I love AD&D

[rounser]

Sure enough, on the page the player quoted from memory, there was a random parargraph with its own heading buried amongst other non-related topics about animals with tough hides (the paragraph uses the boar as its example) not having to make saves against poison bite attacks. Why wasn't this in the MM entry for the boar?

Probably because the Monster Manual was the first book released for AD&D (even retaining some D&Disms, such as no AC above 9 IIRC).

So I'd assume that when Gary was thinking about boars at the time of writing the MM, he wasn't thinking about poisons. But when he began thinking about poisons at the time of writing the DMG, he thought of boars.

Not a very satisfying answer, but just maybe a correct one.

 

[Roland55]

I almost got to use 1e in my last 3e campaign. The setting we play in has been used throughout most of the editions of D&D. I was going to have them travel back in time and then give them 1e versions of their characters since those were the rules of the setting at that time period. It was going to work poerfectly since all the PCs were of race class combinations allowed in 1e. I was going to buy everyone a copy of the 1e PHB for reference.

That is a splendid idea. Of course you realize, I'm going to steal it.

This entire Thread has made my week. It brought back spontaneous memories of good times and good friends.

For that, I thank you all.

 

[Falstaff]

I'm assuming y'all already know about this, but if not:

Black Blade Publishing > Home

NEW First Edition modules.

 

[Nikosandros]

. Why wasn't this in the MM entry for the boar?

Heh, I don't think that anyone here is claiming that AD&D 1e is a well-organized game...

It's a general rule that applies to many creature... still it would be helpful to have a remainder in the MM. However, it's also quite possible that when the MM was being written Gary hadn't even thought yet about such an idea.

BTW, for the curious, the rule is on page 81 of the DMG.

Poison Saving Throws For Monsters:

There are exceptions to the death (or damage) rule for poison. Any
creature with a thick layer of fat (where blood vessels and nerves are
virtually non-existent) will be totally immune to poison from creatures
which are not able to penetrate this fat layer when injecting their poison.
All swine, wereboars included, will be in this protected class. Similarly,
very large creatures poisoned by very small ones are not likely to be
affected. Even the poison of the deadly coral snake would not be likely to
harm an apatosaurus. Giants would simply smash giant centipedes with-
out fear of their poison - which would cause a swelling and rash,
perhaps, at worst. Whenever a situation arises where poison IS involved,
consider both of these cases in reaching a decision.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

It's a general rule that applies to many creature.

And 13-year-old me could have really used Animal Planet back then to make the decision as to which creatures had a sufficient fat layer to protect them from venemous attacks.

Edit: Also, Nikosandros, would you mind posting what the headings of the sections above and below the Poison Saving Throws For Monsters section were? What stuck in my head all these years is how random the placing of that section seemed all those years ago.

I'm not trying to bash 1E here, BTW. These types of things added to the quirkiness of the game in a good way, IMO.

 

[Ulrick]

If it hasn't been said already, you know what's really great about AD&D:

The Dungeon Master's Guide. A classic. I used that DMG all the way up to 3.5e because of the cool stuff that is in it:

1. a random dungeon generator
2. the properties of gemstones and herbs,
3. cartoons ("+2 backscratcher")
4. Gygaxian Prose
5. advice how to deal with troublesome players ("Ethereal Mummy!")
6. disease and parasite infection tables
7. the combat tables not found in the PHB!
8. a halfling getting ate by ghouls
9. illustrations of a group making their way through a dungeon and encountering progressively stronger monsters
10. A list of inspirational reading
11. random city encounters that include a Nycadaemon(!) and a harlot. What kind of of harlot? Roll it up on the harlot table!

That, and the book just "feels" like an old tome with secret knowledge only the DM is supposed to know--especially the one with the cover of the robed man opening the door.

The DMG is dated now when compared to other RPG books, but its still a classic and my favorite.


Edit: The DMG has been mention, but it cannot get enough praise! It's the "Chuck Norris" of RPGs.

 

[Greg K]

That is a splendid idea. Of course you realize, I'm going to steal it.

For that, I thank you all.

Make sure your players on board. If a DM had my friends and I create 3e characters and then presented us with 1e versions of the characters, that DM would find himself (or herself) alone at the table.

 

[Nikosandros]

And 13-year-old me could have really used Animal Planet back then to make the decision as to which creatures had a sufficient fat layer to protect them from venemous attacks.

13-year-old me was blissfully unaware of this rule (and many others)...

Edit: Also, Nikosandros, would you mind posting what the headings of the sections above and below the Poison Saving Throws For Monsters section were? What stuck in my head all these years is how random the placing of that section seemed all those years ago.

This one actually makes sense. It's under Combat (Saving throws). The preceding paragraph is titled Poison Saving Throws For Characters:, while the next one is the beginning of a new section and talks about magical armor and saves.

 

[Mythmere1]

I'm assuming y'all already know about this, but if not:

Black Blade Publishing > Home

NEW First Edition modules.

Not just that, but all the OSRIC stuff is for First Edition. Check out Expeditious Retreat Press for the Advanced Adventure line. About 8 or 9 modules right there. Kenzer has done a couple, too.

And if you expand out into the other retro-clones for OD&D and Basic, there's a lot more that works with virtually no conversions. Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, and BFRPG modules are all highly usable.

Knockspell Magazine contains OSRIC material on a roughly quarterly basis along with Swords & Wizardry (0e) and other clones, and Dragonsfoot has a free e-zine called Footprints with tons of new resources for 1e.

There's a heck of a lot of new material out there.

(I forgot Guy Fullerton's Fane of Poisoned Prophesy, for example).
(and I forgot Fight On! magazine, which is a bit more 0e, but still usable with 1e).

 

[Odhanan]

Yup. AD&D is decidedly alive and well.