D&D 1E Favorite Obscure Rules from TSR-era D&D

[Mannahnin]

You might think so given the way people wax nostalgic about it. But that's not the case in 1e AD&D. Allow me to provide an excerpt from DMG page 11:

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Yup. It would be obvious just from reading the ability score tables in the PH that AD&D clearly expects people to be using more generous rolling systems, even if it weren't for this and for Gygax explicitly stating in the PH "The premise of the game is that each player character is above average - at least in some respects -and has superior potential. Furthermore, it is usually essential to the character's survival to be exceptional (with a rating of 15 or above) in no fewer than two ability characteristics." (1E PH p9).

 

[Shardstone]

Strangely, yeah, no more hidden features. But many hidden strings attached to abilities the PHB promises you. There's a whole section devoted to finding out what kinds of followers will show up if you bother to set up a keep that isn't in the PHB for example. And several examples of abilities that you technically have, but have to work to get. Like this one:

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Haha, you thought you were getting free horse? Be prepared to spend 2 or more weeks possibly having to duel Warduke himself to get a horse ("What, he's not impossible to defeat!"), and then you get to do it again in 10 years!

This is amazing.

 

[Shardstone]

I don't disagree, but I think that this makes little sense to modern players because rolling for your character's abilities is always done by the player.

In addition, it's weird that it's done for all abilities. While it makes sense for some at some times, for others it is kind of odd. Open locks?

In addition, the sheer amount of constraints that are put on climbing walls (the most abused thief ability?) means that the poor AD&D thief whose DM follows the DMG guidelines will be spared a death from a poor roll on disarming a trap, because they will get killed climbing a wall first.

Makes sense to me.

 

[TwoSix]

You might think so given the way people wax nostalgic about it. But that's not the case in 1e AD&D. Allow me to provide an excerpt from DMG page 11:

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Wow. As long as you're not too concerned about what you play, Method 3 is kind of amazing. Averages about a 14.25 per stat. 25% chance of a 16+.

Edit: Got Str 15, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Cha 12. That's pretty playable!

 

[Undrave]

Wow. As long as you're not too concerned about what you play, Method 3 is kind of amazing. Averages about a 14.25 per stat. 25% chance of a 16+.

Method IV you basically generate six dudes and pick which one you'll use!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Wow. As long as you're not too concerned about what you play, Method 3 is kind of amazing. Averages about a 14.25 per stat. 25% chance of a 16+.

Edit: Got Str 15, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Cha 12. That's pretty playable!

If you think that is amazing, wait until you start using using Method V in Unearthed Arcana!

Obscure Rule- it can only be used by humans, because, um, Gygax?

But it let you pick your class, and then let you roll up to NINE dice for each ability (between three and nine, depending on how important the ability was, so fighters, for example, rolled 9d6 for strength). And if you were below the minimum for the class, then you automatically received that if your roll was to low.

 

[fuindordm]

If you think that is amazing, wait until you start using using Method V in Unearthed Arcana!

Obscure Rule- it can only be used by humans, because, um, Gygax?

But it let you pick your class, and then let you roll up to NINE dice for each ability (between three and nine, depending on how important the ability was, so fighters, for example, rolled 9d6 for strength). And if you were below the minimum for the class, then you automatically received that if your roll was to low.

That method munchkinized my whole AD&D group for a whole year in high school!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

That method munchkinized my whole AD&D group for a whole year in high school!

I'd like to blame UA for all that ailed D&D ....

But then I remember the very first Sage Advice in Dragon Magazine ... in 1979 ... had this question-

In GODS, DEMI-GODS AND HEROES it says that a forty-plus level character is ridiculous. In our game we have two characters that are at one thousand-plus level. This happened in “Armageddon,” a conflict between the gods and the characters. Of course, the characters won. What do you think about that?

So, um, yeah. Pretty sure the first powergamers and munchkins were birthed around the time of the Big Bang.

 

[James Gasik]

That thing at the end is weird, and/or (probably and) I don't understand what you're saying.

Simply put, even though I'm aware of how Comeliness works, I don't know what Wisdom score a NPC has, so I'm not going to say "Hey, this NPC should be fascinated by my character according to the rules"- so I don't bring it up. If my DM wants to use that aspect of Comeliness or not is his prerogative in my opinion. My point is, though he insists on the ability score for characters in his games, I don't believe he actually uses the mechanical benefits as stated in Unearthed Arcana.

In fact, I don't think he's ever rolled for NPC reactions either, nor has he ever asked me for a Charisma check outside of a Non-Weapon Proficiency, so I don't really know if my bonuses to NPC reactions from both high (or low) Charisma/Comeliness are functioning. That's not the say I think he ignores them, but he uses judgment calls and roleplay instead of dice rolls with regards to social interaction with NPC's.

Which is fine, I think lots of DM's do that. Randomly rolling to see if NPC #772 likes you and keeping track of individual NPC attitudes would be tedious, plus it's very possible (especially in 2e, where many Kits grant large bonuses for dealing with particular types of NPC's) that rolling can be a pointless exercise. I have one character who has been around so long that they've drawn the Throne card from the Deck of Many Things on three separate occasions, so they have an 18 Charisma and an additional +10 loyalty adjustment and reaction bonus on top of the normal bonus provided by that ability score (as per the rules of the card)- at this point, if one was slavishly following the rules, it would be rare for any NPC ever to have a negative attitude towards said character.

 

[James Gasik]

I'd like to blame UA for all that ailed D&D ....

But then I remember the very first Sage Advice in Dragon Magazine ... in 1979 ... had this question-

In GODS, DEMI-GODS AND HEROES it says that a forty-plus level character is ridiculous. In our game we have two characters that are at one thousand-plus level. This happened in “Armageddon,” a conflict between the gods and the characters. Of course, the characters won. What do you think about that?

So, um, yeah. Pretty sure the first powergamers and munchkins were birthed around the time of the Big Bang.

Hey, how about we tell the young 'un's the tale of Waldorf, the Wizard who destroyed the world of Greyhawk with his custom Power Word, Nuke spell and wrote to Dragon asking for the xp total of the entire planet so he could ascend to 356th level?