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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How long is the Temple of Elemental Evil (T1-4) campaign?
I was thinking about playing some old-school D&D campaign with friends, and Temple of the Elemental Evil came to mind as it is an iconic and well-received module. However, I heard that it is ...
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How does Experience Point Value work on sold magic items?
I'm trying to make sure I understand this correctly. In the original (Advanced D&D) Dungeon Master's Handbook starting on page 120 outlines various magic items. In the value tables there is ...
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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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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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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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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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Converting Saving Throws from AD&D to D&D Next
I'm trying to run the newly released Against the Slave Lords compilation using the D&D Next rules and I've run into a problem with converting Saving Throws. How do I go about converting something ...
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Was a "divine wish" spell ever mentioned in any published game materials?
Official or unofficial materials. Not necessarily a spell available to players; it could be a creature or item ability. Various people from the AD&D 2nd edition up to Planescape (primarily 90's) ...
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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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Is it possible to turn Tenser's Floating Disk into a chariot?
Is it possible to turn Tenser's Floating Disk into a chariot in AD&D 1st edition?
There are several problems that I'm not sure can be solved:
How would the harness be attached to the disk?
Can a ...
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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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Is there a minimum Intelligence score for the thief?
The Player's Handbook mentions that high Intelligence is very important for a thief, but Intelligence Table I does not list a minimum value for a thief, only for an assassin.
Is there a minimum value?
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AD&D scrolls and learning spells
Can a magic-user who finds a scroll in a dungeon take said scroll and copy the spell to his/her spell book so that he/she can prepare that spell in the future?
Also if the character finds the scroll ...
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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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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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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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What would be the weight of the Tome of the Unicorn?
Given the dimensions of the book: "two feet broad by three feet in height, and over four inches thick", and being its pages made of "polished plates of electrum" (data from Forgotten Realms Campaign ...
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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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How do you calculate THAC0?
We're playing AD&D 1st edition and we have been asked by the DM to calculate our THAC0s so as to speed things up.
So, I get what THAC0 stands for (To Hit Armour Class 0) but it's not something I ...
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What are the major differences between AD&D 1st Edition & AD&D 2nd Edition
Supposedly on May 21st WoTC are going to release a premium limited edition reprinting of Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition in of honor of the late Gary Gygax.
I already own the AD&D 1st edition ...
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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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What Information Can I Use If I Want To Publish My Own D&D 5e Module?
I intend to write a D&D module and publish it under the OGL (I know 5e itself isn't OGL, see note below) for use with both D&D 5e and AD&D. I know there are areas where I can't draw ...
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What is the purpose of old-school D&D class level limitations? [closed]
When I played 1E and 2E, racial level limits was one of the first rules we decided to ignore. We decided that it would prevent us from playing (say) an Elven fighter for as long as the party might ...
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Who is pictured on the cover of Dragonlance Adventures?
Who are the characters depicted on the cover of the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover?
The painting was done by Jeff Easley, and I'm pretty sure it's depicting Tanis taking the crown from Emperor ...
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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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How much damage for throwing rocks?
This question applies to either OSRIC or to AD&D 1st Ed.
The scenario:
A human fighter with strength of 17 has selected "grenade-like weapons" as one of his weapon proficiencies. He carries a ...
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How do you optimize in 1st Edition AD&D? [closed]
1st Edition Dungeons and Dragons gives its players a few strategic options during character creation, many of which are restricted by randomly generated attributes. With this in mind, what are some ...
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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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Can a Piercer attack more than once?
From the 1st Edition Monster Manual:
...and when a living creature passes
beneath their position above they will
drop upon it in order to kill and
devour it.
After they drop, can they attack ...
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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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What were the names of the colored bolt spells of old D&D?
I remember hearing from people who played old D&D about a group of spells that were effective at destroying whatever they were aimed at. I think they were called something like black bolt, green ...
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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's the name of the AD&D module with the parasitic worms in the rubble?
I'm trying to remember a module, AD&D I'm fairly certain. They had a listing of rooms and what was there. A few of the rooms had rubble in them which could be searched for treasure with one of ...
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Are there published airship rules for AD&D?
I have some players interested in airships. You'd think these rules existed somewhere in one of the campaign settings or a Dragon magazine. Do any?
I'm thinking of things like flight speeds, costs, ...
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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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Porting dragon subdual rules from AD&D 1e to D&D 5e?
I do not know the rules of AD&D 1st edition that were in effect around 1987. I own, however, a copy of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR1031). I've just noticed (after all these decades :D) ...
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How do I gain followers in 5e like I did in AD&D?
I just started playing D&D 5th edition at college with friends after playing AD&D for years with my family in a homebrew campaign. I just noticed that fighters don't get any followers after ...
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Was Original D&D an Historical Wargame?
At the dawn of roleplaying, the Castle & Crusade Society and Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA) focused on Medieval Britain, and produced the Chainmail tabletop wargame rules with a ...
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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 ...
