OSR What Do You prefer 1E vs 2E

[Voadam]

Could be wrong but weapons and armor restrictions were more lax in 1E than 2E.

You are not wrong.

2e PH: "Priest: Regardless of his other classes, a multi-classed priest must abide by the weapon restrictions of his mythos. Thus, a fighter/cleric can use only bludgeoning weapons (but he uses the warrior combat value). He retains all his normal priest abilities."

1e PH: "Cleric combinations (with fighter types) may use edged weapons."

More from 1e:

Cleric/Fighter: This combination is strong in defensive and revitalization capabilities, plus the offensive missile and melee combat power of the fighter. Hit points average will be good. Half-elves and half-orcs may be cleric/fighters.

Cleric/Fighter/Magic-user: One of the best of the multi-class options, this gives good offensive and defensive spell capability plus the fighter’s melee combat strength. Half-elves may be cleric/fighter/magic-users.

Cleric/Ranger: See cleric/fighter above. This combination is potent in outdoor situations as well. Half-elves may be cleric/rangers.

Cleric/Magic-user: This combination gives the character a great variety and selection of spells, as well as the use of armor and more weapons. Hit points
are somewhat better than those of the magic-user class alone. Half-elves may be cleric/magic-users.

Cleric/Thief: This is a combination of classes which gives both defensive and stealth potential. Hit points are improved with regard to the thief class only. As with all thief class combinations, however, any functions as a thief are under the restrictions of that class with regard to armor, i.e. only leather armor and no shield. Half-orcs may be cleric/thieves.

Cleric/Assassin: Seemingly strange, this combination is quite understandable when the race which can operate in these two classes at the same time is noted. The combination gives great potential in defensive and stealth situations and very powerful assassination attack capabilities. Hit points are good because of clerical hit dice. Half-orcs may be cleric/assassins.

 

[haakon1]

If I recall correctly, multiclassing as we know it now began in 3e: e.g., “take a level in cleric” means you get the full benefits of whatever class levels you had before, plus the full benefits of Cleric 1 (except starting character Skill Points and HP).

For 1e and 2e, it wouldn’t be true that a C3/MU3 would be equal to a straight C6 or MU6, right? More like 2/3 of the character level of a single class character? I’m trying to remember how multiclassing worked.

 

[Voadam]

If I recall correctly, multiclassing as we know it now began in 3e: e.g., “take a level in cleric” means you get the full benefits of whatever class levels you had before, plus the full benefits of Cleric 1 (except starting character Skill Points and HP).

For 1e and 2e, it wouldn’t be true that a C3/MU3 would be equal to a straight C6 or MU6, right? More like 2/3 of the character level of a single class character? I’m trying to remember how multiclassing worked.

Your xp got split and applied to your two classes so you would advance about half speed in both. Since the xp charts escalated continuously this usually meant a multiclassed character would usually be about a level or two behind single classed characters of the same xp amount, depending on classes and such.

 

[RuinousPowers]

Your xp got split and applied to your two classes so you would advance about half speed in both. Since the xp charts escalated continuously this usually meant a multiclassed character would usually be about a level or two behind single classed characters of the same xp amount, depending on classes and such.

Which certainly isn't bad. Would you rather be a 9th level fighter or an 8/8 fighter/cleric? Or a 7/7/8 fighter/mage/thief?

 

[Maxperson]

I find THACO very easy. At one point basically memorized them along with the tables page numbers and saving throw table.

It's just simple subtraction. You write down your total bonuses, so if you have +3, +7 for your sword you just roll a d20+3. then you subtract that number from your THAC0. So if your THAC0 is 15 and you roll a total of 13, 15-13=AC 2. If you roll a total of 20, 15-20=AC -5. Super simple and easy.

If you have a party member who reliably casts something like bless, then you have a second number that is +4, +7:Bless so you know what to add when you roll.

 

[Maxperson]

To answer the OP, I like 2e much better. I loved having proficiencies and the classes were better done. Specialist wizards, specialty priests, etc.

 

[Maxperson]

Which certainly isn't bad. Would you rather be a 9th level fighter or an 8/8 fighter/cleric? Or a 7/7/8 fighter/mage/thief?

Yep. It was just making it that high that was a problem if your DM played by the book. You started hitting save or die poison at level 1 and energy drains at about level 4-5. Slow poison was useless at low levels since it would end and you'd die anyway and restoration was almost never available at low levels when you needed it. Both things generally hit you while you were out days from anyone that could help you and both had very short time limits.

 

[Lanefan]

If I recall correctly, multiclassing as we know it now began in 3e: e.g., “take a level in cleric” means you get the full benefits of whatever class levels you had before, plus the full benefits of Cleric 1 (except starting character Skill Points and HP).

Yes. That's "additive" levelling. For things that count your level, if you're a F-5/C-1 you count as a 6th; if you're a F-4/C-4 you count as an 8th.

For 1e and 2e, it wouldn’t be true that a C3/MU3 would be equal to a straight C6 or MU6, right? More like 2/3 of the character level of a single class character? I’m trying to remember how multiclassing worked.

I call this "side-along" levelling, and it's by far my preferred way of doing it.

If the levels of the two (or three) classes are about equal, the character functions roughly as effectively as a single class of its highest level plus 1 per extra class. So, a 3-3 would be roughly on par with a single-class 4 while a 3-3-3 would be about equal to a 5.

The big advantages you had were greater flexibility in what you could do, plus having more levels to feed to level-draining undead before you cacked off.

The disadvantages were that you were often never quite as good at anything as a single-class, you had to train twice as often, and the player had to do a bit more math every time xp were given out.

 

[The Soloist]

We never played 1e as written because we converted from B/X and assumed many rules were the same. I discovered this about 3 years ago when I reread the books. 1e is very nostalgic for me but we didn’t play it for very long because of real life events. There was a long hiatus with no D&D.

2e on the other hand, we read all the rules and played them RAW. No influence from B/X. I prefer 2e even if the illustrations are bad and High Gygaxian has been scrubbed. THAC0 is better than checking a table. It became intuitive.

2e felt like D&D to me. I knew on which page all the rules and spells were. 2e was my most successful D&D campaign and lasted the longest. Only 5e came close to beating it.

 

[Mannahnin]

If the levels of the two (or three) classes are about equal, the character functions roughly as effectively as a single class of its highest level plus 1 per extra class. So, a 3-3 would be roughly on par with a single-class 4 while a 3-3-3 would be about equal to a 5.

Eh. Kind of a tricky thing to measure. Usually having fewer and lower-level spells, worse attacks and saves, and worse HP than a single-classed character of your same XP and stats is a significant cost for the flexibility, especially given that you can still only do one thing at a time.

The big advantages you had were greater flexibility in what you could do, plus having more levels to feed to level-draining undead before you cacked off.

Yup.

The disadvantages were that you were often never quite as good at anything as a single-class, you had to train twice as often, and the player had to do a bit more math every time xp were given out.

Being a level or two behind is definitely something you always feel if you're a spellcaster. And the way HP work and with the lower overall HP totals in 1E compared to WotC-era, you're always significantly squishier, especially once the single-classed PCs cross a saving throw advancement threshold. This is a bit variable, though, depending what level you're at. Obviously you always feel weaker when the single-classes PCs have just crossed an important advancement threshold.