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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7963316" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think this is exaggerated.Gygax's PHB (p 40) offers the following definition of the game term monster:It is necessary to stress that the usage of the term "monster" is generic for any creature encountered during the course of adventuring. A monster can be exactly what the name implies, or it can be a relatively harmless animal, a friendly intelligent beast, a crazed human, a band of dwarves, a thief - virtually anything or anyone potentially threatening or hostile. When your referee indicates your character has encountered a monster, that simply indicates a confrontation between your character and some type of creature is about to take place. The results of such a meeting will depend on many factors, including the nature of the monster and your character's actions. All monsters are not bad . . .That doesn't say what you have said.Gygax's DMG, in the City/Town encounter matrix (p 191 - amusingly enougn, within a couple of pages of the famous ilustration of Emirikol the Chaotic blasting townsfolk and guards with his magic), allows for the option that 25% of ruffians encountered are "half-orc or of humanoid race (goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc)." This implies that, in Gygax's conception at least, it was quite possible for humans, orcs and the like to live side-by-side in the same urban areas. Ruffians (p 192) are "fellows of shabby appearance and mean disposition", which seems apt for orcs and their ilk, but is hardly the same as devils, rakshas or demons which the same encounter table treats in a completely different vein (p 191): such encounter "must'be carefully restricted, and . . . may be ignored entirely if desirable. . . Treat these encounters as highly special."One of the earliest D&D PCs was the fighter Robilar. He had an orc henchman.In reading play accounts of B2 KotB, it is common to hear accounts of working with monster group A vs monster group B, or of tricking or paying the ogre so that it fights such-and-such other group, etc. This is conssitent with the reaction roll mechanic which was part of early versions of D&D. In the example of play in Moldvay Basic, which demonstrates the use of that mechanic, the PCs attempt to negotiate with some hobgoblins.There may have been some, perhaps many, early groups who played the game as you describe, but it was not a universal norm and those early texts don't really bear it out.</blockquote>

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