AD&D 1E Rules that are kinda cool but everyone forgot

Moving Pictures · 2026-03-10T22:04:38+0000

Lanefan said:
Elves would have a hard time getting to those limits anyway due to another oft-forgotten (or discarded) rule: they couldn't come back from the dead, once killed.

Which speaks to another thing that's always bothered me: the super-long lifespans of elves.

I gave them the same lifespan, ultravision, better dex, worse strength.

What I realize writing this? Doing that allows "Long-lived gorgeous pointy-eared beings of intelligence and grace" to be fey....

Huh.

Moving Pictures · 2026-03-10T22:05:26+0000

Ralif Redhammer said:
Yeah, while I think some people might have not played a Dwarf of Halfling because some day they might hit a limit, I think for most it just didn't come up in play. I had one campaign that went long enough for it to matter. Far more odious were the limits to which classes they could be.

It's kinda funny how long it took for someone to come up with the idea of just giving humans a power bump rather than restricting demihumans.

I remember playing a half-elf that slammed against the cleric level limit .... that was annoyingly low.

Rabulias · 2026-03-10T23:15:11+0000

Lanefan said:
Elves would have a hard time getting to those limits anyway due to another oft-forgotten (or discarded) rule: they couldn't come back from the dead, once killed.

They could, but you would need reincarnate, resurrection, or wish, IIRC.

Lanefan · 2026-03-10T23:18:15+0000

Rabulias said:
They could, but you would need reincarnate, resurrection, or wish, IIRC.

Reincarnate or Wish (if well worded) maybe, but I'm very dubious about Resurrection.

Edit to add: and the obvious problem with Reincarnate, of course, is you risk coming back as a badger or something else completely unplayable.

cbwjm · 2026-03-10T23:22:33+0000

Lanefan said:
Reincarnate or Wish (if well worded) maybe, but I'm very dubious about Resurrection.

Edit to add: and the obvious problem with Reincarnate, of course, is you risk coming back as a badger or something else completely unplayable.

I think it might be different in 2e, but looking at raise dead and resurrection in 1e, looks like the latter doesn't work on elves either.