TSR's "subliminal" message about PC power level

[diaglo]

Actually, that's not true. It's rather surprising, but in 1e the standard method by the rules was 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste. Check the 1e PH, page 9, under the header "Character Abiliites".

Then open your 1e DMG to page 11. Voila!

The 3d6 and keep method was (I believe) in OD&D and later BD&D. It was never the method of choice for AD&D 1e.

QFT.

 

[Glyfair]

Actually, that's not true. It's rather surprising, but in 1e the standard method by the rules was 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste. Check the 1e PH, page 9, under the header "Character Abiliites".

Then open your 1e DMG to page 11. Voila!

As I said, my books aren't handy at the moment I knew the PHB had no methods listed for generating stats (imagine if WotC did that today, the fans would jump on that quick). We used 4d6, but I thought that was the first backup option for stat generation.

Even so, these numbers are quite high even for 4d6 take the best 3.

 

[The Shaman]

The first book I'm going to look at is the AD&D Rogue's Gallery. One section of the book contains stats for various player characters, including many whose names are quite well known.

Glyfair, as you noted these are NPC representations of the different characters, so we don't know for sure what the actual characters stats were during play, but even if we assume they are the correct stats, can we not also assume that the stats were bumped during play?

This was a time when, for example, a draught from a magic fountain could bump a character's attribute by one (provided you defeated the water weird to get to a flagon-full first) - these kinds of features are not uncommon in early modules, so an 8th level fighter with a couple of bumps pushing a high stat to seventeen or eighteern, given the period in which these characters were created and the style of dungeons at the time, doesn't really surprise me all that much.

 

[Glyfair]

Glyfair, as you noted these are NPC representations of the different characters, so we don't know for sure what the actual characters stats were during play, but even if we assume they are the correct stats, can we not also assume that the stats were bumped during play?

Yes. I have 4 more adventures with PC stats in them. 3 look more normal. Isle of the Ape is crazy powerful, though (not too suprising, given the level).

One thing I wanted to see is what people would get as a perception as to a "good character" in those days. I know when 3E came out with point buy, a lot of people complained you could have a character with the stats they were used to. I know a common perception was that if you didn't have an 18 in your primary stat (or maybe a 17), your character was bad.

 

[diaglo]

This round I'm going to breakdown the "Original Tournament Characters" listed in Against the Giants (listed as being for characters levels 8-12. Excuse the names, they are pretty horrible.

go lookup the NPC dwarf Obmi from the module.

 

[Voadam]

I vaguely remember some of the pregens had a tradeoff of better stats versus levels and items. A series?

And did the Giants really have pregens of 13th and 14th level for an 8-12 module?

 

[Voadam]

Note that Frush at 14th level as a fighter does not have an 18 str or con. balancing stats against level for tournament pregen is my guess.

 

[Twowolves]

Most of the name elements have a meaning in Old English.

Ok, I've been dying to know...

What does "Gleep Wurp" mean in Old English?

 

[WayneLigon]

Gleep Wurp, the Eyebiter
Cloyer Bulse, the Magsman
Roaky Swerked
Frush O'Suggill
Fonkin Oddypeak
Flerd Trantle
Redmod Dumple
Faffle Dwe'o-mercraeft
Beek Gwenders of Croodle

That list and others from modules needs to be cross posted to a thread on character naming. Eeesh.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

That list and others from modules needs to be cross posted to a thread on character naming. Eeesh.

I recognize Fonkin Oddypeak (Hoddypeak in other places). Both "fonkin" and "hoddypeak" are archaic English words that both mean, essentially, stupid or slow-witted.