Utimately 20 Questions

Brendan, author of the blog Untimately, has created this questionnaire in a effort to create a list of rules which might change from campaign to campaign.  Since it actually addresses somethings I am trying to work out, here are the answers for the Deepest Sea campaign at least.

1. Ability scores generation method? Six rolls of 3d6 in order
2. How are death and dying handled? Death at -10 HP, at 0 or below, the player bleeds out unless wounds are bound, and loses a further 1 HP per hour until they die even if bound.
3. What about raising the dead? Yes, but rare, and very very costly.
4. How are replacement PCs handled? Either taking over a  hireling, or expedient discovery of a new character around the corner, in the cell, etc.
5. Initiative: individual, group, or something else? Group
6. Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work? Critical hits are essentially double damage, modified by DM fiat.  Fumbles range from dropping weapons to causing damage on self/ally, dependent on circumstances.
7. Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet? Yes, protection from falling objects etc.
8. Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly? Sure can!
9. Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything? You will sure as heck need to run from some things, although I tend to roll low on monster hit dice.
10. Level-draining monsters: yes or no? Yes, but recovered in one level per week, as per Beedo's house rules.
11. Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death? yes of course.  Poison in particular.
12. How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked? Tracked roughly.  If you do not have any food, you will starve, you have to have enough light generating objects etc.  Encumbrance is tracked on the player's character sheet.
13. What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time? You do not need training, unless you intend to switch classes (to a prestige class).  Magic User new spells need to be found, but you will have new spell slots. Downtime is when the leveling happens.
14. What do I get experience for? Killing things, treasure, some minor role-play bonuses. Oh, and carousing.
15. How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination? Description of your actions.
16. Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work? Yes, highly encouraged, and morale works in the normal fashion, when you are losing a fight, they may run, or if you give them the chance to steal, they may steal. 
17. How do I identify magic items? Some will be obvious (glowing, other unnatural aspects), but specific functionality will need to be researched.  Some magic items are likewise non-obvious, and need to be researched as well.  Sages and high-level wizards will research for you... and for a price.
18. Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions? There are no "magic stores" that have racks of magic items, they are far to rare for that.  You may be able to buy magic items from NPCs that own them, but only for exorbitant prices.
19. Can I create magic items? When and how? Sure, at the levels indicated in the LL rule book.
20. What about splitting the party? Yes, sure, but there will be risk in doing so.

I am currently slowly reading through the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters guide, so some ideas come from there, and the rest of them I blame on you fellow OSR bloggers.