OSR Old school wizards, how do you play level 1?

[CleverNickName]

And do you think your feelings are typical?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

 

[The Sigil]

The magic user in 1E/BECMI was usually the character with the highest Intelligence score.

As such, I tended to play him as the "general" in the group; the one tracking the positions of enemies, communicating tactics to the front-liners (suggestions, not orders), tossing a spare quiver of arrows to the archer when he ran low, handing a new weapon to the front line fighter when the rust monster ate his sword, etc.

Basically, my job was to keep track of everything going on so the front-liners could focus on swinging their axes without worrying about getting outflanked.

 

[howandwhy99]

It should equally be remarked that the Thief class was almost every bit as unequipped for combat.

How many thousands of thief characters died from ignorance that playing a thief is not done in the front lines of a combat?

The Thief game is all about avoidance. Avoiding combats, avoiding magical challenges, even avoiding traps by disarming them. A thief starts a combat with a backstab or a blackjack. If those fail, they better hold high ground, cover, and distance, and probably even numbers to press an ambush.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And do you think your feelings are typical?

I made no claims that my experience was universal or even predominant.

OTOH, while you may not have intended it to read that way, your statement was phrased in absolutist terms.

 

[Voadam]

It should equally be remarked that the Thief class was almost every bit as unequipped for combat.

How many thousands of thief characters died from ignorance that playing a thief is not done in the front lines of a combat?

The Thief game is all about avoidance. Avoiding combats, avoiding magical challenges, even avoiding traps by disarming them. A thief starts a combat with a backstab or a blackjack. If those fail, they better hold high ground, cover, and distance, and probably even numbers to press an ambush.

The thief is more suited to a ranged attack role with dexterity as their prime requisite stat and some weapon skill. BX thieves can use any weapon so crossbow or bows are appropriate. I think it was Unearthed Arcana that upgraded AD&D thieves to using short bows as allowed weapons with two shots a round as the rate of fire.

The Grey Mouser throwing knives is much more archetype appropriate than Merlin doing so.

 

[Krachek]

I find this interesting comments.

Utubes Gygax vs wizards

 

[Celebrim]

I find this interesting comments.

Utubes Gygax vs wizards

Interesting, but I don't think entirely fair or accurate.

 

[overgeeked]

The Grey Mouser throwing knives is much more archetype appropriate than Merlin doing so.

Yes, let's go with the fantasy archetypes that led to the D&D classes and class fantasy, that points us straight to JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and Jack Vance's Dying Earth. Both of which presented magic-users in ways very similar to TSR-era D&D classes. Gandalf casts maybe three spells across the LotR books and in Dying Earth wizards' brains can only hold a few world-altering spells at a time. Going with fictional archetypes is arguing against at-will cantrips.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I carried daggers and darts. Occasionally a quarter staff but usually the former and let the fighters hold the line.

Administered potions and cowered…the feeling of achievement at 5th level was palpable to the table.

Sleep was a great spell…

One thing I liked about this fragility was no one questioning the use of fighters. They were essential in PC or NPC form…or hirelings whatever.

We rarely ever got anyone past 9th or 10th level…and I can say this new discussion about fighters being inept was not happening at my tables..