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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 9555119" data-attributes="member: 7026594">No, I don't think so.The logical assumption, at the time, was that the player would naturally be trying to get and use poison.  As an Assassin especially, being the only class where using poison was called out as a "yes" on the armor and weapons permitted chart (PH page 19).  So Gary expected that Assassin PCs would be trying to get their hands on and using poisons whenever they got the opportunity, and would naturally ask at higher levels about making their own.That "superior" players get rewarded by unlocking cool new abilities at higher levels, through cleverness and persistence.  At least that was the idea.  The design wasn't always good.Absolutely.  Rare miss by Voadam, who's usually super reliable on these kinds of details. [tips hat]Yes, the 1E DMG is badly edited and a lot of it is written assuming context that later players missed.  There are lots of examples. I remember Delta writing about how crappy and awkward <a href="https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2012/02/damn-you-gygax-part-1.html" target="_blank">the disease rules</a>, the <a href="https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2012/02/damn-you-gygax-part-2.html" target="_blank">naval rules</a> and the basic <a href="https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2012/02/damn-you-gygax-part-3.html" target="_blank">overland travel rules</a> in the DMG are, and writing about what a revelation it was when he finally read OD&D.  Because the simpler, more playable and gameable original versions of those rules are THERE.  And the AD&D versions are much more properly read as EXPANSIONS of and additional detail for those original systems.  It was Gary's and TSR's failure to properly organize and write the AD&D 1E books which led to so many lacunae and wonky systems.I don't think that the idea of restricting poison-making to high level and keeping it secret was a TERRIBLE idea.  I think the implementation was maybe a bit off.  9th (Name) level IS a logical point to do it from the perspective of OD&D and AD&D.  Name level is when a lot of the classes fully come into their powers and unlock capstone-type abilities, like making a stronghold, attracting followers, or being able to make magic items.  But I imagine if I was running 1E by the books I might give the player at least SOME hint if they attempted study at a lower level- "Your skills are not sufficient to attempt this study".  Or I might make a house rule that they could grasp the course of studies with an investment of the specified money and time and a 5% per character level chance of success (but guaranteed at 9th).</blockquote>

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