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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GreyLord" data-source="post: 7553543" data-attributes="member: 4348">1) Yes, I normally go by the UA level limits.  You should be aware there is another option for those who play 2e as there are different level limits for AD&D 2e (many would consider 2e as AD&D for survey purposes).  I use it for both flavor and a balancing factor.  If someone wants an elf with no level limits I'll simply let them play a human who is a quarter or less elf but has elven features (so pointed ears and such).  If they don't like that, the question is why they want all the bonuses of a race AND all the other benefits.  It normally boils down to powergaming.  If they can still play with the racial flavor of being treated like an elf but lose out the ability to have a lot of the bonuses (AD&D multiclassing is a huge bonus...a Fighter/Magic-User is going to be FAR more powerful than simply a Fighter or Magic-user single class) and object to that...why?Thus, I allow them to play a racial abbreviation if they want no level limits but normally restrict them to level limits if they choose to use them as such.However, it is also flavor as well.  It adds something to the mix in how various races interact when initially one race can be hands and toes above the other, but the weaker race may have a chance to become more powerful in the end.  It creates a movement towards having an underworld among humans with all powerful elves and others when these races can be unlimited in the power in the hidden Mafioso in the human cities...There is a time and a place where you can toss out or create your own level limits with in reason.  I have played older D&D games (so not really AD&D) where there were no limits on races and classes.  We had several Demi-humans get above level 30.  AT that point it was time to relegate them to Deity status as they were beginning to outclass the pantheon of those campaigns.  Once PC's get to a certain power level, it's time to retire them or send them out of a world that they have out leveled so completely...lest the world is destroyed because they dominate it as no one has the power to resist them.MOST AD&D games though when played as is didn't get past 5th level.  Most of the time level limits don't even come into play. 2) Yes, it is.  It has been houseruled at times.  Sometimes it just is a higher level campaign which shed some of the problems.  Othertimes it's just a LOT easier to use the one that came out with Oriental Adventures instead. 3) This is far different for AD&D than other editions of D&D.  I find actually we have the most adventures ending around level 3 or 4 and campaigns seem to end and we want to start a new one somewhere between levels 5-7.  Rarely we have high level adventures or even characters that make it to name level. 4) Yes at times.  Depends on whether we want to use it or not. 5) Players can get henchmen and hirelings if they so desire.  These will have their own names and personalities for however long or brief they live.  They also get killed.6) If you having to worry about balance with players worried about such things instead of how to be a party...there may be bigger problems with the game.  Normally do not have to worry about it unless one player wants to be a munchkin (aka...refer above to players who want to multiclass, have all demi-human bonuses but no negatives at all from them and no level limits).  At that point normally the munchkin either gets corrected by the players or we have a ritual sacrifice (just kidding...if someone is that disruptive and won't correct normally they'll be asked to join another campaign where such actions might be allowed by me.  Normally it is not an AD&D campaign).If they ever DO get to higher levels...Magic-users tend to become rather all powerful (if they survive) by the time they get to 13th or 14th level.  Clerics and Druids also are excessively powerful at these levels.  They still can be checked (high saves, high/lucky initiative, high HP) but they tend to be able to dominate many battles at these times.  At lower levels normally those playing Magic-users use more wits and intelligence to survive so players who do that with these classes rarely feel out of place.I DO allow the old school OD&D type checks in AD&D so thieves normally do not feel underpowered.  This means that anyone can try to sneak quietly (different than MOVE Silently) or hide behind something or other actions with ability checks or simply just smarts.  Thieves, Assassins and Monks can use their abilities for better situations or a back up which makes it so that they do not feel so useless at low levels. 7) No. 8) No.  I do have a standing rule that they can always roll two dice and take the higher result when gaining a level. I also have it that at first level if they roll under half of the maximum (for example, 4 or under on a d8, or 2 or under on a d4...etc) they can roll until they at least make on roll over half the minimum.  This gives them at least a modicum of survivability, but does not ensure that they have maximum HP. 9) Yes, but we do ignore the maximums for female/male normally.  Luckily we normally play rules as written as no one reaches the maximums or puts their ability score for the maximums at that score.  The only notable times when it really has come up and we ignored it was in the situation of a female halfling.  10) Yes, if defined by the UA 11) Yes and No?  I run a hybrid 1e and 2e game.  Do you count that? 11 (12)) I'm not sure.  Probably if running the hybrid 1e and 2e game, there's a ton of houserules because some of the rules between the two editions are different.  Most likely as when I do that I'm using 2e combat and base rules, the houserule would be allowing PHB and UA classes (Cavalier, Barbarian, Assassin, Monk) in the game as well as the Half-Orc.</blockquote>

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