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Experience Points & Leveling: A Brief Primer on XP in the 1e DMG, and Why It Still Matters
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<blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 8255455" data-attributes="member: 6855114"><p>Nice analysis. But way off in what was really happening at tables. Synergies has to be taken into account. The cleric was more or less a healbot and its true fighting capacity came at third level with silence and hold person spells.</p><p></p><p>The wizard might get double its spell allotment but there were usually more than one fight per day and fights were resolved way faster back then. This left your wizard stuck with darts and daggers for most fights. The wizards' job was to know when to cast their spells to tip the balance of hard/ key fights.</p><p></p><p>This is also true with the thief. A backstab was a relative rare occurrence at low level. Most of thieves' job was to find/remove trap and to scout ahead. They were not the damage dealer they are today.</p><p></p><p>Also, no classes were guaranteed average HP from the get go. I have seen fighters with 18 con having a mere 40 hp at level 6 and a wizard of level 11 with barely 21 hp at 11th level... Your first level cleric might only get one additional HP for its second level. This is hardly doubling hp. Average hp on leveling was not thing in AD&D. At least not at every tables. I have seen players use a wish to reroll a bad HP roll that they had. </p><p></p><p>Also, you also have to remember that a wizard was not a true wizard until he reached name level and so was it with all other classes. You were simply dabbles in your class until you reached that name level. When my players were meeting a paladin, they knew immediately that the NPC was 9th level. If it was Justicar, it was an 8th level paladin in becoming.</p><p></p><p>This is why training was a thing. Yes it was a mean to relieve players of their gold, sure. But it also reflected the journey that they had started. They needed time to assimilated what they had learned and training was also to make them learn more about their profession. Contrary to modern RPG and 5ed, the starting characters were simply apprentices, novitiates in field. They were not fully formed and ready. I consider the AD&D characters as people that have learned the basic of their trade. Started to work/adventuring before fully ready and taking time to learn more about their trade in their downtime, taking time to catch up with what they have missed by going away early in their training...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Helldritch, post: 8255455, member: 6855114"] Nice analysis. But way off in what was really happening at tables. Synergies has to be taken into account. The cleric was more or less a healbot and its true fighting capacity came at third level with silence and hold person spells. The wizard might get double its spell allotment but there were usually more than one fight per day and fights were resolved way faster back then. This left your wizard stuck with darts and daggers for most fights. The wizards' job was to know when to cast their spells to tip the balance of hard/ key fights. This is also true with the thief. A backstab was a relative rare occurrence at low level. Most of thieves' job was to find/remove trap and to scout ahead. They were not the damage dealer they are today. Also, no classes were guaranteed average HP from the get go. I have seen fighters with 18 con having a mere 40 hp at level 6 and a wizard of level 11 with barely 21 hp at 11th level... Your first level cleric might only get one additional HP for its second level. This is hardly doubling hp. Average hp on leveling was not thing in AD&D. At least not at every tables. I have seen players use a wish to reroll a bad HP roll that they had. Also, you also have to remember that a wizard was not a true wizard until he reached name level and so was it with all other classes. You were simply dabbles in your class until you reached that name level. When my players were meeting a paladin, they knew immediately that the NPC was 9th level. If it was Justicar, it was an 8th level paladin in becoming. This is why training was a thing. Yes it was a mean to relieve players of their gold, sure. But it also reflected the journey that they had started. They needed time to assimilated what they had learned and training was also to make them learn more about their profession. Contrary to modern RPG and 5ed, the starting characters were simply apprentices, novitiates in field. They were not fully formed and ready. I consider the AD&D characters as people that have learned the basic of their trade. Started to work/adventuring before fully ready and taking time to learn more about their trade in their downtime, taking time to catch up with what they have missed by going away early in their training... [/QUOTE]
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Experience Points & Leveling: A Brief Primer on XP in the 1e DMG, and Why It Still Matters
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