Anyway, with the usual caveat of "Everyone played AD&D/OD&D" in a different way, I was looking to do a thread to see how people actually played OD&D and AD&D from 1976 - April 1985.*
So here's the questions to answer, along with my answers, in the following parts:
1. Could Druids wear non-metallic armor? If they did, what happened?
In 1e could they wear
non-metallic armor? They were rather
required to wear non-metallic armor. Sooo, yeah. That's how we played. A druid wearing non-metal armor would have nothing "happen" to them. They're not supposed to wear metal armor.
Leather, hides. We permitted studded leather, though I don't recall if there were a specific 1e ruling (in a book) allowing or forbidding it. And, of course, though you had to kinda make these up for yourself, "natural" armors. e.g. Giant insect chittin that would be, like, a banded armor or maybe higher; Enchanted wood/bark plate armor; Dragon-scale scale mail, Bullette-plates plate mail, etc...
Now, if a druid did put on metal armor they would, effectively, be a guy in some metal armor with whatever weapon he'd have and that's it. No magic. No shapeshifting. No druidy druidness of any kind. i.e. That much metal would interfere with the druid's magic (just as it would interfere with the spellcasting of mages/MUs) so they would be unable to do anything noticeable as "a druid."
2. Could Clerics wield edged weapons? If they did, what happened?
Ohhhh no no no. Blunt "non-blood-letting" weapons only (though somehow a morningstar was always -and still- allowed). No blades. No bows/arrows/spears/piercing things. No no. No edged weapons for clerics. Nuh uh.
If they did they'd be in violation of their religious vows n' tenets n' their deity's directives...sooooo, buh-bye cleric magic. Buh-bye channeling. Bye spells. Get thee to a nunnery (or whatever religious organization to which you belong) and get some atonement slapped on ya. Probably go on a quest (difficulty depending on how egregious your offense was) and then be "forgiven" and reain your deity's grace to work their miraculous power.
3. Could Monks use flaming oil? If they did, what happened?
I don't believe I ever knew about this prohibition for Monks. But then, I cant think of ever playing in a game back then that ever had a monk in it..let alone play one myself. If it was in the class description that they couldn't use it, then we wouldn't use it. i don't understand/know from what source/reason that would be the case. But if it were there then we wouldn't have allowed it.
If they did...I dunno. They can throw a flask of holy water (and all thrown weapons) but not one of flaming oil...maybe you could story-it-up as it being a 'dishonorable" way of attacking and that...would throw the monk's spiritual purity/enlightenment/soul into inner turmoil -misalign his chakras, what have you- which would interfere with the effective practice of their abilities. So, again, atonement, meditation, maybe take a quest to regain your "honor'/realign your mind-body-soul to regain your abilities.