Phenster’s Pandemonium Society House Rules is a series of articles which reedits house rules for Holmes Basic D&D from 40-year-old game club newsletters. Phenster’s aims to compliment the Holmes rules in three ways:

1. Some rules patch the Holmes edition to make it a more coherent game, while maintaining its simplicity.
2. Others extend the game beyond 3rd character level and add elements that many 1980s gamers used. While these often come with more complexity, they also add value to the game without interfering with play.
3. Still other rules add elements as suggestions or models to apply to a campaign.

While Phenster’s starts with Holmes, many of the house rules are applicable to other old-school editions of the world’s most superlative role-playing game.

The following is a list of articles from the series, ordered and grouped to follow more or less the contents of the Holmes D&D Basic rules booklet. Three articles that don’t fit neatly into the contents are shown as asides.

Preface

• The Pandemonium Society
• The Postlethwaite Collection

Introduction

• Pandemonium Society House Rules
• About the Reedition of Phenster’s

Campaign Names

Creating Characters

• Ability Score Modifiers in the Great Halls of Pandemonium
• Alternative Method to Increase Prime Requisite for XP Bonus
• Classes and Races
• Level Advancement

Non-Player Characters

• Regular Entourage: Hirelings and Henchmen
• Available Hires, Number and Level
• Hirelings and Henchmen, Morale and Loyalty

1984: The Year of L’avant garde

Languages

• MYSTERIORUM LIBRI: Languages in the Great Halls
• Models for Languages in Make-Believe Worlds

Time and Movement in the Dungeons

• Movement and Encumbrance
• Movement, Encumbrance, Carrying Capacities, and Resting
• Dungeoneering
• A Curious Assortment of Rules

Magic Spells

• Dweomercraeft
• The Study and Use of Magic

Combat

• Weapon Damage and Attack Priority
• Rules the Pandemonium Society Doesn’t Use
• Maneuver, Initiative Order, and Multiple Attacks
• Riposte Like Fencing
• Parry and Riposte
• Shooting into a Fight
• Missile Fire into Melee
• Phalanx Fighting
• The Phalanx and the Shield Wall
• Critical Hits and Misses
• Advanced Combat
• Dirty Fighting
• Saving Throw VS. Death

Monsters

• Monsters in Deep Dungeons

Treasure

• Wherefore Deep Dark Dangerous Dungeon Delves
• Adventure Hooks and Treasure
• Magic Items in the Great Halls
• Gladii Quinque Magici

The Panaggelon, Castle and Dungeon: Building Castles and Dungeons

Phenster’s Pandemonium Society House Rules is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events, incidents, and newsletters are either products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is pure coincidence.