AD&D1 Combat Exercise

[TerraDave]

He did. It was so ridiculously and horribly complex that you missed it.

Ah hah. Yes. But for the case were the higher weapon speed was a whole multiple of the lower weapon speed...or am I thinking of surprise...

 

[Korgoth]

I played lots of 1E. Suffice to say, there was no such thing as "RAW". We played it how we played it. The DM was technically the final arbiter of which rules would be applied, and how, but in practice it was never an issue.

If the DM said "Roll a d10" then you rolled it. He was going to adjudicate based on the result, etc.

The 1E DMG was really just a big toolbox. In practice, the game we usually played was very close to Classic D&D mechanically, but with the 1E races, classes, monsters and magic items.

 

[Mr. Patient]

Because that would have been so much easier under any other edition.

I see a lot of griping about how complex grappling is under 3e, but surely it is way simpler than what was presented in the 1e DMG, isn't it? I mean, I love the older editions (especially Moldvay), but I have to admit that the unarmed combat rules, at least as first presented, were completely preposterous.

I'm not too familiar with 3e psionics, but I have to believe that they've made that a little easier, too. So I think there's some truth to what Olgar is saying.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I see a lot of griping about how complex grappling is under 3e, but surely it is way simpler than what was presented in the 1e DMG, isn't it? I mean, I love the older editions (especially Moldvay), but I have to admit that the unarmed combat rules, at least as first presented, were completely preposterous.

I'm not too familiar with 3e psionics, but I have to believe that they've made that a little easier, too. So I think there's some truth to what Olgar is saying.

Here it would have been as easy as pie - psionic versus non-psionic combat rules state that the only attack that can be used versus non-psionics (which bugbears, goblins and hobgoblins most certainly are) is psionic blast. It's range and area of effect are clearly stated. The psionic half-elf in question, assuming he had the points to do so, would have stepped up, blasted, and the victims would have had to have saved or been confused, stunned, or dead.

Just that simple, really.

Now put a mind-flayer in that group, then things get sticky. But again, so do they in 3rd edition...

And I won't argue about the grappling except to say "Hey, it's easier when you use UNEARTHED ARCANA" and "did any edition get grappling/pummeling right?"

 

[Mr. Patient]

psionic versus non-psionic combat rules state that the only attack that can be used versus non-psionics (which bugbears, goblins and hobgoblins most certainly are) is psionic blast.

Indeed! I had forgotten about that.

And "did any edition get grappling/pummeling right?"

4e, of course! (Actually, I'm one of the few who doesn't have much of a problem with 3e grappling. Just get rid of the size bonuses).

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Here it would have been as easy as pie - psionic versus non-psionic combat rules state that the only attack that can be used versus non-psionics (which bugbears, goblins and hobgoblins most certainly are) is psionic blast. It's range and area of effect are clearly stated. The psionic half-elf in question, assuming he had the points to do so, would have stepped up, blasted, and the victims would have had to have saved or been confused, stunned, or dead.

So just for fun, at least one of the bugbears has psionics too ...

 

[thedungeondelver]

So just for fun, at least one of the bugbears has psionics too ...

Bugbears are clever but they ain't that clever.

Now if you said yellow mold or a black pudding...well, that'd be different!



(And before anyone starts to rail, I always thought that was one of the coolest little kinks in the MONSTER MANUAL - that those mindless creatures could on occasion reduce the brain of some haughty adventurer to so much tapioca!)

 

[WSmith]

BAH! Forget grappling in any edition. Fight enemies the old fashion way; with a long sword (1d8)

 

[Gentlegamer]

BAH! Forget grappling in any edition. Fight enemies the old fashion way; with a long sword (1d8)

d12 vs. larger-than-man-sized opponents

 

[SavageRobby]

Ah, the glories of AD&D combat. I'd almost forgotten.


Korgoth's recollections match mine. I don't ever recall playing it RAW, or seeing anyone play it RAW, or even hear of anyone playing it RAW. We mished and mashed stuff together with glee, even from other game systems. That was half the fun, IMO. But it did give a solid framework to be able to add to and change (mutilate?) the rules w/out throwing the rest of the rules way too far out of whack.