THE GAME	CREATING THE PLAYER CHARACTER	CHARACTER ABILITIES	CHARACTER RACE	CHARACTER CLASSES
ALIGNMENT	CHARACTER HIT POINTS	ESTABLISHING THE CHARACTERS	CHARACTER LANGUAGES	MONEY
EQUIPPING THE CHARACTER	ARMOR	WEAPONS	HIRELINGS	HENCHMEN
DISTANCE	MONSTER, THE TERM	CHARACTER SPELLS	SPELL TABLES	SPELL EXPLANATIONS
SPELL CASTING	THE ADVENTURE	EXPERIENCE	POISON	SUCCESSFUL ADVENTURES
-	-	APPENDICES	-	-
Monster Manual	Player's Handbook	-	Dungeon Master's Guide	Deities & Demigods

FOREWORD +
PREFACE +

INTRODUCTION +
THE GAME +

CREATING THE PLAYER CHARACTER +

CHARACTER ABILITIES +
    Strength +
    Intelligence +
    Wisdom +
    Dexterity +
    Constitution +
    Charisma +

CHARACTER RACES +
    Dwarves +
    Elves +
    Gnomes +
    Half-Elves +
    Halflings +
    Half-Orcs +
    Humans +
    Racial Preferences - <UA>

CHARACTER CLASSES +
    Cleric +
       Druid +
    Fighter +
       Paladin +
       Ranger +
    Magic-User +
       Illusionist +
    Thief +
       Assassin +
    Monk +
    The Multi-Classed Character +
    The Character with Two Classes +

ALIGNMENT +

CHARACTER HIT POINTS +

ESTABLISHING THE CHARACTER +

CHARACTER LANGUAGES +

MONEY +
    The Monetary System +
    Money Changing, Banks, Loans and Jewelers +

EQUIPPING THE CHARACTER +

ARMOR +

WEAPONS +
    Weight and Damage by Weapon Type +

HIRELINGS +

HENCHMEN +

TIME +

DISTANCE +

MONSTER, THE TERM +

CHARACTER SPELLS +

SPELL TABLES +
    Clerics +
    Druids +
    Magic-Users +
    Illusionists +

SPELL EXPLANATIONS +
    Clerics +
    Druids +
    Magic-Users +
    Illusionists +

SPELL CASTING +

THE ADVENTURE +
    Dungeon Expeditions +
    Outdoor Exploration +
    Town Adventures +
    Encumbrance +
    Movement -- Time & Distance Factors +
    Light +
    Infravision +
    Ultravision +
    Silent Movement +
    Invisible Movement +
    Surprise +
    Traps, Tricks, and Encounters +
       Traps +
       Tricks +
       Encounters +
    Initiative +
    Communication +
    Negotiation +
    Combat +
       Turning Undead +
       Magical Control +
       Spell Combat  +
       Breath Weapon Attacks +
       Magical Device Attacks +
       Missile Discharge +
       Melee Combat +
       Example of Combat +
    Combat Procedures +
       Saving Throw +
       Armor Class +
       First Strike +
       Weapon Factors +
       Monster Attack Damage +
       Attack & Saving Throw Matrices +
    Damage +
    Falling Damage +
    Healing +
    Obedience +
    Morale +
    Mapping +
    Organization +

EXPERIENCE +

POISON +

SUCCESSFUL ADVENTURES +

APPENDIX I. PSIONICS +
    Psionic Ability +
    Psionic Powers +
       Attack Modes +
       Defense Modes +
    Psionic Disciplines +
        Minor (Devotions) ^
        Major (Sciences) ^
    Psionic Combat +
    Multiple Psionic Operations +
    Use of Psionic Powers +
    Recovery of Psionic Strength Points +

APPENDIX II. BARDS +
    Bard Abilities +
    Bard Race +
    The Class +
    Bards +

APPENDIX III. CHARACTER ALIGNMENT GRAPH <>

APPENDIX IV. THE KNOWN PLANES OF EXISTENCE +
    The Inner Planes +
    The Outer Planes +
    Ethereal Travel +
    Astral Travel +
    Ethereal and Astral Combat +

APPENDIX V. SUGGESTED AGREEMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF TREASURE +

TABLES

 

STRENGTH TABLE I.
STRENGTH TABLE II: ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS.
INTELLIGENCE TABLE I.
INTELLIGENCE TABLE II: ABILITY FOR MAGIC-USERS.
WISDOM TABLE I.
WISDOM TABLE II: ADJUSTMENTS FOR CLERICS.
DEXTERITY TABLE I.
DEXTERITY TABLE II: ADJUSTMENTS FOR THIEVES.
CONSTITUTION TABLE.
CHARISMA TABLE.

CHARACTER RACE TABLE I: CHARACTER CLASS LIMITATIONS.
CHARACTER RACE TABLE II: CLASS LEVEL LIMITATIONS.
    Dwarves.
    Elves.
    Gnomes.
    Half-elves.
    Halflings.
    Half-orcs.
CHARACTER RACE TABLE III: ABILITY SCORE MINIMUMS & MAXIMUMS.
PENALTIES AND BONUSES FOR RACE.
RACIAL PREFERENCES TABLE.

CHARACTER CLASSES TABLE I: HIT DICE, SPELL ABILITY, AND CLASS LEVEL LIMIT.
CHARACTER CLASSES TABLE II: ARMOR AND WEAPONS PERMITTED.
CHARACTER CLASSES TABLE III: MULTI-CLASSED CHARACTER OPTIONS.
CAVALIERS TABLE I.
PALADINS (FIGHTERS) TABLE I.
SPELLS USABLE BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- PALADINS.
CLERICS TABLE I.
SPELLS USABLE BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- CLERICS.
DRUIDS (CLERICS) TABLE I.
SPELLS USABLE BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- DRUIDS (CLERICS).
FIGHTERS TABLE.
BARBARIANS (FIGHTERS) TABLE I.
RANGERS (FIGHTERS) TABLE I.
SPELLS USABLE BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- RANGERS (FIGHTERS).
FIGHTERS', PALADINS' & RANGERS' ATTACKS PER ROUND MELEE TABLE.
WIZARDS TABLE I.
SPELLS BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- WIZARDS.
ILLUSIONISTS (MAGIC-USERS) TABLE I.
SPELLS BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- ILLUSIONISTS (MAGIC-USERS).
THIEVES TABLE I.
THIEF FUNCTION TABLE (PLUS RACIAL ADJUSTMENTS). <PLUS DEXTERITY ADJUSTMENTS>
MINIMUM FEES FOR ASSASSINATION.
ASSASSINS (THIEVES) TABLE
THIEF-ACROBAT FUNCTION TABLE.
    Thief-Acrobat Table I.
    Thief-Acrobat Table II.
    Thief-Acrobat Table III.
    Thief-Acrobat Table IV.
MONKS TABLE I: EXPERIENCE POINTS AND LEVELS.
MONKS TABLE II: MONKS ABILITY TABLE.

LANGUAGES TYPICALLY COMMON.

STARTING MONEY.
COIN EXCHANGE VALUE.
<COMMODITIES>
BASIC EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES COSTS.
    Armor.
    Arms.
    Clothing. <Appendix I: Clothing>
    Herbs.
    Livestock.
    Miscellaneous Equipment & Items.
    Provisions.
    Religious Items.
    Tack and Harness.
    Transport.
    <Assassination>
    <Poison (Ingestive, Insinuative)>
    <Standard Hirelings>
    <Expert Hirelings>
    <Effective Location of Henchmen>
    <Constructions>
    <Siege Engines && Devices of War>
    <Holy/Unholy Water Receptacles>
    <Paper/Parchment/Vellum>
ARMOR CLASS TABLE.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY TABLE.
WEAPON SPECIALIZATION TABLE FOR FIGHTERS AND RANGERS.
WEIGHT AND DAMAGE BY WEAPON TYPE. <Hand Held Weapons, Hurled Weapons and Missiles>
WEAPON TYPES, GENERAL DATA, AND "TO HIT" ADJUSTMENTS. <Hand Held Weapons, Hurled Weapons and Missiles>
    Hand Held Weapons.
    Hurled Weapons and Missiles.
TYPICAL HIRELINGS.

SPELL TABLES.
    CLERICS.
    DRUIDS (Clerics).
    WIZARDS.
    ILLUSIONISTS (Magic-Users).

EFFECTS OF ENCUMBRANCE.
MOVEMENT RATE/DISTANCE TRAVELLED CONVERSION.
PROPERTIES OF LIGHT SOURCES.
EFFECTS ON REACTION OF DOUBLE SURPRISE.
COMPARISON OF SURPRISE POSSIBILITIES.

PSIONIC ATTACK MODES AVAILABLE.
COST AND RANGE OF PSIONIC ATTACK MODES.
PSIONIC DEFENSE MODES AVAILABLE.
COST AND RANGE OF PSIONIC DEFENSE MODES.
PSIONIC DISCIPLINES.
PSIONIC DISCIPLINES AVAILABLE.
EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON THE RECOVERY OF PSIONIC STRENGTH POINTS.

BARDS TABLE I: EXPERIENCE LEVELS.
BARDS TABLE II: COLLEGES & ABILITIES.

CHARACTER ALIGNMENT GRAPH.
THE KNOWN PLANES OF EXISTENCE.

OUT ON A LIMB

Dear Editor,
Each time the Out on a Limb
letters column is mentioned, it is
stated that character assassination
will not be allowed. I am in full agreement
with this — it would drag
the publication down to the level
of the APA ‘zines.

Why then, is Gary Gygax, publisher,
and author of AD&D, allowed
to write character assassinations?

In The Dragon #22, there is a
“Review Review” entitled SPI on
AD&D, by Ga<r>y Gygax. In it, Mr.
Gygax speaks of a review of the
Players Handbook done by
Richard Berg, of SPI.

I have not read Berg’s review,
but, from Mr. Gygax’s comments,
it was out of line. I could well understand
the tone of Mr. Gygax’s
writing; Berg had insulted his
brainchild.

At the end of the article, however,
Mr. Gygax begins to insult,
not only Berg’s latest game design,
but all of SPI’s games. Mr.
Gygax’s wish for revenge is easily
understandable, but, I feel, out of
place.

A game review is an admirable
thing, in that it helps prospective
buyers. No game is perfect, and it
takes the critics to point up its
faults.

There is no reason, though, for
insulting either a game, or its designer,
a magazine, or its publisher.
If it is good, fine —if it is bad
enough to be insulted, it is beneath
contempt.

I, for one, would not like to see
The Dragon (or Strategy and Tactices), [sic]
become the vehicle for
petty feuds and insults — APA
publications have the market cornered
already.

Competition is healthy, but not
when it falls to the level of
backstabbing.

Wargamers are an intelligent
group (they have to be, to understand
the rules), and, in my eyes,
too intelligent to long enjoy insults
and slander. It has happened before
to this hobby, in the form of
the early boardgame clubs. I fervently
hope that it doesn’t happen
again.

Sincerely,
H. Michael Lybarger — MO
(The Dragon #24)

To answer your first question;
Because he is the publisher. It is
the prerogative of any publisher to
say whatever he pleases. It is, after
all, his magazine. The history of
newspapers in this county is riddled
with similar cases. It all comes
under the guarantees of free
speech.

In the future, the publisher’s
endeavors will all appear under
his copyrighted and bylined column,
THE SORCEROR’S <make page>
SCROLL, with the exception of
newsworthy pieces, or articles on
non -D&D or AD&D games.

The author was well within his
right to criticize such a shoddy review,
done by someone who obviously
knows little or nothing
about the game systems in question.
Mr. Berg’s editor was at fault
for accepting a review from
someone not qualified to have
done it in the first place. Had Gary
not written what he did, I would
have written something very similar,
myself. As one of the other
letter-responses in this column
points out, the choosing of reviewers
should be done with the
utmost discretion and judgement.
The bigger the magazine, and
hence, the bigger the readership,
the more serious the responsibility.
We don’t use our in-house designers
to review games similar to
anything they may have done for
us. We do try to use in-house
people in their favorite period, or
for games that interest them. Too
bad S&T can’t make the same
claims. —ED.
 
 

Q. What does T.S.R. stand for?
A. At present, nothing. This is a hangover
from the days when the company
used to be called Tactical Studies Rules.
(Imagine #1)
-
 

clore wrote:
I was thinking in 1st edition AD&D terms.
 

Just as I assumed, and a healthy bonus that is!

Gary

(Note: Zeb wrote the majority of OA)
(Source: Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum)

Darius wrote:
Have you ever gotten letters of people saying how AD&D ruined their life? Just curious as to what those would be.
'I spent all day and night playing and thinking of AD&D so I never noticed when my wife and kids left me . . ."
 

Absolutely not, never a single one.
On a poll I had up on my old website the ratings were something like this:

Did very positively affect me 30%
Did positively affect me 50+%
Did not affect me 17%
Did negatively affect me 2%
Did very negatively affect me (less than) ,5%

Actual results from c. 800 respondents lost when the website crashed.

Cheerio,
Gary

(Note: Zeb wrote the majority of OA)
(Source: Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum)

Quote:
Have you ever gotten letters of people saying how AD&D ruined their life? Just curious as to what those would be.
'I spent all day and night playing and thinking of AD&D so I never noticed when my wife and kids left me . . ."
 

I could make a go at this.
I girl I dated as a teenager was murdered in what the culprit described as a Satanic sacrifice.
 

(I do not remember if I actually met him, but I do recall seeing him around  the murder and specifically seeing him with her.)
The killing wasn't done in a ritual fashion or anything, but he seemed crazy enough that I believe he meant that seriously.
AD&D played a part in his beliefs to the extent that he sued the prison for religious discrimination when they took his Players Handbook away as a punishment.
So I could actually claim that the game played a significant role in the murder of someone I cared about.

Of course, I don't believe that the game bears any real responsibility for the crime.
Someone as crazy as he was, with his insanity further fueled by methamphines, can lock onto practically anything to build up their psychotic worldview.
That, I might mention, includes some crazy Christians who have spread rumors about this case, asserting that the murderer and his accomplice not only performed a ritual Satanic sacrifice but videotaped it as a snuff film and distributed it.
(The basis for this rumor seems to be the videotaped confession, where the murderer did a sort of walkthrough describing the crime.)
Now, that really does disturb me.

_________________
Dan Clore
 
 

Dan,

You are clearly unfamiliar with mental health, not a professional in that field.

Your assertion that the AD&D game was directly related to a murder is compleely withpit a basis in fact and thus wholly without merit.
In fact that unfounded claim is near to liabelous speech.
If Wizards of the Coast were to read what you posted, I suspect that you would receive a cease and desist letter from their attorney instantr.

Clearly the perp of the mmurder was psychotic to begin with, and the RPG in question was simply an adjunct to his psychosis.
If he drank Coca Cola or Mountain Dew, ate Cheetoes, and smoked Lucky Strikes while listening to heavy metal mucic,
no rational person would suggest that those were factors in his violent, anti-social behavior.

For your information neither is playing a role-playing game.
This has been substantiated in law.

Do be more reasoned in your statments hereafter.

Gary

(Source: Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum)

<check with Pauli Kidd to see if she made this>
 

clore wrote:
Gary, I said:

Quote:
Of course, I don't believe that the game bears any real responsibility for the crime.
Someone as crazy as he was, with his insanity further fueled by methamphines, can lock onto practically anything to build up their psychotic worldview.

I intended that to express precisely the same argument that you (rightly) make in defense of the game. We don't disagree on this issue at all.

(I seem to have misspelled methamphetamines rather badly, though.)

Sorry for usiing you as a straw man in this matter, but the subject is one that I take every opportunity to speak out about...
even if the response is to a message that doesn't attack the RPG as fangerous in any way.

As for the spelling error, all I can say is that it is a pity that board posts can not be spell checked easily... 

Cheerio,
Gary

Darius wrote:
Well it is nice to know that you have a 93% approval rating, maybe you should run for office.

Although this discussion is reminding me of this woman in New Orleans that took Vampire a too seriously and she wasn't a meth head and held a normal 9-5 business job.

Hey, Over on the Baldur's Gate website they did a poll about my adventure scenario designs and I had only a 70% + approval rating.
Of coourse in an electiuon that would be a landslide.

As for the woman that held a normal job, that does not mean she was not mentally abnormal now, does it?

Cheerio,
Gary

Clore,

I did say that I used you as a straw man, no?

Your post was of questionable merit though, considering the history of baseless attacks against the game.

I am by no means a qualified mental health professional either, but I have spoken personally with a number of such individuals and was part of a seminar on "The Role of Fantasy in the Development of the Adolescent and Pre-Adolescent Child" presented at a meeting of the Combined Academies of American and Canadian Child Psychologists, thereafter speaking to memebrs of the Washington School of Psycology.

Cheers,
Gary

P.S. When a spellchecker does not have a word in its dictionary, you can easily have it added, thus "educating" it to a more complex vocabularly and at the same time helping to avoid errors in your compositions...

clore wrote:

I find simply proofreading to be much more efficient than constantly clicking "add" to the spellchecker because it doesn't have common words like "wgah'nagl", "dweomercraeft", or "fhtagn". (Obviously I didn't bother to proofread the post with "methamphines".)

Seriously, though...

Proofreading your own material is never as good as having another human look it over after the spell checking program has caught the obvious errors.
Mistakes the writer makes are usually not spotted by that individual, or they would not have made them in the first place.

As an author i very much appreciate a good editor

Cheers,
Gary

clore wrote:
Don't know about that. I only have one book to my name (published, anyway), but in my experience any editing usually introduces errors rather than correcting them.
 

Your experience is certainly with bad editors.
I have had both sorts.

Cheers,
Gary

clore wrote:
Quote:
Your experience is certainly with bad editors.
I have had both sorts.
 

But never one good enough to catch egregious misspellings of common words like "dero", "dinichthys", "doppelganger", "erinnyes", "lemur", "tarasque", and "Tartarus"? 
 

Frankly, sir...

You are a bore.

Did it ever occur to you that some words are not as others have spelled them so as to make the attached monster information unique?

That aside, I was speaking primarily of fiction editors.
Have you ever written any fiction that was published?

Gary

<>

Mr. Reaper wrote:
Hey Gary, I don't know if you've been asked this before, but I'm curious...

Why "Col Pladoh" ?
 

Heh...

I have been asked that a couple of times awhule back, but nor a problem answering the question again.

the Colonel part is for me being a genuine Kentucky Colonel...which I don't take too seriously.
To reinforce that, I always played Col. Mustard when we played a Clue game.
The Pladoh is a sort of a spoof on Plato...a most malleable version of game.

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mythmere1
Hi again, Colonel. I have a question about Castle Zagyg.
Will it contain the room that's depicted on the front cover of the AD&D Players Handbook -- the horned idol with the jeweled eyes?
Or was that room just invented by DAT?

That particular scene was indeed the creation of the fertile imagination of Tramp.

Have you ever noticed that virtually all of the persons depicted are in the likeness of Dave Trampier?
There is one dweeb-like chap on the back cover though that has a certain resemblance to your's truly back 30 years ago 

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Mayle
Hi Gary, Do you recall what Dave Sutherland based the demon idol statue on the cover of the original Player's Handbook on?

The illustration to which you refer was done by Dave Trampier, one of my favorite artists.

Tramp had a most fertile imagination,
and I suspect the inspiration for the idol was a Baal idol of the Carthaginians or other Phonecians.

Cheers,
Gary
 

<clearer, better organized - DJ, DFL>