B/X/C Vikings: Equipment and Combat

First read:
Introduction
Character Classes


EQUIPMENT

Standard coinage is silver rather than gold. All prices are in silver rather than gold pieces and characters begin player with 3d6x100 silver coins.

No plate mail, yet. To make up for this, shields instead provide a +2 rather than a +1 bonus to AC. A helmet provides a +1 to AC. A horn helmet can be used to deal 1d3 points of damage when charging with a successful attack.

Weapons are generally limited to battle axe, hand axe, sax, spear, sword, bow, sling. All weapons deal 1d6 points of damage. Two-handed weapons roll two dice and take the higher result.

Battle Axe – two-handed weapon and can break hafts and shields
Hand Axe – can be thrown and can break hafts and shields
Sax – can be used in even the tightest spaces and even when grappling
Spear – can be thrown or used in one or two hands
Sword – can’t be broken can break hafts
Bow – much farther range than sling
Sling – ammunition can be found just about anywhere

COMBAT

Going Berserk – Fighters engaged in melee combat can work themselves into a savage, uncontrollable rage. Similarly, half-giants must succeed a save vs. spell after each round of combat to avoid going berserk. While in this state of battle madness, a berserker will always act first in the initiative and roll an additional die for damage and take the highest result, but are unable to disengage from melee combat. So long as there is a single opponent standing, the character will continue to fight to the death, regardless of the risks.

Shield Bashing – Fighters can alternatively use a shield to grant them a +2 bonus to hit on a single attack in exchange for the bonus to AC.

Breaking Hafts and Shields – An attacker may choose to attack an opponent’s weapon haft or shield instead of attacking the opponent himself. It can only be attempted with an axe or sword, and only axes can break shields. The to-hit roll ignores the opponent’s worn armor, but not dexterity bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, roll damage as normal. 3 or higher and a haft is broken, 5 or higher to break a shield.

Maiming Opponents – On a roll of a natural 20, a character may choose either to deal maximum damage or permanently maim his opponent (and roll damage normally). Hands can be severed by sword and axes; eyes pierced saxes, spears, swords, and missiles; disfigured by any except spears and missiles.

Bar Room Brawling and Wresting – This includes punches, kicks, head buts, eye-gouging, and any other crude forms of unarmed combat. An attack is made vs. a character’s unarmored AC (dexterity and shields are still taken into account). If the attack is successful, the two characters are considered to be brawling (and damage is dealt). Attacks continue to ignore armor, and weapons longer than a sax are of no use. Fighting unarmed deals only 1d3 (+ Strength adjustment) points of [possibly nonlethal] damage, but a roll of an 18, 19, or 20 indicates a knockout for 2d6 rounds. Disengaging from an unfinished brawl requires a successful attack, but does not deal damage.