What is the essence of D&D

[Hussar]

Heh, while I am sure that folks out there have played the no-caster parties, I'd point out that if you look at the pre-gen characters of EVERY SINGLE MODULE that includes pre-gen characters, you'll find parties with casters.

I'd say that's pretty solid evidence that the game presupposes you will have casters in the group.

 

[Lanefan]

Casuals won't care though they won't know or care about a lot of online terms. 5MWD they won't understand the term.

Can't say I blame them.

5 Months Without Dinner doesn't make any sense to me either. Or was it 5 Magnificent Wasting Diseases?

Eh, I don't know anymore...

 

[Lanefan]

Magic can color objects through prestidigitation, yet no amount of training will allow a martial character to do such a nearly useless thing.

Give the martial character a can of paint and a brush, however, and wonders can be worked.

 

[Garthanos]

This is one of the problems with a grid way of do

had nothing to do with grid the ability was defined to work that way - but there were other abilities and it was obviously designed for the Ninja aspect of rogue (if you werent shooting for that and a ranged one at that you probably do not pick it) . It was a part of the concept of martial abilities progressing into demigod levels of awesome .... heck that level 22 power mentioned earlier is at a level where you might be learning the pathways to walk back from the land of the dead or other things.

Applying apprentice level and low level Heroic sensibilities to what is done by Paragons and Epic characters is just meh. Kind of like assuming it's an everyday guy who can barely lift a couple hundred pounds (*instead of someone following down the path to demigodhood) who is beating down a house sized brilliant monster with armor like a tank who can fly and is equipped with built in flamethrowers....

That said, some of the epic destinies were less mythic in that fashion of course assumptions just as there were quite attractive alternatives to "hide in plain sight"

 

[Lanefan]

For those mysterious cleric free parties.

Once you get beyond low level in 1e-2e each heavy Fighter pretty much needs her own hench Cleric whose one and only job is to keep her upright; because the amount of curing otherwise required would overwhelm the PC Cleric unless curing was all that PC ever did.

I did manage to see someone who claimed a bag of holding full of the damn things SMH... monty haul was a real thing (did not want to play with that one)

It could happen, I suppose, if a character is high enough level to make its own potions (6th or 8th in 1e, I forget which); and the party is willing to take a year or two off from adventuring in order to allow said character to churn 'em out (and can afford the ingredients); and the DM allows it.

It's the 'take a year or two off' part that always trips this up IME.

 

[Zardnaar]

DMs discretion on how to make a healing potion. Mine was holy water, a blessing (clw) by a priest and some rare herbs reknowned for health benefits.

Fairly easy to make by AD&D standards.

 

[Garthanos]

DMs discretion on how to make a healing potion. Mine was holy water, a blessing (clw) by a priest and some rare herbs reknowned for health benefits.

Stock up on a dozen before the dungeon run?

 

[Lanefan]

That rarity wasnt because people really wanted to play a celibate bible banger

If "celibate bible banger" is your take-away impression of the Cleric class it's no wonder you don't like them very much.

Of the great many Clerics I've seen played over the years I don't think that description would apply to any of them.

 

[Zardnaar]

Stock up on a dozen before the dungeon run?

The herbs weren't that common but you could make a few at the right levels.

A temple to the healing goddess/god usually had them (laumspur).

No cleric though a lot less battles or get in good with the local temple.

 

[Garthanos]

If "celibate bible banger" is your take-away impression of the Cleric class it's no wonder you don't like them very much.

Of the great many Clerics I've seen played over the years I don't think that description would apply to any of them.

They originally seemed to be following christian myth miracle paths with added hypocrisy of beating the infidel with a blunt weapon to avoid "spilling blood" .. so it sure seemed to fit.