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<blockquote data-quote="rogueattorney" data-source="post: 5070613" data-attributes="member: 17551">We've had some debate in my groups as to whether a 10 AC is even possible under the Basic rules - i.e., whether 9 is the worst AC can be.&nbsp; None of the charts in the Basic or Expert rules have 10 AC as an option, and this was before later versions of D&amp;D and AD&amp;D turned the &quot;to hit&quot; tables into mathematical functions.&nbsp; We decided that 9 was the worst AC that you could have.The last time I played a first level magic-user - just a couple weeks ago - I lobbed around flasks of oil and a lantern to burn things.&nbsp; I threw some food to distract some rats from an injured party member.&nbsp; I searched for secret doors, talked to monsters and npcs, looted the bodies, puzzled over magic puzzles, and ran away a lot.&nbsp; I never actually cast my spell (Light) and never even used by dagger in melee.&nbsp; I still had a ball.You're right.&nbsp; This is one of those things that is entirely left up to the DM.&nbsp; We always used to play that the holy symbol was necessary for the cleric to use his powers (spells and turning), but there's no reason why the DM has to make it so.&nbsp; The DM could decide the holy symbol gives a bonus to turning, or allows non-clerics a limited chance to turn undead (like presenting the cross to a vampire in the old movies), or acts as a sort of bless spell in certain situations, or bestows the favor of the gods in whatever form that takes, or whatever.&nbsp; I'd be particularly interested in what the players might think its use would be.Another one that's up to DM interpretation.&nbsp; Generally speaking, we played that if the normal rations were taken into an environment that could spoil the rations (pretty much any dungeon), then they'd be spoiled.Probably more relevant to the continuing campaign than to the one-shot you're running, but I've found in DMing the B/X games is that the key to making it fun for the players is to view the fairly small lists of things as &quot;a good start&quot; more than an exhaustive list.&nbsp; If the player comes to you with an item of equipment, or a spell, or class idea, or whatever work with it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="rogueattorney, post: 5070613, member: 17551"] We've had some debate in my groups as to whether a 10 AC is even possible under the Basic rules - i.e., whether 9 is the worst AC can be. None of the charts in the Basic or Expert rules have 10 AC as an option, and this was before later versions of D&D and AD&D turned the "to hit" tables into mathematical functions. We decided that 9 was the worst AC that you could have. The last time I played a first level magic-user - just a couple weeks ago - I lobbed around flasks of oil and a lantern to burn things. I threw some food to distract some rats from an injured party member. I searched for secret doors, talked to monsters and npcs, looted the bodies, puzzled over magic puzzles, and ran away a lot. I never actually cast my spell (Light) and never even used by dagger in melee. I still had a ball. You're right. This is one of those things that is entirely left up to the DM. We always used to play that the holy symbol was necessary for the cleric to use his powers (spells and turning), but there's no reason why the DM has to make it so. The DM could decide the holy symbol gives a bonus to turning, or allows non-clerics a limited chance to turn undead (like presenting the cross to a vampire in the old movies), or acts as a sort of bless spell in certain situations, or bestows the favor of the gods in whatever form that takes, or whatever. I'd be particularly interested in what the players might think its use would be. Another one that's up to DM interpretation. Generally speaking, we played that if the normal rations were taken into an environment that could spoil the rations (pretty much any dungeon), then they'd be spoiled. Probably more relevant to the continuing campaign than to the one-shot you're running, but I've found in DMing the B/X games is that the key to making it fun for the players is to view the fairly small lists of things as "a good start" more than an exhaustive list. If the player comes to you with an item of equipment, or a spell, or class idea, or whatever work with it. [/QUOTE]

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