change their from into
highly intelligent and will negotiate and deceive any object no larger than ten
threats that are beyond their ability to defeat. If cubic feet, though this trans-
a medusa’s head is severed, it can be presented formation takes one full turn
at a target to make use of their petrify gaze three to complete and during that
times before the head becomes useless. A sev- time they are vulnerable to
ered medusa head can be sold to the right buyer attack and unable to defend
for upwards of 2500 gold pieces. themselves with their bite.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 227

 MINOTAUR dares intrude upon their domain. They are capa-
ble of casting spells as a 6th Cleric (1-4 on 1d6) or
Armor Class: 13
5th level Magic-User (5-6 on 1d6). Mummies can-
Attack Bonus: +6 not be hit by normal weapons and even magical
Hit Dice: 6+4 weapons inflict only half damage against them.
Their touch also inflicts a rotting disease which
Attacks: Gore (1d6+1) and Large Axe (1d6+2)
prevents magical healing and causes wounds to
Special: Charging Gore, Uncanny Senses
heal at one-tenth of the normal rate (1 hit point
Saving Throw: 13 every ten days). A Cure Disease spell can increase
Move: 12 healing rate to half normal, but both it and a Re-
move Curse spell is required to completely lift the
HDE/XP: 6/400
mummy’s curse.
The minotaur is a man-eating predator with the
head of a bull and the body of a massive human,
covered in shaggy hair. Sometimes they wield NIGHTSTEED
large axes and love engaging in battle. When
Armor Class: 17
fighting they attack with their massive axe and
Attack Bonus: +5
swing their deadly-pointed horns around to sig-
nificant effect in an effort to gore their opponents Hit Dice: 5+5
as well. A minotaur able to travel its full move be- Attacks: Flaming Hooves (2d6)
fore attacking with this gore inflicts double dam-
Special: Fearful Cry
age. and most are not particularly intelligent. Mi-
Saving Throw: 14
notaurs have sharp senses and an uncanny sense
of direction. They are only surprised on a 1 in 1d6 Move: 15 (18 when flying)
and are always able to navigate mazes and laby- HDE/XP: 5/600
rinths unerringly.
A nightsteed is a black horse with burning red
eyes and a mane of fire. Its hooves also burn with
MUMMY hellfire and it can fly as easily as run. They attack
with their flaming hooves, and once per day can
Armor Class: 16
let out a terrible cry that requires all who hear it to
Attack Bonus: +5 make a saving throw or flee in terror of the night-
Hit Dice: 5+1 steed for 1d6 rounds.
Attacks: Touch (1d6 + rotting disease)
Special: See below NYMPH
Saving Throw: 14 Armor Class: 12
Move: 6 Attack Bonus: +1
HDE/XP: 9/1100 Hit Dice: 3
Mummies are the reanimated corpses of power- Attacks: None
ful nobles or sorcerers that have been wrapped in
Special: See Below
bandages and magically preserved. Risen to un-
Saving Throw: 16
dead existence and driven by hatred for all that
live and to protect their tombs and pyramids that Move: 12
are laden with treasure they once held in life, a HDE/XP: 2/120
mummy will infect or destroy any living being that

228 | White Box Cyclopedia

Nymphs are fey who appear as leaf-clad or nude
women of unimaginable beauty. They dwell in
the deep parts of the forest and seek to protect
wild places in the world. Any men who gaze upon
them must make a saving throw at a-4 penalty or
fall completely under their thrall for as long as
they remain within 240 of the Nymph. Nymphs
will lead wayward travelers away from their be-
loved woods and malicious foes to their deaths,
often drowning them in woodland lakes while
they are enchanted. Nymphs are invisible while in
the woods as long as they remain still, blending
seamlessly the their surroundings. OGRE

Armor Class: 14
OCHRE JELLY Attack Bonus: +4

Armor Class: 11 Hit Dice: 4+1

Attack Bonus: +5 Attacks: Large club (1d6+1)

Hit Dice: 5 Special: Doorbreaker

Attacks: Acid strike (1d6) Saving Throw: 15

Special: Corrosive, Lighting Split Move: 9

Saving Throw: 14 HDE/XP: 4/120

Move: 3 Ogres are malicious brutes standing eight feet

tall and weighing close to 500 lbs. They are ter-
HDE/XP: 6/400
ribly strong and crave human flesh to devour.
Ochre jellies are amorphous oozes that damage Because of their amazing strength, they can tear
opponents with their acidic surface. This acid is down locked and stuck doors with ease. They
corrosive to living flesh, wood, and hide. Any time are, fortunately, quite stupid and can be easily
a ochre jelly attacks an opponent using a wooden deceived or made to turn on one another. Some-
shield or wearing leather armor, that target must times ogres are mistaken for trolls.
make a saving throw or their shield or armor is de-
stroyed. Shields are destroyed before armor. Any-
one making a successful attack with a wooden OGRE MAGE
weapon against an ochre jelly must make a simi- Armor Class: 15
lar saving throw or find their weapon destroyed.
Attack Bonus: +5
Magical shields, armor, and weapons are immune
to this effect. They dissolve the corpse of any ad- Hit Dice: 5+4
venturers they kill in 1d6 rounds, making the spell Attacks: Weapon (1d6+1)
Raise Dead beyond this time all but impossible. If Special: Magic
struck by a lighting bolt spell, an ochre jelly splits
Saving Throw: 14
in two. The new ochre jelly has full hit points.
Move: 12/18 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 7/600

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 229

 The ogre mage is an extraordinarily rare ogre with
a high intelligence and magic powers. They can
cast each of the following spells once per day:
fly, invisibility, Light (Dark only), Charm Person,
Fireball, and Sleep as a 5th level Magic-User..
Cunning and patient, they often draw lesser evil
beings to their service such as other ogres and
hobgoblins. Ogre mages have a particular fond-
ness for magic items and will hoard them and
make use of them in battle. They typically build
strongholds high in snowy mountains where they
strike at travelers and rich merchants passing
through narrow passes. ORC

Armor Class: 14 or 15 w/ a shield

ORBITUS
Attack Bonus: +1
Armor Class: 15 Hit Dice: 1
Attack Bonus: +9 Attacks: Weapon (1d6)
Hit Dice: 9 Special: Bloodlust, Sunlight Aversion
Attacks: Bite (1d6) or See Below Saving Throw: 18
Special: See Below Move: 12
Saving Throw: 10 HDE/XP: 1/15
Move: 9 (Flight only) Orcs are nomadic humanoids that gather in tribes
HDE/XP: 9/2000 of hundreds. Most are subterranean dwellers (1-4
The Orbitus is a highly intelligent floating sphere on 1d6), and fight with a -1 penalty on all attack
with a massive eye set into its center and many rolls in full sunlight. They typically carry small
stalks sprouting from it that each end in an eye. shields and wear chainmail armor. Occasionally,
They are calculating, intelligent, and powerful. war-bands or even entire tribes of orcs issue forth
When in combat they can perform each of the from their caverns to raid and pillage by night.
following attacks once per round, by casting a Orcish leaders are great brutes who receive an
unique spell from each eye: Charm Person, Con- additional +10 hit points, a +2 bonus on all me-
fusion, Dispel Magic, Death Spell, Disintegrate, lee attack rolls and wield two-handed weapons
Hold Monster, Lightning Bolt, Sleep, and Teleki- that inflict 1d6+1 damage. Magic-using shamans
nesis.. They can also bite once per round for 1d6 may also be found in the larger tribes (1 in 1d6
points of damage and because of their many eyes chance), who are capable of casting spells as a
they cannot be surprised or attacked unawares. 4th level Magic-User. All orcs are driven to greater
Orbiti are cunning and regularly build their lairs violence at the sight of blood and after inflicting
deep beneath bustling cities where they often damage on an opponent in melee combat, they
build a network of spies and servants so that they receive a +1 bonus on melee attack rolls for the
can manipulate the day-to-day goings-on of a next 1d6 rounds. Orcish tribes tend to war among
civilization in hopes of gaining wealth and power. themselves and will often fight savagely between
lesser tribes unless restrained by a powerful and
feared commander, such as an evil high priest or
a mystic sorcerer.

230 | White Box Cyclopedia

PEGASUS PLANAR BLADESMEN

Armor Class: 13 Armor Class: 16

Attack Bonus: +2 Attack Bonus: +5
Hit Dice: 2+2 Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: Detect Chaos, Hooves (1d6) Attacks: Silver Blade (2d6)
Special: Flight Special: Magic Resistance, Teleport
Saving Throw: 17 Saving Throw: 14
Move: 24/48 (when flying) Move: 12
HDE/XP: 4/120 HDE/XP:7/600
Pegasus was the winged horse said to be blessed Gaunt humanoid warriors wielding mercurial sil-
by the stars. Legend holds that they can only be ver swords, these creatures are said to travel the
mounted and ridden by the pure of heart. Pegasi planes in flight from their former slave-masters.
can cast Detect Chaos as a 1st level Magic-User They are highly resistant to magic, receiving a +4
at will and will flee if forced into combat. When no bonus to all saving throws made to resist it. In ad-
other option remains, they can attack twice per dition, they can Teleport once every other round
round with their powerful hooves. with no chance of error. They regard humans,
elves, dwarves, and other heritages native to the
material plane of existence as inferior beings to
PHASE CAT
be subjugated or slain.
Armor Class: 18
Attack Bonus: +5 OPTIONAL RULE: SWORDS OF THE
Hit Dice: 5 PLANAR BLADEMEN
Attacks: 2 claw (1d6 each) and bite (1d6) Planar Bladesmen use a unique, mercurial
Special: Distortion, surprise long sword that inflicts 2d6 damage in combat
against opponents native to the material plane
Saving Throw: 14
of existence. If a Planar Bladesman is slain and
Move: 15
their sword is taken, its magic fades while on
HDE/XP: 5/275 the material plane of existence. After 24 hours
Appearing as black panthers, these magical fe- the damage decreases to 1d6+1, and after 48
lines are aggressive predators who regularly at- hours it inflicts only 1d6 damage. However, it is
tack human prey with a flurry of claws and teeth. still a magical weapon, regardless of the dam-
Phase cats can attack with both their claws and age it inflicts. Planar Bladesmen who discover a
bite in a single combat round and surprise foes native of the martial plane wielding one of their
on a 1-4 on 1d6. In addition, they can leap the swords will actively hunt down and slay the of-
full distance of their move instead of simply re- fender in hopes of recovering the sword.
maining earthbound. They possess a natural il-
lusionary quality that makes them difficult to hit,
reflected by their high Armor Class. Ranged at-
tacks made against Planar Cats have a -2 penalty
to attack rolls.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 231

 POLTERGEIST

Armor Class: 13
Attack Bonus: +1
Hit Dice: 1
Attacks: See Below
Special: Telekinesis
Saving Throw: 18
Move: 12 while flying
HDE/XP: 2/35
Poltergeists are incorporeal spirits animated by
anger. They often seek to take out their rage on
PLAYTHING the living by hurling objects with their telekinet-
Armor Class: 13 ic powers. Most thrown objects inflict 1d6 points
of damage. Poltergeists can only be injured by
Attack Bonus: +1
magical weapons and spells, though they may be
Hit Dice: 1+1 targeted by the Banish Undead ability.
Attacks: Bite (1d6-1) or by weapon
Special: Charm Person, immune to non-magical
PURPLE WORM
weapons, vulnerability to fire
Saving Throw: 18 Armor Class: 10
Move: 9 Attack Bonus: +15
HDE/XP: 2/30 Hit Dice: 15

Playthings are terrible corruptions of the inno- Attacks: Bite (3d6) or sting (1d6+1)
cent – dolls and toys of children that have been Special: Poison sting
possessed by evil spirits and now seek only to Saving Throw: 4
do harm to the loving families they have infiltrat-
Move: 9
ed. They often dwell in homes for days or even
months before secretly going about their dark HDE/XP: 17/3,500
business while the rest of the family slumbers. Purple worms are massive annelids that grow to
While not a great physical threat themselves, over 40 feet in length and sometimes exceed
playthings will often seek to befriend their child 10 feet in width. They are subterranean, chew-
“owners” and convince them to do horrible acts ing tunnels in rock (or through sand, in deserts,
of violence. They can cast Charm Person once where they are a tan color). These beasts swallow
per day – but only on children. They are immune and instantly devour their prey whole doing well
to damage from non-magical weapons, but suffer 4 higher than the target’s Armor Class. They can
double damage from fire-based attacks. swallow anything the size of a horse or smaller. In
addition to the worm’s dreaded bite, it has a poi-
son stinger on its tail, the length of a sword and
just as deadly even from the piercing wound it in-

232 | White Box Cyclopedia

flicts. The poison injected by the stinger is lethal hunting them. Tirelessly, sleeplessly, endlessly it
if the victim fails a saving throw. Aquatic versions hunts them. Once their target is slain, the reaper
of the purple worm are also rumored exist. returns to the realm of the dead. Reapers appear
as skeletons wearing black robes and carrying a
great scythe. Any creature struck with this scythe
RAT, GIANT
must make a saving throw or be immediately
Armor Class: 12 slain. In addition, Reapers radiate an aura of fear
Attack Bonus: +0 which surrounds them to a radius of 60 feet. Any
caught in this aura must make a saving throw or
Hit Dice: 1-1
flee in terror for 1d6+4 rounds. Reapers are im-
Attacks: Bite (1d6-2) mune to damage from non-magical weapons and
Special: 1 in 1d20 are diseased cannot be turned or banished. Some say it is pos-
Saving Throw: 19 sible to bargain with a reaper for one’s life, but
such deals always end in a fate worse than death.
Move: 12
HDE/XP: < 1/10
Giant rats are often found in dungeons, and are ROC
about the size of a cat or a lynx. The bite of some Armor Class: 15
(1 in 20) giant rats causes disease. A saving throw
Attack Bonus: +12
is allowed to avoid these effects. The effects of
the disease are decided by the Referee, but are Hit Dice: 12
typically a fever and extreme muscle ache that Attacks: Claw (1d6+2) or Squeeze (1d6+1)
imposes a -1 penalty on all attack rolls and saving Special: None
throws for 1d6+1 days. Legend holds hat some
Saving Throw: 7
giant rats may also be carriers of wererat lycan-
thrope. Move: 3/30 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 12/2,000

REAPER Rocs are the mythological great birds of leg-

end, large enough to prey upon elephants. After
Armor Class: 23 making a successful claw attack against any foe
Attack Bonus: +12 smaller than an elephant, the victim must make
Hit Dice: 12 a saving throw or find themselves caught in the
roc’s talons whether they will be either squeezed
Attacks: Scythe (1d6+2)
to death or taken to great heights and dropped,
Special: See Below plummeting to their death. Legend holds that
Saving Throw: 7 they can be trained as fledglings to serve as
Move: 18 (flying) steeds for giants and other massive creatures,
but no human has ever done so. Particularly old
HDE/XP: 14/2,600
rocs grow as large as 18 HD, with commensurate-
It is said that death comes for everyone, but ly increased statistics.
some are late for their appointment. When some-
one has cheated death, often a reaper will begin

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 233

 ROT WORM SALAMANDER

Armor Class: 11 Armor Class: 15

Attack Bonus: +0 Attack Bonus: +7
Hit Dice: 1-1 Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: Bite (1d6-3) Attacks: Constrict (2d6) or flaming touch (1d6)
Special: Devour the heart Special: Heat, constriction
Saving Throw: 19 Saving Throw: 12
Move: 3 (12 while swimming) Move: 9
HDE/XP: < 1/10 HDE/XP: 8/800
These large, slimy worms seek to attach them- Salamanders are intelligent creatures of the ele-
selves to a host. When they make a successful mental planes of fire. They have the upper body
attack they burrow under the skin they attempt to of a human, the lower body of a snake, and give
bore their way to the target’s heart and devour it. off tremendous, intense heat. The very touch of
Targets have 1d6 rounds from the time of a suc- a salamander deals 1d6 hit points of fire damage
cessful attack before the rot worm reaches their and causes highly flammable objects to combust,
heart. During that time, the victim is in extreme and they wrap their tails around foes to cause
pain and can be seen visibly moving under that an additional 2d6 points of crushing damage
victim’s skin. per round. Constricted victims can break free by
making a successful saving throw, though failure
to do so prevents the victim from taking any ac-
tion and they automatically suffer 2d6 damage as
RUST MONSTER
the salamander continues to tighten its grip. Sal-
Armor Class: 16 amanders are immune to all fire-based damage,
Attack Bonus: +4 whether mundane or magical.

Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: See Below SANGUINE FOG
Special: Rust Touch
Armor Class: 13
Saving Throw: 15
Attack Bonus: +4
Move: 12
Hit Dice: 4
HDE/XP: 4/240
Attacks: Blood Fog (1d6)
These armadillo-like creatures appear to have
Special: Blood Fog
plated hides of yellow or brown and two large,
feathery antennae as well as a long beak. They Saving Throw: 15
feed on metal, which rusts at the touch of their Move: 6 (Flight only)
antennae. When they succeed in an attack the HDE/XP: 4/240
rust monster strikes at a metal weapon, armor, or
This mysterious sentient fog appears blood red in
shield its touch immediately causes that object to
color and drifts towards living targets. It typically
crumble to rust. A character wearing or wielding
fills a 10’x10’x10’ area. Any who are caught in it
a magical item may make a saving throw to avoid
automatically suffer 1d6 points of damage. San-
this effect.
guine fog cannot be damaged by non-magical

234 | White Box Cyclopedia

weapons and is not actually a fog – but a mali- in battle. Any who are struck by it must make a
cious spirit given form. It can be subjected to the saving throw at a -4 penalty or lose one level. In
Banish Undead ability. addition, shade lords radiate an aura of fear. Any
foe of 3 or fewer levels or hit dice who comes
within 30 feet of a shade lord automatically flees
SEA SERPENT
in terror. Those who do not flee are still cower and
Armor Class: 17 shake in terror, suffering a -2 penalty to all attack
Attack Bonus: +15 rolls while in melee combat with them. Shade
lords are immune to damage from non-magical
Hit Dice: 30
weapons and cannot be banished by a Cleric.
Attacks: Bite (5d6)
Special: See below
Saving Throw: 2
Move: 18 (when swimming)
HDE/XP: 30/8,400
The size and nature of sea serpents is a matter for
the Referee to determine. The sea serpent de-
picted here would be about middle size, about
60 feet in length, with smaller ones being half
that size (with adjusted statistics, of course), and
large ones being about twice the size the one
described here. A sea serpent can swallow a hu-
man-sized victim whole on an unmodified attack
roll that is 4 higher than the target’s Armor Class.
A character swallowed whole would be digested
within, perhaps, three hours. While being digest-
ed they are immoble and suffer 1d6 damage per
SHADOW
round.
Armor Class: 12
SHADE LORD Attack Bonus: +3
Hit Dice: 3+3
Armor Class: 18
Attacks: Touch (See below)
Attack Bonus: +7
Special: See below
Hit Dice: 7
Saving Throw: 16
Attacks: Cursed Blade (1d6 + Curse)
Move: 12
Special: See Below
HDE/XP: 4/130
Saving Throw: 12
Move: 12 Shadows are incorporeal undead creatures who
appear, unsurprisingly, as animated shadows that
HDE/XP: 9/1700
are generally humanoid in shape. They are im-
A shade lord is an invisible, incorporeal spirit that mune to sleep and charm effects, and can only be
typically wears a black robe and cloak to give it- harmed by magical weapons. Their life-draining
self physical form. It wields a terrible cursed blade touch drains one point of strength with a success-

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 235

 ful hit, and if a victim is brought to a strength of SHAMBLING MOUND
0, he becomes a shadow. Strength points return
Armor Class: 18
at the rate of 1 per hour. Shadows are absolutely
invisible in darkness and even in areas that are Attack Bonus: +8
not completely lit, they are able to masquerade Hit Dice: 8
in whatever natural shadows are thrown, allow-
Attacks: Slam (1d6+1)
ing them to ambush targets with a 1 to 5 on 1d6
Special: See Below
chance of success.
Saving Throw: 11
Move: 9
SHADOW DEMON
HDE/XP: 8/1400
Armor Class: 18
Shambling mounds are large humanoid plant-like
Attack Bonus: +8
creatures likely born by evil magic that somehow
Hit Dice: 8 corrupted a forest long ago. They are all but in-
Attacks: Chilling Touch (See Below) visible in wild areas, surprising their foes on a 1-4
on 1d6. When a shambling mound successfully
Special: Draining touch, summon shadow
attacks its foe with a slam attack it automatically
Saving Throw: 11
begins to constrict its foe for an additional 1d6+1
Move: 15 (flying) damage each round until it lets go or is slain. A
HDE/XP: 10/1,400 character caught in this constriction can still act,
but cannot move. Shambling mounds are im-
Neither true shadows nor true demons, shadow
mune to damage from lightning and fire.
demons are beings of darkness from the lightless
places of the infernal planes of existence brought
to the material plane by evil magic. Terribly pow- SIDHE
erful, their chilling touch drains two levels from
Armor Class: 17
their victim with successful attack. Anyone re-
duced to 0th level by these attacks immediately Attack Bonus: +5
rises as a shadow (see above) under the shadow Hit Dice: 5
demon’s control. Shadow demons can also sum-
Attacks: Fey Blade (2d6)
mon 2d6 Shadows once per night. Like their less-
Special: See Below
er thralls, shadow demons are absolutely invisible
in darkness and even in areas that are not com- Saving Throw: 14
pletely lit, they are able to masquerade in what- Move: 12
ever natural shadows are thrown, allowing them
HDE/XP: 7/600
to ambush targets with a 1 to 5 on 1d6 chance of
success. Sidhe are noble fey who rarely travel the mortal
realm. They appear as tall elfin beings of amazing
If exposed to daylight, Shadow Demons suffer a
beauty and are clad in shining mail and glorious
-2 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and
raiment. All who looks upon them are struck blind
their chilling touch attack only drains a single lev-
by their beauty unless a successful saving throw is
el if it is successful. They can be targeted and af-
made. Sidhe attack with their magical fey blades
fected by the Banish Undead ability.
which do 2d6 points of damage and may cast Al-
ter Speed, Invisibility, and Phantasmal Force each

236 | White Box Cyclopedia

once per day. They are also highly resistant to SKELETON, FLAMING
mortal magic and have a +5 bonus to all saving
Armor Class: 13
throws made to resist it. Like other fey, cold iron
is an anathema to them. Attack Bonus: +2
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: Flaming Slam (1d6+1)
Special: Blade resistance, fire aura, flaming fist
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 2/45
Flaming skeletons have been animated with an
unholy fire that radiates from them. They attack
with a flaming skeletal fist. Whenever a flaming
skeleton makes a successful melee attack the tar-
get must make a saving throw or suffer an addi-
tional 1d6-1 points of damage as they catch fire
from the dark flames surrounding this undead
creature. Flaming skeletons radiate light with a
10 foot radius and have the same resistance to
piercing and slashing weapons as their non-flam-
ing counterparts.
SKELETON

Armor Class: 11 or 12 w/ a shield SKINWALKER

Attack Bonus: +1 Armor Class: 12
Hit Dice: 1 Attack Bonus: +2
Attacks: Strike (1d6-1) or weapon (1d6) Hit Dice: 2+2
Special: Blade resistance Attacks: Claw (1d6)
Saving Throw: 18 Special: Regeneration
Move: 12 Saving Throw: 17
HDE/XP: 1/15 Move: 12
Skeletons are animated bones of the dead and HDE/XP: 2/60
are usually under the control of some evil mas-
These terrible creatures appear as a hideous
ter. Because they have no organs or bodily flu-
black husk of a humanoid in their natural form.
ids, skeletons suffer one-half damage from any
They are intelligent and seek to slay a human vic-
weapons which are piercing or slashing - such as
tim, drain out their innards and wear their skin.
swords, daggers, or arrows. Blunt weapons - like
Once this skin is worn, they go about their busi-
maces, clubs, and slings - inflict damage normal-
ness of reaping sorrow and chaos. They natural-
ly. Skeletons are mindless undead.
ly regenerate 3 hit points per round, even after
being reduced to zero hit points. The only way

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 237

 to permanently destroy them is to cast Bless on ical weapons can damage a specter. In some
a Skinwalker that has been reduced to zero hit cases, these terrifying creatures may be mount-
points. They attack with wicked claw-like fingers ed upon living beasts, if the beasts have been
that extend when threatened. trained to tolerate proximity to the undead. Any
being killed (or drained below level 0) by a spec-
ter becomes a specter himself—a pitiful thrall to
SLUG, GIANT
its creator. Because they are undead, spectres
Armor Class: 11 can be targeted by the Banish Undead ability.
Attack Bonus: +12
Hit Dice: 12 SPIDER, GIANT
Attacks: Bite (1d6+1) Armor Class: 13
Special: Spits acid (2d6) Attack Bonus: +2 (2+2 HD), +3 (3+3 HD), or +4
Move: 6 (4+4 HD)
HDE/XP: 13/2,300 Hit Dice: 2+2. 3+3, or 4+4

These tremendously large masses of slimy, rub- Attacks: Bite (1d6+poison)

bery flesh are completely immune to blunt weap- Special: Ambush, poison, wall-crawling, web
ons. In addition to their powerful bite, giant slugs
Saving Throw: 17 (2+2 HD), 16 (3+3 HD), 15
can spit their acidic saliva (one target at a time). (4+4 HD)
The range for spitting is 60 feet, and though this
Move: 18
acid burns flesh it does not damage weapons,
armor, or shields. Some giant slugs might have HDE/XP: 5/240, 6/400, or 7/600
more or less virulent acidity (thus changing the Giant spiders are aggressive arachnids that range
damage inflicted). in size from a small dog to a large horse. Larger
spiders have a higher attack modifier and greater
number of hit dice as shown above. Only the larg-
SPECTRE
est giant spiders are web builders. Giant spider
Armor Class: 17 webs fill a 20’x20’x20’ area and require a saving
Attack Bonus: +6 throw to avoid becoming stuck when attempt-
ing to pass through the webbed area. Those
Hit Dice: 6
who make their saving throw can fight and move
Attacks: Weapon (1d6+life drain) or touch (life (5 feet per round) in the webs. These webs are
drain)
difficult to cut through, with one 10’x10’x10’ area
Special: Drain life must suffer 15 points of damage from a slashing
Saving Throw: 13 weapon before being destroyed. Alternatively,
these webs are highly flammable and the mere
Move: 15/30 (when flying)
touch of a torch causes all connected webbing to
HDE/XP: 9/1,100
burst into flames. Anyone in these flames suffers
Specters are wraith-like undead creatures with- 2d6 points of damage. All giant spiders surprise
out corporeal bodies. When a specter hits an op- foes doing well of 1–5, being able to hide well in
ponent, either with hand or weapon, the touch shadows and freely able to move across their own
drains two levels from the victim unless that vic- webs, up walls, and even across ceilings without
tim makes a successful saving throw. Only mag- penalty. A giant spider’s bite is very poisonous.

238 | White Box Cyclopedia

Anyone bitten by a giant spider must make a sav- Special: Control trees
ing throw or be slain instantly. This saving throw is Saving Throw: 12 (7 HD), 11 (8 HD), 10 (9 HD), 9
made with a +2 bonus if the giant spider has 2+2 (10 HD), 8 (11 HD), or 7 (12 HD)
hit dice and at -2 if the spider has 4+4 hit dice.
Move: 6
HDE/XP: 7/600; 8/800; 9/1,100; 10/1,400;
STIRGE 11/1,700; 12/2,000

Armor Class: 14 Treants are tree-like protectors and caretakers of

forest trees. Depending upon their size, they have
Attack Bonus: +0
different hit dice and damage; treants of 7 to 8 hit
Hit Dice: 1-1
dice inflict 2d6 points of damage with each strike
Attacks: Sting (1d6-1) of their branch-like hands, treants of 9–10 hit dice
Special: Suck Blood inflict 3d6 points, and treants of 11–12 hit dice in-
flict 4d6 points. All treants can awaken otherwise
Saving Throw: 19
stationary trees within 60 feet, allowing them to
Move: 15 while flying
walk at a rate of 3, and attack. These trees have
HDE/XP: 1/15 the same Armor Class as the treant, but an Attack
These tiny birds have needle-like beaks which Bonus and Maximum Hit Points equal to one half
they use to impale their victims and then drain of the treant that awakened them. An awakened
them of blood. Whenever a stirge makes a suc- tree’s melee attack only inflicts 2d6 damage. Tre-
cessful melee attack they remain attached to ants can only awaken two trees at a given time
their target and automatically inflict 1d6-1 points and these trees return to their slumber within 4d6
of damage each round as they drink the victim’s hours of being awakened and cannot be stirred
blood. Stirges are a nuisance individually, but are to life again for 1d6 weeks. Treants appear to be
usually found in large flocks that number in the perfectly mundane trees when they are still and
dozens. silent.

TROLL
BATS AND STIRGES
Armor Class: 15
For simplicity’s sake, Referees can use the sta-
tistics of a stirge whenever player characters en- Attack Bonus: +6
counter blood-sucking bats. Hit Dice: 6+3
Attacks: Claw (2d6) or Bite (1d6)
Special: Regeneration
TREANT Saving Throw: 13
Armor Class: 17 Move: 12
Attack Bonus: +7 (7 HD), +8 (8 HD), +9 (9 HD), HDE/XP: 8/800
+10 (10 HD), +11 (11 HD), or +12 (12 HD)
Trolls are as tall as ogres and just as strong. Unlike
Hit Dice: 7–12 ogres, however, they attack with claws and teeth
Attacks: Strike (7-8 HD 2d6, 9-10 HD 3d6, 11-12 instead of weapons. Trolls regenerate 3 hit points
HD 4d6) per round, even when reduced to 0 hit points.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 239

 The only way to utterly kill a troll is to submerge Move: 12/18 (when flying)
it in acid or set it ablaze. Trolls can even re-grow Saving Throw: 12 (7 HD), 11 (8 HD), 10 (9 HD)
lopped-off heads and limbs. They favor dwelling
HDE/XP: 9/1,100; 10/1,400; 11/1,700
in dank tunnels near the surface world where they
can easily slip out and steal livestock or wayward Vampires are some of the most powerful of un-
travelers to be taken bake to their lair and de- dead creatures. They can only be hit with magic
voured. weapons and when reduced to zero hit points in
this way they change into a gaseous form, re-
turning to their coffins. They regenerate at a rate
UNICORN of 3 hit points per round, can turn into gaseous
Armor Class: 17 form or into a giant bat at will, and can summon
a horde of bats or 3d6 wolves once per night. A
Attack Bonus: +4
vampire can gaze into the eyes of one target up to
Hit Dice: 4 thirty feet away once per round, Anyone caught
Attacks: Hoof or horn (1d6) in this gaze must make a saving throw at -2, or the
Special: See below character is charmed (as per the spell Charm Per-
son). Most terrifyingly, a vampire’s bite drains two
Saving Throw: 15
levels from the victim and inflicts 1d6 points of
Move: 24 damage. Fortunately, vampires have some weak-
HDE/XP: 5/240 nesses. They can be killed by immersing them
Unicorns are generally shy and benevolent crea- in running water, exposing them to sunlight, or
tures, who will only allow those who are pure of driving a wooden stake through the heart. Driv-
heart to approach them. They can teleport once ing a stake through a vampire’s heart requires a
per day to a distance of 360 feet, with a rider. melee attack at a -6 penalty unless the vampire
When they travel their normal move before at- is somehow immobilized. They retreat from the
tacking, their horn inflicts double damage. Uni- smell of garlic, the sight of a mirror, or the sight
corns also receive a +4 bonus on any saving of holy symbols of lawful deities to a distance of
throws made to resist spells and magical effects. 30 feet unless the vampire makes a successful
The unicorn’s horn has healing properties and saving throw. Any human killed by a vampire be-
when it is touched to wounded individual who is comes a vampire under the control of its creator.
Lawful alignment or true of heart, all their wounds
are restored . Unicorns are capable of sensing the
presence of evil beings instinctively to a distance
of up to 240 feet and will typically flee when such
a creature is detected.

VAMPIRE

Armor Class: 17
Attack Bonus: +7 (7 HD), +8 (8 HD), or +9 (9
HD)
Hit Dice: 7–9
Attacks: Bite (1d6+life drain)
Special: See below

240 | White Box Cyclopedia

Vampires are undead and can be affected by the heart. Driving a stake through a vampire bride’s
Banish undead ability. They must rest each day in heart requires a melee attack at a -6 penalty un-
a coffin filled with soil from their homeland they less the bride is somehow immobilized. They
knew when they were mortal. These coffins are retreat from the smell of garlic, the sight of a
often hidden in remote locations and if a vampire mirror, or the sight of holy symbols of lawful de-
is reduced to zero hit points, assumes gaseous ities to a distance of 30 feet unless the vampire
form, and is unable to return to its coffin by dawn bride makes a successful saving throw. Exposure
then it is permanently destroyed. to sunlight instantly kills a vampire bride with no
saving throw.

VAMPIRE, BRIDE The most dangerous ability possessed by a Vam-

pire Bride is their ability to sing a song which
Armor Class: 15 enthralls all listeners, similar to a Charm Person
Attack Bonus: +5 spell. This ability can be used up to three times
Hit Dice: 5 per day and has a range of 60 feet. Vampire brides
may also sing together to empower this ability.
Attacks: Bite (1d6+life drain)
For each Vampire Bride singing beyond the first
Special: See below all victims within range suffer a -1 penalty to their
Saving Throw: 14 saving throw, up to a maximum penalty of -4 for
Move: 12 five Vampire Brides singing at the same time.

HDE/XP: 5/600 Vampire Brides may be turned or banished, as

they are undead and may have other weaknesses
Vampire brides (they can be any gender, but
common to vampires at the Referee’s discretion.
“bride” picks up the reference to Bram Stoker)
are created when a vampire lord (not a normal
vampire) kidnaps a human as a companion in un- VAMPIRE, LORD
death. The kidnapped person is taken into the
Armor Class: 21
Vampire Lord’s service and turned into an undead
thrall, forever bound to their new master. They Attack Bonus: +12 (12 HD), +13 (13 HD), +14
possess many traits common to other vampires, (14 HD), +15 (15 HD)
but to a lesser extent. Hit Dice: 12 - 15
Vampire brides regenerate 2 hit points per round, Attacks: Bite (2d6+life drain) or by weapon (see
but cannot change shape or assume gaseous below)
form. They can only be harmed by magical weap- Special: See below
ons and if reduced to zero hit points their corpse
Saving Throw: 7 (12 HD), 6 (13 HD), 5 (14 HD),
must be decapitated and then a Bless spell must 4 (15 HD)
be cast over the body or they will reform and rise
Move: 15 (24 when flying)
again the next evening. Like other vampires, the
vampire bride attacks with a bite attack. This at- HDE/XP: 15/2,900, 16/3,200, 17/3,500, 18/3,800
tack inflicts 1d6 points of damage and drains a Vampire lords are incredibly powerful and an-
single level from the victim unless they make a cient princes of darkness. They have been alive
successful saving throw. They can be killed by im- for centuries and honed their abilities to terrifying
mersing them in running water, exposing them to perfection in addition to learning new and horrific
sunlight, or driving a wooden stake through the powers. They are reclusive and rare, often with an

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 241

 army of servants at their disposal. The living, the presence of garlic or Lawful holy symbols, though
dead and even the very animals who prowl the they are irritated and suffer a -1 to all attack rolls
wilds call the vampire lord their master. when within 60’ of these things. They do not flee
Vampire lords regenerate 5 hit points per round when forced to gaze upon a mirror, though they
and are immune to damage from non-magical cast no reflection. They can still be targeted by
weapons. They are experts in transformation, the Banish Undead ability.
able to turn into a giant bat, a horde of 1d6 x 10 It is notoriously difficult to permanently slay a
rats, or a worg at will. They can summon a horde Vampire Lord. If reduced to zero hit points or less
of bats, 5d6+5 wolves, or 2d6 x 10 rats once per the vampire lord immediately turns to mist and
night. The vampire lord also radiates an aura of that mist flies back to its coffin. This coffin is filled
fear and those with fewer than 6 HD must make a with soil from their homeland and there they re-
saving throw or suffer an effect equivalent to the generate at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Terrify (see pg. 169) spell while they can see the Once they have returned to their full hit point to-
creature. Instead of being fearsome, the Vampire tal, they are able to again take physical form. If a
Lord can choose to radiate an aura of beguiling. coffin with the earth of their homeland cannot be
Any being of 4 or fewer HD who comes within 30’ reached before sunrise, the vampire lord is per-
of the Vampire Lord must make a saving throw manently destroyed.
or immediately become either charmed (as the Driving a stake through the heart of a vampire
Charm Person spell). They cannot be both fear- lord is not enough to destroy them, though it
some and beguiling at the same time. does impose extraordinary penalties on them.
The Vampire Lord’s bite drains three levels from Staking a vampire lord through the heart in com-
the victim and inflicts 2d6 points of damage. Tar- bat requires a successful melee attack roll at a
gets can make a saving throw at a -2 penalty to -6 penalty. A vampire lord who has been staked
avoid losing two levels of experience, but still suf- must remain in humanoid form (even when re-
fer damage. Some Vampire Lords fight in melee duced to zero hit points), suffers a -4 penalty to
combat using weapons and receive +2 to melee all attack rolls, and is unable to radiate their terri-
damage due to their unnatural strength. They fying or beguiling aura. They are also prohibited
regularly make use of magical weapons. from casting spells in this state and unable to re-
Because of their years of infernal research, vam- generate damage. Once a vampire lord has been
pire lords can memorize and cast spells as a 6th staked, they must be decapitated, their mouth
level Magic-User. Vampire lords also have the must be stuffed with garlic, and both the head
amazing ability to walk beneath the light of the and body must each have a Bless spell cast upon
sun in most instances, though with only limited them. Doing all these things will permanently de-
use of their abilities. They cannot use their bite stroy the vampire lord, turning them to dust.
attack during the day and may not radiate their
fearful aura that mimics Terrify spell. They are also WATER WEIRD
prohibited from changing form or flying during
the day. Finally, they are only able to regenerate Armor Class: 16
a single hit point each round when walking about Attack Bonus: +4
under the sun. Hit Dice: 4+4
Vampire Lords suffer many of the same weak- Attacks: Slam (1d6)
nesses as their lesser counterparts – though not
Special: Drown
as deeply. Vampire Lords are not repulsed by the

242 | White Box Cyclopedia

 Saving Throw: 15 The victim is then placed in a nearby empty grave
Move: 12 or mausoleum and the Weeping Statue returns
to eternal stillness until a new victim draws near.
HDE/XP: 4/400
Water weirds are corrupted elementals that at-
tack by slamming into their victim and then en-
tering their lungs in an attempt to drown them.
Once they have successfully attacked, they slide
down a target’s mouth and into their lungs.. Each
round the target suffers 1d6 points of damage
automatically and must make a saving throw or
drown to death. Water weirds hide in pools of wa-
ter where they are undetectable until they strike,
though if anyone disturbs the waters of a small
pool where a water weird is concealed there is a
1 in 1d6 chance they may notice something odd
about that body of water.

WEEPING TOMBSTONE

Armor Class: 17
Attack Bonus: +4
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Slam (1d6)
WIGHT
Special: Surprise, Weeping
Armor Class: 14
Saving Throw: 15
Attack Bonus: +3
Move: 12
Hit Dice: 3
HDE/XP: 5/240
Attacks: Claw (1d6-1+level drain) or by weapon
Many who die are buried in mausoleums or
(1d6+level drain)
gravestones which feature statues decorating
their graves. Sometimes the very sorrow of those Special: Level Drain
present takes hold of these statues, animating Saving Throw: 16
them to dark purpose and these decorations be- Move: 9
come weeping tombstones.
HDE/XP: 5/240
A weeping tombstone seeks to add more dead to
Wights live in tombs, graveyards, and burial
the graveyard, enticing targets by weeping in the
mounds (barrows). They are undead who most
small hours of the night. This enchanted sorrow
often appear as ghastly corpses clad in rusted
draws all living beings within 120 feet to come
armor and wielding broken weapons. They are
closer unless a saving throw is successfully made.
not affected by sleep or charm spells. Wights are
Once a target is close enough to be struck, the
immune to all non-magical weapons, with the ex-
weeping tombstone surprises it on a 1-5 on 1d6
ception of silver weapons. The touch of a wight
and begins to attack, beating their foe to death.

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 243

 damages the very soul of its victim, requiring one caught in this blast of cold suffers 3d6 dam-
them to make a saving throw or lose one level of age. Winter Worg pelts are highly valued and can
experience in addition to the damage inflicted. sometimes be sold for 250 gold pieces if they can
This level-draining effect extends to any weapons be recovered without being hacked to pieces and
the wight may be wielding. Any human killed or matted. On rare occasions, Winter Worgs will ally
completely drained of levels by a wight rises from themselves with White Dragons and Frost Giants.
the dead 1d6 rounds later as a wight themselves.

WOLF
WINTER WORG
Armor Class: 12
Armor Class: 14 Attack Bonus: +1
Attack Bonus: +5 Hit Dice: 1+1
Hit Dice: 4+2 Attacks: Bite (1d6)
Attacks: Bite (1d6+1) Special: None
Special: Frozen Bite, Icy Breath, Pack Tactics, Saving Throw: 18
Snow-Walker
Move: 15
Saving Throw: 15
HDE/XP: 1/20
Move: 18
These canine predators travel in packs and attack
HDE/XP: 5/240
in groups. They usually avoid combat against
Cousins to the more commonly found Worg, larger foes unless starving or protecting their
Winter Worgs are found in icy, frozen climates young.
that have turned them into deadlier predators
than their cousins. They travel in packs and leave
WORG
no traces of their passing in the snow or other
wintery environments, found only alone when Armor Class: 13
they have been somehow separated. Like Worgs,
Attack Bonus: +4
they have human-level intelligence are capable
Hit Dice: 4
of speaking their own snarling tongue and the
common language of the world. They engage in Attacks: Bite (1d6+1)
similar pack tactics and receive a +1 bonus on all Special: Pack Tactics
attack rolls if the victim of their attack has already
Saving Throw: 15
been attacked by a worg that combat round.
Move: 18
Their bite is deadly and chills the target to the
bone, requiring a saving throw or the victim suf- HDE/XP: 4/120
fers a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and has their Worgs are large, intelligent, and evil wolves who
movement reduced by one-half as their body is act as servants of the forces of chaos. Capable of
stilted with cold for a number of rounds equal to speech in both their own snarling language and
the damage inflicted. Fortunately, multiple bites the common tongue, worgs will track any prey
are not cumulative when it comes to this effect. they scent for days before moving in for the kill.
Finally, once per day, a Winter Worg can breathe Any time a worg attacks someone who has al-
a cone of fire that is 10 feet at its base, 30 feet ready been attacked by another worg during that
long, and has a width of 30 feet at its end. Any- combat round, they receive a +1 bonus to their

244 | White Box Cyclopedia

attack roll. They are sometimes ridden by orcs or A wyvern is a two-legged dragon-like creature,
goblins into battle as they will sometimes make smaller and less intelligent than true dragons.
brief alliances with other malicious humanoids. Though capable of remarkable speeds in flight,
it has no breath weapon. Instead, wyverns have
a poisonous sting at the end of their tails, but
WRAITH
they are not coordinated enough to attack with
Armor Class: 16 both bite and sting in a single round. In any given
Attack Bonus: +4 round, the wyvern has a 1-4 on 1d6 chance that
it will use its tail, which can lash out to the crea-
Hit Dice: 4
ture’s front even farther than its head can reach.
Attacks: Touch (1d6+1+level drain) or by weap- This poisonous sting is deadly and any struck by
on (1d6+level drain) the wyvern’s stinger must make a saving throw or
Special: Arrow resistance, level-draining touch die immediately. Wyverns are territorial, building
Saving Throw: 15 nests high in isolated mountain peaks and fierce-
ly defending their territory. They are not terribly
Move: 15
bright and driven primarily by a kind of predatory
HDE/XP: 6/400 low cunning.
Wraiths are powerful undead similar to wights
who are immune to all non-magical weapons un-
YELLOW MOLD
less those mundane weapons are made of silver
- and even then mundane silver weapons inflict Armor Class: N/A
only half their normal damage. Silver and magical Attack Bonus: N/A
arrows are particularly ineffective against wraiths
Hit Dice: N/A
due to their semi-corporeal form, inflicting only
one hit point of damage per hit. Like wights, the Attacks: See below
touch of a wraith or a strike from its weapon re- Special: Poisonous spores
quires the victim to make a saving throw or lose 1 Saving Throw: 19
level of experience in addition to the damage it
Move: 0
inflicts. This saving throw is made at a -2 penalty.
Wraiths can sometimes (1-2 on 1d6 chance) be HDE/XP: 3/60
found riding nightsteeds (see page 228) or more Yellow mold is a subterranean fungus; it neither
unusual mounts that will tolerate their presence. moves nor attacks. However, if it is poked or
struck, there is a 1-3 on 1d6 chance it will release
a cloud of poisonous spores, roughly 10 feet in di-
WYVERN
ameter. Failing a saving throw against the spores
Armor Class: 14 means that the character dies a rather horrible
Attack Bonus: +7 death as they sputter and cough and choke to
death over the course of 1d6 rounds. Touching
Hit Dice: 7
yellow mold causes 1d6 points of acid damage.
Attacks: Bite (1d6-1) or sting (1d6) These growths do not have hit points and thus do
Special: Flight, poison sting not suffer damage, but are highly flammable and
Saving Throw: 12 setting spark or torch to a patch of yellow mold
causes it to instantly burn away.
Move: 6/24 (when flying)
HDE/XP: 9/1,100

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 245

 ZOMBIE

Armor Class: 11 or 12 w/ shield Postmortem Infection: Any character who

suffers damage from a zombie’s bite needs to
Attack Bonus: +1
make a saving throw if, at any point then or af-
Hit Dice: 1+1 ter, they are slain. If that saving throw fails, they
Attacks: Bite (1d6-1) or weapon (1d6) rise as a zombie 1d6 rounds after death.
Special: Immune to sleep, charm
Saving Throw: 18
ZOMBIE, REFLEX
Move: 6
HDE/XP: 2/30 Armor Class: 14
Attack Bonus: +1
Zombies are reanimated corpses created by foul
necromancy. Because they are undead, zom- Hit Dice: 1
bies are immune to charm and sleep spells and Attacks: Bite (1d6-1) or by weapon (1d6)
mind-altering effects. Zombies attack with a fe-
Special: Burst of speed
ral, ferocious bite or with whatever weapon they
Saving Throw: 18
were grasping at the time they were reanimated.
Not truly intelligent, they do have an instinct to Move: 15
protect themselves and to feed, craving human HDE/XP: 3/60
flesh. Zombies are slow and always go last when
Reflex zombies have most of the same traits of
determining initiative.
standard zombies except they are capable of
moving at remarkable speeds. Because they are
undead, zombies are immune to charm and sleep
OPTIONAL RULE: ZOMBIE PLAGUE
spells and mind-altering effects. When acting as
For Referees who wish to rule that zombies are part of a group initiative, Reflex Zombies take
created through a highly contagious disease, their action on two higher than what was rolled -
the following options should be considered. thus if the Reflex Zombie’s group goes on 4, then
Bite Plague: Anyone suffering damage from a the Reflex Zombies go on 6. They can go on 7
zombie’s bite attack must make a saving throw or 8, meaning they are faster than is otherwise
or begin slowly transforming into a zombie. The possible for most other creatures. In addition,
victim will lose one point of constitution each three times per
round until their constitution reaches 1. They day a Reflex
will then collapse into a gray, withered husk and Zombie can
rise in one round as a zombie. A Cure Disease act as if under
spell will end his effect if the transformation has the effects of
not already occurred and any lost constitution an Alter Speed
will return at the rate of one point per day. spell.

Instant Infection: Anyone suffering damage

from a zombie’s bite attack must make a sav-
ing throw or become a zombie in one round. If
a Cure Disease spell can somehow be cast on
them before a full round passes, they do not
transform.

246 | White Box Cyclopedia

Tougher Monsters The Referee has the option of allowing characters
There is technically no limit as to how high mon- to continue to advance, or to put a cap on mon-
sters can go, and often it is fun to surprise your ster levels as he or she sees fit.
players by taking a familiar monster and giving it
an increased level of power – goblin chieftains, Creating Monsters
spell-casting rocs, and undead kobolds are just Monsters are not Player Characters, and their
a few examples. The Referee should feel free to abilities are not at all determined by the rules for
adjust Def, HD, or other factors to make monsters PCs—not even the stats for races that can have
more challenging and fresh. player characters, such as dwarves. A monster’s
abilities are determined by the Referee, not by
Monster Levels any rules! Feel free to add wings, breath weap-
You may notice that while suggested character ons, extra hit dice, wounded versions, or what-
levels are capped, monster levels are not. The ever suits your adventure and your campaign.
reasons for this are simple: Toggle and tweak, imagine and invent! You are
the final arbiter of how your campaign world
1. Players run in packs and big monsters need
functions, not the rules. So do not try to create
levels to overcome a disadvantage in numbers.
monsters according to any sort of power formula.
2. Players tend to be creative while many Create monsters based on how they feel and how
Referees allow monsters to “play stupid.” they play at the gaming table. Create challenges
for the players, not headaches for yourself. Your
job is to imagine and create, not to slave at rule-
books finding out what you are “allowed” to do.

TABLE 8-3: MONSTER CREATION

Hit Dice Attack Bonus Saving Throw XP Awarded

<1 +0 19 10
1 +1 18 15
2 +2 17 30
3 +3 16 60
4 +4 15 120
5 +5 14 240
6 +6 13 400
7 +7 12 600
8 +8 11 800
9 +9 10 1100
10 +10 9 1400
11 +11 8 1700
12 +12 7 2000
13 +13 6 2300
14 +14 5 2600
15 +15 4 3000

Chapter Eight: Bestiary | 247

 Wandering Monsters Wilderness: These are the untamed places of the
If the Referee wants to determine whether or not world on the edge of the map. The forest that
the characters encounter wandering monsters, no one really goes into because it is overgrown
they should decide how often such rolls are made or the mountain peaks which are too difficult to
based and what roll constitutes an appearance traverse. Few travel here and the wild things of
based on the density of monsters in the area. the world often live in these areas.

For example, if the Referee is running an adven-

Abandoned Location: This includes ancient cit-
ture where the players are traveling through gob-
ies from an era long passed that have crumbled
lin-infested woodlands, then if a wandering mon-
to ruin or dungeons now invaded by vile mon-
ster is encountered it should be goblins since this
sters and evil creatures. Most traditional “dun-
shows that the woods are, in fact, goblin-infested
geons” fall into this category.
in a real and active way at the table.
The table below provides a general idea of how Dangerous Locations: These areas are known
often a wandering monster should be encoun- to be inhabited and controled by evil creatures.
tered based on the location type. The Referee Tunnels infested by kobolds or goblins, a drag-
should 1d6 after the listed amount of time has on’s hidden mountain cave, or long steppes ruled
passed. If a 1-2 is rolled, then a wandering mon- by marauding orcs are all examples of dangerous
ster is encountered. “Monster” can also include locations.
other travelers in the area – just select whatever
suits your individual gaming group. Cursed Location: These areas are the very heart
of evil, infested with atrocity and tainted by dark
sorcery. The castle of a powerful necromancer or
TABLE 8-4: WANDERING MONSTER
FREQUENCY a temple of primordial evil where the worship of
evil deities still occurs are examples of a cursed
Location Roll for Wandering location.
Monster Every...
Rural Three Days
Explored Wilderness Twenty Four Hours
Wilderness Eight Hours
Abandoned Location Six Hours
Dangerous Location Four Hours
Cursed Location Two Hours

Rural: This includes land which is tended and

watched over, such as large scale farmland, for-
ests watched over by elves or Druids and other
types of “protected” wilderness

Explored Wilderness: Traveling on known roads,

through forests which are under the protection of
a noble person or other lands which are regularly
traversed by travelers.

248 | White Box Cyclopedia

CHAPTER NINE
TREASURE
The amount of treasure a monster owns or guards
is usually related to the monster’s HDE. That is
not necessarily realistic, but keep in mind that
treasure is one of the ways the game reflects what
a character has done: it is used in awarding expe-
rience points. Too many large treasures and the
characters will become powerful without actually
having done very much. Too many monsters with So, for example, if a monster had an XP reward of
small treasures and the characters will not gain 100 and a 1 were rolled on Table 9-1: Treasure Val-
levels to reflect their achievements. ues, then there would be a total monetary wealth
of 50 gold pieces, with 20% of that being in cop-
A good rule of thumb is that the monetary trea- per pieces, 30% of it in silver pieces, and 20% of
sure value of an encounter with a monster should it in gold pieces.
be approximately equal to the monster’s value
in experience points, keeping in mind that these Remember that coins found are not always gold
riches might not necessarily always be on a mon- pieces—there is almost always a mixture of cop-
ster’s person and are more likely to be found in a per (cp) and silver pieces (sp) in the treasure as
lair or other centralized location. Wandering or well. The treasure breakdown given in the prior
patrolling monsters typically do not carry more Treasure Values table is a suggested guideline
than 25% of their normal treasure value on their to how you might consider breaking up the trea-
person. In addition, the Referee should consider sure. One gold piece (gp) is worth 10 silver pieces
what type of monster is being encountered and (sp) or 100 copper pieces (cp).
determine the amount of treasure accordingly.
Wolves, bears, and other wild beasts are likely to
have no treasure at all as they have no concept of SPLITTING THE TAKE
monetary value or desire to retain wealth, while a Once the monsters are slain and the wounds
dragon covets riches and is likely to have two to are bound, it is time to divide up the treasure. It
three times the normal amount of wealth stored is suggested that the total gp value of the loot
in its lair. Table 9-1: Treasure Values can be used is totaled and divided up among the partici-
to help determine how much wealth a monster is pants with each getting an equal “share.” Many
carrying if the Referee does not want to make an Referees rule that treasure must be shared with
arbitration. This table also provides a likely break- NPCs getting either a full or half share, de-
down for how much of this coinage is gold piec- pending upon their level. It is also customary
es, silver pieces, and copper pieces. for fallen (dead) comrades to still get a share of
the take to be given to their next of kin. Lawful
TABLE 9-1: TREASURE VALUES characters almost always abide by this informal
tradition. Neutral character act based on the
Roll (1d6) Value CP SP GP circumstances at hand, judging each split on a
1 XP x 1/2 50% 30% 20% case by case basis. Chaotic characters almost
2-5 XP x 1 25% 50% 25% always do whatever is in their own best inter-
ests.
6 XP x 2 10% 40% 50%

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 249

 TREASURE ITEMS
In addition to coins, treasures might contain 100 gp Trade Out
gems, jewelry, and magical items. Treasures A roll of 1–19 on a d20 means a roll on the Minor
should be interesting—an endless series of “an- Gem/Jewelry table. A roll of 20 results in rolling
other bauble worth 100 gp in total” is a sure-fire on the Minor Magic Item table.
recipe for boring your players.
TABLE 9-2: MINOR TREASURE OR MAGIC
For every 5,000 gp in value, there is a 1-2 on 1d20 ITEM TRADE OUT
chance of trading out 5,000 gp for an item on ei- Roll Gem or Jewelry Value
ther the Major Gem/Jewelry or Major Magic ta- 1-3 1d6 gp
ble.
4–6 5d20+25 gp

For every 1,000 gp in value, there is a 1-2 on 1d20 7-8 5d20+75 gp

chance of trading out 1,000 gp for an item on 9-10 5d20x10 gp

either the Medium Gem/Jewelry or Medium 13-14 Roll once on Table 9-7: Minor Magical
Magic table. Potions
15-16 Roll once Table 9-12: Scrolls
For every 100 gp in value, there is a 1-2 on 1d20
17-18 Roll once Table: 9-15: Magical Weapons
chance of trading out 100 gp for an item on Table
and Armor (Minor Column)
9-2: Minor Treasure or Magic Item Trade Out.
19-20 Roll once on Table 9-21: Minor
It is suggested that the Referee begin with the Miscellaneous Magic Items
5,000 gp values and work down to the 100 gp val-
ues. “Jewelry” refers to a single item of jewelry,
such as a ring, brooch, or necklace. 1,000 gp Trade Out
When making a 1,000 gp trade out, roll 1d20. A
Always remember that these tables are mere- roll of 1–19 on a d20 means a roll on the Table 9-3:
ly guidelines—if you desire the placement of a Medium Gem/Jewelry table. A roll of 20 results in
particular item or treasure type, go ahead and do rolling on the Medium Magic Item table.
it! If you do not wish to include gems, jewelry,
or magic items, then leave the treasure at coins. TABLE 9-3: MEDIUM GEM/JEWELRY TABLE
These tables are here only to help when wanted. Roll Gem or Jewelry Value
1 5d20 gp

Treasure Trade Out Example 2–3 5d20x10 gp

You place a fearsome monster in a locked dun- 4–5 5d20x20 gp
geon room for a total of 600 XP. Rolling against 6 5d20x50 gp
the Treasure Values table, if you were to roll a 6,
the total treasure value for this encounter would
be: 1,200 gp. There is a 1-2 on 1d20 chance of TABLE 9-4: MEDIUM MAGIC ITEM TABLE
trading out 1,000 gp of that treasure for one me- Roll Result
dium item. If, on a d20, you roll 1 or a 2, then the 1 Roll 3 times on Table 9-7: Minor Magic
treasure value on that encounter would be 200 gp Potions
and one treasure item from a 1000 gp trade out..
2 Roll on 3 times Table 9-12: Scrolls

250 | White Box Cyclopedia

Roll Result
3 Roll once on Table 9-8: Medium Potions
4 Roll twice on Table 9-21: Minor
Miscellaneous Magic Items
5 Roll once on the Table 9-15: Magical
Weapons and Armor, Medium column
6 Roll once on Table 9-22: Medium
Miscellaneous Magic Items

5,000 gp Trade Out

When making a 5,000 gp trade out, roll 1d20. A
roll of 1–19 on a d20 means a roll on the Table 9-5:
Major Gem/Jewelry table. A roll of 20 results in
rolling on the Table 9-6: Major Magic Item table.

TABLE 9-5: MAJOR GEM/JEWELRY TABLE

Roll (1d6) Gem or Jewelry Value MAGIC POTIONS
Magic Potions are typically found in pint-sized
1 5d20 x 10 gp
receptacles that can be easily opened or closed.
2–3 5d20 x 25 gp
This might be a glass beaker with a cork, a ce-
4–5 5d20 x 50 gp ramic jar, or a waterskin. If they are in a fragile
6 5d20 x 75 gp container and that container is shattered, the po-
tion is spilled and its magic is lost. The effects of
TABLE 9-6: MAJOR MAGIC ITEM TABLE a potion last 1d6+1 turns (20 to 70 minutes) turn
unless otherwise noted. Potions can be used by
Roll (1d6) Result
any class.
1 Roll 3 times on Table 9-8: Medium
Magical Potions
TABLE 9-7: MINOR MAGIC POTIONS
2 Roll on 5 times Table 9-12: Scrolls
Roll (1d6) Minor Potion
3 Roll once on Table 9-9: Major
1 Bottled Courage
Magical Potions
2 Darksight
4 Roll twice on Table 9-23: Major
Miscellaneous Magic Items 3 Healing

5 Roll once on the Table 9-15: Magical 4 Heroism

Weapons and Armor, Major column 5 Poison
6 Roll once on Table 9-23: Major 6 Roll on Table 9-8: Medium Magical
Miscellaneous Magic Items Potions

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 251

 TABLE 9-8: MEDIUM POTIONS TABLE 9-10: LEGENDARY POTIONS
Roll (1d6) Minor Potion Roll (1d6) Legendary Potion
1 Animal Friendship 1 Dragon Control
2 Extra-Healing 2 Resurrection
3 Fire Resistance 3 Soul-Draining
4 Invisibility 4 True Healing
5 Magic Resistance 5 Undead Control
6 Roll on Table 9-10: Major Magical 6 Vampire’s Blood
Potions

MAGIC POTION DESCRIPTIONS

Animal Friendship: This potion grants the drink-
TABLE 9-9: MAJOR POTIONS er a four-point bonus to all reaction rolls when
Roll (1d20) Major Potion they encounter natural animals (but not mon-
1 Boulder Hurling sters) for the duration of its effects.

2 Clairaudience
Bottled Courage: Supposedly this “potion” was
3 Clairvoyance
crafted by dwarven brewers ages ago. It is a fa-
4 Dragon Fire vorite in rough and tumble taverns. It tastes like
5 Embalming the strongest bitters ever brewed. It grants those
6 Ethereality who drink it immunity to all fear-based effects,
but they suffer a -2 penalty to all attack rolls and
7 Flying
their speech becomes slurred, which causes spell
8 Gaseous Form casting to fail on a 1 on 1d6.
9 Giant Strength
10 Invulnerability Boulder Hurling: Character can throw boulders
as a fire giant. These boulders do 2d6 points of
11 Levitation
damage. Consuming the potion does not cause
12 Lycanthropy
boulders to appear, nor does it confer any in-
13 Plant Speech crease in strength beyond a prodigious ability to
14 Polyglot throw objects long distances.
15 Regeneration
Clairaudience: Consuming this potion grants
16 Speed
the drinker the benefits of the clairaudience ef-
17 Telepathy
fect of the Crystal Ball spell (see pg. 151) for the
18 Treasure Finding duration of the potion.
19 Water Breathing
20 Roll on Table 9-10: Legendary Clairvoyance: Consuming this potion grants the
Potions drinker the benefits of the clairvoyance effect of
the Crystal Ball spell (see pg. 151) for the dura-
tion of the potion.

252 | White Box Cyclopedia

Darksight: Character can see perfectly in both
normal and magical darkness to a distance of up Giant Strength: Character gains strength be-
to 90 feet for the duration of this potion’s effect. yond 18. They gain an additional +4 to melee
damage rolls and +4 bonus on all melee attack
Dragon Control: 1d6-3 (minimum 1) dragons of a rolls for the duration of this potion’s effect..
specific type (determined randomly by the Refer-
ee) are affected as per the spell Charm Monster. Healing: Restores 1d6+1 hit points worth of
damage. This restoration does not go away when
Dragon Fire: Character can breath a line of fire the potion’s duration ends.
thirty feet long instead of attacking for the dura-
tion of this potions effect. This inflicts 3d6 points Heroism: The imbiber receives a +2 bonus to all
of damage and anyone struck by it can make a attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws for
saving throw to reduce the damage by one half.. the duration of this potion’s effect.

Embalming: This potion protects the drinker Invisibility: The imbiber gains the benefits of an
from being turned into an undead creature by Invisibility spell for the potion’s duration.
magical means once they have died. Its effects
are permanent. Invulnerability: The imbiber gains a +4 bonus to
their Armor Class and on all saving throws for the
Ethereality: The imbiber of this potion and duration of this potion’s effect.
their carried equipment become immaterial and
ghostly, able to move through solid objects eas- Levitation: The imbiber gains the benefits of a
ily. They cannot attack corporeal creatures. How- Levitate spell for the potion’s duration.
ever, they can attack incorporeal creatures with
mundane weapons.. Lycanthropy: The character immediately turns
into a werewolf upon consuming this potion,
Extra Healing: Restores 3d6+3 hit points worth gaining all of its abilities. Unlike a normal were-
of damage. This restoration does not go away wolf, the consumer of the potion has full control
when the potion’s duration ends. and recollection of their time as a werewolf. After
this potion’s duration ends, they immediately re-
Fire Resistance: Grants the drinker immunity to vert to their normal form.
normal fire and a+2 saving throws against magi-
cal fire-based attacks. If these fire-based attacks Magic Resistance: The drinker receives a +5 to
allow for a saving throw to reduce the damage by all saving throws against spells and magical ef-
one-half, the imbiber takes one-half damage on fects for the duration of this potion.
a failed saving throw and one-quarter damage
on a successful saving throw. Plant Speech: The imbiber gains the benefits of a
Speak with Plants spell for the potion’s duration.
Flying: The imbiber gains the benefits of a Fly
spell for the potion’s duration. Polyglot: For the duration of this potion, the
character can speak and understand (but not
Gaseous Form: The user’s body turns to a mist read) all known languages.
that he controls, allowing them to access any
place that is not airtight. Equipment is left be- Poison: Not a true potion, but instead a mun-
hind; only the body becomes gaseous. dane concoction whos exact effect is determined

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 253

 Soul Draining: For the duration of this potion,
the affected person’s touch drains one level from
any victim unless the target succeeds in a saving
throw. Creatures without a level permanently lose
1 hit die. Each time the drinker drains a level or
hit die they gain +1 to all attack rolls and saving
throws for the duration of this potion.Undead
and non-living creatures are immune.

randomly upon discovery using the table below. Speed: The affected person moves at double
A saving throw can be made to ignore these ef- their standard Movement, gains a +2 bonus to
fects. A weapon can be coated with the poison their Armor Class, a +4 bonus to all saving throws
and remains potent until a successful attack is made to avoid traps and area of effect damage
made with that weapon or until the potion’s du- (such as dragon breath), and can take one ad-
ration expires - whichever comes first. When ap- ditional action in combat. Unlike most potions,
plying poison to a weapon, the character must these effects burn through a character’s system
make a saving throw with a +4 bonus or they have very quickly, lasting only 1d6+1 rounds.
accidentally poisoned themselves in the process.
Assassins never risk poisoning themselves when Telepathy: The affected person can project their
applying poison toa weapon. thoughts into the mind of any target within 120
feet. They may also hear the surface thoughts of
TABLE 9-11: POISON EFFECTS any target within 120 feet if they concentrate. Tar-
Roll (1d6) Poison Effect gets of this ability may make a saving throw resist
the effects.
1 Blindness: Target is blind for 1d6
hours.
Treasure Finding: The affected person can de-
2 Death: Target is slain.
tect the presence of any valuable coins or jewels
3 Pain: Target suffers 3d6 damage. worth at least 10 gold pieces 400 feet of their cur-
4 Paralytic: Target is paralyzed for 1d6 rent location (though not its exact location) for
turns. the duration of this potion’s effect
5 Sleep:Target falls into a mundane
slumber for 2d6 hours. True Healing: The drinker is immediately healed
of all ailments, negative conditions, curses, poi-
6 Truth Serum: Target cannot know-
sons, afflictions, and illnesses. They are also re-
ingly tell a lie for 1d6 hours.
stored to maximum hit points. This potion can-
not raise the dead and this restoration does not
Regeneration: The affected person heals one hit
go away when the potion’s duration ends.
point each round, for the duration of this potion.

Undead Control: 2d6 undead of fewer than 4

Resurrection: When poured down the gullet of
HD and 1d6 undead of 4+ hit dice within 360 feet
someone who has been slain within the past 24
fall under the imbiber’s control for the duration
hours, that corpse is restored to life instantly with
of this potion’s effect.
no permanent consequences. They rise to life
with full hit points and cured of all negative ail-
Vampire’s Blood: This potion is quite literally a
ments such as poisons, diseases, or curses.
dram of preserved vampire’s blood. It grants the

254 | White Box Cyclopedia

drinker a +2 bonus to all melee damage, immuni- ing a cursed scroll is determined by the Referee.
ty to non-magical attacks, and the ability to cast The exact spell or spells on a Spell Scroll are
Charm Person once for the duration of its effects. determined by the Referee. Roll on Table 9-12:
They can also polymorph into a wolf or bat and Scrolls Table to determine the exact nature of the
back again once per round. Unlike other potions, scroll when it is discovered.
these effects last until the next sunset. However,
the character can be turned or destroyed by a TABLE 9-12: SCROLLS
character attempting to Banish Undead and they Roll (1d20) Scroll
instantly turn to dust if exposed to sunlight. 1 Cursed Scroll
2-9 Spell Scroll (Cleric)
Water Breathing: The imbiber can breathe water
for the duration of this potion’s effect. 10-11 Spel Scroll (Druid)
12-15 Spell Scroll (Magic-User)
16-20 Protection Scroll

Spell Scrolls contain 1d6-3 (minimum 1) spells per

scroll. To determine the level of each spell, see
Table 9-13: Spell Scroll Level. The exact spell is
determined randomly or selected by the Referee.

TABLE 9-13: SPELL SCROLL LEVEL

Roll Cleric or Druid Magic-User Spell
Spell Level Level
SCROLLS 1-10 1st 1st
Scrolls come in two varieties: Protective or Spell.
11-14 2nd 2nd
Protective scrolls are scribed with a protective in-
15-16 3rd 3rd
cantation that can be read to grant immunity to a
specific effect or damage from a specific source 17-18 4th 4th
for one hour. They can be used by anyone. 19 5th 5th
Spell scrolls have been written with the formu- 20 5th 6th
la for one or more Magic-User spells, the holy
prayers of one or more Cleric spells, or the
strange words of one or more Druid spells. Spell TABLE 9-14: PROTECTION SCROLLS
Scrolls can only be used by classes who have the Roll (1d20) Scroll of Protection From:
ability to cast the associated type of spell, unless 1 Curses
otherwise noted in that class’s abilities. Casting a
2 Disease
spell directly from a scroll consumes it. They are
3 Dragon Breath
one-use items. Alternatively, if noted in a charac-
ter’s class, they can scribe scrolls into a spellbook 4 Elementals
or academic journal as is appropriate to their 5 Giants
class. Scribing a scroll allows the character to lat- 6 Goblinoids
er prepare and cast the spell, but also consumes
7 Illusions
the scroll. In rare cases, a scroll may be cursed.
The exact affliction that befalls a character read- 8 Insects

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 255

 Roll (1d20) Scroll of Protection From: Elementals: This scroll protects against a single
elemental, and lasts for a duration of 40 minutes.
9 Lycanthropes
10 Magical Spells
Giants: Ogres, trolls, and other giants cannot in-
11 Magical Weapons jure the reader for one hour whether they throw
12 Metal stones, use their meaty fists, or wield a massive
13 Mundane Weapons weapon.

14 Negative Energy
Goblinoids: Bugbears, goblins, and hobgob-
15 Petrification lins are unable to inflict damage on the reader,
16 Poison whether by weapons or magical means, for one
17 Positive Energy hour.

18 Serpents
Illusions: The reader automatically succeeds
19 Vermin
any saving throw made to resist Charm Monster,
20 Undead Charm Person and identifies Hallucinatory Ter-
rain, and Phantasmal Force as falsehoods for one
PROTECTION SCROLL DESCRIPTIONS hour. In addition, the reader can see all invisible
The benefits of a Protection Scroll last for one foes for one hour.
hour unless otherwise noted.
Insects: Insects, from biting gnats to massive
Curses: For 24 four hours the reader of the scroll beetles and great centipedes cannot damage or
is immune to curses. Any curse currently upon poison the reader of this scroll for one hour. Re-
them is instantly broken when this scroll is read. member, spiders are arachinds, not insects.

Demons: Everyone within a 10 foot radius around Lycanthropes: All within a 10 foot radius around
the reader at the time of reading is protected the reader at the time of reading, for a duration
from the attacks, spells, and special abilities of a of one hour, are protected from lycanthropes.
demon for one hour.
Magical Spells: Anti-magic shell surrounds and
Disease: The reader is immune to diseases, both moves with the reader for 1 hour, having a radi-
magical and mundane, for one hour. Any diseas- us of 10 feet. Spells cannot pass in or out of the
es in his system are immediately cleansed. shell.

Dragon Breath: All within a ten-foot radius Magical Weapons: The reader is immune to
around the reader are immune to the effects of damage from magical weapons (but not mun-
all types of dragon breath for 40 minutes. dane weapons) for one hour.

Drowning: Everyone within a 10 foot radius of Metal: Metal, whether it be from a sword or the
the reader at the time of reading gains the ability fist of an iron golem, cannot harm the reader for
to breathe underwater for 1 full day. a duration of 1 hour.

Fire: For one hour, whether it be lava, dragon fire, Mundane Weapons: The reader is immune to
or mundane flames, the reader suffers no dam- damage from mundane weapons (but not mag-
age from heat and fire. ical weapons) for one hour.

256 | White Box Cyclopedia

Negative Energy: The reader is immune to the
level-draining effects of wights, vampires and
other undead as well as a banshee’s scream for
one hour.

Petrification: The reader is immune to the petri-

fying breath of the gorgon, the gaze of a medu-
sa and the effects of the Polymorph spell for 40
minutes.

Poison: Poison cannot harm the reader for a pe-

riod of 6 hours, and any poison in their system is
removed.
MAGICAL WEAPONS AND ARMOR
When a trade-out has resulted in a treasure horde
Positive Energy: The reader is immune to any
containing a magical weapon or magical set of
Cure Wounds spells and cannot be turned by a
armor, the Referee can use the following tables to
Cleric’s Banish Undead ability for one hour.
determine the properties of that item based on
whether it is a Minor, Medium, or Major magical
Serpents: For one hour the reader cannot be
weapon or suit of armor.
damaged by the natural weapons or natural
poison of any serpentine creature. This includes
Magical weapons and armor are noted by the
snakes, dragons, lizardmen, and other serpentine
modifier in front of them. When wielding a mag-
creatures, but does not extend to magical effects
ical weapon, the character adds the modifier to
like the petrifying gaze of a medusa or a dragon’s
both their attack roll and their damage. If a char-
breath weapon.
acter is using magical ammunition and a magical
ranged weapon, these modifiers are cumulative.
Vermin: All insects and vermin will ignore the
Magical armor and shields add their modifier to
reader for one hour. This includes mundane in-
the wearer’s Armor Class. A character wearing a
sects and arachnids, giant fire beetles, giant cen-
suit of magical armor and using a magical shield
tipedes, giant rats, giant slugs, and giant spiders.
adds both modifiers to their Armor Class.
For the duration, the reader is also unaffected by
Example: Janet is playing a 3rd level Fighter.
the Insect Plague spell.
Normally she would have an attack bonus of +1
and do 1d6 damage with her sword. When using
Undead: All within a 10 foot radius of the reader
a +1 sword, she’d have a total of +2 to her attack
are protected against undead, immune to their
roll, and do 1d6+1. If Janet’s Fighter were to be
attacks, spells, and special abilities for an hour.
using a +1 longbow, she is also roll with a +2 to
attack and do 1d6+1 damage. But if her Fighter
were to use that +1 longbow and a +1 arrow, she
would roll a with a +3 to her attack roll and inflict
1d6+2.

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 257

 Cursed weapons and armor impose a penalty draw that cursed weapon in battle. If they dis-
to all attack and damage rolls made with them, pose of the cursed weapon it will magically reap-
based on the cursed item’s listed modifier. Ar- pear in their grasp the next time they make an at-
mor and shields impose a similar penalty to the tack.Characters can only use magical weapons or
wearer’s Armor Class when wearing such cursed armor permitted by their class unless otherwise
items. Once a cursed item has been picked up, noted in that item’s description.
such as drawing a cursed sword or donning a set To randomly determine what type of magical me-
of cursed armor, it cannot be removed without lee weapon is found, roll on Table 9-16: Magical
the use if a Remove Curse spell. So the user of Melee Weapons or Table 9-17: Magical Ranged
a cursed weapon in combat will find they always Weapons.

TABLE 9-15: MAGICAL WEAPONS AND ARMOR

Roll Minor Medium Major

1 Cursed, -1 Weapon, -1 Armor, Cursed, -2 Weapon, -1 Armor, Cursed, -3 Weapon, -3 Armor,
or -1 Shield or -2 Shield or -3 Shield
2-5 +1 Ranged Weapon +2 Ranged Weapon +3 Ranged Weapon
6-7 +1 Shield +2 Shield +3 Shield
8-11 +1 Armor +2 Armor +3 Armor
12-19 +1 Melee Weapon +2 Melee Weapon +3 Melee Weapon
20 Roll on Medium Column Roll on Major Column Roll on Table 9-19: Legendary
Weapons and Armor

TABLE 9-16: MAGICAL MELEE WEAPONS TABLE 9-17: MAGICAL RANGED WEAPONS
Roll Melee Weapons Roll Missile Weapons
1 Battle Axe 1–8 2d6 Arrows
2 Club 9–10 2d6 Sling Stones
3-5 Dagger 11 Crossbow, Heavy
6 Flail 12 Crossbow, Light
7 Hand Axe 13 Longbow
8-11 Long Sword 14 Shortbow
12 Mace 15 Sling
13 Morning Star 16–20 2d6 Bolts, crossbow
14 Polearm
15 Quarterstaff
16-17 Short Sword
18 Spear
19-20 Two-Handed Sword

258 | White Box Cyclopedia

 ANCILLARY ABILITIES
At the Referee’s discretion, a magical weapon
has a small chance of having an ancillary ability.
This is a minor feature that does not impact its
use in combat, but is a visible sign of its magical
nature. Magical melee weapons have a 1-2 on
1d20 chance of having an ancillary ability, while
all other magical weapons and magical armors
have only a 1 in 1d20 chance of having an an-
cillary ability.
LEGENDARY WEAPONS AND ARMOR
Legendary weapons and armor are extremely
TABLE 9-18: ANCILLARY ABILITIES rare and powerful. They are often unique, being
Roll Minor Abilities for Melee Weapons the only one of their kind to exist in the world.
1 Radiates light when drawn, 10 ft. radius They have a unique combination of properties
detailed below. To determine whether the leg-
2 Brief, epic music plays when drawn or
endary weapon is melee or ranged, the Referee
first worn
should roll 1d6. On a 1-3 it is a legendary melee
3 Is made of a rare and exotic material weapon, on a 4-5 it is a legendary missile weap-
4 Radiates light when drawn, 20 ft. radius on, and on a 6 it is a legendary suit of armor or
5 A gentle breeze blows when drawn or shield.. The Referee can then consult the appro-
first worn priate table below to randomly determine the
legendary weapon that has been discovered.
6 Radiates light when drawn, 30 ft. radius

TABLE 9-19: LEGENDARY WEAPONS AND ARMOR

Roll Melee Weapon (1-3 on 1d6) Ranged Weapon (4-5 on 1d6) Armor (6 on 1d6)
1 Axe of Mindlessness Hand Axe of Climbing Bear-Skin
2 Club of the Treant Hand Axe of Climbing Bone Mail
3 Cursing Dagger Crossbow of the Siege Carapace Plate
4 Dagger of the Assassin Crossbow of the Siege Demonic Armor
5 Flail of Threshing Crossbow of Distance Dragon Scale Mail
6 Flaming Sword Crossbow of Distance Dwarf-Forged Plate
7 Foe’s Bane Longbow of Infinite Arrows Elven Chain Mail
8 Freezing Maul Longbow of Infinite Arrows Ethereal Armor
9 Holy Silver Hammer of Assertion Returning Dagger Fiery Armor
10 Mace of Piety Returning Dagger Forge Apron
11 Mace of Purification Short Bow of Concealment Golem-Flesh Leather
12 Morning Star of the Rising Sun Short Bow of Concealment Holy Armor
13 Polearm of Dedication Sling of the Meek Ice Mail

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 259

 Roll Melee Weapon (1-3 on 1d6) Ranged Weapon (4-5 on 1d6) Armor (6 on 1d6)
14 Short Sword of the Halfling Sling of the Meek Leaf Walker Armor
15 Staff of the Peasant Sling of the Silver Stone Lucky Buckler
16 Sword, Holy Avenger Sling of the Silver Stone Seaweave Leather
17 Soul-Drinking Sword Spear of the Hunter Shadow Leather
18 Two-Handed Sword of Spear of the Hunter Shield of Arrow
Decapitation Deflection
19 Wanderer’s Walking Stick Staking Arrow Shield of Medusa
20 Warhammer of the Jotun Staking Arrow Throwing Shield

LEGENDARY WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS tional 2d6 when used against foes with a strong
Battle Axe of Mindlessness: The wielder of +1 association with ice, such as frost giants or white
battle axe is overcome by a single-minded rage dragons. Its flame radiates light as a torch.
when in combat. They are immune to all fear ef-
fects and charm spells while in battle. Foe’s Bane: Any melee weapon can be a Foe’s
Bane. Use Table 9-16: Magical Melee Weapons to
Club of the Treant: This simple cudgel normal- determine what type of melee weapon it is. Foe’s
ly functions like a +2 club, but upon command Bane weapons double their magical modifier
it can transform into a 7 Hit Dice Treant for one when used against a specific type of foe. Roll on
turn. After one turn has passed, the treant trans- Table 9-20: Foe’s Bane to determine what type of
forms into a normal, non-magical club. creature the Foe’s Bane effects. To determine the
base modifier for a Foe’s Bane weapon, roll 1d6;
Cursing Dagger: This weapon functions as a +1 1-2 means it is a +1, 3-4 means it is a +2, and 5-6
dagger in most cases. However, if the wielder means it is +3. This modifier is doubled against
rolls a natural, unmodified 20 when attacking with the foe specified on Table 9-20: Foe’s Bane.
this weapon, the victim is also set upon by a curse
TABLE 9-20: FOE’S BANE
of the Refere’s design.
Roll (1d6) Bane Type
Dagger of the Assassin: This +1 dagger inflicts 1 Dragons
double damage when a successful attack is made
2 Giants
against an unaware foe.
3 Goblinoids

Flail of Threshing: This +1 flail is barbed with 4 Insects

long, wicked spikes that force anyone struck by 5 Lycanthropes
it to make a saving throw or suffer an additional
6 Undead
point of damage for the next 1d6 rounds as their
wounds bleed profusely.
Freezing Maul: This +1 war hammer is perpetu-
ally encased in a thick layer of ice and is cold to
Flaming Sword: This +1 short sword is wreathed
the touch. It inflicts an additional 1d6 damage in
in flame when drawn from its scabbard. It inflicts
combat, or an additional 2d6 when used against
an additional 1d6 damage in combat, or an addi-
foes with a strong association with fire, such as

260 | White Box Cyclopedia

fire giants or red dragons. It glows with a cold Returning Dagger: This +1 dagger functions as
blue light to a radius of 20’. a +3 dagger when thrown and magically reap-
pears in the wielder’s hand after a ranged attack
Hand Axe of Climbing: Upon command this +1 is made with it.
hand axe sprouts a 50 foot length of rope from
its handle and may be thrown and secured like a Short Bow of Concealment: This +1 short bow
grappling hook. can be folded over several times until it is merely
six inches in length and can then be easily con-
Heavy Crossbow of the Siege: This +2 heavy cealed.
crossbow destroys any wooden or stone door it is
fired at with a single bolt. Short Sword of the Halfling: This functions as
a +1 short sword when wielded by anyone oth-
Holy Silver Hammer of Assertion: This silver +1 er than a halfling. In the hands of a halfling it is
warhammer has special properties that only ma- considered a +3 short sword and the wielder is
terialize when used by a Lawful Cleric or Paladin. able to Detect Chaos as the Cleric spell at will. It
When it strikes a character capable of casting radiates light at a radius of five feet when it de-
spells from the Cleric Spell List that victim must tects evil.
make a saving throw or fall under the effects of a
False Death spell even if they are unwilling as per Sling of the Meek: This weapon functions as a +3
the spell’s normal requirement. sling when wielded by unarmored combatant. In
addition, if the unarmored wielder rolls a natural,
Light Crossbow of Distance: This +1 light cross- unmodified 20 on their attack roll the target must
bow has a range of 360 feet. make a saving throw or be immediately slain.

Longbow of Infinite Arrows: When the string of Sling of the Silver Stone: This rugged sling is
this +1 longbow is drawn an arrow immediately marked with a single mercurial rune. Any stone
appears on the string, ready to fire. or bullet shot from it is considered to be silver
for purposes of damaging lycanthropic creatures.
Mace of Piety: A +1 mace that allows the wielder
to cast Bless once per day. Spear of the Hunter: This +1 spear inflicts dou-
ble damage against all natural animals in combat.
Mace of Purification: This +1 mace instantly de-
stroys any undead creature of 4 HD or less upon Staff of the Peasant: Most of the time, this item
a successful attack. Undead with more than 4 HD functions as a mundane staff. When the wielder is
may make a saving throw to avoid being utterly carrying 50 gold pieces or less in coins and jewel-
destroyed: Useable by: Lawful characters only. ry it functions as a +3 quarterstaff.

Morning Star of the Rising Sun: As long as this Sword, Holy Avenger: When wielded by a Good/
+1 morning star is being held in-hand, the wield- Lawful character who is dedicated to a religious
er cannot be blinded. It radiates light at a radius order or noble ideal the Holy Avenger functions
of 5 feet. as a +3 long sword and grants the wielder a +5
bonus to all saving throws made to resist magic.
Polearm of Dedication: This +1 polearm grants In the hands of others, it is considered to be a -1
its wielder and all allies within 30 feet of him a +1 long sword, though it can be put down without
bonus to all saving throws. the aid of a Remove Curse spell.

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 261

 Soul-Drinking Sword: This serrated +3 fully turned are brought to heel as if the wearer of
two-handed sword is covered in wicked runes the Bone Mail were of Chaotic alignment. Each
and a hilt of curved bone horns. Whenever the time this ability is used, the player must roll 1d20
wielder rolls an unmodified twenty on their attack If the result is 1 the wearer of the armor becomes
roll while wielding the Soul-Drinking Sword the Chaotic in alignment. If alignments are not used,
target immediately and permanently loses one the character will find themselves bound under a
level of experience or hit die. powerful Quest spell of the Referee’s design.

Staking Arrow: This unassuming wooden +1 ar- Carapace Plate: Crafted from the shell of a giant
row automatically stakes a vampire through the ant or similar monstrous insect, the wearer of this
heart if a successful ranged attack is made. armor will never be attacked by insects unless he
attacks them first. This includes giant fire beetles,
Two-Handed Sword of Decapitation: This +3 giant centipedes, and even arachnids like giant
two-handed sword decapitates a foe when a spiders. It provides protection as a standard suit
natural, unmodified 20 is rolled when the wielder of platemail.
makes an attack, instantly causing death to any
foe whose anatomy would be affected by the loss Demonic Armor: Possessed by a spirit or de-
of their head. mon, this suit of plate mail+3 seeks to corrupt
the wearer with promises of infernal power. Any
Wanderer’s Walking Stick: To most characters character of Chaotic alignment who wears the ar-
this is a simple +1 quarterstaff, but in the hands mor finds themselves empowered with a +2 bo-
of a Wanderer it increases the character’s Move nus to all damage rolls in melee combat and can
by +3. writhe themselves in infernal flames that cause
anyone within ten feet of the wearer to suffer 1d6
Warhammer of the Jotun: Normally, this weap- damage each round. If the wearer is not Chaotic
on functions as a +2 warhammer, but when it in alignment, Demonic Armor functions only as
strikes a giant that creature must make a saving plate mail+3, however each time the wearer kills
throw or be instantly slain. someone while wearing the Demonic Armor they
must make a saving throw or their alignment be-
comes Chaotic.
LEGENDARY ARMOR DESCRIPTIONS
Bear-Skin: This magical suit of leather armor al- Dragon Scale Mail: This set of scale armor is
lows the wearer to transform into a bear once per crafted from the dragon hide. It is extraordinari-
day for up to ten combat rounds. While in bear ly rare and requires an expert armorer to craft. It
form their Armor Class is 17 and they may attack provides the protection of plate armor, but only
three times per round with their massive claws weighs 15 lbs. It is a light, natural material and
and dangerous bite. These attacks inflict 1d6+1 can be worn by Druids in addition to anyone else
points of damage each. permitted to wear plate mail.

Bone Mail: A bizarre set of plate armor which is Dwarf-forged Plate: Dwarf-forged steel is in-
literally made from plates of bone and functions credibly strong and exceptionally light. Dwarf-
as +1 plate mail, Bone Mail grants its borrower forged plate functions as +1 plate mail to the
the ability to Banish Undead once per day, even if wearer’sand weighs only 20 lbs. It can only be
they are not a Cleric or other class capable of do- worn by dwarves.
ing so. However, any undead which are success-

262 | White Box Cyclopedia

Elven Chain Mail: Elven smiths craft this armor one-half for 1d6 rounds after suffering damage
from special silver which has been kissed by from fire and cold spells. No other type of spell
starlight. It functions like normal chain mail, but than lightning, fire, or cold has a unique effect on
weighs only 5 lbs. Magic-User spells are able to the wearer of flesh-stitched mail.
cast spells while wearing elven chain mail. Almost
all elven chain mail is made to fit elves and half- Holy Armor: This shining plate mail functions
elves, though suits made to fit other races are as if it were +3 plate mail and radiates light at
crafted on rare occasions. Any character capable a radius of five feet when worn by a character of
of wearing leather armor can wear elven chain Lawful alignment. In addition, any undead crea-
mail, provided it fits them. There is only a 1-2 in tures who come within thirty feet of a Lawful are
1d20 chance that a suit of elven chain mail will fit immediately subject to a Banish Undead effect,
a human-sized character, and there are no known as if they were facing a 5th level Cleric. Once they
suits crafted to fit other heritages. have resisted this effect, they are not subject to it
again for one day. Holy armor functions as simple
Ethereal Armor: This mercurial +3 plate mail +1 plate mail for characters who are not Lawful
that also allows the wearer to become insubstan- alignment.
tial and incorporeal once per day for 1d6 rounds.
In ethereal form, the wearer cannot be hit and Ice Mail: This set of perpetually frozen +1 chain
cannot attack (unless the opponent is also ethe- mail armor protects its wearer from all forms of
real, such as incorporeal undead). fire damage, both magical and mundane, while
it is worn. Fireballs sizzle and are snuffed out
Fiery Armor: This suit of +1 chain mail armor around him and lava cools and hardens under his
writhed in flames when the verbal command is footfall. It provides no protection against cold-
spoken. These flames last 2d6 rounds and the ar- based effects.
mor can be commanded to do this up to three
times per day These flames deal 1d6 damage to Leaf Walker Armor: This suit of +1 leather ar-
anyone within 10 feet of the wearer and radiate mor is woven of bark and leaves then enchanted
light as a torch. by mysterious fey magic, the wearer of this leath-
er armor leaves no trace of their passage when
Forge Apron: This matching leather mantle traveling in wild environments. They cannot be
and apron is pock marked with small burns and tracked by magical or mundane means as long
smeared with soot. It functions as +1 leather ar- as they are outside of urban places, such as cit-
mor which makes the wearer immune to dam- ies and villages. What exactly constitutes a urban
age from mundane heat and fire. When worn by place is up to the Referee.
a dwarf it becomes +3 leather armor, retains its
protection against heat and fire, and if the dwarf Lucky Buckler: This beaten wooden buckler
wearing it wields a war hammer in combat, they functions as a +1 shield. At the beginning of each
receive +1 on all attack and damage rolls. combat round, the user can “transfer” that en-
chantment to their saving throw. So, they could,
Golem-Flesh Leather: This macabre suit of +1 at the beginning of a combat round, declare it
leather armor is crafted from human flesh which to be a standard buckler and gain a +1 bonus to
has been stitched together and enchanted with their saving throws. Unlike other shields, Thieves
dark magic. Damage inflicted by lightning heals can use the Lucky Buckler.
the wear, and they have their Move reduced by

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 263

 Seaweave Leather: This suit of +1 leather ar- is thrown the wielder does not receive the Armor
mor appears to have been woven out of perpet- Class bonus it normally grants.
ually damp seaweed and smells faintly of ocean
air. The wearer can breathe water and suffers no
movement penalties when swimming. MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC ITEMS
Miscellaneous magic items are a catch-all term
Shadow Leather: This black +1 leather armor for anything that is not a potion, scroll, weapon,
has been enchanted with illusionary magic. It can or piece of armor. When a miscellaneous magic
turn the wearer invisible for up to one hour each item has appeared as part of a trade-out, use the
day, per the spell Invisibility. following tables to determine what item has been
discovered.

TABLE 9-21: MINOR MISCELLANEOUS

MAGIC ITEM
Roll (1d6) Result
1-2 Roll on Table 9-30: General Magic
Items (Minor)
3-4 Roll on Table 9-27: Lesser Rings
5-6 Roll on Table 9-24: Lesser Wands
Shield of Arrow Deflection: This circular wood-
en shield provides exceptional protection against
TABLE 9-22: MEDIUM MISCELLANEOUS
ranged weapons, seeming to draw them. It nor-
MAGIC ITEMS
mally functions as a +1 shield, but when the
wielder is attacked by any ranged weapon it be- Roll (1d6) Result
comes a +4 shield. In addition, anyone attacking 1-2 Roll on Table 9-31: General Magic
the wielder with a ranged weapon who rolls an Items (Medium)
unmodified, natural 1 on their d20 to attack finds 3 Roll on Table 9-28: Greater Rings
that ranged attack reflected back upon them-
4 Roll on Table 9-25: Greater Wands
selves and suffers damage as if they had been
5 Roll on Table 9-27: Lesser Rings
the target.
6 Roll on Table 9-24: Lesser Wands
Shield of Medusa: This powerful +2 shield is for-
ever etched with the image of a terrible medusa. TABLE 9-23: MAJOR MISCELLANEOUS
Once per day, the shield bearer can command its MAGIC ITEMS
eyes open, petrifying a single foe of their choos-
Roll (1d6) Result
ing who can see the shield as the Stone to Flesh
1-2 Roll on Table 9-32: General Magic
spell.
Items (Major)

Throwing Shield: This magical +1 shield may be 3 Roll on Table 9-28: Greater Rings
thrown as a ranged weapon with a range of thir- 4-5 Roll on Table 9-25: Greater Wands
ty feet. It inflicts 1d6+1 points of damage, grants 6 Roll on Table 9-29: Magical Staves
the thrower +1 to their ranged attack roll, and re-
turns to its wielder. Any round in which the shield

264 | White Box Cyclopedia

 TABLE 9-24: LESSER WANDS
Roll Cleric Spell Druid Spell Magic-User
(1d20) Level Level Spell Level
(1-2 on 1d6) (3 on 1d6) (4-6 on 1d6)

1-13 1st 1st 1st

14-19 2nd 2nd 2nd
20 3rd 3rd 3rd

TABLE 9-25: GREATER WANDS

Roll (1d20) Greater Wands
1-4 Greater Spell Wand
5 Wand of Cold
6 Wand of Detection, Enemies
7 Wand of Detection, Evil
WANDS 8 Wand of Detection, Invisible
Wands are short rods made of wood (or some- 9 Wand of Detection, Magic
times more exotic substances, such as rare met-
10 Wand of Detection, Metal
als or dragon bone) measuring about a foot long.
11 Wand of Detection, Traps and
They project magical energy from one end upon
Secret Doors
verbal command from the one holding them un-
less otherwise noted. Greater Wands can be used 12 Wand of Fear
by any class, while Lesser Wands can only be 13 Wand of Incineration
used by a character whose class has the potential 14 Wand of Light
to cast the wand’s associated spell.
15 Wand of Paralyzing
Spell Wands, whether Greater or Lesser, can be
recharged by casting the associated spell on the 16 Wand of Polymorph
wand. However, each time a charge is restored 17 Wand of the Radiant Blade
to a wand there is a 1 in 1d20 chance it will de- 18 Wand of Restoration
stroy the wand. Whether Greater or Lesser, Spell
19 Wand of Storage
Wands can hold up to 12 charges.
20 Wand of the Tomb Robber

LESSER WANDS
GREATER WAND DESCRIPTIONS
All Lesser Wands are Spell Wands capable of
Greater Spell Wand: Contains 2d6 charges when
casting 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level spells and contain
found. To determine the type of spell and level of
2d6 charges. To determine the type of spell and
spell contained in the Greater Spell Wand, see
level of spell contained in the Lesser Wand, see
the Greater Spell Wand Table below. To deter-
the Lesser Wands Table below. To determine
mine what type of spell the Greater Spell Wand
what type of spell the Lesser Wand casts roll 1d6:
casts roll 1d6: 1-2 Cleric, 3 Druid, 4-6 Magic-User.
1-2 Cleric, 3 Druid, 4-6 Magic-User. The Referee
The Referee then randomly determines or choos-
then randomly determines or chooses the specif-
es the specific spell associated with the Greater
ic spell associated with the Lesser Wand.
Spell Wand.

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 265

 TABLE 9-26: GREATER SPELL WANDS Wand of Detection, Traps & Secret Doors:
Roll Cleric Spell Druid Spell Magic-User Detects traps and secret doors with a range of
(1d20) Level Level Spell Level 20 feet. Always active when held, does not use
(1-2 on 1d6) (3 on 1d6) (4-6 on 1d6) charges.

1-13 4th 4th 4th

Wand of Fear: Causes creatures in a cone-shaped
14-19 5th 5th 5th path to flee unless they make a successful saving
20 5th 5th 6th throw. There is a 1-12 on 1d20 chance that they
will drop whatever they are holding. The cone ex-
tends 60 feet to a base 30 feet across. Holds 25
GREATER WAND DESCRIPTIONS
charges and cannot be recharged.
Wand of Cold: Casts a cone of cold 60 feet to a
base 30 feet across. Creatures in the cone take
Wand of Incineration: On command this wand
6d6 damage (saving throw for half damage).
launches a ray of searing fire that unerringly
Holds 25 charges and cannot be recharged.
strikes a single target within 30 feet, inflicting 4d6
points of fire damage, They may attempt a saving
Wand of Detection, Enemies: Detects enemies
throw to reduce the damage by half. Carries 10
in a radius of 60 feet, provided that the enemies
charges and cannot be recharged.
are actually thinking hostile thoughts. Always ac-
tive when held, does not use charges.
Wand of Light: This wand radiates light exactly
as the Light spell. Always active when held, does
Wand of Detection, Evil: Detects evil creatures
not use charges.
at a range of 20 feet. This includes characters of
Chaotic alignment, demons, and the undead. Al-
Wand of Paralyzing: Casts a cone of paralysis 60
ways active when held, does not use charges.
feet to a base 30 feet across. Creatures in the cone
are paralyzed for 3d6 turns. Holds 25 charges.
Wand of Detection, Invisible: Allows the wield-
er to detect invisible objects and creatures at a
Wand of Polymorph: Casts either Polymorph
range of 20 feet. Always active when held, does
(self) or Polymorph (other), carries 10 charges.
not use charges.

Wand of the Radiant Blade: When activated, a

Wand of Detection, Magic: Functions as a De-
beam of energy three feet in length springs from
tect Magic spell with a range of 20 feet. The
the tip of this wand for one hour, or until willed
wand’s user gets a vague sense of what sort of
away by the wielder. It can be wielded in combat
magic is being detected. Always active when
as a +3 long sword even if the user is not normal-
held, does not use charges.
ly able to use long swords. While active it radiates
light with a 10 foot radius. Carries 10 charges. Re-
Wand of Detection, Metal: Detects large caches
charge attempts require a Light, Continual spell.
of metal, with a range of 20 feet. The wand’s user
also gets a vague sense of the metal’s type (gold,
Wand of Restoration: With a touch (and by ex-
silver, iron, etc.). Always active when held, does
pending one charge) this wand can restore any
not use charges.
lost levels to a character bitten by a vampire,
struck by a wight, or who has similarly suffered
a level-draining effect. Carries 10 charges. Re-
charge attempts require a Dispel Evil spell.

266 | White Box Cyclopedia

 TABLE 9-27: LESSER RINGS
Wand of Storage: This wand may be touched
Roll Lesser Ring
to any single non-living object weighing up
one-hundred pounds. That object vanishes 1 Archery
from existence, only to reappear at the wielder’s 2-3 Cold Resistance
command. Each time an object reappears, one 4-5 Dark Sight
charge is expended. Carries 10 charges. It cannot
6-7 Fire Resistance
be recharged.
8 Invisibility

Wand of the Tomb Robber: This wand can trans- 9 Languages

form into a crowbar, ten-foot pole, or shovel for 10 Lightning Reflexes
up to six hours at the cost of one charge. Carries 11 Mammal Control
25 charges. It cannot be recharged.
12-13 Poison Resistance
14 Plenty
Wand of Truth: This wand flares with a red light
whenever an intelligent creature knowing speaks 15-16 Protection+1
a falsehood within 20’. Always active when held, 17 Protection+2
does not use charges. 18 Swordsmanship
19 Vitality
20 Water Breathing

LESSER RING DESCRIPTIONS

Ring of Archery: Wearer receives a +1 bonus to
all attack and damage rolls made when wielding
a ranged weapon.

Ring of Cold Resistance: Wearer has a +5 to sav-

MAGICAL RINGS ing throws versus magical cold and is immune to
Magical Rings, whether lesser or greater, provide
damage or ill effects from mundane cold.
a magical effect to the wearer that is constant as
long as they are wearing the ring. They can be
Ring of Dark Sight: Wearer can see perfectly in
worn by any class. Wearing more than one mag-
darkness, and is even able to see through magi-
ical ring on a hand eliminates the effects of all
cal darkness.
magical rings worn. Thus, a character can only
wear one magical ring on a hand at any given
Ring of Fire Resistance: +5 to saving throws vs.
time to gain its benefit. Taking off or putting on a
magical fire and grants immunity to damage from
magic ring takes an entire combat round. A char-
mundane fire and heat-based damage.
acter cannot wear two of the same magical ring
to “double” the effect - including multiples of the
Ring of Invisibility: The wearer of this ring turns
same ring type that offer different bonuses. Thus
invisible the moment they slip this ring on their
a character cannot wear a Ring of Protection +1
finger, though powerful monsters can sometimes
and a Ring of Protection +2 to get a +3 bonus to
see through this invisibility. They become visible
their Armor Class.
if they attack, cast a spell, or perform another ac-

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 267

 tion which would draw attention to them. They Ring of Water Breathing: While wearing this
can turn invisible again by removing the ring from ring, the wearer is able to breathe water and can-
their finger and reapplying it. not drown.

Ring of Languages: While wearing this ring, the

TABLE 9-28: GREATER RINGS
wearer can understand and speak (though not
read) any non-magical languages. Roll Greater Rings
1 Charming
Ring of Lightning Reflexes: Wearer always acts 2 Curse Breaking
first in a combat round, going first at the begin-
3 Dark Revelations
ning of each combat round, provided they are
4 Djinn Summoning
not surprised otherwise immobilized.
5 Regeneration
Ring of Mammal Control: The wearer can con- 6 Shooting Stars
trol up to 1d6 mundane mammals that can be 7 Spell Absorption
seen up to a range of up to 60 feet. This control
8 Spell Storing (Cleric)
requires complete concentration and no other
9 Spell Storing (Druid)
actions can be taken while maintaining it. Con-
trol does not extend to humanoids, magical crea- 10 Spell Storing (Magic-User)
tures, or giant animals. 11 Spell Turning
12 Telekinesis
Ring of Poison Resistance: The wearer receives
13 Teleportation
a +5 bonus to all saving throws to resist poison.
14 Three Wishes

Ring of Plenty: As long as this ring is worn the 15 Timelessness

wearer does not need food or water to survive. 16 Truth
17 Water Striding
Ring of Protection+1: The wearer of this ring re-
18 Weapon Master
ceives a +1 bonus to their Armor Class and to all
saving throws. 19 Woodland Supremacy
20 X-Ray Vision
Ring of Protection+2: The wearer of this ring re-
ceives a +2 bonus to their Armor Class and to all
saving throws.
GREATER RING DESCRIPTIONS
Ring of Swordsmanship: Wearer receives +1 Ring of Charming: Allows the wearer to cast
bonus to all attack and damage rolls made when Charm Person once per day.
wielding a melee weapon.
Ring of Curse Breaking: The wearer of this ring
Ring of Vitality: Wearer receives +5 hit points, is immune to curses in all their forms and can
even if this increases their hit point total above make use of cursed items without being obligat-
its normal maximum. These hit points heal at the ed to use them - able to set them down or take
normal rate and are immediately lost if the ring is them off at will.
removed.

268 | White Box Cyclopedia

Ring of Dark Revelations: Whenever the wearer (if able to cast Druid spells) can cast these spells
of this ring touches the exposed flesh of anoth- as if they were his own memorized and prepared
er sentient being, the wearer immediately knows spells. Once the spell is cast, it cannot be cast a
that individual’s greatest fear. If the individual second time until the caster rests for 8 hours.
touched makes a successful saving throw then
they are aware that the wearer of the ring knows Ring of Spell Storing (Magic-User): The ring
this information. contains 1d6 Magic-user spells. Roll 1d6 for each
Ring of Djinn Summoning: The wearer of this spell to determine their spell levels. The wearer
ring can summon a djinn once per month for up (if able to cast Magic-user spells) can cast these
to one hour. The djinn will follow the letter of any spells as if they were his own memorized and
commands it is given that are not suicidal. prepared spells. Once the spell is cast, it cannot
be cast a second time until the caster rests for 8
Ring of Regeneration: The wearer regenerates hours.
1 hit point round, even if reduced below zero HP
and thus cannot die unless the ring is removed or Ring of Spell Turning: Any spell directly aimed
destroyed. Only fire-based damage ignores this at the wearer of this ring is reflected back at the
effect. caster unless that caster makes a successful sav-
ing throw. If this saving throw is successful, the
Ring of Shooting Stars: Once per day, this spell is simply redirected away.
ring can summon 1d6 flaming meteors from
the depths of space. Each meteor can target a Ring of Telekinesis: The wearer can mentally lift
separate enemy and deals 3d6 damage. If used and move up to 200 pounds of weight at a range
indoors or underground, the meteors will strike of 120 feet.
whatever is directly above the target.
Ring of Teleportation: The wearer can teleport
Ring of Spell Absorption: When the wearer of to any location they have previously visited and
this ring is targeted by a spell, instead of taking are able to visually recall once per day, appearing
effect the spell is absorbed into the ring, where it where they desire without error.
remains stored. The wearer can release the spell
as an action at any time they like. Though the Ring of Three Wishes: Grants the wearer 3 wish-
ring can absorb any level spell, it can only hold es; outrageous wishes backfire.
one spell at a time. An absorbed spell must be
released and cannot be harmlessly dissipated. Ring of Timelessness: While wearing this ring
the target is immune to aging, both natural and
Ring of Spell Storing (Cleric): The ring contains magical. They are also immune to any effects
1d6 Cleric spells. Roll 1d6-1 (minimum 1) for each which drain levels, such as a vampire’s bite or
spell to determine their spell levels. The wearer wight’s touch.
(if able to cast Cleric spells) can cast these spells
as if they were his own memorized and prepared Ring of Truth: The wearer automatically senses
spells. Once the spell is cast, it cannot be cast a when anyone within 120 feet knowingly tells a lie.
second time until the caster rests for 8 hours. The ring also automatically identifies Hallucina-
tory Terrain, and Phantasmal Force as falsehoods
Ring of Spell Storing (Druid): The ring contains and is able to see the invisible.
1d6 Druid spells. Roll 1d6-1 (minimum 1) for each
spell to determine their spell levels. The wearer Ring of Water Striding: The wearer of this ring

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 269

 can walk across any liquid as easily as dry land.
The nature of and conditions of that liquid do
not matter. Placid lakes, sea tossed storms, bub-
bling lava, and even vertical waterfalls can all be
walked upon as easily as a country road in spring.

Ring of Weapon Mastery: The wearer of this ring

may wield any weapon and receives a +2 bonus
to all attack rolls.

Ring of Woodland Supremacy: The wearer

of this ring is regarded as a friend by natural,
non-magical birds and beasts. They will not attack
the wearer unless first attacked. In addition, the TABLE 9-29: MAGICAL STAVES
wearer can travel through forested environments Roll Staves
without ever suffering a reduction in movement
1 Absorption
or facing danger from a natural hazard. Even in-
clement weather seems to have no impact on the 2 Beguiling
wearer while they are in the forest. Finally, they 3 Blessing
leave no trace of their passage through any for- 4 Bow
ests that can be tracked by any means mundane
5 Charming
or magical.
6 Entrapment

Ring of X-Ray Vision: The wearer has x-ray vi- 7 Ethereal

sion at a range of 40 feet. The maximum distance 8 Fire
through which the character can see through sol- 9 Healing
id rock is just over 10 feet, though solid metals
10 Plants
(other than lead) is 1 foot, and through lead is 1
11 Poison
inch.
12 Resurrection
13 Security
MAGICAL STAVES
Unless otherwise noted, all magical quarterstaffs 14 Shadows
are considered a +1 quarterstaff when used as 15 Spiders
a melee weapon in combat. A magical staff has 16 Striking
5d6 charges unless otherwise noted, but unlike
17 Teleportation
a wand, it cannot be recharged. When its last
18 Water
charge is expended, it becomes an ordinary,
non-magical quarterstaff. Magical Staves that 19 Withering
expend charges to cast a spell can only be used 20 Wizardry
by classes that have the ability to cast that spell.
Thus a 1st level Magic-User could use a Staff of
MAGICAL STAVES DESCRIPTIONS
Fire to cast Fireball by expending charges be-
Absorption: Absorbs spells cast directly at the
cause it is possible for that Magic-User to learn
wielder and allows the wielder to cast a spell from
and cast Fireball on their own. Otherwise, magi-
his own memory using that power (and thus not
cal staves can be used by any character class.

270 | White Box Cyclopedia

losing the spell from memory). Once the staff has Poison: This staff can create the effects of a
absorbed 50 levels of spells (whether or not the Cloudkill spell (2 charges) or Neutralize Poison (1
power has been cast back out again), it no longer charge).
absorbs spells.
Resurrection: These staves only carry 10 charges,
Beguiling: This staff can be used to cast Sleep but a charge may be used to cast Raise Dead.
(one charge), Phantasmal Force (two charges), or
Confusion (3 charges). Security: The staff-bearer can cast Knock or Wiz-
ard Lock at the cost of one charge.
Blessing: This staff casts Bless or Purify Food and
Water at the cost of one charge . Shadows: This staff allows the carrier to cast Light
(Dark only) for one charge, Light, Continual (Dark
Bow: Upon command (at the cost of one charge), only) or Darkvision for two charges, and Wall of
this staff transforms into a +1 longbow and twen- Shadow for three charges.
ty arrows appear in a quiver on the owner’s back.
The wielder of the staff can use the bow, regard- Spiders: This staff allows the wielder to summon
less of their class. 1d6+1 giant spiders to serve him for one turn, at
the cost of one charge. They vanish after this du-
Charming: This staff can cast Charm Person at ration ends.
the cost of one charge. While openly carrying the
staff, the owner increases their Charisma by +1. Striking: This staff functions as a +2 quarter-
staff and Inflicts 2d6+2 in combat.It does not use
Entrapment: The staff coils around the target af- charges.
ter successful at the cost of one charge. It coils
around the victim for 1d6 × 10 minutes, making it Teleportation: By spending one charge, the
impossible for them to move or act - though they wielder of this staff may cast the Teleport spell.
can still speak. The victim must be human-sized
or smaller and can attempt a saving throw to Water: This staff enables the user to cast Water
avoid this entanglement when they are initially Breathing (1 charge) or walk on water for one turn
struck. The staff will revert back to its inert form (2 charges).
at the mental command of the owner or after the
duration of the entrapment ends. Withering: Functioning as a +1 quarterstaff in
combat, the wielder can expend one charge af-
Ethereal: At the cost of one charge, the staff ter a successful attack. If the victim fails a saving
bearer can Passwall, like the spell for one turn. throw, they permanently lose 1 point of Constitu-
tion (or a number of hit points equal to their HD
Fire: The wielder can cast Fireball (1 charge, 5d6 for monsters).
damage), Wall of Fire or Ice (2 charges, fire only), Wizardry: Extraordinarily power staff, highly
Fireball (3 charges, 10d6 damage). sought after by Magic-Users. It can cast Detect
Healing: Cures 1d6+1 hit points of damage per Magic and Light without expending a charge.
charge. For one charge it can cast the following spells:
Fly, Hold Person, Invisibility, Passwall, Protec-
Plants: The wielder can cast Sticks to Snakes (1 tion from Chaos, Wall of Fire, or Web. For two
charge) or Speak with Plants (2 charges). charges the staff functions as a +2 quarterstaff for
ten rounds. For three charges it grants the wield-

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 271

 er a +3 bonus to their Armor Class for ten rounds. to adventuring parties. They are broken up into
Finally, for five charges it grants the wielder a +5 three categories: Minor, Medium, and Major.
bonus on all saving throws for ten rounds. It can When rolling randomly to determine which spe-
only be used by Magic-Users cific general magic item is discovered, roll 1d6 to
determine which column is used. Then roll 1d20
GENERAL MAGIC ITEMS and consult that column to determine what item
General Magic Items can be used by any class is found. General magic items can be used by any
unless specified otherwise. They are miscella- character class unless otherwise specified in the
neous items of varying enchantments and uses item’s description. If the “Cursed Item” listing
comes up, roll on Table 9-33: Cursed Items.

TABLE 9-30: GENERAL MAGIC ITEMS (MINOR)

Roll 1-3 on 1d6 Roll 4-6 on 1d6

Minor Magic Items Minor Magic Item
1 Cursed Item 1 Figurine of the Wary Sparrow
2 Amulet of Dark Vision 2 Gauntlets of Hero’s Might
3 Arrow of Direction 3 Gauntlets of the Merman
4 Arrow of Trap Detection 4 Glass of the Shrewd Jeweler
5 Backpack of Storage 5 Glasses of Language
6 Bag of Bones 6 High Spring Wolfsbane
7 Bat’s Cloak 7 Holy Wafer
8 Boots of Elvenkind 8 Horseshoes of Swiftness
9 Boots of Levitation 9 Luckstone
10 Boots of Springing 10 Manual of Constitution
11 Boots of Swiftness 11 Orator’s Journal
12 Bracelets of Defense+3 12 Pipes of the Sewers
13 Campaigner’s Spoon 13 Robe of Infinite Wardrobes
14 Candle of Darklight 14 Rope of Climbing
15 Carafe of Infinite Water 15 Shovel of Excavation
16 Cloak of Shielding, Lesser 16 Symbol - Humble Piety
17 Decanter of Holy Water 17 Trick Coins
18 Doorbell 18 Turning Mirror
19 Dust of Asphyxiation 19 Whetstone of Enchantment
20 Dust of Concealment and Revealing 20 Widow’s Veil

272 | White Box Cyclopedia

TABLE 9-31: GENERAL MAGIC ITEMS (MEDIUM)

Roll 1-3 on 1d6 Roll 4-6 on 1d6

Medium Magic Items Medium Magic Item
1 Cursed Item 1 Helm of the Fearsome Warmonger
2 Bag of Boulders 2 Helm of Read Magic and Languages
3 Blessed Holy Symbol 3 Horn of the Einherjar, Bronze
4 Boots of Silence 4 Horn of the Einherjar, Silver
5 Cloak of Diffusion 5 Jug of the Wedding Feast
6 Cloak of Pockets 6 Locket of Lycan’s Bane
7 Cloak of Shielding 7 Manual of Charisma
8 Crampons of Climbing 8 Manual of Dexterity
9 Dust of Explosions 9 Manual of Strength
10 Ever-Full Purse 10 Mirror of Mental Scrying
11 Eye Patch of the Pirate 11 Pipes of Charming
12 Figurine of the Arcane Feline 12 Robe of Blending
13 Figurine of the Stone Hound 13 Robe of Eyes
14 Figurine of the Thieving Squirrel 14 Rope of Entanglement
15 Figurine of the Wayward Raven 15 Saddle of the Skyward Steed
16 Folding Raft 16 Scabbard of Protection
17 Gauntlets of Defense+5 17 Symbol - Courage
18 Gloves of the Hidden Blade 18 Symbol - Divine Blessing
19 Gloves of the Locksmith 19 Symbol - Terror
20 Gloves of Swimming and Climbing 20 Trapsmith’s Spectacles

TABLE 9-32: GENERAL MAGIC ITEMS (MAJOR)

Roll 1-3 on 1d6 Major Magic Item Roll 4-6 on 1d6 Major Magic Item
1 Cursed Item 1 Horn of Draconic Control
2 Amulet of Demon Control 2 Horn of the Einherjar, Iron
3 Amulet of Wellness 3 Idol of the Nameless God
4 Book of Damnation 4 Lenses of Charming
5 Boots of the Featherfoot 5 Medallion of the Mind Reader
6 Bottle of Many Potions 6 Magic Lamp
7 Carpet of Flying 7 Manual of Infernal Summoning
8 Cloak of Defense, Greater 8 Manual of Intelligence
9 Conduit of the Elemental Planes 9 Manual of Resilience
10 Crown of the Goblin King 10 Manual of Ultimate Self-Mastery
11 Crystal Ball 11 Manual of Ultimate Skill

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 273

 Roll 1-3 on 1d6 Major Magic Item Roll 4-6 on 1d6 Major Magic Item
12 Figurine of the Blackston Wolves 12 Manual of the Uncanny Adventurer
13 Gauntlets of Dexterity 13 Manual of Wisdom
14 Gem of Seeing 14 Mask of Disguise
15 Girdle of Giant Strength 15 Mummified Hand
16 Helm of Fiery Brilliance 16 Necklace of Fireballs
17 Helm of Teleportation 17 Sand of Timelessness
18 Hole, Folding 18 Symbol—Scarab of Phantasms
19 Horn of Ally Summoning 19 Tome of Reanimation
20 Horn of Blasting 20 Vambraces of Defense+7

MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC ITEM Arrow of Trap Detection: When set on a flat sur-
DESCRIPTIONS face this arrow will spin to point in the direction of
the nearest trap within 120 feet.
Amulet Against Scrying: Protects the wearer
from all scrying, such as Detect Thoughts or be-
Backpack of Storage: The opening of this back-
ing viewed through a crystal ball.
pack actually leads to a small, self-contained
pocket dimension. The inside is roughly 10 feet
Amulet of Dark Vision: While wearing this am-
high, 5 wide, and 3 feet tall. Any object touched
ulet a character can see perfectly, even in com-
to the back’s opening capable of fitting in that
plete darkness to a distance of up to 90 feet.
space can be stored in the bag of storage, though
it cannot carry more than one thousand pounds.
Amulet of Demon Control: The wearer gains
When retrieving an item from the backpack, the
the benefits of a Protection from Chaos spell
item the character is seeking always seems to
while the amulet is worn, and allows the wearer
be easily accessible from the opening. If it is not
to attempt to compel any demon they encounter
empty, the pack weighs fifty pounds, no matter
to perform one task for them. The demon must
how much weight it actually contains.
make a saving throw to resist. If the demon fails
it will spend the next 1d6 weeks attempting to
Bag of Boulders: This hand sewn leather pouch
complete the assigned task (though it may twist
contains 3d6 small pebbles that turn into giant
the command to something the wearer did not
boulders when thrown by hand. When thrown
intend) and then it will turn its ire towards the one
they have a range of 120 feet and do 3d6 dam-
foolish enough to command it.
age. If loaded into a sling and used as ammuni-
tion their range and damage is doubled to 240
Amulet of Wellness: While wearing this amulet
feet and 6d6 damage, respectively.
an individual is immune to all diseases and poi-
sons.
Bag of Bones: This small cloth sack is 3d6 tiny
bone fragments. When a bone fragment is tossed
Arrow of Direction: Points the direction of what-
on the ground it immediately transforms into a
ever the owner requests. Cannot be used more
Skeleton under the control of the character
than 7 times in a single week.
holding the bag. The skeleton remains until de-
stroyed.

274 | White Box Cyclopedia

Bat’s Cloak: This cloak allows the wearer to trans- Boots of Silence: While wearing these boots, the
form into a bat for up to one hour per day. wearer moves in perfect silence.

Blessed Holy Symbol: This silver holy symbol has Boots of Springing: The wearer of these boots
a powerful blessing upon it. It can be used once can leap a distance of up to ten feet horizontally
per day to Banish Undead as a 3rd level Cleric, from a standing position or twice as much if they
even if the character is not normally able to use get a ten foot running start. They are also able to
that ability. Characters who are already able to leap horizontally up to a distance of 30 feet, or
Banish Undead using the Blessed Holy Symbol twice this with a ten foot running start.
are considered to be three levels higher using
that ability with a Blessed Holy Symbol. Boots of Swiftness: Anyone wearing these ele-
gant leather books can command them to acti-
Book of Damnation: This vile book is bound in vate with a thought and is able to double their
blackened flesh and its pages are written in blood. move and receive a +2 bonus to their Armor Class
A character whose blood touches the pages of for 1d6+1 rounds.
the Book of Damnation sees the blood spread
across a blank page of the book until it lists the Boots of the Featherfoot: These boots grant
character’s worst sins. The writing remains for all the wearer an extraordinarily light footstep. He
time or until the book is destroyed. Pages cannot leaves no footprints, can walk on water, and his
be torn out or removed and if the book’s pages passage will not set off pressure sensitive traps,
become full a new one magically appears in the like pressure plates.
back of it.
Bottle of Many Potions: This metal decanter is
Boots of Elvenkind: When wearing these boots capable of storing up to six different and distinct
in outdoor wilderness environments, the wearer’s liquids that have no more volume than one pint.
movements are completely silent and they leave Different liquids do not mix when stored in the
no footprints. bottle. Instead, when emptying it, the owner can
mentally command which individual liquid they
Boots of Levitation: These boots allow the wear- would like to dispense.
er to Levitate (as per the spell) for up to three
hours per day. Bracelets of Defense+3: This pair of thick silver
bracelets grant the wearer a +3 to their Armor
Class, as long as the wearer is not also wearing
armor. The bonus granted by the bracelets can
be increased by magical rings or other protective
measures like magical spells.

Campaigner’s Spoon: This large wooden soup

spoon produces a thick and filling stew capable
of feeding up to a dozen people when placed
into a cauldron or other receptacle capable of
holding three gallons of liquid. Unfortunately, the
stew tastes horrible. It can do this once per day.

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 275

 Candle of Darklight: This appears to be a large
candle crafted from black wax. When lit it produc-
es a black flame that actually radiates no visible
light. Those who are within 60 feet of a lit Candle
of Darklight are able to see perfectly in natural
or magical darkness. A Candle of Darklight can
burn for up to six hours before being expended.

Carafe of Infinite Water: This crystal decanter

pours out one gallon of water per minute when
unstoppered.

Carpet of Flight: This carpet covers a 20 ft x 20

ft area and can carry up to four human-sized peo-
ple. It cannot carry more than 1000 lbs of weight Cloak of Shielding This simple cloak grants the
and moves at a Move of 24. It can fly when com- wearer a +2 bonus to their Armor Class and to all
manded to do so for up to 12 hours a day, When saving throws.
rolled up and stored it weighs a mere 10 lbs.
Cloak of Shielding, Greater: This simple cloak
Cloak of Diffusion: The wearer appears to waiver grants the wearer a +3 bonus to their Armor Class
and shift position ever so slightly when wearing and to all saving throws.
this cloak, even when standing still. They receive
a +2 bonus to their Armor Class and to any saving Cloak of Shielding, Lesser: This simple cloak
throws made to avoid traps while wearing it. In grants the wearer a +1 bonus to their Armor Class
addition, the first time the wearer is attacked with and to all saving throws.
a ranged weapon in a combat encounter, their
opponent automatically misses. Conduit to the Elemental Planes: These magical
items appear as either a censer for the elemental
Cloak of Elvenkind: While wearing this cloak in plane of air, a bowl for the elemental plane of wa-
an outdoor, wilderness environment the wearer ter, a great candlestick for the elemental plane
blends becomes nearly invisible as long as they of fire, or a large rock for the elemental plane of
remain perfectly still. Movement, attacking, or earth. A 12 HD elemental of the appropriate asso-
casting a spell reveals them. ciated type can be summoned and controlled for
1d6 hours provided the user performs an arcane
Cloak of Flying: This cloak allows the wearer to ritual that takes about ten minutes and spends
cast Fly three times per day on themselves. 100 gold pieces in components. The summoned
elemental remains present for 1d6 hours before
Cloak of Pockets: This cloak contains a dozen returning to its plane of origin. Only characters
small pockets sewn into its inner lining. Each of capable of casting Magic-User, Cleric, or Druid
these magical pockets can store up to twenty spells can use this item.
pounds in a tiny extra-dimensional space to be
drawn out later. Stored objects are weightless. Crampons of Climbing: These metal spikes are
permanently attached to a pair of fur-lined snow
boots. The wearer can climb any sheer surface at

276 | White Box Cyclopedia

a speed of ten feet per rounds and will never lose that area becomes invisible (even when attack-
their footing due to icy or slick conditions. ing, casting spells, or performing other obvious
actions) for 5d6 turns. There is no known method
Crown of the Goblin King: Any goblinoid crea- of seeing through or ending this invisible until the
ture that comes within 120 feet of the wearer enchantment ends.
must make a saving throw or fall under the effects
of a Charm Person spell as if that spell were cast Dust of Explosions: This dust can be tossed up
by the wearer. to ten feet at a target. The target can then be eas-
ily ignited by a torch, Fireball spell or other near-
Crystal Ball: The user can look into this translu- by flame for the next 1d6 rounds. The dust goes
cent glass sphere in an effort to gain knowledge. up in a ball of fire, inflicting 3d6 points of damage
Three times per day they can ask the crystal ball on the target. This dust comes in tiny pouches
any question. It reveals to them an almost entirely containing 2d6 uses.
visual response, with vague and indistinct sound.
There is a 1 on 1d20 each time it is used that the Ever-Full Purse: This small leather pouch with
user draws the attention of a demon who will gilded gold stitching produces 1d6 gold pieces
seek them out and attempt to take possession of each day at dawn as long as it is empty.
the crystal ball.
Eye Patch of the Pirate: The wearer of this eye
Decanter of Holy Water: This container fills with patch can swim freely while carrying up to 300 lbs.
holy water each day, up to the equivalent of three They also receive +2 on all attack rolls while fight-
small vials. ing aboard a seafaring vessel, know the exact
times of both high and low tide, and can predict
Door Bell: This small metal chime can be jingled the weather twenty-four hours in advance.
to open any door that has been locked by magi-
cal or mundane means. Each time it is used there Figurine of the Arcane Feline: This crystal figure
is a 1 on 1d20 chance it will shatter. transforms into what appears to be an ordinary
house cat. It is sensitive to magic and will cry out
Dust of Asphyxiation: Each dose of this deli- whenever it is within 120’ of any form of magic
cate powder can be scattered over a ten foot whether it be a magical item, a spell, or even a
area where they hang in the air for 1d6 rounds. magical trap. It can only be used by characters
Anyone who walks through that area immediately capable of casting Magic-User spells.
begins to choke and must make a saving throw or
die after one full round of exposure. Figurine of the Blackstone Wolves: This is a
small black marble figurine of a miniature snarl-
Dust of Concealment and Revealing: A single ing wolf that, upon command, transforms into a
dose of this dust can be tossed in a radius of 10 trio of worgs (see page 244. They will follow their
feet around the user, and makes any invisible, owners command and fight if directed to do so.
astral, displaced, out-of-phase, or dimension- They can remain in this worg form for up to 2d6+3
al thing completely visible. The dust general- rounds per day. But if all three worgs are slain the
ly comes in a pouch, with enough for 4d6 uses. statue returns to its black marble form, and none
Upon mental command it can also be used in of the worgs can be summoned for a month.
the opposite manner. When tossed into the air
it fills an area of ten cubic feet and everything in

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 277

 Figurine of the Stone Hunting Hound: This gray Figurine of the Wary Sparrow: This taxidermied
stone figure appears to be a vigilant hunting dog, sparrow is mounted on a small base of stone.
but upon command it transforms into a living Upon command it will spring to life and flutter
hound (use wolf stats found on page 244). It will around the head of its own for up to six hours
track whatever person it is commanded to by its each day. During that time it will twitter loud-
master, provided the master provides the hound ly whenever a creature, humanoid, or monster
with an item to scent with a 1-5 on 1d6 chance of comes within 120 feet, preventing anyone who
success for the next week. Concealment, whether hears its warbles from being surprised.
magical or mundane, does not alter this chance
of success. The hunting hound will not normal- Folding Raft: This small piece of hinged wood
ly fight, only taking action if its owner is directly weighs 5 lbs and fits in a small pouch or pocket.
attacked. In such cases it will fight to the death It can be unfolded in 5 rounds into a full-sized,
and is transformed back into a statue if slain. Un- seaworthy raft
der normal circumstances the hunting hound can
only be summoned once per month and if slain Fur of the Winter Wind: This fur mantle makes
the hound cannot return for three months. its wearer immune to all cold damage, both mun-
dane and magical.
Figurine of the Thieving Squirrel: This small
wooden figurine is carved to look like a life-sized
squirrel. Upon command it will spring to life for
up to one hour. Its owner can point to one ob-
ject up to 360 feet away that weighs no more
than three pounds and the squirrel will attempt
to steal it if it is not actively held by another liv-
ing creature. The squirrel can bypass all manner
of magical barriers and has a 1-5 on 1d6 chance
of successfully retrieving the item and returning
to its master. However, after retrieving the item
there is a 1 in 1d20 chance the squirrel will forget
it’s a magic item or has a master, and run off with
the item as quickly as possible to do whatever it
is squirrels do.

Figurine of the Wandering Raven: This small

mahogany carving of a raven can be commanded Gauntlets of Defense+5: These chainmail
to come to life and carry a message up to 1000 gauntlets grant the wearer a +5 to their Armor
miles to a single person named by the owner. The Class, as long as the wearer is not also wearing
raven will take off into the sky until it is no longer armor. The bonus granted by the gauntlets can
seen and then teleport to the target’s location, be increased by magical rings or other protective
repeat the message, and then reappear in the measures like magical spells.
owner’s hand. This process takes 1d6 rounds and
can be done once per day. Gauntlets of Dexterity: When worn, these black
leather gloves increase the wearer’s Dexterity by
+2 (to a maximum of 18).

278 | White Box Cyclopedia

Gauntlets of Hero’s Might: These golden metal Gloves of Swimming and Climbing: These
gauntlets grant the wearer surprising prowess in gloves permit the wearer to swim at a rate of 18,
battle. They receive a +2 bonus on all attack rolls. and climb sheer walls with a 1-5 on 1d6 chance of
success per ten feet of climbing.
Gauntlets of the Merman: These almost trans-
lucent blue wool gloves allow the wearer to swim Helm of the Fearsome Warmonger: When the
with no reduction to their movement. wearer of this fearsome metal helm rolls a natural,
unmodified 20 when making a melee attack roll,
Gem of Seeing: A gem of seeing is used as a the foe they have struck must roll a saving throw
lens, and shows the truth of what it sees, cutting or flee the battlefield in fear. Only Fighters may
through illusions of all kinds, even immensely benefit from the magical effects of this helmet.
powerful ones.
Helm of Fiery Brilliance: This prodigiously pow-
Girdle of Giant Strength: This wide belt grants erful helm grants many benefits to the wearer.
the wearer the strength of a hill giant, granting They gain a +10 on saving throws against fire
them a +4 to all melee damage rolls and allowing damage, and can create a Wall of Fire once per
them to carry 300 lbs without suffering any restric- day as if cast by a 10th level Magic-User. Any
tions on their movement. non-spellcasting class who wears the helm may
command a weapon in hand to flame, increasing
Glass of the Shrewd Jeweler: This gold framed that weapon’s damage by +1d6 damage for up to
monocle allows anyone looking through it to ten rounds per day. Characters able to cast Mag-
identify the exact value of any gems, jewelry, or ic-User spells wearing the helm can add +1 to
coinage they examine. It can also detect forgeries each die of damage inflicted by a Fireball spell.
and the presence of any enchantments - though Those able to cast Cleric or Druid spells wearing
not the exact nature of that enchantment. the helm can ignite objects within 30 feet at will,
and may cast two Light or Continual Light spells
Glasses of Language: The wearer of these bulky for each one actually prepared. The wearer of this
crystalline glasses can read all mundane languag- helm is likely to be attacked by any air elemental
es. creatures, but fire elemental types (such as efreet
or salamanders) will be favorably disposed to-
Gloves of the Hidden Blade: These gloves are ward the wearer.
made of delicate black silk. The wearer can touch
and small object, no larger than a short sword to Helm of Reading Magic and Languages: The
the wrist of the worn glove and cause the item to wearer can read all languages, including magic
disappear into a pocket dimension. Once an ob- script.
ject has disappeared, the glove also disappears.
The item can be recalled directly into the wearer’s Helm of Teleportation: When the wearer casts a
hand (one item per hand) at their mental com- Teleportation spell on himself, while wearing the
mand. The glove reappears on the wearer’s hand helm, he may teleport himself without error, any-
when the item reappears. where he desires. The helm does not permit the
casting of a Teleportation spell on anyone other
Gloves of the Locksmith: This pair of ragged, than the wearer.
fingerless pauper’s gloves allow the wearer to
pick any lock they find with 1d6 rounds of work,
provided he has the proper tools.

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 279

 High Spring Wolfsbane: Plucked under a full
moon and enchanted with secret magic, High
Spring Wolfsbane is empowered to repel ly-
canthropes. When presented strongly before
a were-creature, the target must make a saving
throw or flee.

Hole, Folding: This circular piece of black sack-

cloth is actually the opening to a pocket dimen-
sion ten feet deep that items and people can fall
through or climb down into it once it is placed ona
solid surface such as the ground or even a wall.
The piece of cloth can actually be pulled in from Horn of Draconic Control: Any dragon that
the inside to close the hole off entirely, although hears the horn must make a saving throw at a -4
there is no source of fresh air within, and staying penalty or follow the commands of the owner for
inside will cause anyone inside to suffocate in one one hour. Usable once per day.
hour. The piece of cloth can be picked up, folded,
and easily stored - making it quite portable. It is Horn of the Einherjar, Bronze: Instantly sum-
five feet in diameter. mons 1d6+1 human Fighters of 3rd level within 30
feet of the one who blew the horn to render aid. If
Holy Wafer: These small wafers are blessed and not commanded to attack or destroy something
typically consumed in religious ritual. They are upon arrival there is a 1 in 1d20 chance that the
an anathema to undead and especially effective summoned warriors will turn on their summoner
against vampires and Dhampirs. A holy wafer and attack them. The warriors remain until slain
does 1d6 points of damage when touched by an and then return to their extra planar feasting halls
undead creature, or 2d6 when touched by a vam- for one month before they can return to assist the
pire or dhampir. This destroys the wafer. They are one who winds the horn again.
typically found in small containers holding 2d6
Holy Wafers. Horn of the Einherjar, Iron: Instantly summons
1d6+1 human Fighters of 4th level within 30 feet
Horn of Ally Summoning: Before blowing this of the one who blew the horn to render aid. If
horn, the user may name any individual whom not commanded to attack or destroy something
they regard as an ally. Once the horn is blown, upon arrival there is a 1 in 1d20 chance that the
that ally hears the call and is immediately tele- summoned Fighters will turn on their summoner
ported to the horn-blower’s side. If the ally does and attack them. The warriors remain until slain
not wish to be teleported, the horn does not and then return to their extra planar feasting halls
work. The horn can be blown up to three times for one month before they can return to assist the
per day. one who winds the horn again.

Horn of the Deafening Blast: Anyone within 500 Horn of the Einherjar, Silver: Instantly summons
feet of this horn when it is blown (except for the 1d6+1 human Fighters of 2nd level within 30 feet
one who winded it) suffers 2d6 points of damage of the one who blew the horn to render aid. If
and is deafened 10 minutes. not commanded to attack or destroy something
upon arrival there is a 1 in 1d20 chance that the

280 | White Box Cyclopedia

summoned Fighters will turn on their summoner Person spell) up to one time per day. The saving
and attack them. The warriors remain until slain throw against the power of the lenses is made at
and then return to their extra planar feasting halls -2.
for one month before they can return to assist the
one who winds the horn again. Locket of Lycan’s Bane: The wearer of this lock-
et cannot contract lycanthropy. In addition, all
Horseshoes of Swiftness: These silvery horse weapons they wield in combat are considered to
shoes double the speed of any steed who wears be silver for purposes of damaging lycanthropes
them. They can only be used by horses, unicorns, and they can detect lycanthropic creatures (like
pegasi, and similar creatures. wererats and werewolves) to a distance of 60 feet.

Hypnotic Medallion: This medallion can be used Luckstone: This stone grants a to the owner’s +1
to cast Hypnotize once per day. bonus to all attack rolls to saving throws.

Idol of the Nameless God: This small idol is Magic Lamp: When the owner rubs this lamp, a
crafted from an unknown gray-green stone and djinn appears and offers to either perform three
depicts a vaguely anthropoid figure with an octo- tasks for the owner or grant them one wish. The
pus-like head and the wings of a bat. After a few djinn will often (1-4 in 1d6 chance) attempt to
days of ownership, the statue begins to create bi- warp the nature of these requests in unexpected
zarre dreams in the mind of its owner. In the event ways.
that the owner should ever pray to the idol for
guidance or aid, they will be granted the ability Manual of Charisma: Reading this tome increas-
to cast one Cleric spell of their between first and es the reader’s Charisma by 1 point (to a maximum
third level of their choice once per day as long as of 18). A character can only ever benefit once
that spell is not Lawful in nature. However, each from this book and after it is read it teleports to a
day of exposure to the statue causes the owner random location at least a thousand miles away. It
to gain one point of Corruption (see Corruption, takes six uninterrupted hours to read.
pg. 190) per level of the spell chosen. If Corrup-
tion is not being used in the campaign then the Manual of Constitution: Reading this tome in-
user must make a saving throw each day they use creases the reader’s Constitution by 1 point (to
the idol or permanently lose a point of Wisdom. a maximum of 18). A character can only ever
Those who reach a Wisdom of 3 are driven per- benefit once from this book and after it is read
manently insane. it teleports to a random location at least a thou-
sand miles away. It takes six uninterrupted hours
Jug of the Wedding Feast: This large ceramic to read.
jug is capable of producing up to ten gallons of
any mundane, non-magical liquid per day. Exam- Manual of Dexterity: Reading this tome increas-
ples might include water, wine, oil, or even acid. es the reader’s Dexterity by 1 point (to a maximum
Once commanded to produce a liquid it can pro- of 18). A character can only ever benefit once
duce only that liquid for the next 24 hours. from this book and after it is read it teleports to a
random location at least a thousand miles away. It
Lenses of Charming: These delicate rose-tinted takes six uninterrupted hours to read.
spectacles give the wearer the ability to charm
those who look into their eyes (as per a Charm

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 281

 Manual of Infernal Summoning (Greater): This Manual of Ultimate Skill: This magical tome ap-
foul tome can be used to summon a demon of the pears differently to each person who looks upon
reader’s choosing, who is bound by the book to it, depending on their class. A Fighter might see a
perform one deed for the reader before returning simple book of martial techniques, while it might
to its own plane of existence. Only characters ca- appear as a holy book to a Cleric, etc. The reader
pable of casting Cleric or Magic-User spells can immediately advances to the next level in their
use this tome and it is considered an evil act. class upon reading the tome. A character can
only ever benefit once from this book and after it
Manual of Intelligence: Reading this tome in- is read it teleports to a random location at least
creases the reader’s intelligence by 1 point (to a a thousand miles away. It takes six uninterrupted
maximum of 18). A character can only ever bene- hours to read.
fit once from this book and after it is read it tele-
ports to a random location at least a thousand Manual of the Uncanny Adventurer: The read-
miles away. It takes six uninterrupted hours to er receives a permanent +1 to all saving throws.
read. A character can only ever benefit once from this
book and after it is read it teleports to a random
Manual of Resilience: The reader increases the location at least a thousand miles away. It takes
maximum hit point total by 1d6+1. A character six uninterrupted hours to read.
can only ever benefit once from this book and af-
ter it is read it teleports to a random location at Mask of Disguise (Greater): While wearing this
least a thousand miles away. It takes six uninter- mask, an individual cannot be identified by magi-
rupted hours to read. cal divination. Those who see them will also have
trouble recalling or remembering what they look
Manual of Strength: Reading this tome increas- like with a 1 in 1d6 chance of remembering any-
es the reader’s Strength by 1 point (to a maximum thing specific or identifying.
of 18). A character can only ever benefit once
from this book and after it is read it teleports to a Mask of the Dead: This white mask is crafted
random location at least a thousand miles away. It from a human skull. When worn, mindless un-
takes six uninterrupted hours to read. dead such as skeletons and zombies mistake the
wearer as one of their own and do not attack un-
Manual of Wisdom: Reading this tome increases less attacked first. The wearer also receives a +2
the reader’s Wisdom by 1 point (to a maximum of bonus to all saving throws made to resist spells
18). A character can only ever benefit once from and other effects used against them by undead
this book and after it is read it teleports to a ran- creatures.
dom location at least a thousand miles away. It
takes six uninterrupted hours to read. Medallion of the Mind Reader: The wearer of
this medallion gains the benefits of a Detect
Manual of Ultimate Self-Mastery: Reading this Thoughts (ESP) spell to a range of 30 feet as long
tome increases all of the reader’s ability scores as it is worn.
by 1 point (to a maximum of 18). A character can
only ever benefit once from this book and after it Mirror of Mental Scrying: This small mirror is
is read it teleports to a random location at least discovered as either a hand mirror (1-4 on 1d6) or
a thousand miles away. It takes six uninterrupted a small mirror on a necklace (5-6 on 1d6). While
hours to read. held or worn the character gains the benefits of

282 | White Box Cyclopedia

a Detect Thoughts spell to a range of 30 feet. 1d20 each time it is made (first round, 1-2 in 1d20,
Three times per day the wearer can also cast second round 1-4 in 1d20 etc.).
Crystal Ball as a 10th-level caster. In addition, the
wearer can mentally ask the mirror any question Robe of Blending: This long coat causes the
it wishes once per day. The mirror will always an- wearer to easily fade into the background of a
swer truthfully, though cryptically. crowded or urban environment. They are effec-
tively invisible (per the spell) when in a crowd
Mummified Hand: This severed hand is with- of 20 or more people or when moving through
ered and wrapped in bandages with an aged an urban environment, such as a heavily popu-
cord wound around the wrist just below where it lated city. Small towns and hamlets offer limited
is severed. The hand has the ability to store up concealment, making the wearer undetectable
to 5 first-level Magic-User or Cleric spells in it. with a 1-4 on 1d6 chance of success. Attacking
The spells simply have to be cast with the Mum- or performing any similarly obvious action while
mified Hand as the target, though not necessary wearing a Robe of Blending prevents its powers
by the wearer. When a spell is stored one of the of concealment for one hour.
Hand’s fingers curls inward. The spell can later be
released by any character wearing the hand as an
action with a simple command word.

Necklace of Fireballs: This is a necklace of 2d6+1

polish tiger’s eye stones. A stone can be removed
and thrown as if the one doing so is casting a
Fireball spell as a 6th-level Magic-User.,

Orator’s Journal: This blank journal automatical-

ly inscribes whatever words are spoken within 60
feet of it, except for the incantations necessary to
cast magic spells. The text remains for a century
before fading away.
Robe of Eyes: This robe is sewn with the image
Pipes of Charming (Medium): When played, of a thousand strange and alien eyes. The wear-
all individuals within thirty feet of the performer er cannot be surprised and can see through all
must make a saving throw or fall under the effects illusions.
of a Charm Person spell for one day.
Robe of Infinite Wardrobes (Lesser): This robe
Pipes of the Sewers: These pipes summon 10d6 can, at the wearer’s command, change its appear-
giant rats. The piper does not need to concen- ance to match any non-magical raiment that is
trate once the rats arrive (which takes 5d6 min- not armor.
utes), but it is wise to do so. When the rats arrive,
there is a 1 in 1d20 chance that they will not obey Robe of Wizardry: This robe is only of benefit to
him, and if he ceases to concentrate on his tune characters able to cast spells from the Magic-Us-
there is a 1-2 in 1d20 chance that he will lose con- er spell list. Any character able to do so may pre-
trol of them. Every subsequent round in which pare and memorize one additional spell of each
he fails to concentrate there is another chance level they are capable of already casting. Thus a
to lose control, and the chance increases by 2 in first-level Magic-User could prepare and cast one

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 283

 additional 1st level spell, while a 10th level Mag- Symbol— Courage: Upon spending an action
ic-User could prepare and cast one additional boldly presenting this symbol, the owner, and
spell of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th level. all allies within 120 feet are immune to all fear-
based effects (whether mundane or magical) for
Rope of Climbing: A 50 foot length of rope that 3d6 turns. Anyone currently under a fear-based
leaps magically upward and can tie and untie it- effect is immediately freed of its influence. This
self upon command. It can only be cut by a magi- item can be used three times per day.
cal blade, but if cut its magic is forever destroyed..
Symbol— Divine Blasting: This powerful holy
Rope of Entanglement: This rope, on com- symbol can be commanded once per day to
mand, twines itself around as many as 1d6+1 expel a burst of energy that does 3d6 points of
human-sized foes or one foe who is larger than damage to all undead creatures within thirty feet.
human-sized. Those entangled by it reduce their This symbol can only be used by characters capa-
move by one-half, and suffer a -2 penalty to their ble of using the Banish Undead ability.
Armor Class and Attack Bonus. Slipping loose re-
quires a successful saving throw, but the rope can Symbol— Humble Piety: This simple unassum-
be cut by a magical blade. ing holy symbol grants a wearer who is morally
upright and pious (as determined by the Referee)
Saddle of the Skyward Steed: When set upon the benefit of a Bless spell as long as it is worn.
the back of a mundane horse, that steed gains a
Fly speed of 24. Symbol— Scarab of Phantasms: This is a carving
of a scarab-beetle, or perhaps the petrified re-
Sand of Timelessness: When a dose of this sand mains of a real one. When the scarab is displayed,
is blown into the air, all individuals in a 30 foot all creatures with 9 or fewer hit dice, within a ra-
radius around the user are frozen in place for 1d6 dius of 30 feet, fall into a temporary hallucinatory
rounds, unable to act unless they make a saving state where their senses are plagued by visions
throw at a -4 penalty. of terror and horror. Creatures with 10+ hit dice
may make a saving throw at -4 penalty to resist
Scabbard of Protection: Any weapon stored in this effect. The scarab may be used 12 times, af-
this scabbard remains razor sharp and cannot be ter which it crumbles to dust. It can be recharged
broken. Mundane weapons function as magical through a rare magical ritual detailed by the Ref-
weapons with a +1 bonus after being stored in eree, but there is a 1 in 1d20 chance per charge
the scabbard for 24 hours and magical weapons that the item will be destroyed in the process.
increase their bonus by one point after being
stored in the scabbard for 24 hours. The scabbard Symbol— Terror: When presented forcefully to-
magically alters its size to fit any bladed weapon wards a single individual, that target must make
ranging in size from a dagger to a two-handed a saving throw or flee in terror from the sight of
sword. A weapon that is removed from the scab- both the wielder and the symbol for 3d6 rounds.
bard for 24 hours loses this effect. It can be used three times per day.

Shovel of Excavation: This ordinary-looking Tome of Reanimation: This large tome contains
farmer’s shovel animates and digs by itself when the necessary formulae to construct a modern
commanded, shoveling out ten cubic feet per ten Prometheus. The reader must study the book for
minutes of use. It can operate for up to 1 hour one year and spend 20,000 gold pieces to pur-
per day. chase the necessary components – but the time

284 | White Box Cyclopedia

and resources have been invested he is able to CURSED ITEMS
construct a Flesh Golem. Cursed Items have been laid with a baleful en-
chantment and are easily mistaken for beneficial
Trapsmith’s Spectacles: The wearer of these iron- magic items. The Referee should use Table 9-33:
framed glasses can immediately spot non-magi- Cursed Items to determine which cursed item is
cal traps, and receives a +4 bonus on all saving stashed among other trinkets and treasures. Most
throws made to resist the effects or damage from cursed items appear upon initial investigation to
any trap. be more beneficial items with a similar appear-
ance. Breaking free of the dark magic of a cursed
Trick Coins: This small leather coin purse con- item requires a character to undergo a specific
tains 3d6 gold coins when found. One hour after quest or receive a Remove Curse spell. They can,
the coins are spent on a transaction, they teleport unfortunately, be “used” by any class.
back into the purse.
TABLE 9-33: CURSED ITEMS
Turning Mirror: This small silver-framed pocket
Roll Cursed Items
mirror can be used once per day to Banish Un-
1-2 Bag of Consuming
dead, as if the wielder were a 1st level Cleric.
Characters already able to Banish Undead as part 3-4 Censer of Hostile Elementals
of their class gain no benefit from this item. 5-6 Cloak of Poison
7-8 Crystal Ball of Suggestion
Vambraces of Defense+7: These metal vam-
9-10 Dancing Boots
braces grant the wearer a +7 bonus to their Ar-
11-12 Flask of Stoppered Curses
mor Class, as long as the wearer is not also wear-
ing armor. The bonus granted by the vambraces 13-14 Horn of Collapse
can be increased by magical rings or other pro- 15-16 Medallion of Projecting Thoughts
tective measures like magical spells. 17-18 Mirror of Opposition
19-20 Robe of Feeblemindedness
Whetstone of Enchantment: This simple sharp-
ening stone can be used to temporarily enchant
any mundane bladed weapon (such as a dagger, CURSED ITEM DESCRIPTIONS
sword, or axe). If one turn is spent sharpening
Bag of Consuming: This functions as a Backpack
such a weapon it effectively becomes a +1 weap-
of Storage, except that each time the user reach-
on for the next 24 hours. It can only be used once
es into the bag, there is a 1 in 1d6 chance that
per day.
the bag will “bite down” on the user’s hand. This
bite automatically hits and inflicts 1d6+1 damage
Widow’s Veil: This thin black veil of lace protects
each round until the bag is destroyed. The only
a female wearer (and only a female wearer) from
known method to destroy the bag is to inflict 30
the mind-affecting powers of any undead crea-
points of fire damage on it (which also damages
ture while worn.
the user whose hand is trapped) or cast a Dispel
Evil spell on the bag, which temporarily disables
the bag for 1d6 hours. Unfortunately, if the bag is
destroyed or disabled, all of its contents are lost
(except the hand that was trapped).

Chapter Nine: Treasure | 285

 Censer of Hostile Elementals: A censer (or bra-
zier, bowl, or stone) that summons a random
elemental chosen by the Referee—but the ele-
mental is hostile instead of under the summoner’s
control. The summoner is the first target of their
ire.

Cloak of Poison: Upon donning this pitch-black

cloak with dark red stripes, the wearer’s body is
suffused with huge doses of dozens of magical
poisons and dies instantly, without the chance of
a saving throw. Merely touching the cloak causes
a person to feel ill and sickly for a moment.

Crystal Ball of Suggestion: Does not function as

a crystal ball spell, but implants a suggestion in
Medallion of Projecting Thoughts: The wearer’s
the viewer’s mind, though the viewer is unaware
thoughts can be audibly heard aloud by everyone
that this has been done to them. This suggestion
within 120 feet.
comes from an extra planar being with malicious
intent.
Mirror of Opposition: Looking into this mirror
causes an opposite clone of the gazer to step
Dancing Boots: These boots function as Boots of
through 1d6 rounds after it catches the reflection.
Elvenkind, until the wearer is in combat or fleeing.
The clone will have all the abilities, level, class,
Suddenly at that point they will stop what they
and equipment of the original person, but if the
are doing and begin to dance a jig, or a stately
originator is carrying any magical equipment that
waltz for 1d6 turns. While dancing, their move-
is Lawful in nature, then the clone’s will be Cha-
ment is determined randomly by the Referee and
otic and vice versa. The clone will also have the
they suffer -4 on all attack rolls.
opposite alignment of the character unless the
character is neutral. The clone will either ambush
Flask of Stoppered Curses: This flask releases
or flee from the originator at the first opportunity
a curse of some kind when its seal is broken that
and then later seek to destroy the originator and
is signaled by an ominous thunderclap or some
take their place. If the clone is slain then it and all
strange miasma spilling out and dissipating. The
its equipment turn to mist and dissolve back into
exact nature of this curse is determined by the
the mirror. Though the mirror is immune to dam-
Referee.
age from mundane weapons, it can be shattered
if it suffers 50 points of damage from a magical
Horn of Collapse: When sounded, this horn
weapon with at least a +3 bonus.
causes a blast of destruction straight upwards,
destroying any ceiling overhead to up to 300 feet
Robe of Feeblemindedness: Anyone donning
and causing it to collapse. The ceiling collapses
this stately looking robe has their Intelligence re-
in a 30 square foot area, inflicting 10d6 damage
duced by to 3 until it can be removed.
on anyone caught in the collapse. A saving throw
can be made for half damage. The horn vanishes
after being blown.

286 | White Box Cyclopedia

CHARACTER NAME:
Player: Heritage: Class:
Level: XP Earned: XP For Next Level:
Alignment:

ABILITY SCORES HERITAGE ABILITIES

Strength ( )
Intelligence ( )
Wisdom ( )
Dexterity ( )
Constitution ( )
Charisma ( )

COMBAT CLASS ABILITIES

Saving Throw:
Attack Bonus:
Armor Class:
Current Hit Points:
Maximum Hit Points:

PROTECTION

Armor Worn:
Shield Used:
Magic Item Worn:
Magic Item Worn:
Magic Item Worn:

Weapons Total Atk Bonus Damage Range Ammo Notes

WHITE BOX CYCLOPEDIA CHARACTER SHEET

SPELLS PER DAY

1st Spell Level:

2nd Level
3rd Level:
4th Level:
5th Level:
6th Level:

WEALTH

EQUIPMENT

NOTES:
NOTES:
 a) Notice. This work includes AELF Open Gaming Content, which may is AELF Open Game Content by definition.
only be used under the terms of the AELF Open License version 1.0a.
Putting the Entire Work into AELF OGC
This product is not endorsed or reviewed by Mythmere Games LLC or
any other contributor of AELF Open Gaming Content and does not rep- Example: “With the exception of the material designated as Product
resent the views of Mythmere Games LLC any other contributor. Identity, this entire work is designated as AELF Open Game Content.”
b) Designation of AELF Open Game Content. Here you describe your Designation of Product Identity
AELF Open Game Content. There are some examples of what might go
in this section below. At the very least, your Designation of Product Identity should include
your company name and any trademarks you claim. It will also, almost
c) Product Identity. Here you designate your Product Identity. See the always, include your artwork and cartography, although it doesn’t nec-
discussion below. essarily have to (in many cases you will not actually have the right to
include artwork and cartography if you hired an artist or a cartographer).
d) Required Attributions. Here you include any “Required Attributions”
It might look like this:
for your product or for a product containing AELF Open Game Content
that you’re using. This is a new feature, different from how the OGL Gallant Knight Games is designated as Product Identity, and all art and
works. A lot of AELF Open Game Content is going to derive from the cartography included in the work.”
WotC grant to the Creative Commons License, and this notice hardwires
that into the process for simplicity. What’s most likely going to be in Compatibility Statements
here is the attribution to the WotC Creative Commons, which reads Since the AELF License allows fair use of trademarks and copyright (a
as follows: difference from the OGL), you can make a statement about compatibil-
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document ity without specific permission or an authorized compatibility statement
5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at: https:// provided that you are actually complying with the laws. Since laws aren’t
dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 always clear or available, lots of publishers will probably continue to
is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internation- include terms for a compatibility statement, and we will too. Under the
al License available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ OGL, that was required (if you wanted to mention someone’s trade-
legalcode. mark), but under the AELF, it’s a convenience for clarity, not a require-
ment.
If you aren’t using the WotC material, and none of the sources of your
AELF Open Game Content has a “Required Attribution,” then you can Here are the rules for the Swords & Wizardry Compatibility Statement,
leave this notice out completely. if you want to say that something is compatible with Swords & Wizardry
but don’t want to contact us directly:
3. You will also need to copy the AELF License into your document, and
update Section 14 to include the copyright information on your own If you want to be an independent publisher of Swords & Wizardry re-
product. This is familiar to anyone who has used the OGL. sources, and you comply with the terms of the Swords & Wizardry Com-
patibility-Statement License, you can mention the Swords & Wizardry
Examples and Discussion of Notices trademarks (S&W and Swords & Wizardry) to indicate that your resourc-
es are compatible. As long as you follow the requirements, you can
Designation of AELF Open Game Content
state that your resource “is compatible with the rules of Swords & Wiz-
Discussion: There is both an upside and a downside to designating ma- ardry” or, “compatible with the Swords & Wizardry rules” or, “compat-
terial as AELF Open Game Content. The upside is that it builds open ible with the Swords & Wizardry game.” Here are those requirements:
game content for the community, and if other publishers use your ma-
Swords & Wizardry Compatibility-Statement License (CSL)
terial, it will publicize your work. The downside is that it’s possible for
someone to copy your material and publish it without paying you for it, 1. You must state on the first page where you mention S&W that
possibly even in competition with your product. Keep in mind, even if “Swords & Wizardry, S&W, and Mythmere Games are trademarks of
you don’t designate any new AELF OGC, it’s likely that some of what Mythmere Games LLC,” and that you are not affiliated with Mythmere
you published is still going to be AELF OGC, because some content Games LLC. You’ve probably already done this if you’re using the AELF
is AELF OGC by definition. That is to say, it’s “purely numerically or License.
game-mechanically derived” from existing AELF OGC, like a stat block
for a monster or something like that, which makes it AELF OGC whether 2. You must, when referring to the armor class of any creature or char-
you want it to be or not. acter, include both the descending AC and the Ascending System AC,
with the Ascending System AC in brackets.
If you don’t make any new AELF OGC available, a publisher can still
contact you about using the material, and if you give permission, they 3. If you are using the license to commit legal fraud, you forfeit the right
can use it under license (because that’s what permission is: a license). to continue using the license: specifically, if you are claiming compati-
When you give permission, though, it’s a good idea to require that the bility with the rules of S&W, the claim must not constitute legal fraud,
other publisher include your licensed material in their Product Identity or fraud in the inducement, under the laws of the State of Texas. Note
Notice as your Product Identity. This prevents it from being accidentally that this requirement is almost impossible to violate unintentionally—it
released as AELF OGC by the publisher who’s licensing it from you. is largely intended to keep the author out of trouble, not to restrict
legitimate statements of compatibility.
Designation of AELF Open Game Content when releasing no new Open
Game Content: 4. You must comply with the terms of the AELF License if the terms
apply.
If you want to give away absolutely no new Open Game Content, your
Designation of AELF Open Game Content might look something like 5. Your cover must include the words “House Rules” or “Variant Rules”
this: near the title if the document is a full, free-standing game that includes
modifications. Feel free to contact us if you wish to use a different form
“This work does not designate any new material as AELF Open Game of disclaimer.
Content; it contains no AELF Open Game Content other than pre-exist-
ing AELF Open Game Content and material that is AELF Open Game 6. Selling a full version of this game with your house rules incorporated
Content by definition.” into it is perfectly permissible, but you may not sell an effectively un-
changed copy of the rules for money.
Granting Specific Pieces of AELF OGC
7. If your document is a private house rules document for your gaming
If you want to make a specific monster, spell, or section of the book group, not being sold for profit or distributed for general use, you may
Open Content, your notice might look something like this: scan and use artwork (including the cover) from the printed version,
provided that the cover contains the words “House Rules,” near the
(A specific section): The entire New Monsters section (other than art and
title, and that the artists are appropriately credited.
trademarks) is designated as AELF Open Game Content. No other ma-
terial is designated as AELF Open Game Content, with the exception of 8. Your rights under this CSL cannot be revoked, and are perpetual,
pre-existing AELF Open Game Content and material that is AELF Open unless you breach the terms of the license, in which case your rights
Game Content by definition. terminate.
(Specific monsters): The entire text description of the Amorphous Grime 9. If you comply with the above, you may state that your resource is
and the Mendacious Cat are designated as AELF Open Game Content. “compatible with the rules of Swords & Wizardry” or, “compatible with
No other material is designated as AELF Open Game Content, with the the Swords & Wizardry rules” or, “compatible with the Swords & Wiz-
exception of pre-existing AELF Open Game Content and material that ardry game.”

290 | White Box Cyclopedia

 White Box Cyclopedia is a stand-alone RPG based on and
compatible with Swords & Wizardry White Box that allows
you to create a custom fantasy roleplaying experience.
Modular and fully integrated, you can make your fantasy as
whimsical, as gritty, as strange, as traditional, as gonzo as
you want it to be.

Choose from new and classic classes and heritages. Build the
stronghold of your dreams or sail the endless seas. Bend re-
ality as a psychic and lock wands in arcane duels. Earn hon-
or and prestige with chivalric accolades. All this, plus new
spells, new monsters, and new magic items to create a cus-
tom Appendix N experience.

Five decades of dungeon crawling packed into a single, sim-

ple rules set.