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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Player Guide................................................................... 5
Creating a Character..............................................................................5
Roll Attribute Scores ............................................................................6
Choose a Character Class.....................................................................8
Assassin...............................................................................................8

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Cleric.................................................................................................10
Druid.................................................................................................12
Fighter...............................................................................................15
Magic-User.......................................................................................16

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Monk.................................................................................................18
Paladin..............................................................................................20
Ranger..............................................................................................22
Thief .................................................................................................24
Choose an Alignment ........................................................................27
Choose a Character Ancestry ............................................................28
Buy Equipment ..................................................................................29
Starting Gold ....................................................................................29
Item Descriptions .............................................................................29

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Weapons & Armor............................................................................30
Calculating Armor Class...................................................................31
Weight and Movement......................................................................32
How to Play...........................................................................................33
Author: Matt Finch
Editors: Matt Finch, Suzy Moseby
Artists: Del Teigeler, J.E. Shields,
Brett Barkley, Chris Arneson, Ed Bickford,
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Combat.................................................................................................34
Ala Fedorova, Mike Hunter, Matt Finch,
Gameplay Example...............................................................................43
J. Preston, Adrian Landeros
High Level Adventuring .....................................................................46
Spells & Magic............................................................... 49 Cover Art: Del Teigeler
Magic .................................................................................................49 Layout: Suzy Moseby
Spell Descriptions................................................................................54 Special Thanks to: Will Mistretta
Referee Guide............................................................... 73
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Designing a Dungeon Adventure .......................................................73

Sample Dungeon Map........................................................................74 ©2023 Mythmere Games. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without the written permission of the
Monsters in the Dungeon ..................................................................76
publisher is expressly forbidden. Printing a copy of this
Wilderness Adventures .......................................................................80 PDF for personal use is permitted. Mythmere Games
Random Castles..................................................................................84 and the Mythmere Games logo are trademarks of
Mythmere Games, LLC. All characters, names, places,
Special Combat Rules ........................................................................88 items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Mythmere
Referee Session Log............................................................................94 Games, LLC. The mention of or reference to any
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company or product in these pages is not a challenge to

Monsters...................................................................... 95 the trademark or copyright concerned.
Monster Descriptions .........................................................................95
Monsters by Challenge Level ...........................................................128
Creating Monsters ............................................................................130
Treasure......................................................................131
Generating a Random Treasure Hoard............................................131
Magic Items......................................................................................133 ISBN: 979-8-88584-002-6 (PDF)
Miscellaneous Magic Items ..............................................................141
Cursed Items ....................................................................................144

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at: https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-ref-
erence-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
 Treasure and glittering gems; dark places beneath the earth where monsters dwell; magic circles, pen-
tagrams and pentacles; runes of evil import, and iron-banded doors of mouldering oak; wizards of vast
power, living in their isolated towers above black seaside cliffs; great-horned demons in their bloody lairs;
massive stone idols with jeweled eyes and hieroglyphic pedestals, carved in the distant eons before the young
civilizations of humankind; strange and glowing orbs, floating in the air above rusted metal grates leading
to deeper levels of the underground passageways …
It is about flying carpets and cursed blades, about hooded priests gathered for unspeakable rites in their

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forgotten temples; it is about adventure and about perilous undertakings, forcing back the evil creatures
of Chaos from the borderlands of embattled civilization; it is about battle-scarred warriors and deadly
sorcerers…

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It’s about

FOREWORD e
By Tim Kask, founding editor of Dragon Magazine
For thirty-five years, I have been telling roleplaying gamers to
INTRODUCTION
In 1974, Gary Gygax (1938-2008) and Dave Arneson (1947-2009)
wrote the world’s first fantasy role-playing game, a simple and very
flexible set of rules that launched an entirely new genre of gaming.
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ignore rules that they do not like. The essence of RPGing is in the In 1975, the first supplement to these rules was published, with Rob
story, not the accomplishment of arbitrary goals and benchmarks. Kuntz as Mr. Gygax’s co-author, along with three other supple-
We all take part in creating the story; the GM writes an outline, tots ments. We call these rules the “Original Game.”
up a list of “plot elements,” and then sets the players loose to fill in
the details. This has never changed. What you are reading is an unofficial, “restated” version of the
rules of the Original Game, created using material that Wizards of
What you hold in your hand are guidelines; this is one set of the Coast has made available through the Creative Commons Li-
“rules” that has an internal integrity that makes it work. Is it cense. It is not an exact reproduction, mainly for legal reasons; but
the only way to play? Certainly not; from the very beginning
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in the 1970s, no group of gamers played precisely the same version

of role-playing GMs have been encouraged to extrapolate and of the Original Game anyway. The ’70s was a decade of freaky
interpret, to make the game their own. If a given rule does not improvisation, weird fantasy, and rebellion. And that’s Swords &
seem “right” to you, then ignore it! Or, better still, change it! Make Wizardry. If that’s how you roll, all the rest is just details.
your game or campaign your own. All GMs need to worry about
is keeping a “logical reality” active in their campaigns; the players The Swords & Wizardry rules are short compared to the multi-
rely on that logic to find their way through the perils and puzzles of paged rule-libraries required to play most modern roleplaying
the adventure. games, yet this game contains within itself all the seeds and soul of
mythic fantasy, the building blocks of vast complexity, the kindling
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The truest test of whether or not you are doing it right has always of wonder. The Original Game is so powerful because it is encap-
been two-fold: are you having fun, and do your players keep show- sulated in a small formula, like a genie kept imprisoned in the small
ing up every session? If you can answer yes to either, you’re on the compass of an unremarkable lamp. Take this framework, and then
right path. If you can answer in the affirmative to both, you have imagine the hell out of it!
the “right” of it. From the very conception of RPGing, the whole
idea was to have fun. We showed the world a new way to do it, but Enjoy!
we never said there was only one way. Matt Finch
Have fun adventuring.
Tim Kask
July 10, 2010

Wizards of the Coast” and "Dungeons & Dragons" are trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are used without permission.The authors and publishers of
Swords and Wizardry™ are not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and make no claim upon such trademark.
 CHARACTER NAME:

Class LEVEL
HIT POINTS
Alignment Experience Points (XP)
Age Prime Attribute SAVING THROW

Ancestry XP Bonus

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ARMOR CLASS
Deity

Attribute Bonuses Class Abilities

STRENGTH
Bonus to Hit (STR)

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DEXTERITY Open Doors (STR)

Damage Bonus (STR)

CONSTITUTION Carry Modifier (STR)

Bonus to Missiles (DEX)

INTELLIGENCE Armor Bonus (DEX)

Hit Point Bonus (CON)

WISDOM Raise Dead Survival (CON)

CHARISMA
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Gold & Treasure
Additional Languages

Max # of Special Hirelings

Items & Equipment

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Coins:

Gems:
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Other:

Movement Rate

Weapon Damage To Hit Bonus Range

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Roll Needed to Hit Armor Class

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
 Spells Thieving Skills

Climb Walls

Delicate Tasks

Hear Sounds

Hide in Shadows

Move Silently

Open Locks

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Notes
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 PLAYER GUIDE
GETTING STARTED
Most likely, you already know basically how this game works. the 12-sided die is a d12, and the 20-sided die is a d20. When
One of you is the “Referee,” who runs the game world: The the rules mention d100 (or percentile dice), roll two 10-sided
Referee designs the adventures, makes decisions and rolls dice dice, treating the first roll as the “tens” and the second roll
for the monsters, describes what the characters see, and judg- as the “ones.” If you were to roll a 7 and then a 3, the result
es the effects of their actions. The rest of you are the “play- would be 73. A roll of 0 and 0 means a result of “100.”
ers,” each of you taking on the role of a “player character”
who might be a powerful wizard, a hard-bitten warrior, or COMMON TERMS
any other sort of fantasy avatar representing you in the game
You will discover several common terms (and their abbrevi-
world. You do not need to use miniatures, although they can
ations) while reading. Swords & Wizardry itself is a role-
sometimes help clarify who was standing underneath the
playing game, shortened to RPG. The Referee may also be

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stone block when it fell, and other such important questions.
known as the Game Master, or GM. As a player, your char-
The first step is to complete a character sheet, recording acter will be a Player Character (PC), while the Referee will
your character’s statistics and equipment; the next step is to provide Non-Player Characters (NPCs). “Experience Points”
sit down around a table with some dice and start playing! (XP) are the measure of a character’s growing expertise and
Unless, of course, you are the Referee, in which case you will ability. “Hit Dice” (HD) are the number of dice a character

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have to prepare the adventure first. You have the Referee or monster rolls to determine total “Hit Points” (hp), the
Book to help you with your role! amount of damage one can handle before becoming incapac-
itated. “Armor Class” (AC) is a measure of protection against
DICE attack. A “Saving Throw” represents the attempt to avoid or
Swords & Wizardry uses several different kinds of dice, mitigate some type of unusual attack. Gold pieces (often just
abbreviated according to how many sides they have. A called gp) are the most important medium of exchange. Do
four-sided die is called a d4, and if you roll 3 of them (adding not worry about trying to memorize all this; most of it will be
the results together), that is written as 3d4. The six-sided die evident as you read through.
is a d6, the eight-sided die is a d8, the 10-sided die is a d10,

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CREATING A CHARACTER
Your first step as a player is to create a character. A
Referee who is just learning the rules should also become
familiar with how this part of the game works.
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SETTING UP YOUR CHARACTER SHEET IDENTITY

Information about your character goes on a character
sheet, which can be a simple sheet of paper or you can use
a preprinted form. ATTRIBUTES
The blank character sheet provided in this book may be
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photocopied or otherwise reproduced for personal use, if

desired.

EQUIPMENT,
ARMOR &
WEAPONS
 ROLL ATTRIBUTE SCORES
The basic attributes of a character are numbers representing Strength
(muscle power), Dexterity (quickness and coordination), Constitution
(general health and hardiness), Intelligence (education and IQ), Wisdom
(common sense), and Charisma (leadership). The first step to creating
your character is to roll 3d6 for each of the six attribute scores. If this is a
long-term game and you want to play a specific character class, the Ref-
eree will probably allow you to shift the scores around — in some fashion
— if your dice rolls are a disaster for that particular kind of character.
Keep in mind that your character will almost certainly have at least one

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score that is lower than average. This is not a game of armored superhe-
roes! The great wizards and knights of the world do not begin as superior
specimens of human perfection; they are flawed like anyone else. What
truly makes heroes of legend, in the end, is not what they were born with;
it is what they achieve, in a risky life full of adventure, peril, and courage

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— and sometimes lots of trickery and guile, too.

STRENGTH
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Roll 3d6 for your character’s Strength score and write it on your
character sheet. High strength lets the character force doors open
more easily and allows much more weight (treasure!) to be carried.
Strength

Score
To-Hit
Modifier*
Damage
Modifier*
Open
Doors
Carry Modifier
(in pounds)
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For Fighters only, high strength gives bonuses to hit and to inflict 3–4 –2 –1 1 –10
damage. The table to the right shows the effects of your character’s 5–6 –1 +0 1 –5
Strength score. Write down these bonuses on your character sheet.
Strength is the Prime Attribute for Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers, 7–8 +0 +0 1–2 +0
and one of the Prime Attributes for Assassin characters. (The Prime 9–12 +0 +0 1–2 +5
Attribute is important for calculating bonuses to your experience
points when you get them and is described later in the rules.) 13–15 +1 +0 1–2 +10
16 +1 +1 1–3 +15
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17 +2 +2 1–4 +30
18 +2 +3 1–5 +50

*Penalties apply to any character, but only Fighters get the bonuses. The Referee
may perhaps choose to allow other classes to have a +1 bonus, but most certainly
no more than that. Your Referee might also rule that only hand-to-hand weapons
gain the Strength bonus, but the bare-knuckles Original Game allowed Fighters to
be deadly archers — and so does Swords & Wizardry.
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DEXTERITY Dexterity
Roll 3d6 for your character’s Dexterity score. A high Dexterity score Missile Weapon To-Hit
gives your character bonuses when attacking with a bow or other Score Effect on Armor Class
Bonus/Penalty*
missile weapon, and improves your Armor Class (explained later in
the rules), making you harder to hit. Fighters with high Dexterity can 3–8 –1 Worse by 1 point
even parry enemy blows while fighting defensively in battle. Dexteri- 9–12 +0 None
ty is the Prime Attribute for Thieves and one of the Prime Attributes
for Assassin characters. 13–18 +1 Better by 1 point

*For Fighters, this bonus is in addition to any bonuses for Strength, unless the
Referee tells you otherwise.

6 / Swords & Wizardry - Player Guide

 CONSTITUTION Constitution

PLAYER
Roll 3d6 for your character’s Constitution score. A high Consti- Hit Point Modifier (per hit Raise Dead
tution gives your character extra hit points for each hit die. It is Score
die) Survival
not the Prime Attribute for any character class, but those extra hit
points can come in very, very handy. Constitution is also used to 3–8 –1 50%
determine a character’s likelihood of successfully being raised from 9–12 +0 75%
the dead, or surviving other truly major shocks to the system. (For
other shocks, use the same percentage chance as shown for “Raise 13–18 +1 100%
Dead Survival” on the table to the right.)

INTELLIGENCE Intelligence

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Roll 3d6 for your character’s Intelligence score. High Intelligence Min/Max
allows a character to speak additional languages, as shown on the Maximum Max Chance to Number of
table to the right. Intelligence is the Prime Attribute for Mag- Score Additional Spell Understand Basic Spells
ic-Users, and one of the Prime Attributes for Assassin characters. Languages Level New Spell Understandable

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Only Magic-Users with high Intelligence are able to learn the per Level
highest-level spells. There are also limitations on how many spells a
Magic-User can learn, based on the character’s intelligence. 3–7 0 4 30% 2/4
8 1 5 40% 3/5
Available languages include the Common Tongue (known by all
9 1 5 45% 3/5
characters), Dwarven, Elvish, Dragon, Giantish (which includes
ogres), Goblin (which includes orcs), and various other possibilities 10 2 5 50% 4/6
depending on your Referee’s campaign. The alignments of Law 11 2 6 50% 4/6
and Chaos have rudimentary “alignment tongues,” allowing simple
converse between those who serve the same alignment. One cannot 12 3 6 55% 4/6

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learn the common tongue of an opposing alignment, and Neutrali-
ty does not have any sort of alignment common language, although
there is a secret druidic language (druids are of Neutral alignment).
13
14
15
3
4
4
7
7
8
65%
65%
75%
5/8
5/8
6/10
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16 5 8 75% 6/10
17 5 9 85% 7/All
18 6 9 95% 8/All

WISDOM
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Roll 3d6 for your character’s Wisdom score. Wisdom is the Prime and flexibility during an adventure. Your Referee might choose not
Attribute for Clerics and Monks, and one of the two Prime Attri- to grant the bonus spell, but it is strongly suggested. Any character
butes for Druid characters. If a Cleric has a Wisdom score of 15 with a Wisdom score of 13 or higher receives a +5% bonus to all
or greater, the character gains an additional first-level spell. Note: experience point awards. (Clerics with high Wisdom receive both
The potential for a bonus spell is not a feature of the Original this bonus and any bonus for Wisdom as their Prime Attribute.)
Game, but it is a way to give low-level parties a bit more stamina
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CHARISMA Charisma
Roll 3d6 for your character’s Charisma score. Highly charismatic Maximum Number of Adjustment to Retainer
characters have a better chance to talk their way out of trouble, and Score
Special Hirelings Morale
can lead more followers than characters with low Charisma. Charis-
ma also limits the number of “special hirelings” your character can 3–4 1 -4
attract into service as vassals. This does not mean normal men-at- 5–6 2 -2
arms; it means henchmen who are character-types: Magic-Users,
Clerics and others. Once your character reaches higher levels, you 7–8 3 -1
will need those minions! Charisma does not affect the number of 9–12 4 0
regular troops, lantern-bearers, and pack-carriers you can employ,
although it might affect how loyal they are. Charisma is one of two 13–15 5 +1
Prime Attributes for Druid characters. Any character with a Cha- 16–17 6 +2
risma score of 13 or higher receives a +5% bonus to all experience
point awards. 18 7 +4

Creating a Character / 7
CHOOSE A CHARACTER CLASS
Once you roll up your attribute scores, the next step is to choose a that certain attribute scores work well with certain character classes.
“character class.” The available classes are: Assassin, Cleric, Druid, Later you will choose your character’s ancestry and “Alignment,”
Fighter, Magic-User, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Thief. Your Referee which is the character’s alliance with Law or Chaos. Some classes can
may also have invented other character classes that are available to be of any ancestry and alignment, but others have restrictions, so you
you. Decide what sort of character you want to play, keeping in mind should be aware of this when you are considering your choice.

ASSASSIN

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Assassins are a rare sub-class of Thieves; they are trained killers,
members of secret guilds and societies of their kind. As an Assas-
sin, you begin the game as a very minor member of the nearest
assassins’ guild, a secret organization to which you and your fellow
Assassins have given dire oaths and pledges of loyalty. The first rule

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of the assassins’ guild, one might say, is that no one talks about the
Assassins’ Guild. You are not an indiscriminate killer for hire, for the
guild strictly regulates the actual assassination missions its members
are permitted to undertake. As an Assassin-adventurer, you provide
your allies with a mixture of thieving skills and combat capabili-
ties, although you are not as proficient with thieving skills as a true
Thief, nor are you truly a front-line fighter. However, your ability
to disguise yourself can be of great advantage in certain situations,
and your ability to use poisons and poisoned weapons can often
turn the tide in a desperate combat.

e ABOUT ASSASSINS
Alignment: Assassins must be of Neutral or Chaotic alignment.
In the Original Game, Assassins could only be Neutrally aligned,
presumably since their allegiance to a guild is similar to the Druidic
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allegiance to the powers of nature, and they are not indiscriminate
in their actions. However, for purposes of Swords & Wizardry,
the Referee has the flexibility to allow Chaotic alignments even for
player character Assassins. A Chaotic alignment, however, means
that a creature is utterly bad, down to the very bones (see the section
on “Alignment” later in the book).

Prime Attribute: Dexterity, Strength, and Intelligence all 13+

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(+5% experience bonus)

Hit Dice: 1d6/level (Gains 1hp/level after 13th level)
Armor/Shield Permitted: Leather armor only, shield permit-
ted
Weapons Permitted: Any
Ancestry: Only humans may be Assassins
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ASSASSIN CLASS ABILITIES

Disguise: Assassins can disguise themselves with great skill,
allowing them to blend into other groups without causing suspicion.
A person of average Intelligence and Wisdom (both scores
averaging about 10) has only a 5% chance to see through such a
disguise, unless it involves considerable fakery such as posing as
a member of the opposite sex. In these cases, the base chance to
detect the disguise is 10%. The Referee will modify these chances to
take the observer’s intelligence into account. As a rough guideline,
if the observer had the brutish intelligence of an orc or a particu-
larly foolish human, the chance to detect the disguise might drop by
1% or 2%. If the observer were a captain of the guard, a Cleric, a
Magic-User, or were otherwise of greater than average mental ca-
pacity, the chance to detect such a disguise would increase by 1% to
 3%. The Assassin’s disguise is more than just a matter of costume; Assassin Advancement Table
it encompasses mimicry of speech and behavior as well. However,
XP Required for Hit Dice Saving

PLAYER
if the character is impersonating a specific individual, the disguise Level*
can make the Assassin look only vaguely similar — anyone at all Level (d6)** Throw
familiar with the original would spot the imposture immediately. 1 0 1 15
Disguises are more about blending in, mimicking a different social
class, and — especially — not being recognized afterward. 2 1,500 2 14

Magic Items: Assassins can use any magic items usable by 3 3,000 3 13
Thieves, plus any magic weapons, armor (leather only), and shields. 4 6,000 4 12
Poison: Assassins are able to use poison on their weapons without 5 12,000 5 11
the risk of making basic errors. Fighters who coat their swords with
poison might — just might — make the mistake of absentmindedly 6 24,000 6 10

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rubbing their eyes before remembering to wash the deadly toxin 7 48,000 7 9
from their hands; Assassins are trained not to fall prey to such
basic errors when using poison. Assassins are not, however, trained 8 96,000 8 8
at concocting poisons; most guilds employ an alchemist for such 9 192,000 9 7
purposes.

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10 275,000 10 6
Thieving Skills: Assassins have skills similar to those of Thieves,
but comparable to a Thief two levels lower than the Assassin 11 400,000 11 5
character. (See the Thief class for an explanation of abilities in the 12 550,000 12 5
table.)
13 700,000 13 5
Backstab: Assassins may attack from behind with a to-hit bonus
of +4 and inflict double damage. This damage multiplier increases 14 850,000 (Guildmaster) 13+1 hp 5
at the same level as that of a Thief. 15 1,000,000 13+2 hp 5
The original rules did not provide any “automatic kill” abilities for 16 1,150,000 13+3 hp 5
Assassins, other than for hired Assassins, as a way of determining

age inflicted by a backstabbing attack. e

success or failure on a mission. The Referee might choose to allow
Assassin characters to add the Assassin’s level of experience to dam-

Establish Guild (14th): At 14th level, the Assassin may establish

(or take over) a guild of Assassins. The guild need not be located
17
18
19
20
1,300,000
1,450,000
1,600,000
1,750,000
13+4 hp
13+5 hp
13+6 hp
13+7 hp
5
5
5
5
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in a large city and can even be established as a barony in the 21+ +150,000 per level +1 hp/level 5
wilderness. However, if the new guild is within the territory of an
existing guild, there will unquestionably be a battle to the death * Assassins were capped at 13 levels of ability in the Original Game.
between them. Assassins’ guilds do not — ever — share their ** Hit points shown for levels after the character no longer gains full hit dice are
territory. An existing guild of Assassins will generally not accept the the total combined number. A 15th-level Assassin has 13 HD plus 2 hit points
leadership of a new guildmaster who does not claim that rank by total, not 13 HD plus one hit point gained at 14th level and another 2 hit points
gained at 15th.
killing the former guildmaster.
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Thieving Skills for Assassins

Level Climb Walls Delicate Tasks and Traps Hear Sounds Hide in Shadows Move Silently Open Locks
3 87% 15% 3 in 6 10% 20% 10%
4 88% 20% 3 in 6 15% 25% 15%
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5 89% 25% 4 in 6 20% 30% 20%

6 90% 30% 4 in 6 25% 35% 25%
7 91% 35% 4 in 6 30% 40% 30%
8 92% 40% 4 in 6 35% 45% 35%
9 93% 45% 5 in 6 40% 50% 40%
10 94% 50% 5 in 6 55% 60% 55%
11 95% 60% 5 in 6 65% 70% 65%
12 96% 70% 5 in 6 75% 80% 75%
13 96% 80% 6 in 6 85% 90% 85%
14+ Remains at 96% Remains at 80% Remains 6 in 6 Remains at 85% Remains at 90% Remains at 85%

Character Classes / 9
 CLERIC
Clerics are armored warrior-priests (or -priestesses) who serve
Law or Chaos. Most Clerics have a patron deity or serve
a particular religion, although the unified power of Law is
paramount for Lawful Clerics and has an existence in and of
itself. You are a champion of your faith and moral alignment.
You might be a shining knight of the faith, an exorcist of
demons, or a sinister witch-hunter. Because most of a Cleric’s
abilities are oriented toward healing and protecting, Clerics
tend to play a support role during combat: backing up the front
line, but able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the party’s

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Fighters if the need arises — at least for a while. As your Cleric
grows in power and reputation, the character might establish
a stronghold for the faith: a fortified monastery, a soaring
cathedral in the wilderness, or whatever strikes the Cleric as
the best way to protect and serve a growing flock of acolytes

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and loyal peasant followers.

Prime Attribute: Wisdom, 13+ (+5% experience bonus)

Hit Dice: 1d6/level (Gains 1 hp/level after 9th level)
Armor/Shield Permitted: Any
Weapons Permitted: Blunt weapons only (club, flail,
hammer, mace, staff, etc.). No missile weapons other
than oil or slings if the Referee permits.

e Ancestry: Half-elves and Humans may be Clerics

CLERIC CLASS ABILITIES

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Spell Casting: Clerics cast “divine” spells from a specific list,
with numbers as per the Cleric Advancement Table. Clerics
of specific deities might have different lists of available spells,
as designed by the Referee. Each day, the Cleric selects and
prays for a particular set of spells, choosing any spells from the
standard list. Once a spell is cast, it cannot be cast again until
the next day unless the Cleric prepares (prays for) the spell
more than once.
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Banishing Undead: Lawful Clerics can “turn” undead

monsters (see “Turning the Undead” in the Combat Section),
making them flee from the Cleric’s holiness. Whether Chaotic
Clerics can affect undead at all is up to the Referee.
Saving Throw Bonus: Clerics gain a +2 bonus on saving
throw rolls against being paralyzed or poisoned.
Religious Stronghold (9th level): At ninth level, a Cleric
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character may establish a stronghold and attract a body of

men-at-arms who swear fealty to the character as loyal (or
perhaps even fanatical) soldiers and retainers.
 Cleric Advancement Table

PLAYER
Number of Spells (by level)**
XP Required for
Level Hit Dice (d6)* Saving Throw 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Level
1 0 1 15 — — — — — — —
2 1,500 2 14 1 — — — — — —
3 3,000 3 13 2 — — — — — —
4 6,000 4 12 2 1 — — — — —

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5 12,000 5 11 2 2 — — — — —
6 24,000 6 10 2 2 1 1 — — —
7 48,000 7 9 2 2 2 1 1 — —

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8 100,000 8 8 2 2 2 2 2 — —
9 170,000 9 7 3 3 3 2 2 — —
10 240,000 9+1 hp 6 3 3 3 3 3 — —
11 310,000 9+2 hp 5 4 4 4 3 3 — —
12 380,000 9+3 hp 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 —
13 450,000 9+4 hp 4 5 5 5 4 4 1 —
14 520,000 9+5 hp 4 5 5 5 5 5 2 —
15
16
17
590,000
660,000
730,000
e
9+6 hp
9+7 hp
9+8 hp
4
4
4
6
6
7
6
6
7
6
6
7
5
6
6
5
6
6
2
3
3
—
—
1
pl
18 800,000 9+9 hp 4 7 7 7 7 7 4 1
19 870,000 9+10 hp 4 8 8 8 7 7 4 2
20 940,000 9+11 hp 4 8 8 8 8 8 5 2
21+ +70,000 per level +1 hp/level 4 9 9 9 8 8 5 3

* Hit points shown for levels after the character no longer gains full hit dice are the total combined number. An 11th level Cleric has 9HD plus 2 hit points total, not
m

9HD plus one hit point gained at 10th level and another 2 hit points gained at 11th.
** Clerics continue to gain spells after 21st level according to the same pattern.
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Character Classes / 11
 DRUID
Druids are part of a mysterious religious order of priests
and priestesses who worship and serve the powers of
nature. As a Druid, you have great reverence for the natural
world, and are more comfortable with plants and animals
than with other people. You can cast spells to talk with
wildlife, or enlist animals and even plants as your allies, but
you are also an able fighter in defense of your forest and
your friends. You share some characteristics with Fighters,
Clerics, and Magic-Users, but you are not as strong as those

e
classes in their own specialties. However, you are better in
physical combat than a Magic-User, while still having some
healing ability and offensive spell power. Some of your
nature spells are unlike anything a Cleric or Magic-User
can cast. You are ready to extend the balance of nature to

fil
human affairs and have little tolerance for those who go to
excess either for good or evil, Law or Chaos. You keep your
rituals secret and prefer to live in the wilderness rather than
in cities. Your ability to control fire helps to protect your
sacred groves, but also can be effective in battle. One day,
when you gain all your powers, you might choose to leave
the life of adventuring and retreat to the ancient forests,
never to be seen again. Or you might choose to establish a
druidic citadel in a forest or around a newly-raised henge of
stones. The decision is yours.

e Prime Attribute: Wisdom and Charisma, both 13+

(+5% experience bonus)
Hit Dice: 1d6/level (Gains 1 hp/level after 9th level)
pl
Armor/Shield Permitted: Leather armor, wooden
shield
Weapons Permitted: Dagger, sickle-shaped sword (treat
as short sword), spear, sling, oil
Ancestry: Only humans may be Druids
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ABOUT DRUIDS
Alignment: Druid characters must begin with a Neutral
alignment. Separate druidic-oriented orders might exist, but
these would draw their powers not entirely from nature and
not entirely from the powers of Law or Chaos. A trade-off
of some kind would have been made, resulting in something
druidic but not Druid. Chaotic “druids” conduct human
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sacrifices and their deeds are dark indeed, drawing strength

from ancient and best-forgotten cthonic chaos-beings
steeped in earth and blood. Lawful “druids” are even less
common, for Chaos has a stronger link to the wild places
of the earth than do the powers of Law, but such Lawful
“druids” also exist, often setting themselves against the
darker, fallen druidic orders. Again, however, the members
of such orders are merely druidic — they differ in subtle
ways from the true Druids represented by the character
class.
 PLAYER
Mistletoe: A sprig of mistletoe serves for Druids much as a holy purposes, to be renegades. In rare cases, a Druid who declines to
symbol serves for Clerics, but is even more important. A Druid can challenge may be accepted into the hierarchy instead of becoming
barely cast spells at all without the mystical or symbolic connection a renegade if the Druid swears an oath never to further seek a place
provided by the mistletoe sprig. The connection of a Druid to in the druidic leadership. At that time, the Druid would become
nature is not the same as the Cleric’s connection to a divine being; a counselor and/or an agent of the Grand Druid, and gain a title
it is inherently more inchoate, less focused, and more diverse. such as “Counselor of Forests” rather than becoming a renegade.
Although Druids are considered a sub-class of Clerics, their magic
bears some partial similarities to that of Magic-Users: they require DRUID CLASS ABILITIES
more of a symbolic focus, more of a ritualistic style of casting, and Spell Casting: Druids cast spells from a specific list, with numbers
rely to a greater degree on learning and lore than upon the faith, as per the Druid Advancement Table. Each day, the Druid selects
devotional, and crusading aspects that are so crucial to the power

e
and prays for a particular set of spells, choosing any spells from the
of a true Cleric of Law or Chaos. standard Druid spell list. Once a spell is cast, it cannot be cast again
Druidic Hierarchy: The Druid character is a member of until the next day, unless the Druid prepares (prays for) the spell
a Druidic Order (or the Druidic Order, if there is only one), a more than once.
hierarchy of power and authority — essentially a pyramid — cul- Saving Throw Bonus: Druids gain a +2 bonus on saving throw

fil
minating in the person of the Grand Druid. This august and mys- rolls against fire.
terious personage is the ultimate leader of all Druids in the order.
There might be more than one Grand Druid, each ruling different First Mysteries (2nd): The “First Mysteries” that a Druid
far-flung regions, but in the specific locale where a Druid character learns at 2nd level grant a variety of abilities to the character. The
begins play, there is, and can be, only one. Moreover, in this area 2nd-level Druid can determine whether water is pure; identify
(however large or restricted it might be), there are limited numbers any type of normal plant by sight, smell, or taste; and move easily
of Druids who may serve in the less-lofty positions of the hierarchy through non-magical undergrowth, including thorns or heavy vines.
as well. The levels of druidism represent the sequential introduc- Shape Change (5th): At 5th level, the Druid can change shape
tion to higher knowledge — secrets that are dangerous for those of into the form of an animal. The animal’s size can range from
lesser power to know — and also the initiation of the Druid into in- that of a crow to that of a black bear (but not a huge bear such
creasingly smaller “circles” of higher-ranking druids. Once a Druid as a grizzly or polar bear). The druid can change into as many as

e
reaches 11th level, having learned the full scope of the mysteries
of druidism, the character gains the title of Druid. (This is just a
title in the order; obviously, the character has been a “druid” since
the beginning.) Gaining the position of an Archdruid, or rising to
the highest authority of the Grand Druid, requires more than just
three different animal forms per day — one from each category of
reptile, mammal, and bird — but only once for each form within a
single day. When the Druid shapeshifts, 1d6 x 10% of any lost hit
points are cured in the transformation.
pl
Immunity to Fey Charms (5th): Also at 5th level, the Druid be-
gaining the necessary experience points; it requires supplanting
comes completely immune to the charms of dryads, naiads, satyrs,
the current holder of that position. If the Druid character cannot
and other such fey creatures of the wild woods and rivers.
challenge and defeat one of the current Archdruids (to gain 12th
level), or the current Grand Druid (to gain 13th level), the character Magic Items: Druids are able to use any magical item Clerics
cannot advance to the higher level without departing from the true can, with the exception of Clerical-spell scrolls.
order of druids and becoming an outcast. The nature and “rules” Secret Language: The druidic hierarchy speaks a secret language
of the druidic challenge are kept a deep secret from all non-Druids. known to all true (Neutral) Druids.
Losing a druidic challenge causes a loss of experience points to
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the beginning of the level of advancement below the challenger’s Druidic Stronghold (11th): Upon reaching 11th level, a Druid
current level, so it is a grave setback. (For example, an unsuccess- may build a stronghold in the wilderness, usually made up of a
ful challenger for the rank of Archdruid would be reduced to the stone circle and/or other megaliths, one or more groves, and a
beginning of 10th level.) However, a determined Druid may gain fortress redoubt of some kind to protect the area. Such isolated
more experience and then return to challenge again, as many times strongholds often serve as informal academies for aspirant Dru-
as he or she needs or desires. ids-in-training, or as fortresses sited to defend wilderness areas
threatened by Law or Chaos. A Druid who establishes such a
The Grand Druid may continue to gain levels, although the stronghold gathers supporters and followers, although many of
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progression and benefits gained from these levels are minor — the these will not be human.
character has already learned the significant mysteries — and all
that remains is to refine and polish the use of this knowledge. A
Druid who has lost a challenge, regained the necessary experi-
ence to make another, and then declines to make that challenge,
becomes an outcast. Such druids can continue to advance in levels,
but those who forgo the challenges and strike out on their own path
are forever separated from the protection, assistance, and communi-
ty of the druidic hierarchy. They are considered, for all intents and

Character Classes / 13
Druid Advancement Table
Number of Spells (by level)***
XP Required Hit Dice Saving
Level* Role in Hierarchy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
for Level (d6)** Throw
1 0 1 15 None 1 — — — — — —
2 2,000 2 14 Initiate of the First Mysteries 2 1 — — — — —
3 4,000 3 13 Second Mysteries 3 1 — — — — —
4 8,000 4 12 Third Mysteries 3 1 1 — — — —
5 13,000 5 11 Fourth Mysteries 3 2 1 — — — —

e
6 20,000 6 10 Fifth Mysteries 3 2 2 — — — —
7 40,000 7 9 Sixth Mysteries 4 2 2 1 — — —
8 60,000 8 8 Seventh Mysteries 4 3 2 1 — — —
9 90,000 9 7 Eighth Mysteries 4 3 3 2 — — —

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10 130,000 9+1 hp 6 Ninth Mysteries 5 3 3 2 1 — —
11 200,000 9+2 hp 5 Druid 5 3 3 3 2 1 —
12 400,000 9+3 hp 4 Archdruid (or Renegade Druid) 5 4 4 4 3 2 1
13 800,000 9+4 hp 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 6 5 5 4 4 3 2
14 950,000 9+5 hp 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 7 5 5 4 4 3 2

15 1,100,000 9+6 hp 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 7 6 5 4 4 3 2

16 1,250,000 9+7 hp 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 7 6 6 4 4 3 2
17
18
19
1,400,000
1,550,000
1,700,000
9+8 hp
9+9 hp
9+10 hp
e4
4
4
The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid)
The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid)
The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid)
8
8
9
6
7
8
6
6
6
5
5
5
4
5
5
3
3
3
2
2
2
pl
20 1,850,000 9+11 hp 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 9 8 7 5 5 3 2
21+ +150,000 per +1 hp/level 4 The Grand Druid (or Renegade Druid) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
level

* Druids were capped at 13 levels of ability in the Original Game.

** Hit points shown for levels after the character no longer gains full
hit dice are the total combined number. An 11th level druid has 9HD
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plus 2 hit points total, not 9HD plus one hit point gained at 10th level
and another 2 hit points gained at 11th.
*** Druids continue to gain spells after 21st level according to the
same pattern. Note that no more 6th- or 7th-level spells are added
after the Druid is 21st level.
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14 / Swords & Wizardry - Player Guide