D&D General Why is "OSR style" D&D Fun For You?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Reach of the Roach God, the final (alas) A Thousand Thousand Islands book, is now available to non-backer customers in the US through Spearwitch. The site doesn't make it clear, but you get a PDF along with your order. The book will never be reprinted, per the now-split partners, so get it now, if you want it.

 

[ECMO3]

Also Widsom and Intelligence did not do much at all in game and Charisma was limited in AD&D.

Intelligence let a magic user learn spells and gave his maximum number of spells in his book and at very high levels the maximum level of spells. But a Magic-User with a 9 intelligence had the same fireball and same charm person as a magic- user with a 19.

Wisdom gave a bonus to some saving throws and gave Clerics extra castings per day.

Those two stats were not very important for Magic-Users and Clerics respectively and they were completely irrelevant for other classes.

Charisma was meaningful during some social interactions, if the DM played that way, but often they did not.

Strength, Dexterity and Constitution affected melee attacks, missile attacks and hit points so these stats were relevant, but at the end of the day a level 6 Cleric with a 9 strength swinging a Flail was doing the same damage as a level six fighter swinging a longsword with a 15 strength and were pretty close to a fighter with a 17 ..... and since there were no Cantrips and Vancian casting those clerics (and wizards) were swinging weapons a lot in combat.

 

[Nikosandros]

Also Widsom and Intelligence did not do much at all in game and Charisma was limited in AD&D.

Intelligence let a magic user learn spells and gave his maximum number of spells in his book and at very high levels the maximum level of spells. But a Magic-User with a 9 intelligence had the same fireball and same charm person as a magic- user with a 19.

Wisdom gave a bonus to some saving throws and gave Clerics extra castings per day.

Those two stats were not very important for Magic-Users and Clerics respectively and they were completely irrelevant for other classes.

Charisma was meaningful during some social interactions, if the DM played that way, but often they did not.

In AD&D, magic-users have to roll for each new spell they want to add to their spell books. Also, with a low INT they ran out of spells they can add, when they hit the threshold.

The bonus spells from wisdom are super important and quite a boost for clerics and druids.

Charisma is vital when you try to negotiate to avoid combats. Also, very important for henchmen and hirelings.

 

[pemerton]

The bonus spells from wisdom are super important and quite a boost for clerics and druids.

The rules are ambiguous, but I think it makes more sense for druids not to get WIS boost to spells.

 

[overgeeked]

In AD&D, magic-users have to roll for each new spell they want to add to their spell books. Also, with a low INT they ran out of spells they can add, when they hit the threshold.

The bonus spells from wisdom are super important and quite a boost for clerics and druids.

Charisma is vital when you try to negotiate to avoid combats. Also, very important for henchmen and hirelings.

And they have to find or research new spells. They don't get to just pick.

 

[Nikosandros]

The rules are ambiguous, but I think it makes more sense for druids not to get WIS boost to spells.

Druids are a sub-class of clerics and so do get bonus spells, like the sub-classes of fighters get exceptional strength and the higher HP bonus for high CON. This is also clarified in the PHB errata (Dragon 35) and from Gary himself.