Dragon 116

For PCs only

Dear Dragon,
I am bringing to your attention something that
I myself just realized. In “Demi-humans get a
lift” by Gary Gygax (issue #95), the aquatic elves
are not represented in the “Elves, Other” section.
Is this an oversight, or are the aquatic elves
to remain the same as usual?

Alen Parker
Portland, Ore.
(Dragon #101)

The increased level limits for demi-human
characters, first outlined in the magazine and
further refined in Unearthed Arcana, do not
apply to aquatic elves because that sub-race is not
open to player characters. New level limits are
only given for the races and sub-races to which
PCs may belong -- although, to be fair the new
benefits should also apply to NPCs of the same
races within the campaign. Aquatic elves should
be treated as described in the Monster Manual.
The vast majority of them will be of 1st level
(1 + 1 HD), with certain higher-level "leader
types" present according to the number of elves
in an encountered group -- but since aquatic
elves do not use magic, there will be no magic-users
or spell-casting clerics in the group, no
matter how large it is. -- KM

 

Ships	gemjump	Animals	-	-
-	-	-	-	-

CHILDREN OF THE DEEP: AQUATIC ELVES IN THE AD&D GAME

 

Aquatic Elves: an overview	Aquatic elven PCs	Aquatic elf/half-elf	Aquatic half-elf	Mariners

    In the AD&D game, many characters
miss out on UNLIMITED amounts of wealth
and adventure because they can't swim.
Oceanic ADVENTURES are challenging for
medium- and high-level PCs,
but without the proper equipment, a
group's first sea voyage is likely to be its
very last. This keeps gamers from utilizing
the ocean's full potential in the campaign.
 
 

Table 1: Racial Adjustments to ability score

Race	Penalty or bonus
Aquatic elf	+1 to dexterity, -1 to constitution
Aquatic elf/half-elf	+1 to dexterity, -1 to constitution
Aquatic half-elf	None

Table II: Age Categories

Races	Young adult	Mature	Middle-aged	Old	Venerable
Aquatic elf	75-150	151-450	451-700	701-1000	1001-1200
Aquatic elf/half-elf*	125-200	201-550	551-900	901-1200	1201-1400
Aquatic half-elf	24-40	41-100	101-175	176-250	251-325

* Excludes aquatic elf/drow parentage; in this case, use age categories for drow elves (DMG, page 13) + 50 years after young adult age.

Table III: Character race class limitations (by level)

Aquatic Elves
 

Ability score	Cleric	Fighter	Mariner	Thief	Assassin
15	7	6	6	10	8
16	8	6	6	11	9
17	9	6	6	12	10
18	10	7	7	U	10
18/75	-	8	8	-	10
18/90	-	9	9	-	10
18/99	-	10	10	-	111
18/00-21	-	10	10	-	122

¹ Intelligence of 18 and wisdom of 19 also required.
² Intelligence of 19 or wisdom of 19 also required.
 

Aquatic elf/half-elves
 

Ability score	Cleric/Druid	Fighter/Ranger	Mariner	Thief/Thief-Acrobat	Assassin	Magic-user
15	7	6	6	U	10	10
16	8	6	6	U	10	10
17	9	6	6	U	10	10
18	10	71	71	U	10	10
18/75	-	82	82	-	10	-
18/90	-	92	92	-	10	-
18/99	-	103	103	-	115	-
18/00	-	113	113, 7	-	126	-
19	11	124	124, 7	U	126	11
20	12	124	124, 7	U	126	11
21	12	134	134, 8	U	126	12

¹ Rangers also need intelligence and wisdom of 15.
² Rangers also need intelligence and wisdom of 16.
³ Rangers also need intelligence and wisdom of 17.
⁴ Rangers also need intelligence and wisdom of 18.
⁵ Intelligence of 18 and wisdom of 19 also required.
⁶ Intelligence of 19 or wisdom of 19 also required.
⁷ Dexterity 17 required.
⁸ Dexterity 18 required.
 

Aquatic half-elves
 

Ability score	Cleric/Druid	Fighter/Ranger	Mariner	Thief/Thief-Acrobat	Assassin	Magic-user
15	5	6	6	U	11	7
16	6	6	6	U	11	7
17	7	7	7	U	11	7
18	8	7	7	U	11	8
18/90	-	81	8	-	-	-
18/99	-	91	9	-	-	-
18/00	-	101	10	-	-	-
19	10	111	113	U	11	8
20	12	122	123	U	11	8

¹ Intelligence, wisdom, and constitution of 18 required.
² Intelligence and wisdom must be greater than 18; constitution must be 18.
³ Dexterity 17 required.

Elfdart wrote:
My favorite party-killer is a medium to large pride of lions. Surprise + 40' leap + overbearing by an animal that weighs 300-500# + claw/claw/bite/rake/rake =TPK

Remember...

The unarmored Masai warriors generaly did for lions with nothing more than a spear, and one overborn would shelter under his large shield pretty effectively until his fellows killed the attacking feline.

Now a big, charging-butting/tusking-trampling critter is more likely to wreak havoc on a combat formation, while a pack of say 20 hyeans or 30 wild dogs is as effective as a prode of as many as 10 lions 

Cheers,
Gary

116
MARITIME ADVENTURES (116.9)
HIGH SEAS: Ships, fore and aft, in fantasy gaming (116.10)
Nautical terms and definitions (116.10)
Ship personnel (116.11)
Points of Sail (116.11)
Ship Types and functions (116.12)
Ship Diagram (116.13)
Turns (116.15)
Backwaters (116.15)
Galley Movement (116.15)
Mangonels (116.15)
Table Descriptions (116.18)
Table 1a: Ships' statistics (116.18)
Trireme, aphract = 5,000 gp
Trireme, cataphract = 4,000 gp
Quadrireme = 25,000 gp
Hemiolia = 10,000 gp
Tremiolia = 3000 gp
Longship = 30,000 gp
River Galley = 2,000 gp
Boat = 500 gp
Cog = 5,000 gp
Caravel = 13,000 gp
Carrack = 18,000 gp
Galleon = 20,000 gp
Naval cutter = 15,000 gp
Brig = 30,000 gp
Corvette = 45,000 gp
Frigate - 60,000 gp
SOL IV Rate = 75,000 gp
SOL III Rate = 90,000 gp
SOL II Rate = 105,000 gp
SOL I Rate = 120,000 gp
Naval transport = 65,000 gp
Cutter, small = 3,000 gp
Cutter, medium = 5,000 gp
Sloop, small = 2,000 gp
Sloop, medium = 4,000 gp
Schooner, medium = 7,000 gp
Schooner, large = 14,000 gp
Packet = 15,000 gp
Clipper = 100,000 gp
Cargo, small = 25,000 gp
Cargo, medium = 40,000 gp
Cargo, large = 55,000 gp
Cargo, transport = 60,000 gp
Table 1b: Ships' combat & defensive abilities (116.19)
Table 1c: Galley's statistics (116.20)
Table II: Ships' maintenance and effects (116.21)
Table III: Crew ability & effects (116.22)
Table IV: Wind and its effects (116.22)
Table V: Amount of damage by cause (116.24)
Table VI: Damage distribution (weapons only) (116.24)
Table VII: Towing (% adjustment) (116.24)
Additional notes (116.26)
Table VIII: Effects of fire (116.27)
Table IX: Miscellaneous items (116.27)
Table Xa: Frequency of ship encounters (116.27)
Table Xb: Numbering appearing (116.27)
Table Xc: State of encountered ship (if encountered singly) (116.27)
Inspirational Reading (116.27)
Inspirational Listening (116.27)

CHILDREN OF THE DEEP: Aquatic elves in the AD&D game (116.28)
Aquatic elves: an overview (116.28)
Aquatic elven PCs (116.29)
Table I: Racial adjustments to ability scores (116.29)
Table II: Age categories (116.29)
Table III: Character race class limitations (by level) (116.29)
Aquatic elf/half-elf (116.30)
Aquatic elf/half-elves (116.30)
Aquatic half-elf (116.30)
Aquatic half-elves (116.30)
Mariners (116.30)

THE ECOLOGY OF THE MINOTAUR (116.32)
Of their appearance (116.32)
Of their growth (116.33)
Of their society (116.33)
Of my escape (116.35)
Additional notes (116.35)

THE DRAGON'S BESTIARY
Brain Coral (116.36)
Centaur, Sea (116.39)
Clam, Giant (116.39)
Grouper, Giant (116.39)
Morana (116.40)
Porcupine Fish, Giant (116.40)
Ray, Electric (116.40)
Sawfish/Sawshark (116.41)
Sea Anemone, Giant (116.41)
Titan, Sea (116.42)
Undine (116.44)

"HELLO? YOUR MAJESTY?": Communication in history and fantasy (116.46)
The horse post (116.46)
The foot post (116.48)
The pigeon post (116.48)
The sea (116.49)
Exotica (116.49)
Bibliography (116.51)

HIGH SEAS IN 3-D: A special game accessory for your favorite role-playing game (116.51)

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ROGUE STONES AND GEMJUMPING: Another of Elminster's little secrets (116.54)
Gemjump (mu6) (116.54)

BY TOOTH AND CLAW: Ordinary animals are dangerous in any game (116.58)
Herbivores (116.58)
Elephants (116.58)
Rhinoceri (116.59)
Cape buffalo (116.59)
Hippopotami (116.59)
Carnivores (116.60)
Bears (116.60)
Wolves (116.60)
Hyenas (116.61)
Lions (116.61)
Tigers (116.62)
Leopards (116.62)
Other cats (116.63)
Wolverines (116.63)
Crocodiles (116.63)
Killer whales (116.64)
Other fish of prey (116.64)
Some wilderness scenarios (116.64)