Reading NPC stat block question

[redcloud111]

Hey, guys. Old-school gamer here (circa 80-83). I have been out of the hobby for years. My interest has renewed with all the talk of 5th edition. I was digging around in my old stuff and realized I couldn't remember how to read damage on a monster stat block. For example, it is reading D 2-7 for a 0 level stonemason. What does this mean? I was expecting to see something like 1d6 or something. Please see attachment for the stat block.

Thanks!

 

[Voadam]

2-7 = d6+1.

Sometimes there is multiple ways to come to the number range but often it is a die or two with a flat bonus.

2-8 = 2d4.

Some of these were listed in the AD&D 1e MMII and a few other places but often it was not explained.

 

[redcloud111]

Voadam

Thanks for the speedy reply.

Ah, so if I see D 2-7 or D 2-8, can I assume these are ranges and that they aren't telling me how many dice to use? If so that makes sense. If I want to roll I just choose the best method. 1d6+1 or 1d8, respectively (2 being the lowest possible range for both).

And, yeah, I couldn't find a way to read these stat blocks in the player's guide. MM2 might have it? Okay, I'll take a look.

Thanks!

 

[the Jester]

2-8 is 2d4. You don't want to do the "d8, reroll 1s" thing because you will throw the odds off. (The odds of rolling a 5 on 2d4 are substantially higher than the odds of a 2 or an 8 coming up.)

The 1e MM2 does indeed have a section in the beginning describing what dice make what damage expressions.

 

[redcloud111]

Thanks! I'll check out MM2.

 

[rastus_burne]

As a general rule with damage, if it's a strange number range I attempt to divide it into itself. Say for instance you had 3-12 damage, you could divide 12 into groups of 3 and get the result of 4 - meaning it's a 4-sided dice (d4) and it is rolled 3 times (or 3d4).

Other times with weird numbers like 2-5 you have to assume it's a single (or multiple) dice plus a number modifier (or 1d4+1).

Then, there are those instances where you throw your hands into the air and say "What the hell!?!"

That's the beauty of AD&D.

 

[Yora]

I rather call it the ugliness of AD&D. Simple things made unneccessarily complicated.

 

[rastus_burne]

I rather call it the ugliness of AD&D. Simple things made unneccessarily complicated.

Hi Yora!

 

[redcloud111]

Thanks, all!