Racial Level Limits: Did you Use Them?

[Jan van Leyden]

In the discussion of Cook's latest Legends & Lore contribution and the purported influence of the game designers on how the game is actually played, one member gave the Racial Level Limits as an example on this influence.

This got me wondering: how much use did this level limits actually see back when we were playing AD&D, 1st and 2nd edition?

I want you to help me answer this question via a poll. The options are easily explained:

We observed the limits in all our games: you can't remember a game where this rule was not enforced.

We observed them in all our games, but exceptions were possible: under some special circumstances the DM would let a special character beyond the limits.

We observed them in some games, not in others: it differed from campaign to campaign.

We used modified limits: there were limits in place, but not the ones from the rules.

We didn't observe limits: limits, what limits?

We didn't reach the limits: campaigns ended before the limits were reached.

I don't know were to place my mark! Please explain...

 

[Storminator]

We always used the limits, and often chose class/race combo based solely on the limits. There were a couple times where we had only a single Raise Dead, and chose which PC to raise based on which one had topped out in level.

This was all 1e.

PS

 

[Vascant]

While we had the limits in place there were also ways to breach them as well. It really became a very use tool for role playing elements and gave the party something to do at higher levels.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

We didn't hold to the level limts. Oh we tried a few times but when we reached them and were in position to exceed them it just seemed too arbitrarily cruel not to allow the player to continue.

What we DID observe quite faithfully (a very few singular exceptions) were the allowed classes and multiclass combinations. It's one thing to be told, "Don't even start." It's quite another to be told, "Now that you've come this far and are still having fun - STOP."

 

[juboke]

We follow racial level limits in our AD&D games.

If I was ever to start a new AD&D campaign I have an article EGG wrote on racial level limitations which I liked and would consider using.

Edit: Unearthed Arcania - AD&D 2e Accessory. The article can be found on page 3 and page 4.

 

[Crothian]

We are playing 1e right now and all the players had to look up level limits and such when making characters. Most people went single class human to avoid them, but we are using them.

 

[the Jester]

Woulda been better multiple choice.

We used the limits, rarely reaching them, in 1e; and since they weren't even in the PH in 2e, we mostly ignored/never reached them then.

 

[MoxieFu]

We used them in 1E, then in 2E we started diverging and looking for alternatives, but our game fizzled out shortly after that.

When I resumed playing 2E many years later with other players, we used them as written.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

We rarely hit the limits. On those occasions where we did, we had started with higher level characters already near or at the limits, and thus it was more of a character generation constraint than a later campaign constraint. I don't think we ever had a party started at 1st level survive to name level.

 

[dagger]

For 1e we did (and do) use the level limits but the ones in UA not the PHB.

Sometimes we have allowed folks to rise above the limits with divine (big time, not from a 9th level spell) wishes or just double xp. Case by case.