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[Let's Read] Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules, by Tom Moldvay
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<blockquote data-quote="rogueattorney" data-source="post: 6077451" data-attributes="member: 17551"><p>Iosue posted again, while I was writing... I'll catch up.</p><p></p><p><strong>Halflings:</strong> There's a couple missing items with halflings. Halflings' xp bonus is kind of unclear. To be a halfling, you must have a Dex of 9. The prime requisites are strength and dexterity. If you have one or the other above 13, you get a 5% xp bonus. If you have both above 13, you get a 10% xp bonus. What if your Str is below 9 (usually a penalty to xp when your prime requisite is below 9) and your Dex is above 13? My reading is that you'd still get the 5% bonus for xp for having the high Dex.</p><p></p><p>Also, later in the book (pg. B13), "Halfling" is listed as one of the additional languages a character could learn. However, it isn't noted in the halfling's description that they can speak the language. I think that's just an omission and let pc halflings speak their native tongue. </p><p></p><p><strong>A word about magic-users:</strong> Magic-users can be the toughest class to play at low levels. They are probably the weakest class to begin with, and have a high mortality rate. In my view, humans really aren’t cut out to cast magic well, unlike, say, elves and dragons. I wouldn’t recommend the class for beginners. </p><p></p><p>On the plus side, once a magic-user gets to fourth or fifth level, he gradually becomes the most powerful member of the party. Once magic-users get over the “hump” and discover their potential, their power becomes virtually unlimited. Thus, high-level magic-users are the most powerful beings you are going to face in the campaign world. However, it’s a real tough road to hoe to get that far, and there’s a reason why there are so few powerful human practitioners of magic in my campaign worlds. In that respect, the magic-user can also be the most rewarding class to play.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thief skills:</strong> I think of the thief skill percentages as base scores in non-optimum conditions. (Moving silently when there isn’t any other noise to cover the movement, for example). I'll give bonuses in optimum conditions.</p><p></p><p>A thief who has an unlimited amount of time to open a non-magical lock can eventually get it open. Taking a locked treasure chest out of the dungeon to a well-lit room without the risk of wandering monsters will usually result in an unlocked chest.</p><p></p><p>I interpret the later rule on B22 to mean that all characters can find large structural traps such as pit traps on a 1 in 6 (or a 1 or 2 in 6 for dwarves), and thieves use that chance of finding the larger type traps until third level, when their find traps chances exceed that of the other characters.</p><p></p><p>Generally, I think the chance to remove traps just applies to small, non-structural traps such as a poisoned needle in a lock. A pit trap built into the dungeon floor, for example, cannot be removed. I might, however, require a remove traps roll to neutralize a larger trap if the method the thief is using to neutralize the trap is difficult. (Placing a plank across a pit trap and walking over would succeed automatically – throwing a rope over a beam and swinging across the pit will probably require a roll.) I don't usually have a failure to remove a trap trigger it. I think that's doing a disservice to the thief.</p><p></p><p>Likewise, I think failure to move silently or hide in shadows does not mean that the thief is automatically noticed. It just means that he does not have an increased chance of not being noticed.</p><p></p><p>In my campaigns, to employ his backstab, the thief will have to be “unnoticed” and approaching the victim from behind. Generally speaking, this means his opponent will have to have been surprised. Successful Move Silently and Hide in Shadows rolls increase the chance to surprise. The opponent will also have to have a discernible back in order to be backstabbed. (Green slimes, for example, have no back and therefore cannot be backstabbed.) Thieves should certainly hang back from melee and attempt to move into position to backstab opponents, falling back on missile weapons when that isn’t possible.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rogueattorney, post: 6077451, member: 17551"] Iosue posted again, while I was writing... I'll catch up. [B]Halflings:[/B] There's a couple missing items with halflings. Halflings' xp bonus is kind of unclear. To be a halfling, you must have a Dex of 9. The prime requisites are strength and dexterity. If you have one or the other above 13, you get a 5% xp bonus. If you have both above 13, you get a 10% xp bonus. What if your Str is below 9 (usually a penalty to xp when your prime requisite is below 9) and your Dex is above 13? My reading is that you'd still get the 5% bonus for xp for having the high Dex. Also, later in the book (pg. B13), "Halfling" is listed as one of the additional languages a character could learn. However, it isn't noted in the halfling's description that they can speak the language. I think that's just an omission and let pc halflings speak their native tongue. [B]A word about magic-users:[/B] Magic-users can be the toughest class to play at low levels. They are probably the weakest class to begin with, and have a high mortality rate. In my view, humans really aren’t cut out to cast magic well, unlike, say, elves and dragons. I wouldn’t recommend the class for beginners. On the plus side, once a magic-user gets to fourth or fifth level, he gradually becomes the most powerful member of the party. Once magic-users get over the “hump” and discover their potential, their power becomes virtually unlimited. Thus, high-level magic-users are the most powerful beings you are going to face in the campaign world. However, it’s a real tough road to hoe to get that far, and there’s a reason why there are so few powerful human practitioners of magic in my campaign worlds. In that respect, the magic-user can also be the most rewarding class to play. [B]Thief skills:[/B] I think of the thief skill percentages as base scores in non-optimum conditions. (Moving silently when there isn’t any other noise to cover the movement, for example). I'll give bonuses in optimum conditions. A thief who has an unlimited amount of time to open a non-magical lock can eventually get it open. Taking a locked treasure chest out of the dungeon to a well-lit room without the risk of wandering monsters will usually result in an unlocked chest. I interpret the later rule on B22 to mean that all characters can find large structural traps such as pit traps on a 1 in 6 (or a 1 or 2 in 6 for dwarves), and thieves use that chance of finding the larger type traps until third level, when their find traps chances exceed that of the other characters. Generally, I think the chance to remove traps just applies to small, non-structural traps such as a poisoned needle in a lock. A pit trap built into the dungeon floor, for example, cannot be removed. I might, however, require a remove traps roll to neutralize a larger trap if the method the thief is using to neutralize the trap is difficult. (Placing a plank across a pit trap and walking over would succeed automatically – throwing a rope over a beam and swinging across the pit will probably require a roll.) I don't usually have a failure to remove a trap trigger it. I think that's doing a disservice to the thief. Likewise, I think failure to move silently or hide in shadows does not mean that the thief is automatically noticed. It just means that he does not have an increased chance of not being noticed. In my campaigns, to employ his backstab, the thief will have to be “unnoticed” and approaching the victim from behind. Generally speaking, this means his opponent will have to have been surprised. Successful Move Silently and Hide in Shadows rolls increase the chance to surprise. The opponent will also have to have a discernible back in order to be backstabbed. (Green slimes, for example, have no back and therefore cannot be backstabbed.) Thieves should certainly hang back from melee and attempt to move into position to backstab opponents, falling back on missile weapons when that isn’t possible. [/QUOTE]
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