1) Ascending AC
I already discussed this in character creation, but we won't be using THAC0. Instead, you will have an attack bonus to which you add in combat.
2) Resisted Tests
If you are working against another person on an ability check (see p. 42 of the Basic Rules) you roll opposing Ability Checks. Whoever rolls the highest number (while still under their Ability Score) wins. If it's a tie, whoever has the highest Ability Score wins. Note that sometimes you will be attempting to roll under DIFFERENT ability scores (such as you rolling Dex to sneak past a guard who is rolling Wis to notice you).
3) Advantage and Disadvantage/Positive and Negative Dice
Roll extra dice in particuarly favorable or unfavorable conditions. If you have advantage, you get a Positive Die and you pick the number from among the 2 numbers rolled, if you have disadvantage, you get a Negative Die, and I do.
3a) Background Skill
If you can make an argument for why your PC should be particularly proficient at a task (because of training/background/upbringing), you get advantage on the ability check. An example of this would be a soldier understanding troop movements.
4) Dying
When an opponent reached 0 hp, they are usually dead. PCs have a chance of survival if reduced to 0 hp (there are no negative hp) and is considered Dying. If they receive medical help within the hour, they get a 50/50 chance of surival. If they succeed, they get 1d4 hp, but receive a Negative Die to all actions for an hour or until they receive healing. If they fail the 50/50 roll, they are dead. I have this rule because I want PCs to have a slightly better chance of survival.
5) Encumbrance
We'll be using the Option 1: Basic Encumbrance rules on p. 113 of the CFR.
6) Movement and Range
Movement in combat will be simplified so that we don't have to deal with detailed encounter maps. There are four basic ranges in the game: close, nearby, far, and distant. Melee combat only occurs at close distance. A character can perform any feasable action and move to a nearby location in a round, or can forego all actions other than movement and move to a far location. To move to a distant location, a character needs to spend 3 rounds moving. Ranged attacks can hit targets at any distance, but receive a Negative Die if they are at close or distant range. The Negative Die replaces attack penalties for different ranges.
7) Helping and Group Activities
When you help someone on an Ability Check, they get a Positive Die. If they fail, however, negative consequences apply to both parties. Multiple helpers do not increase benefits, although at a certain point, I may say that a roll isn't necessary (such as everyone working together to lift something really heavy).
When everyone is working together to accomplish a single goal, pick one person to make the roll (they may be helped). If that person succeeds, all succeed. Sometimes the situation is not who is in charge, however, but who has the highest chance of failure (like when everyone is sneaking). In that case, the PC with the lowest Ability Score should roll (although they may still be helped). That person's roll is the result for all.
8) Searching
Searching an area requires an Int check, but noticing something passively is a Wis check.
9) Changes to the Fighter Class
In order to the give the fighter a bit more versatility and a power boos, we are incorporating the following new rules for the class:
a) Combat Superiority: If he doesn’t move, a Fighter can make a number of attacks in a round equal to his level minus the highest HD of the creatures he is engaged in combat with. So, if he is a 5th-level character and is in combat with two 1 HD bandits and a 3 HD crime lord, he can make 2 attacks.
b) Improved Damage: A Fighter always rolls the damage dice of their attacks improved by 1 step in the following chain: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and 2d8.
10) Wielding a one-handed weapon with two hands
One-handed weapons that can be wielded in two hands give a +1 to damage.
