oD&D and levels

[Moon-Lancer]

I have a question for you old guys out thier. In the original d&d game, was 3rd level the highest level? I dont understand the game very well. I have the basic rules set 1 but dont understand that if you can only get to level 3, how did anyone fight dragons in the old days. Was options for higher levels in another book?

 

[OstogVin]

I have a question for you old guys out thier. In the original d&d game, was 3rd level the highest level? I dont understand the game very well. I have the basic rules set 1 but dont understand that if you can only get to level 3, how did anyone fight dragons in the old days. Was options for higher levels in another book?

Yes, there were more than one rulebook. Rules for higher levels are in the "expert rules". There are also "companion", "master" and "immortal" rules in the same series.

http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast/classicDAndD/rulebooks has PDFs of the books for sale.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Thanks this is just want a needed to know.

I have only ever played 3.5, and i thought i would see what the first d&d was like. I hear from many places, that the added rules of ad&d and 2.0 ect ruined the game, so I wanted to see if the hype was true and if od&d was all its cracked up to be. Glad to see they still use a d20.

 

[andargor]

The first D&D? Hrm... I started with the Blue Book in 1977 (the boxed set with the archer, magic-user, and red dragon), and supposedly that's not even "OD&D". The Basic Set and Expert Set came after, did it not?

Can an older fart than myself confirm this? /me casts summon Diaglo.

 

[Henry]

The question is kind complicated. The old Basic sets came out after the "Original" Rules did; the OD&D was 1974, but the various "Basic" sets were from 1977 through the 1980's. The Original rules didn't have a limit, and had a progression chart that went to (what? 9th level I believe?) and was easily expandable with a formula, like the current rules is.

By today's comparison, the original rules were skimpy as heck, and required lots of Dungeon Master ("referee") and Player input. The Basic D&D sets (the first ones were always 1st through 3rd level, with expansions giving more level info) were the first attempt to get new blood constantly rotating into the hobby.

 

[Odhanan]

The Fighting-Men's and Clerics chart went until 10th level, the Magic-Users' went until 16th level, without theorical limit to the amount of experience points a character can get. There is thus no theorical level limit in OD&D (OD&D vol.1, Men & Magic, p.17-18).

 

[an_idol_mind]

My D&D trivia might not be 100%, but here goes:

The original D&D game, released in 1974, had no level cap. Elves, dwarves, and halflings/hobbits had hard level caps, but humans could reach any level. The rulebook only showed advancement through the first dozen or so levels, though.

Basic D&D, which is the red box/blue box/Rules Cyclopedia version that you seem to have, has a level limit of 36. After level 36, characters had to become immortal to advance any further. The blue box was a beginner set, which has the rules for the first three levels. From there, you go on to the expert rules, which has more rules for higher levels.

AD&D, first and second edition, has rules for characters up to level 20. Even so, there's no hard limit on advancement there. Some added rules for 2nd edition set the level cap at 30, others at 40, but it was pretty easy to extrapolate beyond those levels.

D&D 3rd edition likewise has no level limits. The game is however very focused toward the first 20 levels, and things get a littlw weird once you hit epic levels.

 

[diaglo]

The Fighting-Men's and Clerics' charts went until 10th level, the Magic-Users' went until 16th level, without theorical limit to the amount of experience points a character can get. There is thus no theorical level limit in OD&D (OD&D vol.1, Men & Magic, p.17-18).

QFT.