Hold person was a second level cleric spell, and if you focused it on fewer targets the spell save got harder.
Second level cleric spells came online at level 3 in AD&D and wisdom could give bonus second level spells starting at 15 wisdom.
"Hold Person (Enchantment/Charm)
Level: 2 Components: V, S, M
Range: 6” Casting Time: 5 segments
Duration: 4 rounds + 1 round/level Saving Throw: Neg.
Area of Effect: One to three
creatures
Explanation/Description: This spell holds immobile, and freezes in places, from 1-3 humans or humanoid creatures (see below) for 5 or more melee rounds. The level of the cleric casting the hold person spell dictates the length of time the effect will last. The basic duration is 5 melee rounds at 1st level, 6 rounds at 2nd level, 7 rounds at 3rd level, etc. If the spell is cast at three persons, each gets a saving throw at the normal score; if only two persons are being enspelled, each makes their saving throw at -1 on their die; if the spell is cast at but one person, the saving throw die is at -2. Persons making their saving throws are totally unaffected by the spell. Creatures affected by a hold person spell are: brownies, dryads, dwarves, elves, gnolls, gnomes, goblins, half-elves, halflings, half-orcs, hobgoblins, humans, kobolds, lizard men, nixies, orcs, pixies, sprites, and troglodytes. The spell caster needs a small, straight piece of iron as the material component of this spell."
For Magic-Users there were second level Scare, Stinking Cloud, and Web spells with saves that were available from level 3 on.