D&D 2E On AD&D 2E

[Voadam]

Early D&D has some weird stuff going on with elves and gods. For one thing, elves can't be raised, only reincarnated or resurrected. I believe this is because elves don't have souls, but instead have spirits (whatever the difference is supposed to be). So in that view, it makes sense that it'd be harder for elves to have connections to their gods, and that doing so would require more dedication than the dabbling of a multi-class character.

But not that elves and humans can't multiclass cleric but half-elves are the masters of clerical multiclassing.

If elvish blood/nature makes it harder to connect to gods as a cleric then the half-elf multi class situation is particularly weird. Also that 1e NPC elven clerics can be higher level than half-elven PC or NPC ones.

In the 1e PH it is mostly a PC human thing with half humans (elf and orc, both spirit things) being able to as well. Other demihumans cannot be PC clerics. This reflects Oe where clerics could only be men, MUs could be men or elves, and all PCs could be fighting men.

Once you have the 1e UA/2e PH PC demihuman options the elven restriction on cleric multiclassing stands out as weird.

 

[Staffan]

But not that elves and humans can't multiclass cleric but half-elves are the masters of clerical multiclassing.

If elvish blood/nature makes it harder to connect to gods as a cleric then the half-elf multi class situation is particularly weird. Also that 1e NPC elven clerics can be higher level than half-elven PC or NPC ones.

It's fairly easy to no-prize. While the half-elf shares some of the elf's biology, they are entirely an ensouled creature which makes it relatively easy for them to connect with the gods. This combined with the elf's ability to pursue multiple disciplines at once allows half-elves to multi-class as clerics.

 

[James Gasik]

Of course, this all gets thrown for a loop once you get into Mythos priests, many of whom can multiclass, even in normally illegal combinations. Erevan Ilesere has no issue with allowing any subrace of Elf to be a mythos priest/thief, for example.

 

[deganawida]

Few weeks ago, traded in a bunch of unused RPG books, from 4E and 5E to random OSR systems that I looked at and had decided weren't for me, to Noble Knight. Took the credit option.

Today, my copy of the AD&D 2nd Edition Player's Handbook is due in IIRC, it's a 4th printing, but in VG condition according to the listing.

It's going to be a real pleasure cracking that open again after 25 years. I should not have gotten rid of my originals, but, well, youth.

 

[GreyLord]

Couldn't resist

View attachment 289500

Well, it's hard to beat perfection afterall...