TSR Blast from the Past- How to Go Full Monty Haul in AD&D

[Lanefan]

Just a random aside. After reading this thread, I looked at the magical weapons table and I discovered that in the DMG there's no chance to roll a dagger +1, which must have been one of the more common magical weapons in modules!

The magic weapons selection in the 1e DMG is woefully incomplete, given the vast variety of weapons the game has otherwise and the fact that in many settings there would reasonably be a call to enchant much more of that variety than the DMG indicates.

Since I bought Unearthed Arcana before the Dungeon Master Guide (the DMG was unavailable for a while at the stores in Rome where I bought stuff), I've always used the extended listings in UA.

Even UA only scratches the surface.

 

[Voadam]

Just a random aside. After reading this thread, I looked at the magical weapons table and I discovered that in the DMG there's no chance to roll a dagger +1, which must have been one of the more common magical weapons in modules!

Good catch. There is more weirdness the more you look. I am guessing the two entries for hammer +2 with different xp and sale values are a typo. Maces go +1, +2, disruption, +4. Scimitar only comes in +2 varieties (but then the description gives options for them to be like other magic swords).

 

[zenfr0g]

Just a random aside. After reading this thread, I looked at the magical weapons table and I discovered that in the DMG there's no chance to roll a dagger +1, which must have been one of the more common magical weapons in modules!

Since I bought Unearthed Arcana before the Dungeon Master Guide (the DMG was unavailable for a while at the stores in Rome where I bought stuff), I've always used the extended listings in UA.

That is because the charts in the DMG does not take in consideration character levels. What's even more interesting is that when you look at earlier supplements that pre-date AD&D such as Monster & Treasure Assortment I-III, you see a trend where low level magic items are found in low level treasure lots and mid and high level magic items are found in mid and high level treasure lots respectively. Guessing they ditched the idea somewhere along the idea due to page count. As for those supplements, I see some people refer to them for Holmes D&D which is kind of silly as Holmes only went up to third level.

 

[James Gasik]

Well if we're talking about "weird things about powerful AD&D magic items", here's a fun one:

The logic behind the charge costs is puzzling. At first, you think "well, the closer a class is to being considered "good", the easier it is to raise them. No wait, Clerics can be evil! Ok, so the closer a class is to the gods, I guess, the easier it is to raise them? So why is it harder to raise a Monk than a Bard?".

(EDIT: and then I remember 1e Bards are also Thieves, so why is it now easier to raise them from the dead than a Thief?)

Then you get the race costs- ok, maybe it's based on longevity, it's harder to raise a Dwarf than a Halfling...then you get that FOUR POINT COST for half-orcs, who don't typically live that long, so that's not it.

I actually think that this list might very well be telling us what kinds of characters he wants people to play in his games!

(EDIT: except that can't be true, since Bards only cost 2 charges to bring back, and surely he didn't want anyone to even try to play that class!).

 

[Nikosandros]

Well if we're talking about "weird things about powerful AD&D magic items", here's a fun one:

View attachment 413613
The logic behind the charge costs is puzzling. At first, you think "well, the closer a class is to being considered "good", the easier it is to raise them. No wait, Clerics can be evil! Ok, so the closer a class is to the gods, I guess, the easier it is to raise them? So why is it harder to raise a Monk than a Bard?".

(EDIT: and then I remember 1e Bards are also Thieves, so why is it now easier to raise them from the dead than a Thief?)

Probably because bards are druid-like and thus "closer" to clerics.

Then you get the race costs- ok, maybe it's based on longevity, it's harder to raise a Dwarf than a Halfling...then you get that FOUR POINT COST for half-orcs, who don't typically live that long, so that's not it.

Elves and half-orcs can't normally be resurrected, I think that's the reason for the great cost for them.

 

[James Gasik]

Probably because bards are druid-like and thus "closer" to clerics.

Elves and half-orcs can't normally be resurrected, I think that's the reason for the great cost for them.

I mean, yeah, that also makes sense (orcs have no souls, lol). But it doesn't quite explain why it's harder to revive a Halfling than a Human.

 

[Maxperson]

Dang. I think I have an illness. I've spent the last day thinking to myself, "Self, do you know what the world needs now? A long essay detailing how Gygax's fascination with appearing erudite caused him to overuse (and misuse) signals like q.v."

Found it!

• Hypergraphia: A behavioral condition characterized by an intense desire to write or draw.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I mean, yeah, that also makes sense (orcs have no souls, lol). But it doesn't quite explain why it's harder to revive a Halfling than a Human.

It's Gygax. Humans are special.

 

[James Gasik]

It's Gygax. Humans are special.

But that specialness only extends so far- for example, being a half-elf makes you easier to bring back than a full elf. But being a half-orc does not.

You know it just occurred to me that I don't think the 2e Rod (which has nearly the same text) was ever updated to reflect new classes (like the Psionicist) or races (too numerous to count) that were added in that era. I'd check the Encyclopedia Magica, but I only have a pdf of the book and it's missing everything after "rings".

 

[Nikosandros]

You know it just occurred to me that I don't think the 2e Rod (which has nearly the same text) was ever updated to reflect new classes (like the Psionicist) or races (too numerous to count) that were added in that era. I'd check the Encyclopedia Magica, but I only have a pdf of the book and it's missing everything after "rings".

The description in the Encyclopedia Magica is the same as in the 2e DMG, except for the addition of an extra "Kara-Tur" table that adds the OA races and classes (even tough, for some reason, the races and classes are mixed).