Questions tagged [adnd-1e]
For questions about Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (a.k.a. "AD&D", "first edition", or "1e"), written by Gary Gygax and released in three volumes between 1977 and 1979. (For questions about AD&D 2nd edition, use the tag [adnd-2e] instead.)
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The Enlarge spell only effects one creature or object and its wording is ambiguous. What happens to a creature's armor or clothing if it grows?
In AD&D 1e Player's Handbook, the Enlarge spell description specifically states:
It can be cast upon only a single creature or object.
It makes a differentiation between living and non-living ...
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Did AD&D players use Leomund's Tiny Hut to keep out enemies?
Brandes Stoddard has a fun article called Leomund's Tiny Problem, where he discusses ways in which Leomund's Tiny Hut is "highly exploitable" in D&D 5e, and offers suggestions on how to ...
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Why was damage denoted in ranges in older D&D editions?
In early editions of Dungeons and Dragons, monster damage was denoted as a range of possible outcomes, for example, if a monster dealt 3d6 of damage, it would state the monster dealt 3-18 damage. You ...
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How intercompatible are B/X and AD&D 1e spells?
What balance issues would/could arise if AD&D spells are transferred into a B/X game?
I'm only considering those spells which don't already exist in B/X and I'm not considering adding in the ...
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Do Bracers of Defense stack with a shield?
In AD&D (1e or 2e) would Bracers of Defense stack with a shield?
The relevant text from the AD&D DMG (p. 139) is:
Their magic bestows an effective armor class equal to actually wearing armor ...
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Turning Undead in 1st edition
I've been running the Temple of Elemental Evil for some young 'uns to show them that we really did have to walk 12 miles uphill to play AD&D and 18 miles uphill home afterwards back in the day. ...
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Design notes, interviews, or memoirs identifying the creature on the cover of S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks?
The original cover art of AD&D module S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks by Erol Otus illustrates a 5-limbed plant-starfish thing battling a party of intrepid adventurers, as excerpted below.
...
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What are the odds of being able to disrupt a spellcaster?
What are the chances that the opponent is able to get their attack in to disrupt a spellcaster as a function of casting time and weapon speed?
Assume the opponent will hit, and use this summary of the ...
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What combination of initiative rolls need to occur to disrupt spellcasting with a melee attack?
What initiative roll conditions need to occur for a successful melee attack to disrupt spell casting?
E.g. Wizard is casting a spell that takes X segments to cast. What combinations of initiative ...
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Searching for late '80s/early '90s AD&D book of modules with specific encounters
Back in the late 80s or early 90s, I purchased an AD&D book containing a dozen or more goofy/silly one-shot modules. I gave this book away as a birthday present, but I'm trying to remember what ...
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Adventure that introduced "banks" that cost money to store items
When I was a young child (around the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s), I read a number of AD&D modules, albeit without much of a chance to actually play them. Recently, when reading the TV Tropes entry ...
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What are the differences between the 1st and 2nd printings of the "Fiend Folio"?
RPGGeek lists two printings for the original Fiend Folio. So as to identify different printings, what are the observable differences (if any) between the first and second printing?
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How does one play a Chaotic Evil character without disrupting the play group?
A follow-up question to How to deal with a PC trying to kill another?
As I understand the answer to that question, PCs killing one another is generally not the intended outcome of campaigns, and the ...
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What is the etymology of the term "drider"?
Gary Gygax took the word 'drow' from a Scots cognate of troll, with one of the meanings being 'dark elf'.
David Sutherland III introduced the 'drider' in module Q1, as a drow that has been transformed ...
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How can Githzerai and Githyanki both be Chaotic Aligned and Psionicists? [closed]
How can Githzerai and Githyanki both be Chaotic Aligned and Psionicists?
Furthermore, there's a handful of Psionic races with powers, typically equal to their level, with no apparent restriction, but ...
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Magic missile against locks?
The party is about to enter the Hall of the Fire Giant King.
Although I am running a 5e game, I am rereading the 1e module to compare it and altering a few things as I go. Today I ran across the ...
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Monk Level Advancement Combat Competitive Advantage
Question
Is there a fair way to give a character monk an advantage in the monk's combat to advance a level in AD&D 1st edition? What has worked for you?
Definition
A Fair Competitive Advantage ...
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What does "Ninemen" mean, in the name of the Nulathoe's Ninemen spell?
Every reference to Ed Greenwood's spell Nulathoe's ninemen makes sure to note that "ninemen" is pronounced "nin-em-en" rather than "nine men," making it a unique word of ...
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Attacker's AC effect on pummeling attacks
On page 72 of the DMG under Pummel - Base Score to Hit, it says
Attacker's AC, per point, with negative AC being treated as
positive by type* +1%
...
* Magical protections such as rings ... do not ...
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1st Edition Lawful Good woes
I have a few questions I’m hoping more experienced players can help me with. I’ve been playing in a 1st edition D&D game for about 1.5 years now as a lawful good human Paladin. I’m not super ...
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Is there a way to convert MTG creatures and characters to AD&D? [closed]
There are a lot of creatures and characters from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering that I would like to incorporate into my Advanced Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Specifically, I'm ...
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What ability is raised by an imp familiar?
the AD&D Monster Manual (p.54) states that if an imp is within 1 mile of the "master", he/she gains an additional level of ability. What ability are they referring to?
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When do magical items require saving throws?
When do magical items require saving throws?
For example, suppose a fighter with a ring of protection +2 is hit with a fireball. I see three possibilities:
A) The ring needs a save only if it's not ...
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What are the missing proficiencies per level for the Oriental Adventures monk and yakuza?
Oriental Adventures on the class monk says
[T]he monk starts with proficiency in one style of unarmed combat and two of that style's special maneuvers. The monk also has five other proficiency ...
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How can I be effective as a low level human magic-user in a boss battle against a more powerful magic-user?
First of all I'm a human magic-user level 2:
Except for the spell sleep and charm person and some other spells that were useful for X situation out of combat, (Enlarge person, Mount etc.)
I could ...
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What is the AC of a Human with 16 dex combined with the spell Armor?
The Spell Armor (Unearthed Arcana p.51-52) states:
The caster creates ,a magical field of
force which serves as if it were leather armor (AC 8). If the spell is
cast upon a person already armored, it ...
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At what distance can I throw daggers?
What are the penalties for each range section? Where are those rules?
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How does weapon proficiency work?
This is my 2nd session of AD&D 1e as a magic-user, and I'm a bit confused I checked in the player handbook and I'm supposed to be proficient in 1 weapon at level 1 and I read somewhere else about ...
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How does the Sleep spell work?
I just started playing AD&D 1E, and I am trying to understand how the Sleep spell works.
I'm confused by the table and the DM's advice:
HD/ Number Affected
up to 1/ 4d4
1+1 ...
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Making the first level magic user combat fun
A fighter gets to hit something every round. An assassin can backstab someone if they are really lucky with their Hide in Shadows and Move Silently. A cleric with more than 13 wisdom gets more than ...
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Assigning Monk Attribute Values
If the way we roll characters means that we can roll the six numbers and assign them to whatever attribute we want then there is usually a preferred attribute for the highest value:
a Magic User ...
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What ability is needed for anticipating enemy actions?
I have a character that has an uncanny ability to be able to anticipate the enemy and figure out what they will do. He can watch how they array themselves for battle and intuitively know what ...
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How can I identify which AD&D books are for which edition, given the seemingly inconsistent use of logos between editions?
Recently I started googling out old AD&D books, but I stumbled upon very strange mix-up in terms of edition naming convention. For example, the Wayne's Books listing of a later series of Greyhawk ...
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What is the carrying capacity of a large pouch?
What is the carrying capacity of a large pouch, small pouch, backpack and so on?
FAQ:
Am I actually playing AD&D 1e: yes
Have I read the rulebooks: yes
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Is there a standard frequency for wandering monster checks in a dungeon?
Is there a standard or default frequency for wandering monster checks in an underground dungeon?
This concerns both dungeons of my own design, and existing modules either by TSR or Judges Guild that ...
- 1,143
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If an encounter is already underway, can an enemy who joins combat surprise existing combatants?
If an encounter is already underway, can an enemy who joins combat surprise existing combatants?
Suppose the party is fighting some gnolls a few rounds in. A stealthy lizardman sees the fight and ...
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What is the standard dungeon scale at the table?
I’m reading the Caverns of Thracia and I see the maps have a scale of 1” to 40’ for the most part - that seems to be about 4 squares.
My understanding is that in AD&D if you have a movement rate ...
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How fast do dwarves move when encumbered?
OSRIC claims that dwarves move at 90’. I’ve also read the claim that it’s unspecified in AD&D proper. My question is regarding AD&D.
Do dwarves (as player characters) move at 90 or 120? If ...
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How much do silver weapons cost?
Silver weapons are clearly a thing, as many monster stat blocks claim they can be hit with silver weapons. But I don’t see how much they cost.
So, how much does a silver weapon cost?
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How does a non-thief listen at doors?
A thief has a “hear noise” ability, but the cleric has functional ears too, and the thief is busy having been flattened by the falling stone trap. Also, the cleric only knows animate dead, not raise ...
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Grappling and overbearing creatures only vulnerable to magic weapons
If a character is attacking a creature that is corporeal, but only vulnerable to special weapons, say a wight or werewolf, are they able to grapple or overbear effectively? If so, is the creature able ...
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What happens to a multiclass character affected by level drain?
Suppose I have a halfling that's multiclassing as a fighter/thief and has achieved 2nd level in both classes. This character has the misfortune of being struck by a wight and loses a level.
What ...
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Can "Oil of Impact" be used to improve Martial Arts attacks that deal bludgeoning damage?
Oil of Impact: This magical substance is charged with a powerful
dweomer which has beneficial effects upon blunt weapons and missiles
of all sorts, magical and non-magical. When applied to a blunt ...
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What are the hit points for a Low Born Cavalier Paladin?
In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana, the low born paladin has to earn experience points as a 0 level Cavalier Horseman and Lancer, according to page 16. However, it doesn't explain how ...
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What kinds of Mounts can a Paladin get besides Warhorse?
I distinctly recall AD&D paladins being able to have mounts like griffons, dragons, and planar variants, but I cannot locate these rules. I'm aware Cavalier Paladins had some of these, though I'm ...
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How can a character detect lies?
In a campaign using both Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition material, what methods are available to detect lies or sense deception, like seeing through a ...
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What does the "c." listed under weapon length mean?
In the PHB, some weapons have a length that begins with "c" and some others don't.
What does "c" mean in this context?
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How would you stat a Chef Knife in AD&D?
I've been thinking about this a lot. Whenever I look at or wield a chef knife, cut bones, saw through frozen meat, or use it to split boards, I get the distinct impression this deadly kitchen tool ...
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What are the advantages of casting Flame Strike over Fireball?
Outside of the classes the spells are available to, what is the advantage to using Flame Strike over Fireball in AD&D 1st Edition? Many of the advantages I'm used to seeing later editions (mixed ...
user5834
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What is “Quest 24” in the Dark Tower adventure?
In room 1-24 of the Dark Tower adventure (the Goodman Games reprint of the original), the module states that Verus Vorum will ask the adventures to undertake Quest 24. The text is curiously bold, but ...
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