AD&D survey questions

I'm doing a bit of research on the way people play AD&D, toward the aim of creating a 'zine for Kickstarter's February 'zine initiative, and wondered if you good folks could answer some questions:

NOTE: If you are not currently playing AD&D, substitute "did" for "do."

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?
2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?
3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?
4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?
5) Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?
6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?
7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?
8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?
9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?
10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?
11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?
11) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

1) Yes, I normally go by the UA level limits. You should be aware there is another option for those who play 2e as there are different level limits for AD&D 2e (many would consider 2e as AD&D for survey purposes).

I use it for both flavor and a balancing factor. If someone wants an elf with no level limits I'll simply let them play a human who is a quarter or less elf but has elven features (so pointed ears and such). If they don't like that, the question is why they want all the bonuses of a race AND all the other benefits. It normally boils down to powergaming. If they can still play with the racial flavor of being treated like an elf but lose out the ability to have a lot of the bonuses (AD&D multiclassing is a huge bonus...a Fighter/Magic-User is going to be FAR more powerful than simply a Fighter or Magic-user single class) and object to that...why?

Thus, I allow them to play a racial abbreviation if they want no level limits but normally restrict them to level limits if they choose to use them as such.

However, it is also flavor as well. It adds something to the mix in how various races interact when initially one race can be hands and toes above the other, but the weaker race may have a chance to become more powerful in the end.

It creates a movement towards having an underworld among humans with all powerful elves and others when these races can be unlimited in the power in the hidden Mafioso in the human cities...

There is a time and a place where you can toss out or create your own level limits with in reason. I have played older D&D games (so not really AD&D) where there were no limits on races and classes. We had several Demi-humans get above level 30. AT that point it was time to relegate them to Deity status as they were beginning to outclass the pantheon of those campaigns. Once PC's get to a certain power level, it's time to retire them or send them out of a world that they have out leveled so completely...lest the world is destroyed because they dominate it as no one has the power to resist them.

MOST AD&D games though when played as is didn't get past 5th level. Most of the time level limits don't even come into play.


2) Yes, it is. It has been houseruled at times. Sometimes it just is a higher level campaign which shed some of the problems. Othertimes it's just a LOT easier to use the one that came out with Oriental Adventures instead.

3) This is far different for AD&D than other editions of D&D. I find actually we have the most adventures ending around level 3 or 4 and campaigns seem to end and we want to start a new one somewhere between levels 5-7. Rarely we have high level adventures or even characters that make it to name level.

4) Yes at times. Depends on whether we want to use it or not.

5) Players can get henchmen and hirelings if they so desire. These will have their own names and personalities for however long or brief they live. They also get killed.

6) If you having to worry about balance with players worried about such things instead of how to be a party...there may be bigger problems with the game. Normally do not have to worry about it unless one player wants to be a munchkin (aka...refer above to players who want to multiclass, have all demi-human bonuses but no negatives at all from them and no level limits). At that point normally the munchkin either gets corrected by the players or we have a ritual sacrifice (just kidding...if someone is that disruptive and won't correct normally they'll be asked to join another campaign where such actions might be allowed by me. Normally it is not an AD&D campaign).

If they ever DO get to higher levels...Magic-users tend to become rather all powerful (if they survive) by the time they get to 13th or 14th level. Clerics and Druids also are excessively powerful at these levels. They still can be checked (high saves, high/lucky initiative, high HP) but they tend to be able to dominate many battles at these times. At lower levels normally those playing Magic-users use more wits and intelligence to survive so players who do that with these classes rarely feel out of place.

I DO allow the old school OD&D type checks in AD&D so thieves normally do not feel underpowered. This means that anyone can try to sneak quietly (different than MOVE Silently) or hide behind something or other actions with ability checks or simply just smarts. Thieves, Assassins and Monks can use their abilities for better situations or a back up which makes it so that they do not feel so useless at low levels.

7) No.

8) No. I do have a standing rule that they can always roll two dice and take the higher result when gaining a level. I also have it that at first level if they roll under half of the maximum (for example, 4 or under on a d8, or 2 or under on a d4...etc) they can roll until they at least make on roll over half the minimum. This gives them at least a modicum of survivability, but does not ensure that they have maximum HP.


9) Yes, but we do ignore the maximums for female/male normally. Luckily we normally play rules as written as no one reaches the maximums or puts their ability score for the maximums at that score. The only notable times when it really has come up and we ignored it was in the situation of a female halfling.

10) Yes, if defined by the UA

11) Yes and No? I run a hybrid 1e and 2e game. Do you count that?

11 (12)) I'm not sure. Probably if running the hybrid 1e and 2e game, there's a ton of houserules because some of the rules between the two editions are different. Most likely as when I do that I'm using 2e combat and base rules, the houserule would be allowing PHB and UA classes (Cavalier, Barbarian, Assassin, Monk) in the game as well as the Half-Orc.

I've run AD&D campaigns back when it was current, and have done more recent throwback campaigns.

1) Yes, I used the UA ones.
2) Yes, though really I think the class is one big trap for powergamers (alongside the Cavalier). The RP and XP requirements for both pretty much guarantee that you'll end up lagging behind the rest of the party and/or dead.
3) Mostly sometime after entering their teens.
4) Nope. Never.
5) Rarely, but they do tend to have a high mortality rate when they do get used (if they get stuck on the frontlines, that is).
6) Hrm. Not sure I've seen a strong imbalance come up in play, outside of someone having a particular magic item.
7) No. I get why they changed it in later editions, but when playing AD&D, i stick to it.
8) Yes, though that's not something I did back in the day.
9) Yes, though I ignore the male/female differentials. Did so back in the day and do so today.
10) I've been known to allow demihuman clerics, but I've recently been rethinking that.
11) No.
11) I wouldn't say I added too many rules - my most significant changes were in what we ignored to simplify things (see weapon vs. armor table above).

Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?

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Don't use them at all. Pretty much haven't for 40 years.

2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?

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I've tweaked it to where I would permit it, but I haven't actually had a barbarian class in any recent game. In a 3.5 game about 15 years ago was the last time a player ran a barbarian and only once after UA first came out do I recall a player running a barbarian.

3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?

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Only once in a 3.5 game did I consciously end a campaign at a specific time. I begin ALL campaigns with the default assumption they'll run forever. I'm optimistic that way. In reality how long any campaign lasts varies a huge amount because of individual schedules, obligations, commitment to playing, etc. In recent years I think the highest PC's have got is 5th.

4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?

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No.

5) Do your adventurers use henchmen?

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No. They certainly can, they just don't.

6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other?

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FIRST. Classes are not balanced. They never will be at ANY level. Those who believe they can be are tilting at windmills.

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?

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I do, but only because the numbers that players see then look more fair. In reality it doesn't have enough of an impact to bother with. In fact, for my next AD&D campaign I plan to just dispense with individual class xp tables and go with a universal table along with some other notable changes in xp awards.

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?

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Yes.

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?

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No. Again, too fiddly and doesn't actually accomplish any balance or whatever else people THINK it's trying to do.

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?

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I have revised tables of multiclass options and level limits and so forth in case I DO decide to use those things, but don't use them currently. Mostly it guts a lot of multiclass options from half-elves, provides standardized and generally higher level limits - but only for multiclassing. Single classes would be unlimited.

Currently I don't have level limits on ANY class except those classes that have an inherent max level (druid, assassin, monk). I reserve Monk and Paladin for humans-only. Druids reserved to human, half-elf and halfling. Other than that, PC's can be any race, class, and even any multiclass. If a player were to request something that went outside those boundries I'd almost certainly let them do so anyway. Currently thinking of just going with 3E's Favored Class approach.

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs?

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From other versions of D&D, maybe some though I can't think of any. From other RPG's entirely? No.

12) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

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Initiative. Without a doubt.

Each PC rolls 1d6 and modifies as indicated, then resolves turns in order of lowest to highest:

Melee weapon --- Add weapon speed factor (I have a revised chart that mostly just halves original values)
Multiple melee attack routines --- 2 routines = +1, 3 routines = +2, etc.
Spell --- Add spell casting time
Missile weapons --- ROF = Modifier; 3+ = n/a, 2 = +2, 1 = +4, ½ = +8
Monster using natural weapons --- Monster Size M +3, size L +5 (VL +8?)
Turning, innate/spell-like abilities --- +3
Charge --- minus 1, (but longer weapon still strikes first vs. melee)
Set for charge --- +1
Grapple --- +2

I mostly roll for opponents as a group to make things easier on myself.

How I handle healing and hit point recovery is the second biggest.

A short version would be that PC's can recover some hit points after any combat as "fatigue" assuming they can and do rest for at least 1 turn. The remainder is lasting damage. Clerics can do rituals OUTSIDE of combat that provide healing in terms of each characters own hit dice. Fighters get back d10's of healing, MU's only get back d4's, etc. Wisdom of the individual PC permits a bonus to that. The cleric has limits in the amount of such healing they can produce in a day and individual recipients have a limit in how much they can benefit from it in a day. Spells work on the same basis of giving back hit points by hit dice of the recipient, not just d8's. The wisdom benefit doesn't apply with spells, but spell healing faces the same limitation on how much healing a given individual can receive in a day, whether by ritual or spells.

The advantage of spells therefore is ONLY their immediacy in combat. They are a less efficient means of regaining hit points than fatigue recovery and the out-of-combat healing ritual. I really like the way it changes game play, as do my players. It's obviously more complicated, and there's more details to it all, but I feel it's worth the effort.

Bill Edmunds said:

NOTE: If you are not currently playing AD&D, substitute "did" for "do."

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Not presently playing. Have played within the last 5 years, but only as a one off. Played extensively from the early 80's to the early 90's.

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?

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Modified versions of the UA tables, both as a balancing factor and for flavor reasons.

Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?

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Hitherto, I would use the UA version as written. However, if I were to ever go back to the game in any serious manner, I'd probably produce a variant based on concepts I saw in Dragon 'back in the day'.

In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?

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I've never actually seen this happen, but the longest a campaign went on that I was involved in, characters reached 13th level. I know that campaign continued on to roughly 16th level in my absence. However, in my experience, every level after the 8th or so requires about a year of playing to attain, and it's actually fairly rare to sustain a campaign even to 8th level.

Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?

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Mine did. I enforced them as DM, but the game where I was I player they were not enforced by that DM.

Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?

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Yes. Yes. And, yes.

At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?

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In general, if you stick to the rules, fighters and M-U's stay quite well balanced with each other at any reasonable level. Indeed, post UA, it probably takes until at least 10th level or so just for M-U's to start catching up. The real balance issues are seen with thieves, that start dropping behind all other classes at about 3rd level, and clerics, which never quite develop sufficient utility beyond being a Band-Aid.

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?

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I have a ton of issues with the XP cost to level, but have never gone back and tried to fix them. In general, M-U's level too slowly at first (when they are weak), then too fast through the mid-levels (when they are increasingly strong). Druid levels too fast period and should have leveling more akin to Cleric. Thief levels too slowly, and is only balanced with other classes if it stays 2-3 levels ahead of them.

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?

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They didn't in the past, but would if I ever played again.

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?

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Yes.

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?

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PC demihumans would be allowed to attain levels in cleric, just as NPCs are able to do so. That would be the only exception.

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?

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I always houserule, but not usually in the way you are thinking of. For example, check out my 1e revision of Dragons which I recently did for fun on EnWorld. If I did go back and restart a 1e game, I would probably look at OSR implementations to simplify initiative and surprise rules, and I'd probably back import at least some concepts from 2e and 3e at least as influences.

11) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

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Keep in mind that I haven't played 1e regularly since the early 1990s, but at the time monsters got explicit strength, dexterity and constitution scores, and generally have more hit points (but not HD) therefore than their RAW counter parts. Monstrous demi-humans are generally classed or if not classed have equivalent advantages - for example, an orc leader would have weapon specialization like a fighter. When I was last playing 1e AD&D seriously in the early 1990s, I had implemented something akin to the 3e's 'Attack of Oppurtunity' rules which went under the heading of 'parry/repost'. It was messy, and I'd probably just use something like AoO terminology in the future. There were a large number of rules from Dragon incorporated into the game, including 'good hits and bad misses', and a bunch of other stuff.

Answers based on the modified 1e game I currently play and run, and how it got here.

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?

Slowly relaxed these over time until I got rid of them eitirely quite a while back. That said, for flavour reasons some races cannot be some classes at all; but if you can be a class there's no limit on how far you can advance in it.

2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?

No. Barbarian is and always has been a race (sub-race of Human) in our games, not a class.

3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?

Generally around 10th-ish, though one active campaign is intentionally trying for higher (current average is around 10th with no end in sight) to see how - or if - things work. But our campaigns tend to be very long, with each of us having numerous characters to cycle in and out of parties.

4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?

No.

5) Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?

In order: occasionally; absolutely (as determined by the DM); and constantly.

6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?

Not applicable; not an issue. The bigger problem is that by about 8th level the in-party wealth imbalance (regardless of character class) starts to become unmanageable: characters that have been around a long time have become so much wealthier than those coming in new. I could write essays on this, and have done so once or twice on these boards.

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?

I've tweaked the advancement tables about a dozen times in the 35-ish years I've been DMing. They're still uneven by class, but not as much so, and are smoothed out (the advancement tables in the 1e PH have some - interesting - bumps and valleys). But the general principle of uneven advancement tables by class is fine with me.

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?

No. But we do have "body points", of which all characters generally have between about 2 and 5 in addition to their normal "fatigue" hit points given by the roll for their class. Hit points are rolled at each level, no auto-average or fixed amounts.

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?

Yes and no. We take the original rolls and put them onto a bell curve for that stat for that race. So, for example, a normal 3-18 roll goes on to an 8-19 bell curve for a Hill Dwarf's strength, using a table on our roll-up page. See http://www.friendsofgravity.com/gam...st-blue-book-in-html/decbluebook2.html#ranges for details.

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?

This should be tied in with question 1. Yes, in our games pretty much any race can be any class with a few notable exceptions - listing all the possibilities would take longer here than it's worth.

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?

Probably, with or without realizing it. I don't always remember where any particular idea originated.

12) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

The whole game. Over the last nearly 40 years we've pretty much rewritten 1e D&D into our own homebrew system, though it's still somewhat recognizable as 1e. A history of the bigger changes can be found here: http://www.friendsofgravity.com/games/commons_room/victoriarules_summary.html

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?
No. I boost humans and remove all racial class and level limits.

2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?
Yes, but it's house-ruled, mainly to tone down the power level slightly, decrease the amount of xp needed, and make it play nice with other classes.

3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?
A few campaigns stopped around 5th or 6th level. Others in the mid-teens. One went all the way to 20+ and involved divine ascension for some characters. The current one is around 7th and running nicely.

4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?
No, but we use a few of the weapon tweaks from Combat & Tactics (certain weapons get bonuses or penalties against certain armours or when using certain maneuvers).

5) Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?
Sometimes they use them. They always have names and personalities. They do die. Sometimes the characters bring them back.

6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?
I've done some work to address class imbalance, mostly using some of the high-level abilities from the DM Option HL book for the mid to upper teens. Other tweaks are to address minor balance issues or for flavour. With weapon spec/mastery and some added fighting styles from 2e, I find fighters really hold their own. Overall, class comparisons in AD&D are apples to oranges. The classes have their niches and generally work well within those.

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?
No and no. XP totals work fine in my games.

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?
Yes.

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?
Sometimes. Not in the current campaign.

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?
All races can take levels in all classes, so long as it makes sense within the context of the campaign.

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?
I lift ideas from other editions, clones, and variants all the time. I'm an omnivorous DM.

11) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?
Probably removing racial class and level limits and tweaking the human - that's had the most effect on play. Maybe also the way I handle speciality priests. They get customised spell lists and can cast spells spontaneously, and get granted powers different to the cleric. Clerics have to prepare spells and are priests of an entire pantheon, while spec priests follow a single god.

1.yes,flavor
2.yes,houseruled
3. 9th
approx
4.no
5.yes,yes, as much as PCs
6 about 12th
7.yes,but no alterations
8.no
9.yes
10.no
11.no.

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?

I have since dumped level limits, humans get buffed.

2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?
Generally not used. 2E one is fine

3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?
8-12

4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?
No/very rarely.

5) Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?
Yes and they take their chances. They are basically minor PCs or replacements if one dies.

6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?
I look at xp not levels. MU tend to be a bit OP in the mid level (5-6) relative to xp costs. They level up faster than fighters at some levels (not in BECMI though).

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?
No this is a featyure not a drawback. The tables are a bit funky for some classes though (Druid, mid level wizards).

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?
Yes

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?
Yes

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?
Sometimes, depends on the campaign. More for 2E than 1E though.

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?
Fighters get this in 1E as well. More likely to tweak a class than use another game. Open to the idea though.

11) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

BAB over THAC0, ascending ACs, no level limits, buffed humans.

Bill Edmunds said:

1) Do you use the racial level limits from the PHB or UA, if you use them at all? If you do use them, is it more for flavor or as a balancing factor?

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No. Everyone (allowed as a PC species) can advance the same.

Bill Edmunds said:

2) Is the Barbarian from UA used in your games? If so, do you follow the class as written, or is it house ruled?

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It was...I believe we didn't house ruled it (talking more than a few years ago). It was a bit overpowered as I recall...but nowhere near as badly as Cavaliers or introducing dual-wielding rangers....Yeah, a lot of 1e UA was pretty out of balance. hahaha.

Bill Edmunds said:

3) In general, what level do characters in your campaigns reach before putting them to bed and beginning a new campaign with new characters?

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hmmm. That's kind of a complicated question. There really was no "cut off" other than when we wanted to play different things or use different modules. I think, in 30+ years, the number of characters that developed, uninterrupted (or not jumping), from levels 1 through the mid-teens was only twice. More often than not was either getting from 1st through 7th or maybe up to 10 OR, most often, "I got this module that's levels 4-7." So we were starting at/with 4th level characters we'd make up. "I have this adventure for 12th-15th" So, we were either bumping existing characters to the requisite level or just making character up at that level (and coming up with a bit of backstory to explain how we'd gotten there). So, there really isn't even an "average" way we did it. But I would say play much above 12th-15th level was not at all common.

Bill Edmunds said:

4) Does your campaign use weapon armor class adjustments?

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Oh, that? Nah.

Bill Edmunds said:

5) Do your adventurers use henchmen? If so, do they have names and personalities? Do they ever get killed off?

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Sometimes. Yes, they'd have names and personalities...sometimes rather shallow, sometimes quite rich. And, ohhh yes. It's 1e. Everybody can -and sometimes would- die.

Bill Edmunds said:

6) At what level, if any, do you feel characters become imbalanced in relation to each other? For example, does the M-U become vastly more powerful than the fighter at xth level?

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This is a common trope of game designer talking points..."the quadratic MU/linear fighter" or whatever. I never really noticed it. In 1e, the fighters (and other non-spell users) were thrilled with increasing levels and accumulating magic items (weapons, armor, shields, special miscellany). We were always playing within 2-3 levels of each other -even in rather large groups. So, to my mind, no one ever seemed to be SO much more powerful than the rest.

Bill Edmunds said:

7) Do you have any issues with the XP costs certain classes require to reach certain levels? For example, 200,001 xp gets the Druid to 11th level, but only 8th level for the cleric. If so, do you alter those XP requirements?

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That druid XP table was completely out of whack with pretty much every other class. Yeah, we sorta kept it all close...like I said, if we were beginning a campaign with characters starting in a module (or homebrewed adventure) that had us beginning at 3rd level, then we were starting at 3rd level...then XP got divvied up evenly/fairly. IF this began to be too divergent, levels-wise, it was equally likely that we'd just start a different campaign/adventures/new characters as tell the lagging PC(s) to bump themselves up...or maybe throw them a side-quest/one shot to get them some extra xp/up to speed...if no one was interested in changing characters/campaigns.

Bill Edmunds said:

8) Do 1st level characters in your campaign receive maximum HP?

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Oh yes! hahaha.

Bill Edmunds said:

9) Do you use the minimum/maximum racial ability scores illustrated on character race table III?

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I did, yes. Still do in my own homebrew system. Allowing races to be classes and advance as high as they can/like is one thing. The ability min/max's were more of flavor thing describing the ways in which these species were "Better/worse" than what humans were capable of. Now, they -as any PC- could find/seek/receive magical ways to get beyond their "natural" range of abilities. But were they used? Yes.

Bill Edmunds said:

10) Does your campaign allow races to take certain classes not allowed in the PHB, such as the elf being allowed to take levels in Druid? If so, what are they?

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Any PC species can be any PC class that makes sense for the established campaign setting's culture of that species. So, it would differ depending on who was DMing/what world we were or are in. As a general rule, "the Big 4" (Fighter, MU, Thief, Cleric) were available to everyone...even if their presence within a given species' society might not be all that common (a dwarven mage or an elfin cleric wouldn't really have a place in the society and be viewed as fairly odd ducks, if not downright outcast/outlawed). Subclasses are a different story. Could an elf be a druid? Clearly yes. Could a dwarf? No. Could a dwarf be a paladin? Yes. Could an elf? No. So it's kinda all over the map and strictly campaign setting dependent.

Bill Edmunds said:

11) Do you ever port over things from other RPGs? For example, using C&C's 4th level fighter ability that allows them to make an extra attack against creatures with 1 HD?

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I think we were more guilty of simply making stuff up, than pulling things from other games. hahahaha. Nowadays, oh yeah, there's pilfering going on from all kinds of places...mechanically, thematically, flavor wise, plot ideas. In 1e, it's all fair game for...assimilation. lol.

Bill Edmunds said:

12) What would you describe as the most significant house rule(s) in your game?

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Hmm...that's an interesting questions...the most "significant"...Well, I guess I would say my spontaneous spellcasting houserule. Nowadays it's hardly even worth mentioning, since the "sorcerer" class was introduced and "at will magics" and other different mechanical spellcasting/magic-using things, but in 1e, it was viewed as damned near revolutionary -if not outrageously overpowering (which it really wasn't at all, but might sound powerful). What I referred to as "Spontaneous casting" basically said that arcane spellcasters, as they increased in power and mastery of the magical arts, were allowed to cast lower level spells without memorizing/choosing them at start of day/during your memorization study. Essentially, when you gained spells two spell-levels higher than your lowest spell level, those spells (that you knew, had in your spellbook) no longer needed to be prepared but could be spontaneously chosen in situations, as needed. You are still bound to your daily allotment, but could select spells on the fly up to your slot allowance. So, at 3rd level, you could spontaneously use your cantrips as needed. At 5th level (gaining 3rd level spells), you could cast 1st level spells (that you knew/had in your spellbook) spontaneously. At 7th -getting 4th level spells- you could choose cantrips, 1st and 2nd level spells on the fly. And so on.

Like I said, nowadays with all the casting mechanics and differing classes of arcane magic-users, this is rather obsolete. But in a traditional 1e game, it was pretty significant.

Cool survey. Look forward to updates/hearing how your project goes.
--steeldragons