TSR Why would anyone want to play 1e?

[Voadam]

With eleven classes in the PH and multiple races with various multiclass and level limits to pick from I felt 1e pre-UA had a bunch of impactful character build choices as it was even with random stat rolling and magic items and even just roleplaying and tactics being such big factors. Particularly with weird mechanical balance for being weak at low levels versus high levels or different xp charts for various races and classes.

If you were playing a one shot versus a long campaign, whether it was low level or high level, those build choices mattered.

I played in a level one 1e one shot pre UA and rolled up a magic user with nine intelligence as my first ever magic user.

I wasn't going to get spells above fourth caster level or have a good shot at learning new acquired ones during downtime, but that did not matter, it was a level one one-shot game.

A magic user regardless of int stats is a pretty poor mechanical choice at first level with their no armor, d4 HD, dagger weapon limitation, and one spell and the mechanical design balance of weak at low levels, powerful at high levels. My random offensive known spell I rolled was light. On the other hand, my THAC0 was about the same as a 15 str fighter.

So I tied off a headband, described my dagger as a giant Rambo knife and got through the game mostly on confidence and a lot of luck. I don't think I even cast the light spell.

 

[Voadam]

Even weirder ... the only magical trident on the actual miscellaneous magic weapon table was the (in)famous convertible Trident/Military Fork +3!

That's right, it was both a dessert topping and a floor wax trident and a military fork, convertible at will! Which at my table led to the endless debate-
Wait, do I need to be proficient in both tridents and military forks?

.....GYGAX!!!!!!

They are two different weapons so to use both types yes, two different proficiencies. Just like dagger and knife once you get the expanded list in UA.

However if you only had one proficiency that was the main use of this weapon's magical properties! Whichever one you are proficient/specialized in you switch it to that and leave it that way so as to avoid the non-proficiency penalty in your +3 weapon.

Just a little more obscure options than the rod of lordly might's sword, mace, axe spear choices (sword and mace types unspecified).

 

[Sacrosanct]

A magic user regardless of int stats is a pretty poor mechanical choice at first level with their no armor, d4 HD, dagger weapon limitation, and one spell and the mechanical design balance of weak at low levels, powerful at high levels. My random offensive known spell I rolled was light. On the other hand, my THAC0 was about the same as a 15 str fighter.

I think low level MUs are underrated, and you kinda hint at why. They did have the same THAC0 as a fighter at level 1 and 2. And they could use a staff or dart as weapons. So even with 1d4 HP and no armor, if you're in the rear you're still contributing nearly as much as everyone else in combat even after you cast your spell. As kids, we got caught up in the damage spells--MM, Fireball, etc, but quickly learned that other spells were much better. Charm Person is extremely powerful. You basically have a free henchmen to take the hits and deal damage for you. Sleep is also an encounter ending spell. All this available at level 1.

 

[Voadam]

I think low level MUs are underrated, and you kinda hint at why. They did have the same THAC0 as a fighter at level 1 and 2. And they could use a staff or dart as weapons. So even with 1d4 HP and no armor, if you're in the rear you're still contributing nearly as much as everyone else in combat even after you cast your spell. As kids, we got caught up in the damage spells--MM, Fireball, etc, but quickly learned that other spells were much better. Charm Person is extremely powerful. You basically have a free henchmen to take the hits and deal damage for you. Sleep is also an encounter ending spell. All this available at level 1.

Potentially available, you could have friends as your random 1st level offensive spell instead.

Thieves and MUs are actually one behind the fighters and clerics at level 1 in 1e, Fighters and clerics need a 19 to hit AC1 while thieves and MUs still need a 20.

In Moldvay Basic everybody is the same for attacks at each level.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I think low level MUs are underrated, and you kinda hint at why. They did have the same THAC0 as a fighter at level 1 and 2. And they could use a staff or dart as weapons.

I've heard a lot of people mention darts for low level magic users, but in my area ... no one (and I mean no one) ever used darts until at least level seven!

Here's the thing. In AD&D, MUs had three choices- daggers, darts, and staffs.

They had one proficiency, and a -5 if they weren't proficient, and didn't gain another proficiency until level 7. That meant that you pretty much had only one weapon until level 7.

Here's the issue-
Staff- Melee, relatively common to find a magic weapon.
Dagger- Melee or missile, relatively common to find a magic weapon.
Dart- Missile only, no magic darts existed.*

*In the DMG; I can't recall them in any modules, but maybe there was an example?

So if you picked darts, that meant that not only did you know that you weren't getting a magic weapon (likely ever), but you only had a missile weapon. Which was a BIG DEAL. Because in AD&D, you can't use missile weapons in melee combat. So if your low level magic user ever got into a situation where something got into melee combat with 'em, then he couldn't attack him with a weapon (because darts are missile weapons only) or really cast spells (because spellcasting when you're getting thumped on in AD&D is ... difficult).

Everyone I knew either picked daggers (so they could have ranged/melee choices) or staffs (because that's iconic).

Also, darts? Those are really uncool. I know, Roman war darts. But seriously ....

 

[Voadam]

1e darts are clearly for double specialized fighter NPCs.

Four attacks a round at +3/+3 damage. And as hurled weapons you could get weighted ones for strength bonus.

And it is designed for NPCs because PC fighters need a magic weapon ASAP for all the monsters that require magic to hit.

I only did that once to my party.

Although UA also added new magic darts to the charts, in both the miscellaneous magic items and the magic weapon tables.

1985 "Darts, the new tridents!"