Sir Torlgrith's page

*Thelith wrote:

AC drops by 2. You lose 2 dex so -1 AC there and 1 AC for being large so 15 AC total.

not quite u forgot to adjust the CMD+1 and CMB+1 also if you want to get into skills they also get -4 size mod to stealth and some minor effects while flying in high winds.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I can understand why CMD goes up by +1.
CMD = (Base Atk + Str Mod + Dex Mod + Size Mod + 10) so (1 + 2 - 2 + 1 + 10 = 12)

But doesn't the CMB goes up by +2 because of the adjustment to strength modifier and size modifier? There is no dexterity modifier penalty like there is for CMD?

CMB = Base Atk + Str Mod + Size Mod so (1 + 2 + 1 = 4)

AC drops by 2. You lose 2 dex so -1 AC there and 1 AC for being large so 15 AC total.

Your hammer turns into a large hammer so now it deals 1d10.

Your strength goes up by two so +1 to damage and attack with your hammer, except you also get -1 to hit because of being large so the net gain is 0 to attack.

The bow you will get -2 to attack with because you are large -1 and you lost 2 dex for another -1. The damage is unchanged because when the bolt shoots it goes back to normal size.

So overall you get -2 AC.
+1 to damage, plus using 1d10 instead of 1d8 with your hammer.
-2 to attack with bow, same damage.

Perfect. Thank you.

Simple request.

These are the relevant parts of the PF 1e Duergar stat block for my query:

DUERGAR
-------
LE medium humanoid (dwarf)

AC 17

Melee warhammer +3 (1d8+1/x3)
Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20)

Str 12, Dex 9, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 4

Could someone please modify the above so as to show the effect that an Enlarge Person spell would have, just to help me understand how it works.

Thanks in advance.

I have a combat set up. A fighter and a thief versus 3 xvarts. Your supposed to declare your actions before you roll initiative, so we do. We roll initiative, players roll 9, xvarts roll 7. Fighter has a longsword so his speed factor adds 5, thief is using a short bow so adds 7, xvarts have short swords so add 3.
Initiative Order and declared actions:
Xvart 1: Init: 10 Charging Fighter
Xvart 2: Init: 10 Charging Thief
Xvart 3: Init: 10 Charging Fighter
Fighter: Init: 14 Charging Xvart 1
Thief: Init: 16 fires at Xvart 2
I have 2 questions:
Since the Thief already decided that she was firing at Xvart 2, but the Xvart is now in melee range (because he acted first) how do I handle that? Does she still fire but with a penalty or can she switch to a melee weapon?
Also with the Rate of Fire being 2 shots per round, does she take the first shot before all other combatants act, or does she take the second shot at the end of the Initiative order (ie immediately after her first shot)?

The Pathfinder rules were written with an assumed party size in mind, 4-5 PCs. Does anybody if/how many PCs were assumed in AD&D 1st Edition? It would be useful to know in scaling down the random encounter tables.

OK thanks for the replies.

I like to look at alternate ways to do stuff, and wondered if ability scores/modifiers could be simplified to one score.

Was thinking that modifiers could be listed in halves. i.e. +1.0 (instead of 12) or +1.5 (instead of 13) and just round it down when using it for a check.

Are the ability scores themselves actually used for anything in the game? Other than to tell you what your modifiers and bonus spells are.

For example, if you didn't write your ability scores on your character sheet and just wrote your ability modifier down, would that make a difference to the game.

Odd question but just a thought I had last night.

Could someone please tell me if I got these prices right? Sorry about the formatting, wasn't sure how to put tables in :D

Weapon..........................................Craft DC……Raw Material Cost…Market Price
Scimitar (Mundane)……………………………15………………5 gp…………………15 gp

Scimitar, Masterwork…………………………15……………105 gp………………315 gp
masterwork component……………………20

Scimitar, Adamantine……………………………15……………1005 gp……………3015 gp
masterwork component………………………20

Club, Darkwood……………………………………12……………10 gp…………………30 gp

Club, Masterwork Darkwood…………………12……………110 gp……………330 gp
masterwork component…………………………20

Scimitar, Cold Iron…………………………………15………………10 gp…………………30 gp

Scimitar, Masterwork Cold Iron……………15……………110 gp………………330 gp
masterwork component………………………20

Scimitar, Mithral……………………………………15………………672 gp………………2015 gp

Scimitar, Alchemical Silver………………………15………………35 gp…………………105 gp

Scimitar, Masterwork Alchemical Silver…15………………135 gp………………405 gp
masterwork component………………………20 

The random dungeon generator from the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide is reproduced in the free AD&D retro-clone OSRIC

Thanks, Got that one too. Was looking for ones that were unique.

I haven't actually seen it, but I thought I heard someplace that Hackmaster had one in it too.

It's the same as the AD&D one :D

Roll 1d6. Number of exits from the hexagon.

Love the simplicity.

I am running two random dungeon adventures base upon the Appendix A of the original DMG

Just click on my campaigns and take a look at the word document linked at the games "Its A Dungeon"

Thanks for that, looks interesting.

Can anyone suggest any random dungeon generators they know of to me. I'm specifically looking for ones which use dice and you generate them as you go.

I don't want a computer one that you generate before-hand like Donjon etc.

I have the one from Warhammer Quest, the one from Advanced Heroquest and the one from the 1st Ed. DMG.

Can anyone think of any others?

Could anyone please give me a step-by-step guide as to how the Luck Blade (page 474) comes to 142,960 GP.

I'm trying to understand the crafting, but can't get my head around it.

I think the Hobgoblin should be CR 1 because its using the elite array.

I know they're different rulesets (kind of) but...

from DMG3.5 Hobgoblin (level 1 warrior) abilities:
Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8

from PF Hobgoblin (level 1 fighter)abilities:
Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8

Difference:
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +0

Which is suspiciously close to the +4,+4,+2,+2,0,-2 it says you should add to ability scores when adding class levels on pg 297 of the Bestiary followed by Step 3, add 1 to CR for adding to a 'key' area of the monsters role.

So post what four PCs you had and what the hobgoblins were like, unless you didn't change them, and what zombie stat block were the zombies. I'm guessing in this info is where you'll find out why one did better.

The PCs were Valeros, Kyra, Merisiel, and Ezren from the Beginner Box.

OK, I understand why the Hobgoblin is CR 1/2, NPC-1. But the fact is, stat-wise, a Hobgoblin is just as tough (if not tougher) to beat up than a Gnoll.

Does anyone see what I mean?

Is the CR mechanic broken?

So post what four PCs you had and what the hobgoblins were like, unless you didn't change them, and what zombie stat block were the zombies. I'm guessing in this info is where you'll find out why one did better.

The PCs were Valeros, Kyra, Merisiel, and Ezren from the Beginner Box.

OK, I understand why the Hobgoblin is CR 1/2, NPC-1. But the fact is, stat-wise, a Hobgoblin is just as tough (if not tougher) to beat up than a Gnoll.

Does any see what I mean?

Is the CR mechanic broken?

Quench wrote:

Shouldn't Hobgoblin be a CR 1 creature in this book? (1/2 + 1 class level)

No. A Hobgoblin is a 1-hit-die humanoid. As such, it does not have a racial hit-die/level to add to. The one character level is all it has, so it is just like a level-1 NPC, which would be CR 1/2.

.

But if you compare it with a Gnoll, which is supposed to be tougher (CR 1), the only thing the Gnoll is better at is dealing damage. That can't be right surely.

Also, another question along the same lines...

A group of 4 hobgoblins = 4 x 200 XP = 800 xp = CR 3 encounter

But Tables 12-3 (pg 398, core rules) says that 4 monsters = CR+4

1/2 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 = CR4 encounter

Which one is correct? Based on the slaughter-fest of my mock combat I would say CR4 is correct.

On page 297 of the Bestiary it gives rules for adding class levels to monsters. 'Step 3: Determining CR' says that adding a class level generally adds 1 to the creatures CR.

I've just been comparing monsters between this book and the 3.5 MM and see that a hobgoblin has a CR 1/2 in both books but is massively more powerful in PF - higher ability scores and more HP.

It looks like they've taken the MM stats, added the ability score modifiers from Step 2 (page 297 Bestiary) and given the hobgoblin a class level in fighter.

Shouldn't Hobgoblin be a CR 1 creature in this book? (1/2 + 1 class level)

I just ran a mock combat between 4 PCs and 4 Hobgoblins, where the PCs were slaughtered. And, as a comparison of another CR 1/2 creature, ran the same characters through a combat with 4 zombies, which they won although one PC fell.

Just wondering would it be a good idea to add 1 CR level to each monster with class levels in the Bestiary?

Thanks :)

Can anyone suggest any books/websites/pdf (anything) that gives ideas for stuff that can happen when in an urban environment. I'm not just talking about being set upon by bandits/thieves etc., I want both positive and negative events, things that would happen in everyday life if your player lived in that village/town/city etc, some just for flavor and some that might have an impact on the character.

I should say that in my original post I was imagining a group on a dungeon crawl who needed to get through the next door to get to the next chamber. No time pressure on them. And thought locked doors are pointless time-wasters in such situations.

I like the idea of condensing the Disable Device check result to either, "you unlock the door", or "the lock breaks/jams, the door is now stuck and needs breaking down". It saves a load of time and gets the same result.

Unless time is an issue, like the examples above, in which case the original method is fine.

Just noticed, the first time I posted this the class table was wrong. Unfortunately I forgot to edit the examples to match the updated class table. The results of the example should have been

Male half-orc druid

Str 9
Dex 11
Con 17
Int 8
Wis 14
Cha 9

Hopefully it all makes sense.

Edited: the class table was wrong!

This is a simple way to generate a random characters ability scores using dice and tables, see what you think:

Step 1: Roll a d4, d8, d12, and d20

Gender (d4 result)

1-2 = Male
3-4 = Female

Race (d8 result)

1 = Dwarf
2 = Halfling
3 = Elf
4 = Human
5 = Gnome
6 = Half-orc
7 = Half-elf
8 = Roll d8 again

Class (d12 result)

1 = Barbarian: STR - CON - DEX - WIS - INT - CHA
2 = Bard: CHA - DEX - INT - CON - STR - WIS
3 = Cleric: WIS - CON - CHA - STR - DEX - INT
4 = Druid: WIS - CON - DEX - STR - INT - CHA
5 = Fighter: STR - DEX - CON - INT - WIS - CHA
6 = Monk: WIS - STR - DEX - CON - INT - CHA
7 = Paladin: STR - CHA - CON - DEX - WIS - INT
8 = Ranger: STR - DEX - CON - WIS - INT - CHA
9 = Rogue: DEX - CON - INT - STR - WIS - CHA
10 = Sorcerer: CHA - DEX - CON - INT - WIS - STR
11 = Wizard: INT - CON - DEX - WIS - CHA - STR
12 = Roll d12 again

Write the ability scores down, in the order presented in the table above, on a piece of paper for your generated class.

I roll (d4: 1), (d8: 6), (d12: 4)

Results: Male, Half-orc, Druid
INT
CON
DEX
WIS
STR
CHA

Ability Importance (d20 result)

1-7 = 1,2,3
8-11 = 1,3,2
12-15 = 2,1,3
16-17 = 3,1,2
18-19 = 3,1,2
20 = 3,2,1

Step 2: Write the numbers generated by the d20 result next to the abilities in the order they're written. Roll the d20 again, and do the same for the next 3 abilities

I roll (d20: 14)

INT (2)
CON (1)
DEX (3)

Then I re-roll d20 and get 11:
WIS (1)
STR (3)
CHA (2)

Step 3: Roll a d40 and consult this table:

1 = 18 / 13 / 11. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
2 = 18 / 12 / 12. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
3 = 17 / 15 / 11. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
4 = 17 / 14 / 13. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
5 = 16 / 16 / 11. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
6 = 15 / 15 / 15. Cost: 21; Remaining: -6
7 = 18 / 13 / 10. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
8 = 18 / 12 / 11. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
9 = 17 / 15 / 10. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
10 = 17 / 14 / 12. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
11 = 16 / 16 / 10. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
12 = 16 / 15 / 13. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
13 = 16 / 14 / 14. Cost: 20; Remaining: -5
14 = 18 / 12 / 10. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
15 = 18 / 11 / 11. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
16 = 17 / 14 / 11. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
17 = 17 / 13 / 13. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
18 = 16 / 15 / 12. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
19 = 15 / 15 / 14. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
20 = 18 / 11 / 10. Cost: 18; Remaining: -3
21 = 17 / 14 / 10. Cost: 18; Remaining: -3
22 = 17 / 13 / 12. Cost: 18; Remaining: -3
23 = 16 / 15 / 11. Cost: 18; Remaining: -3
24 = 16 / 14 / 13. Cost: 18; Remaining: -3
25 = 18 / 10 / 10. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
26 = 17 / 13 / 11. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
27 = 17 / 12 / 12. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
28 = 16 / 15 / 10. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
29 = 16 / 14 / 12. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
30 = 15 / 14 / 14. Cost: 17; Remaining: -2
31 = 17 / 13 / 10. Cost: 16; Remaining: -1
32 = 17 / 12 / 11. Cost: 16; Remaining: -1
33 = 16 / 14 / 11. Cost: 16; Remaining: -1
34 = 16 / 13 / 13. Cost: 16; Remaining: -1
35 = 17 / 12 / 10. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0
36 = 17 / 11 / 11. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0
37 = 16 / 14 / 10. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0
38 = 16 / 13 / 12. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0
39 = 15 / 14 / 13. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0
40 = 14 / 14 / 14. Cost: 15; Remaining: 0

The scores generated go in the order decided by your first d20 roll. With the "Standard Fantasy" option you have 15 points to spend, the following example's result would cost 19 points, meaning you have a remaining budget of -4 points.

I roll (d40: 16)

Results: 17 / 14 / 11. Cost: 19; Remaining: -4
INT (2) - 14
CON (1) - 17
DEX (3) - 11

Step 4: Consult the next table and roll an appropriate die to generate the final 3 ability scores in the same way as Step 3.

Remaining Budget: 0 (d6)

1 = 13 / 9 / 8. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0
2 = 12 / 10 / 8. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0
3 = 12 / 9 / 9. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0
4 = 11 / 11 / 8. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0
5 = 11 / 10 / 9. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0
6 = 10 / 10 / 10. Cost: 0; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -1 (d5)

1 = 13 / 8 / 8. Cost: -1; Remaining: 0
2 = 12 / 9 / 8. Cost: -1; Remaining: 0
3 = 11 / 10 / 8. Cost: -1; Remaining: 0
4 = 11 / 9 / 9. Cost: -1; Remaining: 0
5 = 10 / 10 / 9. Cost: -1; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -2 (d4)

1 = 12 / 8 / 8. Cost: -2; Remaining: 0
2 = 11 / 9 / 8. Cost: -2; Remaining: 0
3 = 10 / 10 / 8. Cost: -2; Remaining: 0
4 = 10 / 9 / 9. Cost: -2; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -3 (d3)

1 = 11 / 8 / 8. Cost: -3; Remaining: 0
2 = 10 / 9 / 8. Cost: -3; Remaining: 0
3 = 9 / 9 / 9. Cost: -3; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -4 (d2)

1 = 10 / 8 / 8. Cost: -4; Remaining: 0
2 = 9 / 9 / 8. Cost: -4; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -5

9 / 8 / 8. Cost: -5; Remaining: 0

Remaining Budget: -6

8 / 8 / 8. Cost: -6; Remaining: 0

With a remaining budget of -4 I roll a d2 and get a 2

Results: 9 / 9 / 8. Cost: -4; Remaining: 0
WIS (1) - 9
STR (3) - 8
CHA (2) - 9

So the final generated character is:

Male half-orc druid

STR: 8
DEX: 11
CON: 17
INT: 14
WIS: 9
CHA: 9

You need to add racial adjustments and develop the character from here. Hopefully useful for quickly creating characters.

I don't like take-10 or take-20 rules either. Unless there is some kind of risk I don't see why PCs should have an easy ride with anything. Part of the fun is rolling the dice and seeing what comes up.

Seriously botched rolls can jam/break a lock. Otherwise, a PC can take 10 on Disable Device as long as they aren't threatened, which should be plenty for most rogues of the right level.

Don't reward them with anything other than an unlocked door, to discourage picking every lock they come across. Deadfall traps/nasty things on the other side of a locked door every once in a while might make them more cautious.

I like this idea. I think I will use the same rules for disabling traps but a failure jams the lock, giving the door the "stuck" quality.

If a PC can keep re-trying a Disable Device check to pick a lock. What's the point of having locked doors?

In my view there has to be a risk and reward to each obstacle:
Example
Stuck Doors - Risk: Noise (wandering monsters); Reward: Progress
Trapped Door - Risk: Triggering the trap; Reward: Progress
Locked Door - Risk: ???Hand-warts from re-rolling d20???; Reward: Progress

I can see the point of stuck doors - they may provoke a wandering monster of some sort - and trapped doors, but not locked doors. It seems that all they do is slow the game down.

If you have a rogue with a decent bonus, pretty much all doors will be opened with enough checks.

I was thinking of giving XP rewards for picking locks but that just seems like free XP if they can keep re-rolling.

Any advice?

Just need a bit of advice please.

A group of 5 PCs all 1st level, come across an "Epic encounter".

This could be:
1 CR 4 monster OR
2 CR 2 monsters OR
3 CR 1 monster OR
6 CR 1/2 monsters OR
12 CR 1/4 monsters OR
24 CR 1/8 monsters etc...

Obviously, more monsters means more chances for them to kill the PCs.

What is a good maximum number of monsters to use for one encounter?

Experience for gold went away in 2nd edition, except for rogues...

Yes, it's mentioned as an option in the last paragraph of page 69 of the black DMG.

WBL is Wealth By Level, the guidelines for the suggested amount of money a character should have at a certain level that debuted in 3.0.

Ah right, thanks. I suppose, in a way, if you use the rule of 1 gp = 1 xp, as is suggested and don't stray too far from that (in terms of giving out treasure), you might be able to get away with it that way.

Another such article on "Old school Gaming", by the same people that made the 0e retro-clone "Swords & Wizardry" can be found (on PDF for free) HERE...

Excellent! Downloaded and ready to read! I like reading about the old stuff.

Speaking of 2e MM nothing was better than how awful the drawings were and the infamous "Invisible Stalker" ...just a picture of a blank page. It was so overwhelmingly lame it could make even the grumpiest gamer laugh.

Ha ha! Noticed that the other day, did a double-take!

Digital elf gave the right answer. Don't be dissuaded by the version flames here.

:-)

Old school gaming has its own charm. Check out old School Gaming article.

In service,

Rich
Www.drgames.org

Thanks, I read your article, it explained some things for me :D

Dungeon Master's Guide, Table 55. Page 99 if you have the original 2e DMG, dunno what page if you have the black border. Treat the "creature level" as more-or-less equivalent to a CR. Remember that judgment calls may be required.

Thanks, how did I miss that!

Finally, since there were no WBL guidelines, the total amount of treasure doled out varied wildly.

What's WBL mean?

And the wandering monster tables, especially for wilderness adventuring, would often turn up a monster that COMPLETELY outlcassed the PCs. Running away in that situation would be the only way to survive the encounter.

I like that, though. For me, just because characters aren't powerful enough, it doesn't mean powerful creatures should be "wiped from the earth". I think it makes it feel more real, more dangerous, and more rewarding when you get back "home" in one piece.

As "all-over-the-place" as the rules are in 1E, it actually explains stuff more clearly/thoroughly in my view.

Bill Dunn wrote:

Anyway, on 2e and errata, Players Option: Spells and Magic made some rearrangements of clerical spheres to better balance the spheres and differentiate between the druid and cleric (restoring some of their difference from back in 1e). I would suggest checking them out if you can find a copy of the book.

To the OP.

Although I would suggest playing without any of the Options books to start with. 2e seems to work fine without them and they complicate things. Having said that if you like the miniatures game style combats of the d20 system then Combat & Tactics will be required.

Also you might want to pick up a copy of the Psionists Handbook (get the 2nd printing). Annoys me to this very day the the Black MM has creatures with Psionic powers. Spells & Magic has information on these powers but the all rules are still only found in the Handbook.

S.

I think I'm just going to stick to the core books for a while. One of the reasons I chose to go with 2E is because I want to play the game completely from the imagination.

Every instance of the game I've played so far has involved major visual cues: 3E, 4E, and some of the computer games. 3rd was my first ruleset and, reading the 2E books, I sometimes forget that they're written from the point-of-view of playing from the imagination. It's hard to turn that off when it's all I've ever known.

So just trying to start out as simple as possible and see how it pans out.

I'm getting the impression that learning just from reading a text may not be your optimal learning style, but that you do better engaging in communication to work through the concepts. If that's true, keep the questions coming, we're happy to help.

Thanks for that :)

Sorry if I came off as rude or grumpy.

No probs, you didn't :)

Anyone know if there is a list of monsters by HD or XP Value? If not, I'm going to type them out in a spreadsheet.

Plenty of links thanks :D All will come in handy.

I always used number of total HD as a guide (loosely) so 4 1HD characters vs 4 1HD monsters is a tough fight.

Party has a 2HD wardog? up it to 6 1HD monsters.

and use the optional dont die til -10 rule. so a character can fall unconscious but not die.

combine that with the next two guide lines and you'll be set...

2. No monster with more than double the hit points of the highest character.

3. No monster that can do enough damage to take a character to -10 with one 1 hit...

(so a 1st wizard will need 14 total...as long as the monster doesnt do 14 in one round with max damage..youre good)

I like those ideas, thanks for them.

On a different note - any idea where I can find any errata for the MM?

My first D&D was 2E and I played pretty steady for the whole run of the edition. Using an XP budget may be more work than it's worth. Without the CR system it can be a bit of a stab in the dark about encounter design. So here is what I used to do.

Take a look at the HD of the opponents and gauge it roughly against the average party level. So if you have a 1st level party about three or four kobolds is going to be a challenge. I don't recall the HD of a kobold because it has been so long since I played 2E but you get the point.

Once you run a few sessions you'll get the hang of it. It's pretty straightforward. Just keep in mind that 1st level characters are really fragile and high HD monsters can have some powerful abilities. By the time you get past fighting orcs, kobolds, and skeletons you will have a feel for the game.

Mostly, just relax and have fun with it.

Thanks, that's a good idea. Kobolds are 1/2 HD by-the-way ;)

Glad you both like it, maybe you can give me some advice on how to create an encounter that's not too overwhelming and not too easy.

Did a mock-combat lastnight between a fighter, wizard, cleric, and thief vs. 8 kobolds.

The mage took one out with a magic-missile, the cleric clubbed one to death, the fighter scythed one down with his sword. Then the Mage was taken out by a well placed javelin, the thief went down, the cleric was next, but managed to cast cure light wounds on the weakened fighter just before he went down, leaving the fighter (4 hp left) with 5 kobolds to deal with. Needless to say - Game Over.

I was thinking about using the XP values of monsters to build encounters, similar to what Pathfinder does, but not sure of what XP ranges the difficulty of an encounter would fall within.

This. Damage by weapon does indeed mean choose a weapon and use that damage. They give examples of the type of weapon Kobolds (in this case) are likely to have access to / use. You might want one to have a magic weapon - your call as DM (yes DM not GM in this case).

2e is like the red haired child of D&D. Not confusing enough for the 1e to paw over and not d20 enough for the 3e crew...

Poor, poor 2e. But secretly my one true D&D love. And sometimes red haired people grow up to be like this...

Yes, for me 1e is too confusing - rules all over the place. The amount of skills puts me off of 3e. 2e is a nice balance with optional extras. 4e is too mini-focused and monsters have way too many HPs. Nice red-head ;)

Kthulhu wrote:

Dude, you've posted about 4 or 5 AD&D 2E questions now. I'm assuming you're the GM. Just read it, determine what you think is best, and play it that way. If it's not RAW by the book, TSR isn't going to burst down your door and attack you.

Someone was hit by a grumpy stick today... ;)

:D I understand what he's saying I just like to make sure I'm doing things vaguely right.

I will quote a section from the Kobold stat block to help with my question:

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 or 1-6 (by weapon)

AND

Combat: ...They often hurl javelins and spears...

...Kobold war bands are armed with spiked clubs, axes, javelins, short swords, and spears.

This leaves me with three options:

a) Do I have to choose a weapon from their combat entry that does either 1d4 or 1d6 damage?
-OR-
b) Are they three separate entries, saying they do either 1-4, 1-6 or other damage by weapon type?
If "b" is correct what is the 1-4 or 1-6 damage caused by? Unarmed attacks?
-OR-
c) Am I way out?

Hoped I've worded this question alright.

I want to determine which weapon each monster is using (if any) so that players can loot their weapons if they want to. Does anyone do this or is it a waste of time?

Thanks for the answers people :D

Bear in mind that, towards the end of AD&D 2E there were enough "alternate" spellcasting classes that had their own spell lists that, while they were arcane, a normal wizard couldn't cast them.

The excellent Wizard's Spell Compendium books summarized this in more detail.

Do you mean using other sourcebooks? I'm just using the core classes for now.

Can someone confirm if this is correct for me please:

Mages can cast ANY Wizard spells.

Specialist Wizards can cast any Wizard spells EXCEPT for those in the opposition school.

Just want to make sure I'm getting it right.

Thanks

Q

Thanks, that's what I thought.

Can anyone tell me if a Thief can use a shield in AD&D2E? And, if poss, give me a page number to find the rule. I have a feeling they can't but I can't find the rule for toffee!!

Thanks in advance :D

Hope it's OK to ask this here.

Can anyone tell me what's the difference, rules-wise, between the BX D&D and the BECMI D&D?

I know BECMI goes all the way up to Immortal level, but are the BX rules exactly the same as the first two BECMI books? Just written in a different format?

I include the weight of coin ... 50 coins = 1 pound

Thanks, wasn't sure whether it would be a hassle keeping track with the PCs constantly picking coins up throughout an adventure.

And this has what to do with the topic? Shallowsoul probably has three threads on your question by now, why don't you go check them out?

Sorry Mr. Policeman. Since the question and answer to the "topic" are at the very top of the thread, didn't think it would be an issue. Besides, the answer had been given by the time you posted that so, no point really.

it has to do with the fact that he's the OP and is looking for more advice.

Edit to add: I use HeroLab and thus do indeed track coin weight. However in games where everyone scrawls character sheets on paper I tend not to.

Thanks for the tip.

Thanks everyone.

Does anyone include the weight of coins when determining how much weight a character is carrying? Or is that too much "paperwork"?