In classic AD&D, a fighter who rolled an 18 Strength did not stop there. You rolled percentile dice for “exceptional strength,” a hidden tier within the mortal limit. An 18/01 was strong. An 18/00 was the peak of mortal ability, the kind of power that set you apart from nearly every warrior alive.
Shadowdark streamlines Strength into a simple modifier and gear slots, but this house rule reintroduces the classic idea in a way that fits the system. Whenever a character rolls or later gains an 18 Strength, they also roll percentile dice. The result can grant extra carrying capacity and, at the highest ranges, a rare burst of might for truly heroic feats of strength.
Percentile Roll Results
- 01 to 50: No bonus
- 51 to 75: +1 gear slots
- 76 to 90: +2 gear slots, 1 Burst of Might per day
- 91 to 99: +3 gear slots, 1 Burst of Might per day
- 00: +4 gear slots, 2 Bursts of Might per day
Burst of Might can be used for any roll involving a feat of raw muscle, such as forcing open a rusted gate, hauling someone out of a pit, or wrestling a foe to the ground. It never applies to damage rolls. When you use it, you gain a +1 bonus to that single roll, possibly turning failure into success. At 18/00, you get two such moments per day.
This is not about making Strength modifiers bigger on your sheet. In Shadowdark, a +5 Strength bonus is rare and typically the domain of giants. Exceptional Strength represents something different, the rare mortal who can, for a heartbeat, dig deeper than most and call on reserves few will ever know. It doesn’t change your base modifier. Instead, it lets you, in moments of dire need, push past the limits of an 18 and brush against that mythic power for a single great feat.
The best part is showing it in play. An adventurer with an 18/60 might shoulder an extra satchel of rations and rope without slowing their pace. An 18/85 could take on a heavy crate during a river crossing without risking exhaustion. An 18/95 might, in the middle of a struggle, shove against a barricade just enough to shift it aside. And at 18/00, a hero like Conan could call on his strength twice in a day, achieving the impossible through sheer force of will.
It is rare, fleeting, and the kind of thing that makes legends.