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Rogues are people who feel that the world (and everyone in it) somehow owes them a living. They get by day by day, living in the highest style they can afford and doing as little work as possible. The less they have to toil and struggle like everyone else (while maintaining a comfortable standard of living), the better off they think they are. While this attitude is neither evil nor cruel it does not foster a good reputation. Many a rogue has a questionable past or a shady background he’d prefer was left uninvestigated.

Rogues combine a few of the qualities of the other character classes. They are allowed to use a wide variety of magical items, weapons, and armor.

Rogues have some special abilities that are unique to their group. All rogues tend to be adept at languages and thus have a percentage chance to read strange writings they come across. All are skilled in climbing and clinging to small cracks and outcroppings – even more skilled than the hardy men of the mountains. They are alert and attentive, hearing things that others would miss. Finally, they are dextrous (and just a little bit light-fingered), able to perform tricks and filch small items with varying degrees of success.

Rogues have a number of special abilities, such as picking pockets and detecting noise, for which they are given a percentage chance of success (this chance depends on the class, level, Dexterity score, and race of the rogue). When a rogue tries to use a special ability, a percentile dice roll determines whether the attempt succeeds or fails. If the dice roll is equal to or less than the special ability score, the attempt succeeds. Otherwise, it fails. (See this page and page 39 for more details.)

All rogues use Table 25 to determine their advancement in levels as they gain experience points.

All rogues gain one six-sided Hit Die (1d6) per level from 1st through 10th. After 10th level, rogues earn 2 hit points per level and no longer receive additional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores.

Table25: ROGUE EXPERIENCE LEVELS
Level	Thief/Bard	Hit Dice (d6)
1	0	1
2	1,250	2
3	2,500	3
4	5,000	4
5	10,000	5
6	20,000	6
7	40,000	7
8	70,000	8
9	110,000	9
10	160,000	10
11	220,000	10+2
12	440,000	10+4
13	660,000	10+6
14	880,000	10+8
15	1,100,000	10+10
16	1,320,000	10+12
17	1,540,000	10+14
18	1,760,000	10+16
19	1,980,000	10+18
20	2,200,000	12+20

Thieves come in all sizes and shapes, ready to live off the fat of the land by the easiest means possible. In some ways they are the epitome of roguishness.

The profession of thief is not honorable, yet it is not entirely dishonorable, either. Many famous folk heroes have been more than a little larcenous – Reynard the Fox, Robin Goodfellow, and Ali Saba are but a few. At his best, the thief is a romantic hero fired by noble purpose but a little wanting in strength of character. Such a person may truly strive for good but continually run afoul of temptation.
The thief’s prime requisite is Dexterity: a character must have a minimum score of 9 to qualify for the class. While high numbers in other scores (particularly Intelligence) are desirable, they are not necessary. The thief can have any alignment except lawful good. Many are at least partially neutral.

A thief with a Dexterity score of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Thieves have a limited selection of weapons. Most of their time is spent practicing thieving skills. The allowed weapons are club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso, short bow, sling, broad sword, long sword, short sword, and staff. A thief can wear leather, studded leather, padded leather, or elven chain armor. When wearing any allowed armor other than leather, the thief’s abilities are penalized (see Table 29).

To determine the initial value of each skill, start with the base scores listed on Table 26. To these base scores, add (or subtract) any appropriate modifiers for race, Dexterity, and armor worn (given on Tables 27, 28, and 29, respectively).

The scores arrived at in the preceding paragraph do not reflect the effort a thief has spent honing his skills. To simulate this extra training, all thieves at 1st level receive 60 discretionary percentage points that they can add to their base scores. No more than 30 points can be assigned to any single skill. Other than this restriction, the player can distribute the points however he wants.

Each time the thief rises a level in experience, the player receives another 30 points to distribute. No more than 15 points per level can be assigned to a single skill, and no skill can be raised above 95 percent, including all adjustments for Dexterity, race, and armor. As an option. the DM can rule that some portion of the points earned must be applied to skills used during the course of the adventure.

Table 26: THIEVING SKILL BASE SCORES
Skill	Base Score
Pick Pockets	15%
Open Locks	10%
Find/Remove Traps	5%
Move Silently	10%
Hide in Shadows	5%
Detect Noise	15%
Climb Walls	60%
Read Languages	0%

In addition to the base percentages listed above, demihuman characters and characters with high or low Dexterity scores have adjustments to their base numbers. Some characters may find that, after adjustments they have negative scores. In this case the character must spend points raising his skill percentage to at least 1% before he can use the skill. (Some races just aren’t very good at certain things!)

A thief character uses the “No Armor” column if wearing bracers of defense or a cloak without large or heavy protective clothing.

Table 27: THIEVING SKILL RACIAL ADJUSTMENTS
Skill	Dwarf	Elf	Gnome	Half-elf	Halfling
Pick Pockets	–	+5%	–	+10%	+5%
Open Locks	+10%	-5%	+5%	–	+5%
Find/Remove Traps	+15%	–	+10%	–	+5%
Move Silently	–	+5%	+5%	–	+10%
Hide in Shadows	–	+10%	+5%	+5%	+15%
Detect Noise	–	+5%	+10%	–	+5%
Climb Walls	-10%	–	-15%	–	-15%
Read Languages	-5%	–	–	–	-5%

---

Table 28: THIEVING SKILL DEXTERITY ADJUSTMENTS
Dexterity	Pick Pockets	Open Locks	Find/Remove Traps	Move Silently	Hide in Shadows
9	-15%	-10%	-15%	-20%	-10%
10	-10%	-5%	-10%	-15%	-5%
11	-5%	–	-5%	-10%	–
12	–	–	–	-5%	–
13-15	–	–	–	–	–
16	–	+5%	–	–	–
17	+5%	+10%	–	+5%	+5%
18	+10%	+15%	+5%	+10%	+10%
19	+15%	+20%	+10%	+15%	+15%

---

Table 29: THIEVING SKILL ARMOR ADJUSTMENTS
Skill	No Armor	Elven Chain*	Padded or Studded Leather
Pick Pockets	+5%	-20%	-30%
Open Locks	–	-5%	-10%
Find/Remove Traps	–	-5%	-10%
Move Silently	+10%	-10%	-20%
Hide in Shadows	+5%	-10%	-20%
Detect Noise	–	-5%	-10%
Climb Walls	+10%	-20%	-30%
Read Languages	–	–	–

* Bards (only) in non-elven chain mail suffer an additional -5% penalty.

Skill Explanations

Pick Pockets: The The thief uses this skill when filching small items from other people’s pockets, sleeves, girdles, packs, etc., when palming items (such as keys), and when performing simple sleight of hand.

A failed attempt means the thief did not get an item, but it does not mean that his attempt was detected. To determine whether the victim noticed the thief’s indiscretion, subtract three times the victim’s level from 100. If the thief’s pick pockets roll was equal to or greater than this number, the attempt is detected. A 0th-level victim, for example, notices the attempt only if the roll was 00 (100), while a 13th-level character notices the attempt on a dice roll of 61 or more. In some cases the attempt may succeed and be noticed at the same time.

A thief can try to pick someone’s pocket as many times as he wants. Neither failure nor success prevents additional attempts, but getting caught might!

Open Locks: A thief can try to pick padlocks, finesse combination locks (if they exist), and solve puzzle locks (locks with sliding panels, hidden releases, and concealed keyholes). Picking a padlock requires tools. Using typical thief’s tools grants normal chances for success. Using improvised tools (a bit of wire, a thin dirk, a stick. etc.)imposes a penalty on the character’s chance for success. The DM sets the penalty based on the situation; penalties can range from -5 for an improvised but suitable tool, to -60 for an awkward and unsuitable item (like a stick). The amount of time required to pick a lock is 1d10 rounds. A thief can try to pick a particular lock only once per experience level, If the attempt fails, the lock is simply too difficult for the character until he learns more about picking locks (goes up a level).

Find/Remove Traps: The thief is trained to find small traps and alarms. These include poisoned needles, spring blades. deadly gases, and warning bells. This skill is not effective for finding deadfall ceilings, crushing walls, or other large, mechanical traps.

To find the trap, the thief must be able to touch and inspect the trapped object. Normally, the DM rolls the dice to determine whether the thief finds a trap. If the DM says, “You didn’t find any traps,” it’s up to the player to decide whether that means there are no traps or there are traps, but the thief did not see them. If the thief finds a trap, he knows its general principle but not its exact nature. A thief can check an item for traps once per experience level. Searching for a trap takes 1d10 rounds.

Once a trap is found, the thief can try to remove it or disarm it. This also requites 1d10 rounds. If the dice roll indicates success, the trap is disarmed. If the dice roll indicates failure, the trap is beyond the thief’s current skill. He can try disarming the trap again when he advances to the next experience level. If the dice roll is 96-100, the thief accidentally triggers the trap and suffers the consequences. Sometimes (usually because his percentages are low) a thief will deliberately spring a trap rather than have unpleasant side effects if the trap doesn’t work quite the way the thief thought, and he triggers it while standing in the wrong place.

This skill is far less useful when dealing with magical or invisible traps. Thieves can attempt to remove these traps, but their chances of success arc half their normal percentages.

Move Silently: A thief can try to move silently at any time simply by announcing that he intends to do so. While moving silently, the thief’s movement rate is reduced to ⅓ normal. The DM rolls percentile dice to determine whether the thief is moving silently; the thief always thinks he is being quiet. Successful silent movement improves the thief’s chance to surprise a victim, avoid discovery, or move into position to stab an enemy in the back. Obviously, a thief moving silently but in plain view of his enemies is wasting his time.

Hide in Shadows: A thief can try to disappear into shadows or any other type of concealment – bushes, curtains, crannies, etc. A thief can hide this way only when no one is looking at him; he remains hidden only as long as he remains virtually motionless. (The thief can make small, slow, careful movements: draw a weapon, uncork a potion, etc.) A thief can never become hidden while a guard is watching him, no matter what his dice roll is – his position is obvious to the guard. However, trying to hide from a creature that is locked in battle with another is possible, as the enemy’s attention is fixed elsewhere. The DM rolls the dice and keeps the result secret, but the thief always thinks he is hidden.

Hiding in shadows cannot be done in total darkness, since the talent lies in fooling the eye as much as in finding real concealment (camouflage, as it were). However, hidden characters are equally concealed to those with or without infravision. Spells, magical items, and special abilities that reveal invisible objects can reveal the location of a hidden thief.

Detect Noise: A good thief pays attention to every detail, no matter how small, including faint sounds that most others miss. His ability to hear tiny sounds (behind heavy doors, down long hallways, etc.) is much better than the ordinary person’s. Listening is not automatic; the thief must stand still and concentrate on what he’s hearing for one round. He must have silence in his immediate surroundings and must remove his helmet or hat. Sounds filtering through doors or other barriers are unclear at best.

Climb Walls: Although everyone can climb rocky cliffs and steep slopes, the thief is far superior to others in this ability. Not only does he have a better climbing percentage than other characters, he can also climb most surfaces without tools, ropes, or devices. Only the thief can climb smooth and very smooth surfaces without climbing gear. Of course, the thief is very limited in his actions while climbing – he is unable to fight or effectively defend himself.

Read Languages: Out of necessity, thieves tend to learn odd bits of information. Among these is the ability to read various languages, particularly as they apply to treasure maps, deeds, secret notes, and the like. At 4th level, the thief has enough exposure to languages that he has a chance to read most non-magical writing. This ability naturally improves with more experience. However, your DM can rule that some languages (those the thief has never encountered) are indecipherable to the thief.

The die roll to read a language must be made every time the character tries to read a document (not just once per language). A successful die roll means the thief puzzled out the meaning of the writing. His understanding of the document is roughly equal to his percentage chance for success: a 20 percent chance means that, if the thief understands it at all, he gets about 20 percent of the meaning. A different document in the same language requires another die roll (it probably contains different words). It isn’t necessary to keep notes about what languages the thief has read in the past, since each document is handled individually.

Only one die roll can be made for any particular document at a given experience level. If the die roll fails, the thief can try again after gaining a new experience level.

Thieves have other abilities not listed on Table 26:

Backstab: Thieves are weak in toe-to-toe hacking matches, but they are masters of the knife in the back. When attacking someone by surprise and from behind, a thief can improve his chance to successfully hit ( +4 modifier for rear attack and negate the target’s shield and Dexterity bonuses) and greatly increase the amount of damage his blow causes.

To use this ability, the thief must be behind his victim and the victim must be unaware that the thief intends to attack him. If an enemy sees the thief, hears him approach from a blind side, or is warned by another, he is not caught unaware, and the backstab is handled like a normal attack (although bonuses for a rear attack still apply). Opponents in battle will often notice a thief trying to maneuver behind them – the first rule of fighting is to never turn your back on an enemy! However, someone who isn’t expecting to be attacked (a friend or ally, perhaps) can be caught unaware even if he knows the thief is behind him.

The multiplier given an Table 30 applies to the amount of damage before modifiers for Strength or weapon bonuses are added. The weapon’s standard damage is multiplied by the value given in Table 30. Then strength and magical weapon bonuses are added.

Backstabbing does have limitations. First, the damage multiplier applies only to the first attack made by the thief, even if multiple attacks are possible. Once a blow is struck, the initial surprise effect is lost. Second, the thief cannot use it on every creature. The victim must be generally humanoid. Part of the skill comes from knowing just where to strike. A thief could backstab an ogre, but he wouldn’t be able to do the same to a beholder. The victim must also have a definable back (which leaves out most slimes, jellies, oozes, and the like). Finally, the thief has to be able to reach a significant target area. To backstab a giant, the thief would have to be standing on a ledge or window balcony. Backstabbing him in the ankle just isn’t going to be as effective.

Table 30: BACKSTAB DAMAGE MULTIPLIERS
Thief’s Level	Damage Multiplier
1-4	× 2
5-8	× 3
9-12	× 4
13+	× 5

The ogre marches down the hallway peering into the gloom ahead. He fails to notice the shadowy form of Ragnar the thief hidden in an alcove. Slipping into the hallway, Ragnar creeps up behind the monster. As he Sets himself to strike a mortal blow, his foot scrapes across tht stone. The hairy ears of the ogre perk up. The beast whirls around, ruining Ragnar’s chance for a backstab and what remains of his day. If Ragnar had made a successful roll to move silently, he could have attacked the ogre with a +4 bonus on his chance to hit and afflicted four times his normal damage (since he is 15th level).

Thieves’ Cant: Thieves’ cant is a special form of communication known by all thieves and their associates. It is not a distinct language; it consists of slang words and implied meanings that can be worked into any language. The vocabulary of thieves’ cant limits its use to discussing things that interest thieves: stolen loot, easy marks, breaking and entering, mugging, confidence games, and the like. It is not a language, however. Two thieves can­ not communicate via thieves’ cant unless they know a common language. The cant is useful, however, for identifying fellow cads and bounders by slipping a few tidbits of lingo into a normal conversation.

Use Scrolls: At 10th level, a thief gains a limited ability to use magical and clerical scrolls. A thief’s understanding of magical writings is far from complete, however. The thief has a 25 percent chance to read the scroll incorrectly and reverse the spell’s effect. This sort of malfunction is almost always detrimental to the thief and his party. It could be as simple as accidentally casting the reverse of the given spell or as complex as a foul-up on a fireball scroll,
causing the ball of flame to be centered on the thief instead of its intended target. The exact effect is u p to the DM (this is the sort of thing DMs enjoy, so expect the unexpected).

Thieves do not build castles or fortresses in the usual sense. Instead, they favor small, fortified dwellings, especially if the true purpose of the building can easily be disguised. A thief might, for example, construct a well-protected
den in a large city behind the facade of a seedy tavern or old warehouse. Naturally, the true nature of the place will be a closely guarded secret! Thieves almost always build their strongholds in or near cities, since that is where they ply their trades most lucratively.

This, of course, assumes that the thief is interested in operating a band of thieves out of his stronghold. Not all thieves have larceny in their hearts, however. If a character devoted his life to those aspects of thieving that focus on scouting, stealth, and the intricacies of locks and traps, he could build an entirely different sort of stronghold – one filled with the unusual and intriguing objects he has collected during his adventurous life. Like any thief’s home, it should blend in with its surroundings; after all, a scout never advertises his whereabouts. It might be a formidable maze of rooms, secret passages, sliding panels, and mysterious paraphernalia from across the world.

Once a thief reaches 10th level, his reputation is such that he can attract followers – either a gang of scoundrels and scalawags or a group of scouts eager to learn from a reputed master. The thief attracts 4d6 of these fellows. They are generally loyal to him, but a wise thief is always suspicious of his comrades. Table 31 can be used to determine the type and level of followers, or the DM can choose followers appropriate to his campaign.

Table 31: THIEF’S FOLLOWERS
D100 Roll	Follower	Level Range
01-03	Dwarf fighter/thief	1-4
04-08	Dwarf thief	1-6
09-13	Elf thief	1-6
14-15	Elf thief/fighter/mage	1-3
16-18	Elf thief/mage	1-4
19-24	Gnome thief	1-6
25-27	Gnome thief/fighter	1-4
28-30	Gnome thief/illusionist	1-4
31-35	Half-elf thief	1-6
36-38	Half-elf thief/fighter	1-4
39-41	Half-elf thief/fighter/mage	1-3
42-46	Halfling thief	1-8
47-50	Halfling thief/fighter	1-6
51-98	Human thief	1-8
99	Human dual-class thief/?	1-8/1-4
00	Other (DM selection)	–

Thieves tend to be very jealous of their territory. If more than one thief starts a gang in the same area, the result is usually a war. The feud continues until one side or the other is totally eliminated or forced to move its operation elsewhere.

Bard

Ability Requirements:	Dexterity 12; Intelligence 13; Charisma 15
Prime Requisite:	Dexterity, Charisma
Races Allowed:	Human, Half-elf

The bard is an optional character class that can be used if your DM allows. He makes his way in life by his charm, talent, and wit. A good bard should be glib of tongue, light of heart, and fleet of foot (when all else fails).

To become a bard, a character must have a Dexterity of 12 or more, an Intelligence of 13 or more, and a Charisma of 15 or more. The prime requisites are Dexterity and Charisma. A bard can be lawful, neutral or chaotic, good or evil, but must always be partially neutral. Only by retaining some amount of detachment can he successfully fulfill his role as a bard.

A bard, by his nature, tends to learn many different skills. He is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. Although he fights as a rogue, he can use any weapon. He can wear any armor up to, and including, chain mail, but he cannot use a shield.

All bards are proficient singers, chanters, or vocalists and can play a musical instrument of the player’s choice (preferably one that is portable). Additional instruments can be learned at the optional proficiency rules are used – the bard can learn two instruments for every proficiency slot spent.

In his travels, a bard also manages to learn a few wizard spells. Like a wizard, a bard’s Intelligence determines the number of spells he can know and the chance to know any given spell. These he keeps in his spell
book, abiding by all the restrictions on memorization and spell use that bind a mage, especially in the prohibition of armor. Hence, a bard will tend to use his spells more to entertain and impress than to fight. Table 32 lists the number of spells a bard can cast at each level.

Since bards are dabblers rather than full-time wizards, their spells tend to be gained by serendipity and happenstance. In no case can a bard choose to specialize in a school of magic. Beginning bards do not have a selection of spells. A 2nd-level bard begins with one to four spells, chosen either randomly or by the DM. (An Intelligence check must still be made to see if the bard can learn a given spell.) The bard is not  guaranteed to know read magic, as this is not needed to read the writings in a spell book. The bard can add new spells to his spell book as he finds them, but he does not automatically gain additional spells as he advances in level. All spells beyond those he starts with must be found during the course of adventuring. The bard’s casting level is equal to his current level.

Table 32: BARD SPELL PROGRESSION
	Spell Level
Bard Level	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	1	–	–	–	–	–
3	2	–	–	–	–	–
4	2	1	–	–	–	–
5	3	1	–	–	–	–
6	3	2	–	–	–	–
7	3	2	1	–	–	–
8	3	3	1	–	–	–
9	3	3	2	–	–	–
10	3	3	2	1	–	–
11	3	3	3	1	–	–
12	3	3	3	2	–	–
13	3	3	3	2	1	–
14	3	3	3	3	1	–
15	3	3	3	3	2	–
16	4	3	3	3	2	1
17	4	4	3	3	3	1
18	4	4	4	3	3	2
19	4	4	4	4	3	2
20	4	4	4	4	4	3

Combat and spells, however, are not the main strength of the bard. His expertise is in dealing and communicating with others. To this end, the bard has a number of special powers. The base percentage for each power is listed on Table 33. This base percentage must be adjusted for the race and Dexterity of the bard as given in the Thief description. After all adjustments are made, the player must distribute (however he chooses) 20 additional percentage points to the various special abilities. Thereafter, each time the character advances a level, he receives an additional 15 points to distribute.

Table 33: BARD ABILITIES
Climb Walls	Detect Noise	Pick Pockets	Read Languages
50%	20%	10%	5%

Bard abilities are subject to modifiers for situation and armor as per the thief (see page 39 for a complete explanation).

Climb Walls enables the bard to climb near sheer surfaces without the aid of tools, just like the thief.

Detect Noise improves the bard’s chances of hearing and interpreting sounds. He may be able to overhear parts of a conversation on the other side of a door or pick up the sound of something stalking the party. To use the ability, the bard must stand unhelmeted and concentrate for one round (one minute). During this time, all other party members must remain silent. The DM secretly makes the check and informs the
player of the result.

Pick Pockets enables the bard not only to filch small purses, wallets, keys, and the like, but also to perform small feats of sleight-of-hand (useful for entertaining a crowd). Complete details on pickpocketing (and your character’s chances of getting caught) can be found in the Thief description.

Read Languages is an important ability, since words are the meat and drink of bards. They have some ability to read documents written in languages they do not know, relying on words and phrases they have picked up in their studies and travels. The Read Languages column in Table 33 gives the base percentage chance to puzzle out a foreign tongue. It also represents the degree of comprehension the bard has if he is successful. The DM can rule that a language is too rare or unfamiliar, especially if it has never been previously encountered by the bard, effectively foiling his attempts to translate it. At the other extreme, the bard need not make the dice roll for any language he is proficient in. Success is assumed to be automatic in such cases.

The bard can also influence reactions of groups of NPCs. When performing before a group that is not attacking (and not intending to attack in just seconds), the bard can try to alter the mood of the listeners. He can try to soften their mood or make it uglier. The method can be whatever is most suitable to the situation at the moment a fiery speech, collection of jokes, a sad tale, a fine tune played on a fiddle, a haunting lute melody, or a heroic song from the old homeland. Everyone in the group listening must roll a saving throw vs. paralyzation (if the crowd is large, make saving throws for groups of people using average hit dice). The die roll is modified by -1 for every three experience levels of the bard (round fractions down). If the saving throw fails, the group’s reaction can be shifted one level (see the Reactions section in the DMG), to­ward either the friendly or hostile end of the scale, at the player’s option. Those who make a successful saving throw have their reaction shifted one level toward the oppo­site end of the scale.

Cwell the Fine has been captured by a group of bandits and hauled into their camp. Although they are not planning to kill him on the spot, any fool can plainly see that his future may be depressingly short. Indesperation Cwell begins spinning a comic tale about Duke Dunderhead and his blundering knights. It has always been a hit with the peasants, and he figures it’s worth a try here. Most of the bandits have 1 Hit Die, but the few higher level leaders raise the average level to 3. Cwell is only 2nd level so he gains no modifier. A saving throw is rolled and the group fails (Cwell succeeds!). The ruffi­ans find his tale amusing. The player shifts their reaction from hostile to neutral. The bandits decide not to kill Cwell but to keep him around, under guard, to entertain them. If the bandits saving throw had succeeded, the bandits would have been offended by the story (perhaps some of them served under Duke Dunderhead!), and their reaction would have shifted from hostile to violent. They probably would have roasted Cwell immediately.

This ability cannot affect people in the midst of battle; it is effective only when the audience has time to listen. If Cwell tried telling his tale while the bandits were attacking his group, the bandits would have quickly decided that Cwell was a fool and carried on with their business. Furthermore, the form of entertainment used must be appropriate to the audience. Cwell might be able to calm (or enrage) a bear with music, but he won’t have much luck telling jokes to orcs unless he speaks their language.

The music, poetry, and stories of the bard can also be inspirational, rallying friends and allies. If the exact nature of an impending threat is known, the bard can heroically inspire his companions (immortalizing them in word and song), granting a +1 bonus to attack rolls, or a +1 bonus to saving throws, or a +2 bonus to morale (particularly useful in large battles) to those involved in melee. The bard must spend at least three full rounds singing or reciting before the battle begins. This affects those within a range of 10 feet per experience level of the bard.

The effect lasts one round per level. Once the effect wears off, it can’t be renewed if the recipients are still in battle. However, troops who have withdrawn from combat can be reinspired by the bard’s words. A troop of soldiers, inspired by Cwell, could charge into battle. After fighting a fierce fight, they retreat and the enemy does not pursue. Cwell, seeing them crestfallen and dispirited, once again rouses their will to fight. Reinvigorated, they charge back into battle with renewed spirit.

Bards are also able to counter the effects of songs and poetry used as magical attacks. Characters within 30 feet of the bard are immune to the attack as long as the bard sings a counter song (or recites a poem, etc.). While doing this, the bard can perform no other action except a slow walk. Furthermore, if he is struck or fails a saving throw, his effort is ruined. Success is checked by having the bard make a saving throw vs. spell. Success blocks the attack, failure means the attack has its normal effect (everyone affected rolls saving throws, normal damage is inflicted, etc.). The bard can use this ability once per encounter or battle. This power does not affect verbal spell components or command words; it is effective against spells that involve explanations, commands, or suggestions.

Finally, bards learn a little bit of everything in their studies and travels. Thus all bards can read and write their native tongue (if a written language exists) and all know local history (without cost if the optional proficiency rules are used). Furthermore, bards have a 5 percent chance per experience level to identify the general purpose and function of any magical item. The bard need not handle the item but must examine it closely. Even if successful, the exact function of the item is not revealed, only its general nature.

Since Cwell the Fine is 2nd level, he has a 10 percent chance to know something about a magical sword +1. If he succeeds, he knows whether the sword is cursed and whether it has an alignment (“This sword was used by the evil warrior Lurdas. I wouldn’t touch it if I were you!”). This ability does not enable him to identify the sword’s exact properties, only its history and background. He has no idea of its bonuses or penalties or any special magical powers, except as can be inferred from the histories.

Being something of a warrior, a bard can build a stronghold and attract followers upon reaching 9th level. The bard attracts 10d6 0th-level soldiers into his service. They arrive over a period of time, but they are not automatically replaced if lost in battle. Of course, a bard can build a stronghold any time, but no followers arrive until he reaches 9th level.

Upon reaching 10th level, a bard can attempt to use magical devices of written nature – scrolls, books, etc. However, his understanding of magic is imperfect (although better than that of a thief), so there is a 15% chance that any written item he uses is read incorrectly. When this happens, the magical power works the opposite of what is intended, generally to the detriment of the bard or his friends. The DM will tell you what happens to your character, based on the situation and particular magical Item. The result may be unpleasant, deadly, or embarrassing. (Deciding these things is part of the DM’s fun!)

The priest is a be­liever and advocate of a god from a particular mythos. More than just a follower, he intercedes and acts on behalf of others, seeking to use his powers to advance the beliefs of his mythos.

All priests have certain powers: The ability to cast spells, the strength of arm to defend their beliefs, and special, deity-granted powers to aid them in their calling. While priests are not as fierce in combat as warriors, they are trained to use weaponry in the fight for their cause. They can cast spells, primarily to further their god’s aims and protect its adherents. They have few offensive spells, but these are very powerful.

All priests use eight-sided Hit Dice (d8s). Only priests gain additional spells for having high Wisdom scores. All priests have a limited selection of weapons and armor, but the restrictions vary according to the mythos.

All priests use Table 23 to determine their advancement in level as they gain experience points. They also all use Table 24 to determine how many spells they receive at each level of experience.

All priest spells are divided into 16 categories called spheres of influence. Different types of priests have access to different spheres: no priest can cast spells from every sphere of influence. The 16 spheres of influence are as follows: All, Animal, Astral, Charm, Combat, Creation, Divination, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Protection, Summoning, Sun, and Weather (see page 34).

In addition, a priest has either major or minor access to a sphere. A priest with major access to a sphere can (eventually) cast all spells in the sphere. A priest with minor access to a sphere can cast only 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-level spells from that sphere.

All priests gain one eight-sided Hit Die (1d8) per level from 1st through 9th. After 9th level, priests earn 2 hit points per level and they no longer gain additional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores.

Table23: PRIEST EXPERIENCE LEVELS
Level	Cleric	Druid	Hit Dice (d8)
1	0	0	1
2	1,500	2,000	2
3	3,000	4,000	3
4	6,000	7,500	4
5	13,000	12,500	5
6	27,500	20,000	6
7	55,000	35,000	7
8	110,000	60,000	8
9	225,000	90,000	9
10	450,000	125,000	9+2
11	675,000	200,000	9+4
12	900,000	300,000	9+6
13	1,125,000	750,000	9+8
14	1,350,000	1,500,000	9+10
15	1,575,000	3,000,000	9+12
16	1,800,000	3,500,000	9+14
17	2,025,000	500,000 *	9+16
18	2,250,000	1,000,000	9+18
19	2,475,000	1,500,000	9+20
20	2,700,000	2,000,000	9+22

* See section on hierophant druids, page 37.

Table24: PRIEST SPELL PROGRESSION
	Spell Level
Priest Level	1	2	3	4	5	6*	7**
1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	2	1	–	–	–	–	–
4	3	2	–	–	–	–	–
5	3	3	1	–	–	–	–
6	3	3	2	–	–	–	–
7	3	3	2	1	–	–	–
8	3	3	3	2	–	–	–
9	4	4	3	2	1	–	–
10	4	4	3	3	2	–	–
11	5	4	4	3	2	1	–
12	6	5	5	3	2	2	–
13	6	6	6	4	2	2	–
14	6	6	6	5	3	2	1
15	6	6	6	6	4	2	1
16	7	7	7	6	4	3	1
17	7	7	7	7	5	3	2
18	8	8	8	8	6	4	2
19	9	9	8	8	6	4	2
20	9	9	9	8	7	5	2

* Usable only by priests with 17 or greater Wisdom.
** Usable only by priests with 18 or greater Wisdom.

Cleric

Ability Requirement:	Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite:	Wisdom
Races Allowed:	All

The most common type of priest is the cleric. The cleric may be an adherent of any religion (though if the DM designs a specific mythos, the cleric’s abilities and spells may be changed – see following). Clerics are generally good, but are not restricted to good; they can have any alignment acceptable to their order. A cleric must have a Wisdom score of 9 or more. High Constitution and Charisma are also particularly useful.

A cleric who has a Wisdom of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Clerics are sturdy soldiers, although their selection of weapons is limited. They can wear any type of armor and use any shield. Standard clerics, being reluctant to shed blood or spread violence, are allowed to use only blunt, bludgeoning weapons. They can use a fair number of magical items including clerical scrolls, most potions and rings, some wands and rods, staves, armor, shields, and magical versions of any weapons allowed by their order.

Spells are the main tools of the cleric, however, helping him to serve, fortify, protect and revitalize those under his care. He has a wide variety of spells to choose from, suitable to many different purposes and needs. (A priest of a specific mythos probably has a more restricted range of spells – see page 34.) A cleric has major access to every sphere of influence except the plant, animal, weather, and elemental spheres (he has minor access to the elemental sphere and cannot cast spells of the other three spheres).

The cleric receives his spells as insight directly from his deity (the deity does not need to make a personal appearance to grant the spells the cleric prays for), as a sign of and reward for his faith, so he must take care not to abuse his power lest it be taken away as punishment.

The cleric is also granted power over undead – evil creatures that exist in a form of non-life, neither dead nor alive. The cleric is charged with defeating these mockeries of life. His ability to turn undead (see page 103) enables him to drive away these creatures or destroy them utterly (though a cleric of evil alignment can bind the creatures to his will). Some of the more common undead creatures are ghosts, zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and mummies. Vampires and liches (undead sorcerers) are two of the most powerful undead.

As a cleric advances in level, he gains additional spells, better combat skills, and a stronger turning ability. Upon reaching 8th level, the cleric automatically attracts a fanatically loyal group of believers, provided the character has established a place of worship of significant size. The cleric can build this place of worship at any time during his career, but he does not attract believers until he reaches 8th level. These followers are normal warriors, 0th-level soldiers, ready to fight for the cleric’s cause. The cleric attracts 20 to 200 of these followers; they arrive over a period of several weeks. After the initial followers assemble, no new followers trickle in to fill the ranks of those who have fallen in service. The DM decides the exact number and types of followers attracted by the cleric. The character can hire other troops as needed, but these are not as loyal as his followers.

At 9th level, the cleric may receive official approval to establish a religious stronghold, be it a fortified abbey or a secluded convent. Obviously, the stronghold must contain all the trappings of a place f worship and must be dedicated to the service of the cleric’s cause. However, the construction cost of the stronghold is half the normal price, since the work has official sanction and much of the labor is donated. The cleric can hold property and build a stronghold anytime before reaching 9th level, but this is done without church sanction and does not receive the benefits described above.

Priests of Specific Mythoi

In the simplest version of the AD&D® game, clerics serve religions that can be generally described as “good” or “evil.” Nothing more needs to be said about it; the game will play perfectly well at this level. However, a DM who has taken the time to create a detailed campaign world has often spent some of that time devising elaborate pantheons, either unique creations or adaptations from history or literature. If the option is open (and only your DM can decide), you may want your character to adhere to a particular mythos, taking advantage of the detail and color your DM has provided. If your character follows a particular mythos, expect him to have abilities, spells, and restrictions different from the generic cleric.

Priesthood in any mythos must be defined in five categories: requirements, weapons allowed, spells allowed, granted powers, and ethos.

Requirements

Before a character can become a priest of a particular mythos, certain requirements must be met. These usually involve minimum ability scores and mandatory alignments. All priests, regardless of mythos, must have Wisdom scores of at least 9. Beyond this, your DM can set other requirements as needed. A god of battle, for example. should require strong, healthy priests (13 Str, 12 Con). One whose sphere is art and beauty should demand high Wisdom and Charisma (16 or better). Most deities demand a specific type of behavior from their followers, and this will dictate alignment choices.

Weapons Allowed

Not all mythoi are opposed to the shedding of blood. Indeed, some require their priests to use swords, spears, or other specific weapons. A war deity might allow his priests to fight with spears or swords. An agricultural deity might emphasize weapons derived from farm implements – sickles and bills, for example. A deity of peace and harmony might grant only the simplest and least harmful weapons – perhaps only lassoes and nets. Given below are some suggested weapons. but many more are possible (the DM always has the final word in this matter).

Deity	Weapon
Agriculture	Bill, flail, sickle
Blacksmith	War hammer
Death	Sickle
Disease	Scourge, whip
Earth	Pick
Healing	Man-catcher, quarterstaff
Hunting	Bow and arrows, javelin, light lance, sling, spear
Lightning	Dart, javelin, spear
Love	Bow and arrows, man-catcher
Nature	Club, scimitar, sickle
Oceans	Harpoon, spear, trident
Peace	Quarterstaff
Strength	Hammer
Thunder	Club, mace, war hammer
War	Battle axe, mace, morning star, spear, sword
Wind	Blowgun, dart

Of course there are many other reasons a deity might be associated with a particular weapon or group of weapons. These are often cultural, reflecting the weapons used by the people of the area. There may be a particular legend associated with the deity, tying it to some powerful artifact weapon (Thor’s hammer, for example). The DM has the final choice in all situations.

Spells Allowed

A priest of a particular mythos is allowed to cast spells from only a few, related spheres. The priest’s deity will have major and minor accesses to certain spheres, and this determines the spells available to the priest. (Each deity’s access to spheres is determined by the DM as he creates the pantheon of his world.) The 16 spheres of influence are defined in the following paragraphs.

A priest whose deity grants major access to a sphere can choose from any spell within that sphere (provided he is high enough in level to cast it), while one allowed only minor access to the sphere is limited to spells of 3rd level or below in that sphere. The combination of major and minor accesses to spheres results in a wide variation in the spells available to priests who worship different deities.

All refers to spells usable by any priest, regardless of mythos. There are no Powers (deities) of the sphere of All. This group includes spells the priest needs to perform basic functions.

Animal spells are those that affect or alter creatures. It does not include spells that affect people. Deities of nature and husbandry typically operate in this sphere.

Astral is a small sphere of spells that enable movement or communication between the different planes of existence. The masters of a plane or particularly meddlesome Powers often grant spells from this sphere.

Charm spells are those that affect the attitudes and actions of people. Deities of love, beauty, trickery, and art often allow access to this sphere.

Combat spells are those that can be used to directly attack or harm the enemies of the priest or his mythos. These are often granted by deities of war or death.

Creation spells enable the priest to produce something from nothing, often to benefit his followers. This sphere can fill many different roles, from a provider to a trickster.

Divination enables the priest to learn the safest course of action in a particular situation, find a hidden item, or recover long-forgotten information. Deities of wisdom and knowledge typically have access to this sphere.

Elemental spells are all those that affect the four basic elements of creation – earth, air, fire, and water. Nature deities, elemental deities, those representing or protecting various crafts, and the deities of sailors would all draw spells from this sphere.

Guardian spells place magical sentries over an item or person. These spells are more active than protection spells because they create an actual guardian creature of some type. Protective, healing, and trickster deities may all grant spells of this sphere.

Healing spells are those that cure diseases, remove afflictions, or heal wounds. These spells cannot restore life or regrow lost limbs. Healing spells can be reversed to cause injury, but such use is restricted to evil priests. Protective and merciful deities are most likely to grant these spells, while nature deities may have lesser access to them.

Necromantic spells restore to a creature some element of its life-force that has been totally destroyed. It might be life, a limb, or an experience level. These spells in reverse are powerfully destructive, and are used only by extremely evil priests. Deities of life or death are most likely to act in this sphere.

Plant spells affect plants, ranging from simple agriculture (improving crops and the like) to communicating with plant-like creatures. Agricultural and nature Powers grant spells in this sphere.

Protection spells create mystical shield to defend the priest or his charges from evil attacks. War and protective deities are most likely to use these, although one devoted to mercy and kindness might also bestow these spells.

Summoning spells serve to call creatures from other places, or even other dimensions, to the service of the priest. Such service is often against the will of the creature, so casting these spells often involves great risk. Since creatures summoned often cause great harm and destruction, these spells are sometimes bestowed by war or death powers.

Sun spells are those dealing in the basic powers of the solar universe – the purity of light and its counterpart darkness. Sun spells are very common with nature, agricultural, or life-giving powers.

Weather spells enable the priest to manipulate the forces of weather. Such manipulation can be as simple as providing rain to parched fields, or as complex as unbridling the power of a raging tempest. Not surprisingly, these tend to be the province of nature and agricultural powers and appear in the repertoire of sea and ocean powers.

Additional spheres can be created by your DM. The listed spheres are typical of the areas in which deities concentrate their interest and power. Spells outside the deity’s major and minor spheres of influence are not available to its priests.

Furthermore, the priest can obtain his spells at a faster or slower pace than the normal cleric. Should the character”s ethos place emphasis on self-reliance, the spell progression is slower. Those deities associated with many amazing and wondrous events might grant more spells per level. Of course, your DM has final say on this, and he must balance the gain or loss of spells against the other powers, abilities, and restrictions of the character.

Granted Powers

Another aspect of a specific mythos is the special powers available to its priests. The cleric’s granted power is the ability to turn undead. This ability, however, is not common to all priests. Other deities grant powers in accordance with their spheres. If your DM is using a specific mythos, he must decide what power is granted to your priest. Some possible suggestions are given below.

• Incite Berserker Rage, adding a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls (War).
• Soothing Word, able to remove fear and influence hostile reactions (Peace, Mercy, Healing).
• Charm or Fascination, which could act as a suggestion spell (Love, Beauty, Art).
• Inspire Fear, radiating an aura of fear similar to the fear spell (Death).

These are only a few of the, granted powers that might be available to a character. As with allowed weapons, much depends on the culture of the region and the tales and legends surrounding the Power and its priests.

Ethos

All priests must live by certain tenets and beliefs. These guide the priests’ behavior. Clerics generally try to avoid shedding blood and try to aid their community. A war deity may order its priests to be at the forefront of battles and to actively crusade against all enemies. A harvest deity may want its priests to be active in the fields. The ethos may also dictate what alignment the priest must be. The nature of the mythos helps define the strictures the priest must follow.

Priest Titles

Priests of differing mythoi often go by titles and names other than priest. A priest of nature, for example (especially one based on Western European tradition) could be called a druid (see this page). Shamans and witch doctors are also possibilities. A little library research will turn up many more unique and colorful titles, a few of which are listed here:

Abbess, Abbot, Ayatollah, Bonze, Brother, Dom, Eye of the Law, Friar, Guru, Hajji, Imam, Mendicant, Metropolitan, Mullah, Pardoner, Patriarch, Prelate, Prior, Qadi, Rector, Vicar, and Yogi

Balancing it all

When creating a priest of a specific mythos, careful attention must be given to the balance of the character’s different abilities. A priest strong in one area or having a wide range of choice must be appropriately weakened in another area so that he does not become too powerful compared to the other priests in the game. If a war deity allows a priest the use of all weapons and armor, the character should be limited in the spells allowed or powers granted. At the other extreme, a character who follows a deity of peace should have significant spells and granted powers to make up for his extremely limited or non-existent choice of weapons. A druid, for example, has more granted powers than a normal cleric to compensate for his limited armor and spell selection.

Druid

Ability Requirements:	Wisdom 12; Charisma 15
Prime Requisites:	Wisdom, Charisma
Races. Allowed:	Human, Half-elf

The druid is an example of a priest designed for a specific mythos. His powers and beliefs are different from those of the cleric. The druid is a priest of nature and guardian of the wilderness, be it forest, plains, or jungle.

Requirements

A druid must be human or half-elven. He must have a Wisdom score of at least 12 and a Charisma score of 15 or more. Both of these abilities are prime requisites.

Weapons Allowed

Unlike the cleric, the druid is allowed to use only “natural” armors – leather armor and wooden shields, including those with magical enhancements. All other armors are forbidden to him. His weapons are limited to club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, and staff.

Spells Allowed

Druids do not have the same range of spells as clerics. They have major access to the following spheres: all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, and weather. They have minor access to the divination sphere. Druids can use all magical items normally allowed priests, except for those that are written (books and scrolls) and armor and weapons not normally allowed for druids.

Granted Powers

A druid makes most saving throws as a priest, but he gains a bonus of +2 to all saving throws vs. fire or electrical attacks.

All druids can speak a secret language in addition to any other tongues they know. (If the optional proficiency rules are used, this language does not use a proficiency slot.) The vocabulary of this druidic language is limited to dealing with nature and natural events. Druids jealously guard this language; it is the one infallible method they have of recognizing each another.

Additional powers are granted as the druid reaches higher levels:

• He can identify plants, animals, and pure water with perfect accuracy after he reaches 3rd level.
• He can pass through overgrown areas (thick thorn bushes, tangled vines, briar patches, etc.) without leaving a trail and at his normal movement rate after he reaches 3rd level.
• He can learn the languages of woodland creatures. These include centaurs, dryads, elves, fauns, gnomes, dragons, giants, lizard men, manticores, nixies, pixies, sprites, and treants. The druid can add one language at 3rd level and one more every time he advances a level above 3rd. (If the optional proficiency rules are used, it is the druid’s choice whether or not to spend a proficiency slot on one or more of these languages.)
• He is immune to charm spells cast by woodland creatures (dryads, nixies, etc.) after he reaches 7th level.
• He gains the ability to shapechange into a reptile, bird, or mammal up to three times per day after he reaches 7th level. Each animal form (reptile, bird, or mammal) can be used only once per day. The size can vary from that of a bullfrog or small bird to as large as a black bear. Upon assuming a new form, the druid heals 10 to 60 percent (1d6 x 10%) of all damage he has suffered (round fractions down). The druid can only assume the form of a normal (real world) animal in its normal proportions, but by doing so he takes on all of that creature’s characteristics – its movement rate and abilities, its Armor Class, number of attacks, and damage per attack.

  Thus, a druid could change into a wren to fly across a river, transform into a black bear on the opposite side and attack the orcs gathered there, and finally change into a snake to escape into the bushes before more orcs arrive.

  The druid’s clothing and one item held in each hand also become part of the new body; these reappear when the druid resumes his normal shape. The items cannot be used while the druid is in animal form.

• A druid cannot tum undead.

Ethos

As protectors of nature, druids are aloof from the complications of the temporal world. Their greatest concern is for the continuation of the orderly and proper cycles of nature – birth, growth, death, and rebirth. Druids tend to view all things as cyclic and thus the battles of good and evil are only the rising and falling tides of time. Only when the cycle and balance are disrupted does the druid become concerned. Given this view of things, the druid must be neutral in alignment.

Druids are charged with protecting wilderness – in particular trees, wild plants, wild animals, and crops. By association, they are also responsible for their followers and their animals. Druids recognize that all creatures (including humans) need food, shelter, and protection from harm. Hunting, farming, and cutting lumber for homes are logical and necessary parts of the natural cycle. However, druids do not tolerate unnecessary destruction or exploitation of nature for profit. Druids often prefer subtle and devious methods of revenge against those who defile nature. It is well known that druids are both very unforgiving and very patient.

Mistletoe is an important holy symbol to druids and it is a necessary part of some spells (those requiring a holy symbol). To be effective, the mistletoe must be gathered by the light of the full moon using a golden or silver sickle specially made for the purpose. Mistletoe gathered by other means halves the effectiveness of a given spell, if it causes damage or has an area of effect, and grants the target a +2 bonus to his saving throw if a saving throw is applicable.

Druids as a class do not dwell permanently in castles., cities., or towns. All druids prefer to live in sacred groves, where they build small sod, log, or stone cottages.

Druid Organization

Druids have a worldwide structure. At their upper levels (12th and above), only a few druids can hold each level.

Druids, Archdruids, and the Great Druid

At 12th level, the druid character acquires the official title of “druid” (all druid characters below 12th level are officially known as “initiates”). There can be only nine 12th-level druids in any geographic region (as defined by oceans, seas, and mountain ranges; a continent may consist of three or four such regions). A character cannot reach 12th level unless he takes his place as one of the nine druids. This is possible only if there are currently fewer than nine druids in the region, or if the character defeats one of the nine druids in magical or hand-to-hand combat, thereby assuming the defeated druid’s position. If such combat is not mortal, the loser drops experience points so that he has exactly 200,000 – remaining just enough to be 11th level.

The precise details of each combat are worked out between the two combatants in advance. The combat can be magical!, non-magical, or a mixture of both. It can be fought to the death, until only one character is unconscious, until a predetermined number of hit points is lost, or even until the first blow is landed, although in this case both players would have to be supremely confident of their abilities. Whatever can be agreed upon between the characters is legitimate, so long as there is some element of skill and risk.

When a character becomes a 12th-level druid, he gains three underlings. Their level depends on the character’s position among the nine druids. The druid with the most experience points is served by three initiates of 9th level; the second-most experienced druid is served by three initiates of 8th level; and so on, until the least experienced druid is served by three 1st-level initiates.

Only three archdruids (13th level) can operate in a geographical region. To become an archdruid, a 12th-level druid must defeat one of the reigning archdruids or advance into a vacant position. Each of the three archdruids is served by three initiates of 10th level. From among the archdruids of the entire world, three are chosen to serve the Grand Druid (see “The Grand Druid and Hierophant Druids” section). These three retain their attendees but are themselves servants of the Grand Druid.

The great druid (14th level) is unique in his region. He, too, won his position from the previous great druid. He is served by three initiates of 11th level.

The ascendance of a new great druid usually sets off shock waves of turmoil and chaos through the druidical hierarchy. The advancement of an archdruid creates an opening that is fiercely contested by the druids, and the advancement of a druid creates an opening in their ranks.

The Grand Druid and Hierophant Druids

The highest ranking druid in the world is the Grand Druid (15th level). Unlike great druids (several of whom can operate simultaneously in different lands), only one person in a world can ever hold this title at one time. Consequently, only one druid can be 15th level at any time.

The Grand Druid knows six spells of each level (instead of the normal spell progression) and also can cast up to six additional spell levels, either as a single spell or as several spells whose levels total to six (e.g., one 6th-level spell, six 1st-level spells, three 2nd-level spells, etc.).

The Grand Druid is attended by nine other druids who are subject only to him and have nothing to do with the hierarchy of any specific land or area. Any druid character of any level can seek the Grand Druid and ask to serve him. Three of these nine are archdruids who roam the world, acting as his messengers and agents. Each of them receives four additional spell levels. The remainder are normally druids of 7th to 11th level, although the Grand Druid can request a druid of any level to serve him and often considers applications from humble aspirants.

The position of Grand Druid is not won through combat. Instead, the Grand Druid selects his successor from the acting great druids. The position is demanding, thankless, and generally unexciting for anyone except a politician. After a few hundred thousand experience points of such stuff, any adventurer worthy of the name probably is ready to move on to something else.

For this reason, the Grand Druid reaches 16th level after earning only 500,000 more experience points. After reaching 16th level, the Grand Druid can step down from his position at any time, provided he can find a suitable successor (another druid with 3,000,000 experience points).

Upon stepping down, the former Grand Druid must relinquish the six bonus spell levels and all of his experience points but 1 (he keeps the rest of his abilities). He is now a 16th-level hieropihant druid, and begins advancing anew (using the progression given in Table 23). The character may rise as high as 20th level as a hierophant druid (almost always through self training).

Beyond 15th level, a druid never gains any new spells (ignore the Priest Spell Progression tab;e from this point on). Casting level continues to rise with experience. Rather than spells, spell-like powers are acquired.

16th level: At 16th level, the hierophant druid gains four [only three were listed in the book] powers:

• Immunity to all natural poisons. Natural poisons are ingested or insinuated animal or vegetable poisons, including monster poisons, but not mineral poisons or poison gas.
• Vigorous health for a person of his age. The heirophant is no longer subject to the ability score adjustments for aging.
• The ability to alter his appearance at will. Appearance alteration is accomplished in one round. A height and weight increase or decrease of 50 percent is possible, with an apparent age from childhood to extreme old age. Body and facial features can resemble any human or humanoid creature. This alteration is not magical, so it cannot be detected by any means short of true seeing.

17th level: The character gains the biological ability to hibernate. His body functions  slow to the point where the character may appear dead to a casual observer; aging ceases. The character is completely unconscious during hibernation. He awakens either at a preordained time (“I will hibernate for 20 days) or when there is a significant change in his environment (the weather turns cold, someone hits him with a stick, etc.).

A 17th-level hierophant druid can also enter the elemental plane of Earth at will. The transference takes one round to complete. This ability also provides the means to survive on that plane, move around, and return to the Prime Material plane at will. It does not confer similar abilities or immunities on the Prime Material plane.

18th level: The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the elemental plane of Fire.

19th level: The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the elemental plane of Water.

20th level: The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the elemental plane of Air.

The wizard group encompasses all spellcasters working in the various fields of magic – both those who specialize in specific schools of magic and those who study a broad range of magical theories. Spending their lives in pursuit of arcane wisdom, wizards have little time for physical endeavors. They tend to be poor fighters with little knowledge of weaponry. However, they command powerful and dangerous energies with a few simple gestures, rare components, and mystical words.

Spells are the tools, weapons, and armor of the wizard. He is weak in a toe-to-toe fight, but when prepared he can strike down his foes at a distance, vanish in an instant, become a wholly different creature, or even invade the mind of an enemy and take control of his thoughts and actions. No secrets are safe from a wizard and no fortress is secure. His quest for knowledge and power often leads him into realms where mortals were never meant to go.

Wizards cannot wear any armor, for several reasons. Firstly, most spells require complicated gestures and odd posturings by the caster and armor restricts the wearer’s ability to do these properly. Secondly, the wizard spent his youth (and will spend most of his life) learning arcane languages, poring through old books, and practicing his spells. This leaves no time for learning other things (like how to wear armor properly and use it effectively). If the wizard had spent his time learning about armor, he would not have even the meager skills and powers he begins with. There are even unfounded theories that claim the materials in most armors disrupt the delicate fabric of a spell as it gathers energy; the two cannot exist side by side in harmony. While this idea is popular with the common people, true wizards know this is simply not true. If it were, how would they ever be able to cast spells requiring iron braziers or metal bowls?

For similar reasons, wizards are severely restricted in the weapons they can use. They are limited to those that are easy to learn or are sometimes useful in their own research. Hence, a wizard can use a dagger or a staff, items that are traditionally useful in magical studies. Other weapons allowed are darts, knives, and slings (weapons that require little skill, little strength, or both).

Wizards can use more magical items than any other characters. These include potions, rings, wands, rods, scrolls, and most miscellaneous magical items. A wizard can use a magical version of any weapon allowed to his class but cannot use magical armor, because no armor is allowed. Between their spells and magical items, however, wizards wield great power.

Finally, all wizards (whether mages or specialists) can create new magical items, ranging from simple scrolls and potions to powerful staves and magic swords. Once he reaches 9th level a wizard can pen magical scrolls and brew potions. He can construct more powerful magical items only after he has learned the appropriate spells (or works with someone who knows them). Your DM should consult the Spell Research and Magical Items sections of the DMG for more information.

No matter what school of magic the wizard is involved in, Intelligence is his prime requisite (or one of several prime requi­sites). Characters must have an Intelligence score of at least 9 to qualify to be a wizard.

All wizards use Table 20 to determine their advancement in level as they earn experience points. They also use Table 21 to determine the levels and numbers of spells they can cast at each experience level.

All wizards gain one four-sided Hit Die (1d4) per level from 1st through 10th levels. After 10th level, wizards earn 1 hit point per level and they no longer gain additional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores.

Table 20: WIZARD EXPERIENCE LEVELS
Level	Mage/Specialist	Hit Dice (d4)
1	0	1
2	2,500	2
3	5,000	3
4	10,000	4
5	20,000	5
6	40,000	6
7	60,000	7
8	90,000	8
9	135,000	9
10	250,000	10
11	375,000	10+1
12	750,000	10+2
13	1,125,000	10+3
14	1,500,000	10+4
15	1,875,000	10+5
16	2,250,000	10+6
17	2,625,000	10+7
18	3,000,000	10+8
19	3,375,000	10+9
20	3,750,000	10+10

Learning and casting spells require long study, patience, and research. Once his adventuring life begins, a wizard is largely responsible for his own education; he no longer has a teacher looking over his shoulder and telling him which spell to learn next. This freedom is not without its price, however. It means that the wizard must find his own source for magical knowledge: libraries, guilds, or captured books and scrolls.

Whenever a wizard discovers instructions for a spell he doesn’t know, he can try to read and understand the instructions. The player must roll percentile dice. If the result is equal to or less than the percentage chance to learn a new spell (listed on Table 4, page 16), the character understands the spell and how to cast it. he can enter the spell in his spell book (unless he has already learned the maximum number of spells allowed for that level). If this die roll is higher than the character’s chance to learn the spell, he doesn’t understand the spell. Once a spell is learned, it cannot be unlearned. It remains part of that character’s repertoire forever. Thus a character cannot choose to “forget” a spell so as to replace it with another.

Table21: WIZARD SPELL PROGRESSION
	Spell Level
Wizard Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4	3	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	4	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
6	4	2	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
7	4	3	2	1	–	–	–	–	–
8	4	3	3	2	–	–	–	–	–
9	4	3	3	2	1	–	–	–	–
10	4	4	3	2	2	–	–	–	–
11	4	4	4	3	3	–	–	–	–
12	4	4	4	4	4	1	–	–	–
13	5	5	5	4	4	2	–	–	–
14	5	5	5	4	4	2	1	–	–
15	5	5	5	5	5	2	1	–	–
16	5	5	5	5	5	3	2	1	–
17	5	5	5	5	5	3	3	2	–
18	5	5	5	5	5	3	3	2	1
19	5	5	5	5	5	3	3	3	1
20	5	5	5	5	5	4	3	3	2

A wizard’s spell book can be a single book, a set of books, a bundle of scrolls, or anything else your DM allows. The spell book is the wizard’s diary, laboratory journal, and encyclopedia, containing a record of everything he knows. Naturally, it is his most treasures possession; without is he is almost helpless.

A spell book contains the complicated instruction for casting the spell – the spell’s recipe, so to speak. Merely reading these instruction aloud or trying to mimic the instructions does not enable one to cast the spell. Spells gather and shape mystical energies; the procedures involved are very demanding, bizarre and intricate. Before a wizard can actually cast a spell, he must memorize its arcane formula. This locks an energy pattern for that particular spell into his mind. Once he has the spell memorized, it remains in his memory until he uses the exact combination of gestures, words, and materials that triggers the release of this energy pattern. Upon casting, the energy of the spell is spent, wiped clean from the wizard’s mind. The wizard cannot cast that spell again until he returns to his spell book and memorizes it again.

Initially the wizard is able to retain only a few of these magical energies in his mind at one time. Furthermore, some spells are more demanding and complex than others; these are impossible for the inexperienced wizard to memorize. With experience, the wizard’s talent expands. He can memorize more spells and more complex spells. Still, he never escapes his need to study; the wizard must always return to his spell books to refresh his powers.

Another important power of the wizard is his ability to research new spells and construct magical items. Both endeavors are difficult, time-consuming, costly, occasionally even perilous. Through research, a wizard can create an entirely new spell, subject to the DM’s approval. Likewise, by consulting with your DM, your character can build magical items, either similar to those already given in the rules or of your own design. Your DM has information concerning spell research and magical item creation.

Unlike many other characters, wizards gain no special benefits from building a fortress or stronghold. They can own property and receive the normal benefits, such as monthly income and mercenaries for protection. However, the reputations of wizards tend to dis­courage people from flocking to their doors. At best, a wizard may acquire a few henchmen and apprentices to help in his work.

Mage

Ability Requirements:	Intelligence 9
Prime Requisite:	Intelligence
Races Allowed:	Human, Elf, Half-elf

Mages are the most versatile types of wizards, those who choose not to specialize in any single school of magic. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the positive side, the mage’s selection of spells enables him to deal with many different situations. (Wizards who study within a single school of magic learn highly specialized spells, but at the expense of spells from other areas.) The other side of the coin is that the mage’s ability to learn specialized spells is limited compared to the specialist’s.

A mage who has an Intelligence score of 16 or higher gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

The Schools of Magic

Spells are divided into nine different categories, or schools, according to the types of magical energy they utilize. Each school has its own special methods and practices.

Although they are called schools, schools of magic are not organized places where a person goes to study. The word “school” identifies a magical discipline. A school is an approach to magic and spellcasting that emphasizes a particular sort of spell. Practitioners of a school of magic may set up a magical university to teach their methods to beginners, but this is not necessary. Many powerful wizards learned their craft studying under reclusive masters in distant lands.

The nine schools of magic are Abjuration, Alteration, Conjuration/Summoning, Enchantment/Charm, Greater Divination, Illusion, Invocation/Evocation, Necromancy, and Lesser Divination.

Alteration	Illusion |	Enchantment/Charm
	\___    |    ___/ \  |  /
Greater Divination	––––––+––––––	Conjuration/Summoning
	___/  |  \___ /          |          \
Invocation/Evocation	|    Necromancy	Abjuration

This diagram illustrates the schools that oppose each other. See Table 22 and its entry descriptions for more information.

Of these schools, eight are greater schools while the ninth, lesser divination, is a minor school. The minor school of lesser divination includes all divination spells of the 4th spell level or less (available to all wizards). Greater divinations are those divination spells of the 5th spell level or higher.

Specialist Wizards

A wizard who concentrates his effort in a single school of magic is called a specialist. There are specialists in each type of magic, although some are extremely rare. Not all specialists are well-suited to adventuring –
the diviner’s spells are limited and not generally useful in dangerous situations. On the other hand, player characters might want to consult an NPC diviner before starting an adventure.

Specialist wizards have advantages and disadvantages when compared to mages. Their chance to know spells of their school of magic is greatly increased, but the intensive study results in a smaller chance to know spells outside their school. The number of spells they can cast increases, but they lose the ability to cast spells of the school in opposition to their specialty (opposite it in the diagram). Their ability to research and create new spells within their specialty is increased, but the initial selection of spells in their school may be quite limited. All in all, players must consider the advantages and disadvantages carefully.

Not all wizards can become specialists. The player character must meet certain requirements to become a specialist. Most specialist wizards must be single-classed; multi-classed characters cannot become specialists, except for gnomes, who seem to have more of a natural bent for the school of illusion than characters of any other race. Dual-classed humans can choose to become specialists. The dedication to the particular school of magic requires all the attention and concentration of the character. He does not have time for other class-related pursuits.

Table 22: WIZARD SPECIALIST REQUIREMENTS
Specialist	School	Race	Minimum Ability Score	Opposition School(s)
Abjurer	Abjuration	Human	15 Wisdom	Alteration & Illusion
Conjurer	Conjuration/Summoning	Human, Half-elf	15 Constitution	Greater Divination & Invocation
Diviner	Greater Divination	Human, Half-elf, Elf	16 Wisdom	Conjuration/Summoning
Enchanter	Enchantment/Charm	Human, Half-elf, Elf	16 Charisma	Invocation/Evocation & Necromancy
Illusionist	Illusion	Human, Gnome	16 Dexterity	Necromancy, Invocation/Evocation, Abjuration
Invoker	Invocation/Evocation	Human	16 Constitution	Enchantment/Charm & Conjuration/Summoning
Necromancer	Necromancy	Human	16 Wisdom	Illusion & Enchantment/Charm
Transmuter	Alteration	Human, Half-elf	15 Dexterity	Abjuration & Necromancy

In addition, each school has different restrictions on race, ability scores, and schools of magic allowed. These restrictions are given on Table 22. Note that lesser divination is not available as a specialty. The spells of this group, vital to the functioning of a wizard, are available to all wizards.

Race lists those races that, either through a natural tendency or a quirk of fate, are allowed to specialize in that art. Note that the gnome, though unable to be a regular mage, can specialize in illusions.

Minimum Ability score lists the ability minimums needed to study intensively in that school. All schools require at least the minimum Intelligence demanded of a mage and an additional prime requisite, as listed.

Opposition School(s) always includes the school directly opposite the character’s school of study in the diagram on page 31. In addition, the schools to either side of this one may also be disallowed due to the nature of the character’s school. For example, an invoker/evoker cannot learn enchantment/charm or conjuration/summoning spells and cannot use magical items that duplicate spells from these schools.

Being a specialist does have significant advantages to balance the trade-offs the character must make. These are listed here:

* A specialist gains one additional spell per spell level, provided the additional spell is taken in the specialist’s school. Thus a 1st-level illusionist could have two spells – one being any spell he knows and the other limited to spells of the illusion school.

* Because specialists have an enhanced understanding of spells within their school, they receive a +1 bonus when making saving throws against those spells when cast by other wizards. Likewise, other characters suffer a -1 penalty when making saving throws against a specialist casting spells within his school. Both of these modifiers can be in effect at the same time e.g., when an enchanter casts an enchantment spell at another enchanter, the modifiers cancel each other out.

* Specialists receive a bonus of +15 percent when learning spells from their school and a penalty of -15 percent when learning spells from other schools. The bonus or penalty is applied to the percentile dice roll the player must make when the character tries to learn a new spell (see Table 4).

* Whenever a specialist reaches a new spell level, he automatically gains one spell of his school to add to his spell books. This spell can be selected by the DM or he can allow the player to pick. No roll for learning the spell need be made. It is assumed that the character has discovered this new spell during the course of his research and study.

* When a specialist wizard attempts to create a new spell (using the rules given in the DMG), the DM should count the new spell as one level less (for determining the difficulty) if the spell falls within the school of the specialist. An enchanter attempting to create a new enchantment spell would have an easier time of it than an illusionist attempting to do the same.

Illusionist

Ability Requirements:	Dexterity 16
Prime Requisite:	Intelligence
Races Allowed:	Human, Gnome

The illusionist is an example of a specialist. The description of the illusionist given here can be used as a guide for creating wizards specializing in other magical schools.

First, the school of illusion is a very demanding field of study. To specialize as an illusionist, a wizard needs a Dexterity score of at least 16.

An illusionist who has an Intelligence of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Because the illusionist knows far more about illusions than the standard wizard, he is allowed a +1 bonus when rolling saving throws against illusions; other characters suffer a -1 penalty when rolling saving throws against his illusions. (These modifiers apply only if the spell allows a saving throw.)

Through the course of his studies, the illusionist has become adept at memorizing illusion spells (though it is still an arduous process). He can memorize an extra illusion spell at each spell level. Thus as a 1st-level caster he can memorize two spells, although at least one of these must be an illusion spell.

Later, when he begins to research new spells for his collection, he finds it easier to devise new illusion spells to fill specialized needs. Research in other schools is harder and more time consuming for him.

Finally, the intense study of illusion magic prevents the character from mastering the other classes of spells that are totally alien to the illusion school (those diametrically opposite illusion on the diagram). Thus, the illusionist cannot learn spells from the schools of necromancy, invocation/evocation, or abjuration.

As an example, consider Joinville the illusionist. He has an Intelligence score of 15. In the course of his travels he captures an enemy wizard’s spell book that contains an Improved Invisibility spell, a Continual Light spell, and a Fireball spell, none of which are in Joinville’s spell book. He has an 80 percent chance to learn the Improved Invisibility spell. Continual Light is an alteration spell, however, so his chance to learn it is only 50 percent (consult Table 4 to see where these figures come from). He cannot learn the Fireball spell, or even transcribe it into his spell book, because it is an evocation spell.

The warrior group encompasses the character classes of heroes who make their way in the world primarily by skill at arms: fighters, paladins and rangers.

Warriors are allowed to use any weapon. They can wear any type of armor. Warriors get 1 to 10 (1d10) hit points per level and can gain a special Constitution hit point bonus that is available only to warriors.

The disadvantage warriors have is that they are restricted in their selection of magical items and spells.

All warriors use Table 14 to determine their advancement in level as they earn experience points. All warriors gain one 10-sided hit die per level from 1st through 9th. After 9th level, warriors gain just 3 hit points per level and they no longer gain additional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores.

Table 14: WARRIOR EXPERIENCE LEVELS
Level	Fighter	Paladin/Ranger	Hit Dice (d10)
1	0	0	1
2	2,000	2,250	2
3	4,000	4,500	3
4	8,000	9,000	4
5	16,000	18,000	5
6	32,000	36,000	6
7	64,000	75,000	7
8	125,000	150,000	8
9	250,000	300,000	9
10	500,000	600,000	9+3
11	750,000	900,000	9+6
12	1,000,000	1,200,000	9+9
13	1,250,000	1,500,000	9+12
14	1,500,000	1,800,000	9+15
15	1,750,000	2,100,000	9+18
16	2,000,000	2,400,000	9+21
17	2,250,000	2,700,000	9+24
18	2,500,000	3,000,000	9+27
19	2,750,000	3,300,000	9+30
20	3,000,000	3,600,000	9+33

All warriors gain the ability to make more than one melee attack per round as they rise in level. Table 15 shows how many melee attacks fighters, paladins, and rangers can make per round, as a function of their levels.

Table 15: WARRIOR MELEE ATTACKS PER ROUND
Warrior Level	Attacks/Round
1-6	1/round
7-12	3/2 rounds
13 & up	2/round

Fighter

Ability Requirements:	Strength 9
Prime Requisite:	Strength
Allowed Races:	All

The principal attribute of a fighter is Strength. To become a fighter, a character must have a minimum Strength score of 9. A good Dexterity rating is highly desirable.

A fighter who has a Strength score (his prime requisite) of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Also, high Strength gives the fighter a better chance to hit an opponent and enables him to cause more damage.

Fighters can have any alignment: good or evil, lawful or chaotic, or neutral.

As a master of weapons, the fighter is the only character able to have weapon specialization (explained in Chapter 5). Weapon specialization enables the fighter to use a particular weapon with exceptional skill, improving his chances to hit and cause damage with that weapon. A fighter character is not required to specialize in a weapon; the choice is up to the player. No other character class – not even ranger or paladin –  is allowed weapon specialization.

While fighters cannot cast magical spells, they can use many magical items, including potions, protection scrolls, most rings, and all forms of enchanted armor, weapons, and shields.

When a fighter attains 9th level (becomes a “Lord”), he can automatically attract men-at-arms. These soldiers, having heard of the fighter, come for the chance to gain fame, adventure, and cash. They are loyal as long as they are well-treated, successful, and paid well. Abusive treatment or a disastrous campaign can lead to grumbling, desertion, and possibly mutiny. To attract the men, the fighter must have a castle or stronghold and sizeable manor lands around it. As he claims and rules this land, soldiers journey to his domain, thereby increasing his power. Furthermore, the fighter can tax and develop these lands, gaining a steady income from them. Your DM has information about gaining and running a barony.

In addition to regular men-at-arms, the 9th-level fighter also attracts an elite bodyguard (his “household guards”). Although these soldiers are still mercenaries, they have greater loyalty to their Lord than do common soldiers. In return, they expect better treatment and more pay than the common soldier receives. Although the elite unit can be chosen randomly, it is better to ask your DM what unit your fighter attracts. This allows him to choose a troop consistent with the campaign.

Table 16: FIGHTER’S FOLLOWERS
Roll percentile dice on each of the following sub-tables of Table 16: once for the leader of the troops, once for troops, and once for a bodyguard (household guards) unit
Die Roll	Leader (and suggested magical items)
01-40	5th-level fighter, plate mail, shield, battle axe +2
41-75	6th-level fighter, plate mail1 shield +1, spear +1, dagger +1
76-95	6th-level fighter, plate mail +1, shield, spear +1, dagger +1, plus 3rd-level fighter, splint mail, shield, crossbow of distance
96-99	7th-level fighter, plate mail +1, shield +1, broad sword +2, heavy war horse with horseshoes of speed
00	DM’s Option
Die Roll	Troops/Followers (all 0th-level)
01-50	20 cavalry with ring mail, shield, 3 javelins, long sword, hand axe; 100 infantry with scale mail, polearm (player selects type), club
51-75	20 infantry with splint mail, morning star, hand axe; 60 infantry with leather armor, pike, short sword
76-90	40 infantry with chain mail, heavy crossbow, short sword; 20 infantry with chain mail, light crossbow, ,military fork
91-99	10 cavalry with banded mail, shield, lance, bastard sword, mace; 20 cavalry with scale mail, shield, lance, long sword, mace; 30 cavalry with studded leather armor, shield, lance, long sword
00	DM’s Option (Barbarians, headhunters, armed peasants, extra-heavy cavalry, etc.)
Die Roll	Elite Units
01-10	10 mounted knights: 1st-level fighters with field plate, large shield, lance, broad sword, morning star, and heavy war horse with full barding
11-20	10 1st-level elven fighter/mages with chain mail, long sword, long bow, dagger
21-30	15 wardens: 1st-level rangers with scale mail, shield, long sword, spear, long bow
31-40	20 berserkers: 2nd-level fighters with leather armor, shield, battle axe, broad sword, dagger (berserkers receive +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls)
41-65	20 expert archers: 1st-level fighters with studded leather armor, long bows or crossbows ( +2 to hit, or bow specialization, if using that optional rule)
66-99	30 infantry: 1st-level fighters with plate mail, body shield, spear, short sword
00	DM’s Option (pegasi cavalry, eagle riders, demihumans, siege train, etc.)

The DM may design other tables that are more appropriate to his campaign. Check with your DM upon reaching 9th level.

A fighter can hold property, including a castle or stronghold, long before he reaches 9th level. However, it is only when he reaches this level that his name is so widely known that he attracts the loyalty of other warriors.

Paladin

Ability Requirements:	Strength 12; Constitution 9; Wisdom 13; Charisma 17
Prime Requisites:	Strength, Charisma
Races Allowed:	Human

Only a human may become a paladin. He must have minimum ability scores of Strength 12, Constitution 9, Wisdom 13, and Charisma 17. Strength and Charisma are the prime requisites of the paladin. A paladin must be lawful good in alignment and must always remain lawful good. A paladin who changes alignment, either deliberately or inadvertently, loses all his special powers – sometimes only temporarily and sometimes forever. He can use any weapon and wear any type of armor.

A paladin who has Strength and Charisma scores of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Lawfulness and good deeds are the meat and drink of a paladin. If a paladin ever knowingly performs a chaotic act, he must seek a high-level (7th or more) cleric of lawful good alignment, confess his sin, and do penance as prescribed by the cleric. If a paladin should ever knowingly and willingly perform an evil act, he loses the status of paladinhood immediately and  irrevocably. All benefits are then lost and no deed or magic can restore the character to paladinhood: He is ever after a fighter. The character’s level remains unchanged when this occurs and experience points are adjusted accordingly. Thereafter the character is bound by the rules for fighters. He does not gain the benefits of weapon specialization (if this is used) since he did not select this for his character at the start.

If the paladin commits an evil act while enchanted or controlled by magic, he loses his paladin status until he can atone for the deed. This loss of status means the character loses all his special abilities and essentially functions as a fighter (without weapon specialization) of the same level. Regaining his status undoubtedly requires completion of some dangerous quest or important mission to once again prove his worth and assuage his own guilt. He gains no experience prior to or during the course of this mission, and regains his standing as a paladin only upon completing the quest.

A paladin has the following special benefits:

A paladin can detect the presence of evil intent up to 60 feet away by concentrating on locating evil in a particular direction. He can do this as often as desired, but each attempt takes one round. This ability detects evil monsters and characters.

A paladin receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

A paladin is immune to all forms of disease. (Note that certain magical afflictions – lycanthropy and mummy rot – are curses and not diseases.)

A paladin can heal by laying on hands. The paladin restores 2 hit points per experience level. He can heal himself or someone else, but only once per day.

A paladin can cure diseases of all sorts (though not cursed afflictions such as lycanthropy). This can be done only once per week for each five levels of experience (once per week at levels 1 through 5, twice per week at levels 6 through 10, etc.).

A paladin is surrounded by an aura of protection with a 10-foot radius. Within this radius, all summoned and specifically evil creatures suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls, regardless of whom they attack. Creatures affected by this aura can spot its source easily, even if the paladin is disguised.

A paladin using a holy sword projects a circle of power 30 feet in diameter when the sword is unsheathed and held. This power dispels hostile magic of a level up to the paladin’s experience level. (A holy sword is a very special weapon; if your paladin acquires one, the DM will explain its other powers.)

A paladin gains the power to turn undead, devils, and demons when he reaches 3rd level. He affects these monsters the the same as does a cleric two levels lower – e.g., at 3rd level he has the turning power of a 1st-level cleric. See the section on priests for more details on this ability.

A paladin may call for his war horse upon reaching 4th level, or anytime thereafter. This faithful steed need not be a horse; it may be whatever sort of creature is appropriate to the character (as decided by the DM). A paladin’s war horse is a very special animal, bonded by fate to the warrior. The paladin does not really “call” the animal, nor does the horse instantly appear in front of him. Rather, the character must find his war horse in some memorable way, most frequently by a specific quest.

A paladin can cast priest spells once he reaches 9th level. He can cast only spells of the combat, divination , healing, and protective spheres. (Spheres are explained in the Priest section.) The acquisition and casting of these spells abide by the rules given for priests.

The spell progression and casting level are listed in Table 17. Unlike a priest, the paladin doe not gain extra spells for a high Wisdom score. The paladin cannot cast spells from clerical or druidical scrolls nor can he use priest items unless they are allowed to the warrior group.

Table 17: PALADIN SPELL PROGRESSION
		Priest Spell Level
Paladin Level	Casting Level	1	2	3	4
9	1	2	–	–	–
10	2	2	–	–	–
11	3	2	1	–	–
12	4	2	2	–	–
13	5	2	2	1	–
14	6	3	2	1	–
15	7	3	2	1	1
16	8	3	3	2	1
17	9 *	3	3	3	1
18	9 *	3	3	3	1
19	9 *	3	3	3	2
20 *	9 *	3	3	3	3

* Maximum spell ability

The following strictures apply to paladins.

A paladin may not possess more than 10 magical items. Furthermore, these may not exceed one suit of armor, one shield, four weapons (arrows and bolts are not counted), and four other magical items.

A paladin never retains wealth. He may keep only enough treasure to support himself in a modest manner, pay his henchmen, men-at-arms, and servitors a reasonable rate, and to construct or maintain a small castle or keep (funds can be set aside for this purpose). All excess must be donated to the church or another worthy cause. This money can never be given to another player character or NPC controlled by a player.

A paladin must tithe to whatever charitable, religious institution of lawful good alignment he serves. A tithe is 10 percent of the paladin’s income, whether coins, jewels, magical items, wages, rewards, or taxes. It must be paid immediately.

A paladin does not attract a body of followers upon reaching 9th level or building a castle. However, he can still hire soldiers and specialists, although these men must be lawful good in comportment.

A paladin may employ only lawful good henchmen (or those who act in such a manner when alignment is unknown). A paladin will cooperate with characters of other alignments only as long as they behave themselves. He will try to show them the proper way to live through both word and deed. The paladin realizes that most people simply cannot maintain his high standards. Even thieves can be tolerated, provided they are not evil and are sincerely trying to reform. He will not abide the company of those who commit evil or unrighteous acts. Stealth in the cause of good is acceptable, though only as a last resort.

Ranger

Ability Requirements:	Strength 13; Dexterity 13; Constitution 14; Wisdom 14
Prime Requisites:	Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom
Races Allowed:	Human, Elf, Half-elf

The ranger must have scores not less than 13 in Strength, 14 in Constitution, 13 in Dexterity, and 14 in Wisdom. The prime requisites of the ranger are Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom. Rangers are always good, but they can be lawful, neutral, or chaotic. It is in the ranger’s heart to do good, but not always by the rules.

A ranger who has Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom scores of 16 or more gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Table 18: RANGER ABILITIES
				Priest Spell Levels
Ranger Level	Hide in Shadows	Move Silently	Casting Level	1	2	3
1	10%	15%	–	–	–	–
2	15%	21%	–	–	–	–
3	20%	27%	–	–	–	–
4	25%	33%	–	–	–	–
5	31%	40%	–	–	–	–
6	37%	47%	–	–	–	–
7	43%	55%	–	–	–	–
8	49%	62%	1	1	–	–
9	56%	70%	2	2	–	–
10	63%	78%	3	2	1	–
11	70%	86%	4	2	2	–
12	77%	94%	5	2	2	1
13	85%	99% *	6	3	2	1
14	93%	99%	7	3	2	2
15	99% *	99%	8	3	3	2
16	99%	99%	9	3	3 **	3

* Maximum percentile score
** Maximum spell ability

Although the ranger can use any weapon and wear any armor, several of his special abilities are usable only when he is wearing studded leather or lighter armor.

Although he has the basic skills of a warrior, the ranger also has several advantages. When wearing studded leather or lighter armor, a ranger can fight two-handed with no penalty to his attack rolls (see page 96). Obviously, the ranger cannot use a shield when fighting this way. A ranger can still fight with two weapons while wearing heavier armor than studded leather, but he suffers the standard attack roll penalties.

The ranger is a skilled woodsman. Even if the optional proficiency rules are not used, the ranger has Tracking proficiency. If the proficiency rules are used in your campaign, the ranger knows Tracking without expending any points. Furthermore, this skill improves by +1 for every three levels the ranger has earned (3rd to 5th level, +1; 6th to 8th level, +2, etc.). While wearing studded leather or lighter armor, the ranger can try to move silently and hide in shadows. His chance to succeed in natural surroundings is given on Table 18 (modified by the ranger’s race and Dexterity, as given on Tables 27 and 28 on page 39). When attempting these actions in non-natural surroundings (a musty crypt or city streets) the chance of success is halved. Hiding in shadows and moving silently are not possible in any armor heavier than studded leather the armor is inflexible and makes too much noise.

In their roles as protectors of good, rangers tend to focus their efforts against some particular creature, usually one that marauds their homeland. Before advancing to 2nd level, every ranger must select a species enemy. Typical enemies include giants, orcs, lizard men, trolls, or ghouls; your DM has final approval on the choice. Thereafter, whenever the ranger encounters that enemy, he gains a +4 bonus to his attack rolls. This enmity can be concealed only with great difficulty, so the ranger suffers a -4 penalty on all encounter reactions with creatures of the hated type. Furthermore, the ranger will actively seek out this enemy in combat in preference to all other foes unless someone else presents a much greater danger.

Rangers are adept with both trained and untamed creatures, having a limited degree of animal empathy. If a ranger carefully approaches or tends any natural animal, he can try to modify the animal’s reactions. (A natural animal is one that can be found in the real world – a bear, snake, zebra, etc.)

When dealing with domestic or non-hostile animals, a ranger can approach the animal and befriend it automatically. He can easily discern the qualities of the creature (spotting the best horse in the corral or seeing that the runt of the litter actually has great promise).

When dealing with a wild animal or an animal trained to attack, the animal must roll a saving throw vs. rods to resist the ranger’s overtures. (This table is used even though the ranger’s power is non-magical.) The ranger imposes a -1 penalty on the die roll for every three experience levels he has earned ( -1 at 1st to 3rd, -2 at 4th to 6th, etc.). If the creature fails the saving throw, its reaction can be shifted one category as the ranger chooses. Of course , the ranger must be at the front of the party and must approach the creature fearlessly.

For example, Beornhelm, a 7th-level ranger, is leading his friends through the woods. On entering a clearing, he spots a hungry black bear blocking the path on the other side. Signaling his friends to wait, Beornhelm approaches the beast, whispering soothing words. The DM rolls a saving throw vs. rods for the bear, modified by -3 for Beornhelm’s level. The bear’s normal reaction is unfriendly, but Beornhelm’s presence reduces this to neutral. The party waits patiently until the bear wanders off to seek its dinner elsewhere.

Later, Beomhelm goes to the horse market to get a new mount. The dealer shows him a spirited horse, notorious for being vicious and stubborn. Beornhelm approaches it carefully, again speaking soothingly, and mounts the stallion with no difficulty. Ridden by Beornhelm, the horse is spirited but well-behaved. Approached by anyone else, the horse reverts to its old ways.

A ranger can learn priest spells, but only those of the plant or animal spheres (see page 34), when he reaches 8th level (see Table 18). He gains and uses his spells according to the rules given for priests (see page 32). He does not gain bonus spells for a high Wisdom score, nor is he ever able to use clerical scrolls or magical items unless specifically noted otherwise.

Rangers can build castles, forts, or strongholds, but do not gain any special followers by doing so.

At 10th level, a ranger attracts 2d6 followers. These followers might be normal humans, but they are often animals or even stranger denizens of the land. Table 19 can be used to determine these, or your DM may assign specific followers.

Table 19: RANGER’S FOLLOWERS
Die Roll	Follower
01-10	Bear, black
11-20	Bear, brown
21	Brownie *
22-26	Cleric (human)
27-38	Dog/wolf
39-40	Druid
41-50	Falcon
51-53	Fighter (elf)
54-55	Fighter (gnome)
56-57	Fighter (halfling)
58-65	Fighter (human)
66	Fighter/mage (elf)*
67-72	Great cat (tiger, lion, etc.) *
73	Hippogriff *
74	Pegasus *
75	Pixie *
76-80	Ranger (half-elf)
81-90	Ranger (human)
91-94	Raven
95	Satyr *
96	Thief (halfling)
97	Thief (human)
98	Treant *
99	Werebear/weretiger *
00	Other wilderness creature (chosen by the DM)

* If the ranger already has a follower of this type, ignore this result and roll again.

Of course, your DM can assign particular creatures, either choosing from the list above or from any other source. He can also rule that certain creatures are not found in the region – it is highly unlikely that a tiger would come wandering through a territory similar to western Europe!

These followers arrive over the course of several months. Often they are encountered during the ranger’s adventures (allowing you and your DM a chance to role=play the initial meeting). While the followers are automatically loyal and friendly toward the ranger, their future behavior depends on the ranger’s treatment of them. In all cases, the ranger does not gain any special method of communicating with his followers. He must either have some way of speaking to them of they simply mutely accompany him on his journeys. (“Yeah, this bear’s been with me for years. Don’t know why – he just seems to follow me around. I don’t own him and can’t tell him to do anything he don’t want to do,” said the grizzled old woodsman sitting outside the tavern.)

Of course, the ranger is not obligated to take on followers. If he prefers to remain independent, he can release his followers at any time. They reluctantly depart, but stand ready to answer any call for aid he might put out at a later time.

Like a paladin, the ranger has a code of behavior.

A ranger must always retain his good alignment. If the ranger intentionally commits an evil act, he automatically loses his ranger status. Thereafter he is considered a fighter of the same level (if he has more experience points than a fighter of his level, he loses all the excess experience points). His ranger status can never be regained. If the ranger involuntarily commits an evil act (perhaps in a situation of no choice), he cannot earn any more experience points until he has cleansed himself of the evil. This can be accomplished by correcting the wrongs he committed, revenging himself on the person who forced him to commit the act, or releasing those oppressed by evil. The ranger instinctively knows what things he must do to regain his status (i.e., the DM creates a special adventure for the character).

Furthermore, rangers tend to be loners, men constantly on the move. They cannot have henchmen, hirelings, mercenaries, or even servants until they reach 8th level. While they can have any monetary amount of treasure, they cannot have more treasure than they can carry. Excess treasure must either be converted to a portable form or donated to a worthy institution (an NPC group, not a player character).

Classes

After choosing your character’s race, you select his character class. A character class is like a profession or career. It is what your character has worked and trained at during his younger years. If you wanted to become a doctor, you could not walk out the door and begin work immediately. First you would have to get some training. The same is true of character classes in the AD&D® game. Your character is assumed to have some previous training and guidance before beginning his adventuring career. Now, armed with a little knowledge, your character is ready to make his name and fortune.

The character classes are divided into four groups according to general occupations: warrior, wizard, priest, and rogue. Within each group are several similar character classes. All classes within a group share the same Hit Dice, as well as combat and saving throw progressions. Each character class within a group has different special powers and abilities that are available only to that class. Each player must select a group for his character, then a specific class within that group.

Warrior	Wizard	Priest	Rogue
Fighter	Mage	Cleric	Thief
Ranger	Illusionist	Druid	Bard
Paladin	Other	Other

 

To help you choose your character’s class, each group and its subordinate classes are described briefly. The groups and classes are described in detail later in this chapter.

Warrior: There are three different classes within the warrior group: fighter, paladin, and ranger. All are well-trained in the use of weapons and skilled in the martial arts.

The fighter is a champion, swordsman, soldier, and brawler. He lives or dies by his knowledge of weapons and tactics. Fighters can be found at the front of any battle, contesting toe-to-toe with monsters and villains. A good fighter needs to be strong and healthy if he hopes to survive.

The paladin is a warrior bold and pure, the exemplar of everything good and true. Like the fighter, the paladin is a man of combat. However, the paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry. He strives to be a living example of these virtues so that others might learn from him as well as gain by his actions.

The ranger is a warrior and a woodsman. He is skilled with weapons and is knowledgeable in tracking and woodcraft. The ranger often protects and guides lost travelers and honest peasant-folk. A ranger needs to be strong and wise to the ways of nature to live a full life.

Wizard: The wizard strives to be a master of magical energies, shaping them and casting them as spells. To do so, he studies strange tongues and obscure facts and devotes much of his time to magical research.

A wizard must rely on knowledge and wit to survive. Wizards are rarely seen adventuring without a retinue of fighters and men-at-arms.

Because there are different types (or schools) of magic, there are different types of wizards. The mage studies all types of magic and learns a wide variety of spells. His broad range makes him well suited to the demands of adventuring. The illusionist is an example of how a wizard can specialize in a particular school of magic, illusion in this case.

Priest: A priest sees to the spiritual needs of a community or location. Two types of priests – clerics and druids – are described in the Player’s Handbook. Other types can be created by the DM to suit specific campaigns.

The cleric is a generic priest (of any mythos) who tends to the needs of a community. He is both protector and healer. He is not purely defensive, however. When evil threatens, the cleric is well-suited to seek it out on its own ground and destroy it.

The druid class is optional; it is an example of how the priest can be adapted to a certain type of setting. The druid serves the cause of nature and neutrality; the wilderness is his community. He uses his special powers to protect it and to preserve balance in the world.

Rogue: The rogue can be found throughout the world, wherever people gather and money changes hands. While many rogues are motivated only by a desire to amass fortune in the easiest way possible, some rogues have noble aims; they use their skills to correct injustice, spread good will, or contribute to the success of an adventuring group.

There are two types of rogues: thieves and bards.

To accomplish his goals, for good or ill, the thief is a skilled pilferer. Cunning, nimbleness, and stealth are his hallmarks. Whether he turns his talent against innocent passers-by and wealthy merchants or oppressors and monsters is a choice for the thief to make.

The bard is also a rogue, but he is very different from the thief. His strength is his pleasant and charming personality. With it and his wits he makes his way through the world. A bard is a talented musician and a walking storehouse of gossip, tall tales, and lore. He learns a little bit about everything that crosses his path; he is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. While many bards are scoundrels, their stories and songs are welcome almost everywhere.

Class Ability Score Requirements

Each of the character classes has minimum scores in various abilities. A character must satisfy these minimums to be of that class. If your character’s scores are too low for him to belong to any character class, ask your DM for permission to re-roll one or more of your ability scores or to create an entirely new character. If you desperately want your character to belong to a particular class but have scores that are too low, your DM might allow you to increase these scores to the minimum needed. However, you must ask him first. Don’t count on the DM allowing you to raise a score above 16 in any case.

Table 13: CLASS ABILITY MINIMUMS
Character Class	Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
Fighter	9	–	–	–	–	–
Paladin *	12	–	9	–	13	17
Ranger *	13	13	14	–	14	–
Mage	–	–	–	9	–	–
Specialist *	Var	Var	Var	Var	Var	Var
Cleric	–	–	–	–	9	–
Druid *	–	–	–	–	12	15
Thief	–	9	–	–	–	–
Bard *	–	12	–	13	–	15

* Optional character class. Specialist includes illusionist.

Class Descriptions

The complete character class descriptions that follow give the specific, detailed information you need about each class. These are organized according to groups. Information that applies to the entire group is presented at the start of the section. Each character class within the group is then explained.

The descriptions use game terms that may be unfamiliar to you; many of these are explained in this text (or you may look the terms up in the Glossary).

Experience Points measure what a character has learned and how he has improved his skill during the course of his adventures. Characters earn experience points by completing adventures and by doing things specifically related to their class. A fighter, for example, earns more experience for charging and battling a monster than does a thief, because the fighter’s training emphasizes battle while the thief’s emphasizes stealth and cleverness. Characters accumulate experience points from adventure to adventure. When they accumulate enough, they rise to the next level of experience, gaining additional abilities and powers. The experience level tables for each character group list the total, accumulated experience points needed to reach each level.

Level is a measure of the character’s power. A beginning character starts at 1st level. To advance to the next level, the character must earn a requisite number of experience points. Different character classes improve at different rates. Each increase in level improves the character’s survivability and skills.

Prime Requisite is the ability score or scores that are most important to a particular class. A fighter must be strong and a mage must be intelligent; their prime requisites, therefore, are Strength and Intelligence, respectively. Some character classes have more than one prime requisite. Any character who has a score of 16 or more in all his prime requisites gains a 10 percent bonus to his experience point awards.

Warrior

Includes the Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger classes

Wizard

Includes the Mage and Illusionist classes

Priest

Includes the Cleric and Druid classes

Rogue

Includes the Thief and Bard classes

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Characters

A multi-class character improves in two or more classes simultaneously. His experience is divided equally between each class. The available class combinations vary according to race, the character can use the abilities of both classes at any time, with only a few restrictions. Only demihumans can be multi-class. characters.

A dual-class character is one who starts with a single class, advances to moderate level, and then changes to a second character class and starts over again. The character retains the benefits and abilities of the first class but never again earns experience for using them. There are some limitations on combining the abilities of the two classes but, as long as minimum ability and alignment requirements are met, there are no restrictions on the possible character class combinations. Only humans can be dual-class characters.

Multi-Class Combinations

All of the standard demihuman races are listed here, along with their allowable multi-class combinations. Note that the character class names (not group names) are used below.

Dwarf	Elf	Gnome	Halfling	Half-elf
Fighter/Thief Fighter/Cleric	Fighter/Mage Fighter/Thief Mage/Thief Fighter/Mage/Thief	Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Illusionist Fighter/Thief Cleric/Illusionist Cleric/Thief Illusionist/Thief	Fighter/Thief	Fighter/Cleric Fighter/Thief Fighter/Druid Fighter/Mage Cleric/Ranger Cleric/Mage Thief/Mage Fighter/Mage/Cleric Fighter/Mage/Thief

As stated earlier in the description, specialist wizards cannot be multi-class (gnome illusionists are the single exception to this rule). The required devotion to their single field prevents specialist wizards from applying themselves to other classes. Priests of a specific mythos might be allowed as a multi-class option; this will depend on the nature of the mythos as determined by the DM.

Multi-Class Benefits and Restrictions

A multi-class character always uses the most favorable combat value and the best saving throw from his different classes.

The character’s hit points are the average of all his Hit Dice rolls. When the character is first created, the player rolls hit points for each class separately, totals them up, then divides by the number of dice rolled (round fractions down). Any Constitution bonus is then added to the character’s hit points. If one of the character’s classes is fighter and he has a Constitution of 17 or 18, then he gains the +3 or +4 Constitution bonus available only to warriors (instead of the +2 maximum available to the other character classes).

Later the character is likely to gain levels in different classes at different times. When this happens, roll the appropriate Hit Die and divide the result by the number of classes the character has (round fractions down, but a Hit Die never yields less than 1 hit point). The character’s Constitution bonus is split between his classes; thus a fighter/mage gets ½ of his Con bonus when he goes up a level as a fighter and the other ½ of the Con bonus when he goes up a level as a mage. A fighter/mage/thief would get ⅓ of his bonus when he goes up as a fighter, ⅓ when he goes up as a mage, and the other ⅓ when he goes up as a thief.

If the optional proficiency system is used, the character starts with the largest number of proficiency slots of the different classes. Thereafter, he gains new proficiency slots at the fastest of the given rates. To determine the character’s initial money, roll according to the most generous of the character’s different classes.

Rupert’s character, Morrison the Multi-Faceted, is a half-elf fighter/mage/thief. At 1st level, Morrison rolls three dice for hit points: 1d10 (fighter), 1d6 (thief), and 1d4 (mage). The results are 6, 5, and 2. Their sum (13) is divided by three and rounded down to equal 4 (13 ÷ 3 = 4⅓ = 4). Morrison begins the game with 4 hit points. Later, Morrison reaches 2nd level as a thief before he reaches 2nd level as a fighter or a mage. He rolls 1d6 for additional hit points and the result is 4. He divides this by 3 (because he has three classes) and rounds down. Morrison gets 1 more hit point when he becomes a 2nd level thief. (he will also roll 1d10 and 1d4 [both rolls divided by 3] when he reaches 2nd level as a fighter and as a mage, respectively.)

Multi-class characters can combine abilities from their different classes with the following restrictions:

Warrior: A multi-classed warrior can use all of his abilities without restriction. The warrior abilities form the base for other character classes.

Priest: Regardless of his other classes, a multi-classed priest must abide by the weapon restrictions of his mythos. Thus, a fighter/cleric can use only bludgeoning weapons (but he uses the warrior combat value). He retains all his normal priest abilities.

Wizard: A multi-classed wizard can freely combine the powers of the wizard with any other class allowed, although the wearing of armor is restricted. Elves wearing elven chain can cast spells in armor, as magic is part of the nature of elves. However, elven chain is extremely rare and can never be purchased. It must be given, found, or won.

Thief: A multi-classed thief cannot use any thieving abilities other than open locks or detect noise if he is wearing armor that is normally not allowed to thieves. He must remove his gauntlets to open locks and his helmet to detect noise.

Dual-Class Benefits and Restrictions

Only humans can be dual-classed characters. To be dual-classed, the character must have scores of 15 or more in the prime requisites of his first class and scores of 17 or more in the prime requisites of any classes he switches to. The character selects one class to begin his adventuring life. He can advance in this class as many levels as he desires before switching to another class; there is no cut-off point beyond which a character cannot switch. However, he must attain at least 2nd level in his current class before changing to another class. There is no limit to the number of classes a character can acquire, as long as he has the ability scores and wants to make the change. (Certain character classes have alignment restrictions that the character must meet, however.)

Any time after reaching 2nd level a human character can enter a new character class, provided he has scores of 17 or better in the prime requisites of the new class. After switching to a new class, the character no longer earns experience points in his previous character class and he can no longer advance in level in that class. Nor can he switch back to his first class at a later date, hoping to resume his advancement where he left off. Once he leaves a class he has finished his studies in it. Instead, he starts over in a new class, at 1st level with 0 experience points, but he does retain his previous Hit Dice and hit points. He gains the abilities, and must abide by all of the restrictions, of the new class. He does not gain or lose any points on his ability scores (e.g., an 18 Strength mage who changes to fighter does not gain the percentile Strength bonus, but likewise a fighter changing to a mage would not lose it). The character uses the combat and saving throw tables appropriate to his new class and level.

This is not to imply that a dual-class human forgets everything he knew before; he still has, at his fingertips, an the knowledge, abilities, and proficiencies of his old class. But if he uses any of his previous class’s abilities during an encounter, he earns no experience for that encounter and only half experience for the adventure. The only values that can be carried over from the previous class without restriction are the character’s Hit Dice and hit points. The character is penalized for using his old attack or saving throw numbers, weapons or armor that are now prohibited, and any special abilities of the old class that are not also abilities of the new class. (The character is trying to learn new ways to do things; by slipping back to his old methods, he has set back his learning in his new character class.)

In addition, the character earns no additional Hit Dice or hit points while advancing in his new class.

The restrictions in the previous two paragraphs last until the character reaches a higher level in his new class than his maximum level in any of his previous classes. At that point, both restrictions are dropped: the character gains the abilities of his previous classes without jeopardizing his experience points for the adventure, and he earns additional Hit Dice (those of his new class) and hit points for gaining experience levels in his new class.

Once these restrictions are lifted, the character must still abide by the restrictions of whichever class he is using at the moment. A dual-class fighter/mage, for example, cannot cast spells while wearing armor.

Tarus Blood-heart begins his career as a cleric with a Wisdom of 16. He rises to 3rd level and then decides to become a fighter, since his Strength is 17. He keeps his 14 hit points (rolled on 3d8), but in all other ways, he is treated as a 1st-level fighter. Upon reaching 4th level, Tarus is allowed to roll 1d10 for additional hit points. He can now cast spells as a 3rd-level cleric and fight as a 4th-level fighter. For the rest of his career, Tarus advances as a fighter but retains his minor clerical powers – a useful advantage when the situation gets ugly!

When a dual-class or multi-class character is struck by a level-draining creature, he first loses levels in the class in which he has advanced the highest. When his different classes ar equal in level, the class level requiring the most experience points is lost first.

The player character is allowed to regain levels lost by level draining, but until he regains all of his former levels, he must select which class he will use prior to any particular adventure. Using abilities of the other class then subjects him to the experience penalties given earlier. When he regains all of his former levels, he is then free to use all the abilities of all his classes once again. Of course, he cannot raise his earlier class(es) above the level(s) he was at when he switched class.

Tarus is a 4th-level cleric/3rd-level fighter. He is struck by a wight and loses one level from his cleric class, since it is his highest level. If struck again, he would lose one level from his fighter class. Thereafter he could regain his lost levels, but would have to choose to act as either a fighter or cleric. Once he earned enough experience to regain his previous fighter level, he would not be allowed to advance further in it (restoring himself to his previous level only), But he could still advance as a cleric and use his 3rd-level fighter abilities.

Races

After creating your character’s ability scores, you must select a player character race. This is not a race in the true sense of the word: caucasian. black, asian, etc. It is actually a fantasy species for your character – human, elf, dwarf, gnome, half-elf, or halfling. Each race is different. Each possesses special powers and has different lists of classes to choose from.

All six of the standard races are described in detail in this chapter. In many cases, broad statements are made concerning the race in general. Players are not bound by these generalities. For example, the statement that “dwarves tend to be dour and taciturn” does not mean that your character cannot be a jolly dwarf. It means that the garden-variety dwarf is dour and taciturn. If player characters were just like everyone else, they wouldn’t be adventurers. Make your character unique and he will be more fun to play.

Minimum and Maximum Ability Scores

All non-human PC races (also called “demihuman” races) have minimum and maximum requirements for their ability scores. If you want to have a demihuman character, the character’s ability scores must be within the allowable range. The minimums and maximums for each race are listed on Table 7 (the minimums an listed before the slash; the maximums are listed after the slash). Your character’s sex has no effect on these minimums or maximums.

Consult Table 7 before making any racial adjustments to your character’s ability scores. If the basic scores that you rolled up meet the requirements for a particular race, your character can be of that race, even if later modifications change the ability scores so they exceed the maximums or don’t meet the minimums. Once you satisfy the requirements at the start, you never have to worry about them again.

Table 7 gives the minimum and maximum scores a newly created character must have to be a member of a demihuman race. Any character can be a human, if the player so desires.

Table 7: RACIAL ABILITY REQUIREMENTS
Ability	Dwarf	Elf	Gnome	Half-Elf	Halfling
Strength	8/18	3/18	6/18	3/18	7/18 *
Dexterity	3/17	6/18	3/18	6/18	7/18
Constitution	11/18	7/18	8/18	6/18	10/18
Intelligence	3/18	8/18	6/18	4/18	6/18
Wisdom	3/18	3/18	3/18	3/18	3/17
Charisma	3/17	8/18	3/18	3/18	3/18

* Halfling fighters do not roll for exceptional Strength.

Racial Ability Adjustments

If you chose to make your character a dwarf, elf, gnome, or halfling, you now have to adjust some of your character’s ability scores. The adjustments are mandatory; all characters of these races receive the adjustments. Even if adjustments raise or lower your character’s ability scores beyond the minimums and maximums shown on Table 7, you do not have to pick a new race. The adjustments can also raise a score to 19 or lower it to 2.

Table 8: RACIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS
Race	Adjustments
Dwarf	+1 Constitution;	-1 Charisma
Elf	+1 Dexterity;	-1 Constitution
Gnome	+1 Intelligence;	-1 Wisdom
Halfling	+1 Dexterity;	-1 Strength

Class Restrictions and Level Limits

The human race has one special ability in the AD&D® game: Humans can choose to be of any class – warrior, wizard, priest, or rogue – and can rise to great level in any class. The other races have fewer choices of character classes and usually are limited in the level they can attain. These restrictions reflect the natural tendencies of the races (dwarves like war and fighting and dislike magic, etc.). The limits are high enough so a demihuman can achieve power and importance in at least one class. A halfling, for example, can become the best thief in the land, but he cannot become a great fighter.

The limits also exist for play balance. The ability of humans to assume any role and reach any level is their only advantage. The demihuman races have other powers that make them entertaining to play – particularly the ability to be multi-classed (see Glossary). These powers balance the enjoyment of play against the ability to rise in level. Ask your DM for the level limits imposed on non-human characters.

Languages

Racial languages for demihumans can be handled in either of two ways, depending on whether or not your DM uses the optional proficiency system. Either way, your character automatically knows his native language.

Without the proficiency system, your character starts adventuring already knowing a number of additional languages (the number depends on his Int score, see Table 4). The additional languages must be chosen from among those listed in his race’s description.

Human PCs generally start the game knowing only their regional language – the language they grew up speaking. The DM may decide to allow beginning PCs additional languages (up to their Int score limit or proficiency slot limit), if he feels the PCs had the opportunity to learn these as they grew up. Otherwise, human PCs may learn additional languages as they adventure.

Dwarves

Dwarves are short, stocky fellows, easily identified by their size and shape. They average 4 to 4½ feet tall. They have ruddy cheeks, dark eyes, and dark hair. Dwarves generally live for 350 years.

Dwarves tend to be dour and taciturn. They are given to hard work and care little for most humor. They are strong and brave. They enjoy beer, ale, mead, and even stronger drink. Their chief love, however, is precious metal, particularly gold. They prize gems, of course, especially diamonds and opaque gems (except pearls, which they do not like). Dwarves like the earth and dislike the sea. Not overly fond of elves, they have a fierce hatred of orcs and goblins. Their short, stocky builds make them ill-suited for riding horses or other large mounts (although ponies present no difficulty), so they tend to be a trifle dubious and wary of these creatures. They are ill-disposed toward magic and have little talent for it, but revel in fighting, warcraft, and scientific arts such as engineering.

Though dwarves are suspicious and avaricious, their courage and tenacity more than compensate for these shortcomings.

Dwarves typically dwell in hilly or mountainous regions. They prefer life in the comforting gloom and solidness that is found underground. They have several special abilities that relate to their underground life, and they are noted for being particularly resistant to magics and poisons.

A character of the dwarven race can be a cleric , a fighter, or a thief. He can also choose to be a fighter/cleric or fighter/thief. From living underground, dwarves have found it useful to learn the languages of several of their neighbors, both friendly and hostile. The initial languages a dwarf can learn are common, dwarf, gnome, goblin, kobold, orc, and any others your DM allows. The actual number of languages is limited by the Intelligence of the player character (see Table 4) or by the proficiency slots he allots to languages (if that optional system is used).

By nature, dwarves are non-magical and never use magical spells (clerical spells are allowed however). This gives a bonus to dwarves’ saving throws against attacks from magical wands, staves, rods, and spells. This bonus is +1 for every 3½ points of Constitution score. Thus, for example, if a dwarf has a Constitution score of 7 he gains +2 on saving throws. These bonuses are summarized on Table 9.

Table 9: CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW BONUSES
Constitution Score	Saving Throw Bonus
4-6	+1
7-10	+2
11-13	+3
14-17	+4
18-19	+5

Similarly, dwarves have exceptional resistance to toxic substances. All dwarven characters make saving throws against poison with the same bonuses that they get against magical attacks (see Table 9).

Also because of their non-magical nature, however, dwarves have trouble using magical items. All magical items that are not specifically suited to the character’s class have a 20 percent chance to malfunction when used by a dwarf. This check is made each time a dwarf uses a magical item. A malfunction affects only the current use; the item may work properly next time. For devices that are continually in operation, the check is made the first time the device is used during an encounter. If the check is passed, the device functions normally until it is turned
off. Thus a dwarf would have to check upon donning a robe of blending but would not check again until he had taken the robe off and then put it on again. If a cursed item malfunctions, the character recognizes its cursed nature and can dispose of the item. Malfunction applies to rods, staves, wands, rings, amulets, potions, horns, jewels, and all other magical items except weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles. This penalty does not apply to dwarven clerics using clerical items.

In melee, dwarves add 1 to their dice rolls to hit orcs, half-orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins. When ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, or titans attack dwarves, these monsters must subtract 4 from their attack rolls because of the dwarves’ small size and combat ability against these much bigger creatures.

Dwarven infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in the dark.

Dwarves are miners of great skill. While underground, they can detect the following information when within 10 feet of the particular phenomenon (but they can determine their approximate depth below the surface at any time).

Detect grade or slope in passage	1-5 on 1d6
Detect new tunnel/passage construction	1-5 on 1d6
Detect sliding/shifting walls or rooms	1-4 on 1d6
Detect stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls	1-3 on 1d6
Determine approximate depth underground	1-3 on 1d6

Note that the dwarf must deliberately try to make these determinations; the information does not simply spring to mind unbidden.

Because of their sturdy builds, dwarves add 1 to their initial Constitution scores. Their dour and suspicious natures cause them to subtract 1 from their initial Charisma scores.

Elves

Elves tend to be somewhat shorter and slimmer than normal humans. Their features are finely chiseled and delicate, and they speak in melodic tones. Although they appear fragile and weak, as a race they are quick and strong. Elves often live to be over 1,200 years old, although long before this time they feel compelled to depart the realms of men and mortals. Where they go is uncertain, but it is an undeniable urge of their race.

Elves are often considered frivolous and aloof. In fact, they are not, although humans often find their personalities impossible to fathom. They concern themselves with natural beauty, dancing and frolicking, playing and singing, unless necessity dictates otherwise. They are not fond of ships or mines, but enjoy growing things and gazing at the open sky. Even though elves tend toward haughtiness and arrogance at times, they regard their friends and associates as equals. They do not make friends easily, but a friend (or enemy) is never forgotten. They prefer to distance themselves from humans, have little love for dwarves, and hate the evil denizens of the woods.

Their humor is clever, as are their songs and poetry. Elves are brave but never foolhardy. They eat sparingly; they drink mead and wine, but seldom to excess. While they find well-wrought jewelry a pleasure to behold, they are not overly interested in money or gain. They find magic and swordplay (or any refined combat art) fascinating. If they have a weakness it lies in these interests.

There are five branches of the elven race: aquatic, gray, high, wood, and dark. Elf player characters are always assumed to be of the most common type – high elves – although a character can be another type of elf with the DM’s permission (but the choice grants no additional powers). To the eye of outsiders, the differences between the groups are mostly cosmetic, but most elves maintain that there are important cultural differences between the various groups. Aquatic elves spend their lives beneath the waves and have adapted to these conditions. Gray elves are considered the most noble and serious-minded of this breed. High elves are the most common. Wood elves are considered to be wild, temperamental, and savage. All others hold that the subterranean dark elves are corrupt and evil, no longer part of the elven community.

A player character elf can be a cleric, fighter, mage, thief, or ranger. In addition, an elf can choose to be a multi-class fighter/mage, fighter/thief, fighter/mage/thief, or mage/thief. (The rules governing these combinations are explained under Multi-Class Characters, page 44.)

Elves have found it useful to learn the languages of several of the forest’s children, both the good and the bad. As initial languages, an elf can choose common, elf, gnome, halfling, goblin, hobgoblin, ore, and gnoll. The number of languages an elf can learn is limited by his Intelligence (see Table 4) or the proficiency slots he allots to languages (if that optional system is used).

Elven Characters have 90 percent resistance to sleep and all charm-related spells. (See Chapter 9: Combat for an explanation of magic resistance.) This is in addition to the normal saving throw allowed against a charm spell.

When employing a bow of any sort other than a crossbow, or when using a short or long sword, elves gain a bonus of +1 to their attack rolls.

An elf can gain a bonus to surprise opponents, but only if the elf is not in metal armor. Even then, the elf must either be alone, or with a party comprised only of elves or halflings (also not in metal armor), or 90 feet or more away from his party (the group of characters he is with) to gain this bonus. If he fulfills these conditions, he moves so silently that opponents suffer a -4 penalty to their surprise die rolls. If the elf must open a door or screen to attack, this penalty is reduced to -2.

Elven infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in darkness.

Secret doors (those constructed so as to be hard to notice) and concealed doors (those hidden from sight by screens, curtains, or the like) are difficult to hide from elves. Merely passing within 10 feet of a concealed door gives an elven character a one-in-six chance (roll a 1 on 1d6) to notice it. If actively searching for such doors, elven characters have a one-in-three chance (roll a 1 or 2 on 1d6) to find a secret door and a one-in-two chance (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6) to discover a concealed portal.

As stated previously, elven characters add 1 to their initial Dexterity scores. Likewise, as elves are not as sturdy as humans, they deduct 1 from their initial Constitution scores.

Gnomes

Kin to dwarves, gnomes are noticeably smaller than their distant cousins. Gnomes, as they proudly maintain, are also less rotund than dwarves. Their noses, however, are significantly larger. Most gnomes have dark tan or brown skin and white hair. A typical gnome lives for 350 years.

Gnomes have lively and sly senses of humor, especially for practical jokes. They have a great love of living things and finely wrought items, particularly gems and jewelry. Gnomes love all sorts of precious stones and are masters of gem polishing and cutting.

Gnomes prefer to live in areas of rolling, rocky hills, well wooded and uninhabited by humans. Their diminutive stature has made them suspicious of the larger races – humans and elves – although they are not hostile. They are sly and furtive with those they do not know or trust, and somewhat reserved even under the best of circumstances. Dwelling in mines and burrows, they are sympathetic to dwarves, but find their cousins’ aversion to surface dwellers foolish.

A gnome character can elect to be a fighter, a thief, a cleric, or an illusionist. A gnome can have two classes, but not three: fighter/thief, illusionist/thief, etc.

Due to his upbringing, a beginning gnome character can choose to know the following languages, in addition to any others allowed by the DM; common, dwarf, gnome, halfling, goblin, kobold, and the simple common speech of burrowing mammals (moles, badgers, weasels, shrews, ground squirrels, etc.). The actual number of languages a character begins with depends upon his Intelligence score (see Table 4) or the proficiency slots he allots to languages (if that optional system is used).

Like their cousins the dwarves, gnomes are highly magic resistant. A gnome player character gains a bonus of +1 for every 3½ points of Constitution score, just as dwarves do (see Table 9). This bonus applies to saving throws against magical wands, staves, rods, and spells.

Gnomes also suffer a 20 percent chance for failure every time they use any magical item except weapons, armor, shields, illusionist items, and (if the character is a thief) items that duplicate thieving abilities. This check is made each time the gnome attempts to use the device or, in the case of continuous-use devices, each time the device is activated. Like dwarves, gnomes can sense a cursed item if the device fails to function.

In melee, gnome characters add 1 to their attack rolls to hit kobolds or goblins. When gnolls, bugbears, ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, or titans attack gnomes, these monsters must subtract 4 from their attack rolls because of the gnomes’ small size and their combat skills against these much larger creatures.

Gnomish infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in the dark.

Being tunnelers of exceptional merit, gnomes are able to detect the following within 10 feet (exception: They can determine their approximate depth or direction underground at any time.). They must stop and concentrate for one round to use any of these abilities.

Detect grade or slope in passage	1-5 on 1d6
Detect unsafe walls, ceiling, and floors	1-7 on 1d10
Determine approximate depth underground	1-4 on 1d6
Determine approximate direction underground	1-3 on 1d6

 

Gnome characters gain a +1 bonus to their Intelligence scores, to reflect their highly inquisitive natures. They suffer a -1 penalty to Wisdom because their curiosity often leads them unknowingly into danger.

Half-Elves

Half-elves are the most common mixed-race beings. The relationship between elf, human, and half-elf is defined as follows:

1) Anyone with both elven and human ancestors is either a human or a half-elf (elves have only elven ancestors).

2) If there are more human ancestors than elven, the person is human; if there are equal numbers or more elves, the person is half-elven.

Half-elves are usually much like their elven parent in appearance. They are handsome folk, with the good features of each of their races. They mingle freely with either race, being only slightly taller than the average elf (5 feet 6 inches on average) and weighing about 150 pounds. They typically live about 160 years. They do not have all the abilities of the elf, nor do they have the flexibility of unlimited level advancement of the human. Finally, in some of the less civilized nations, half-elves are viewed with suspicion and superstition.

In general, a half-elf has the curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition of his human ancestors and the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of his elven ancestors.

Half-elves do not form communities among themselves; rather, they can be found living in both elven and human communities. The reactions of humans and elves to half-elves ranges from intrigued fascination to outright bigotry.

Of all the demihuman races, half-elves have the greatest range of choices in character class. They tend to make good druids and rangers. A half-elf can choose to be a cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, mage, specialist wizard, thief, or bard. In addition, a half-elf can choose from the following multi-class combinations: cleric (or druid)/fighter, cleric (or druid)/fighter/mage, cleric (or druid)/ ranger, cleric (or druid)/mage, fighter/mage, fighter/thief, fighter/mage/thief, and mage/ thief. The half-elf must abide by the rules for multi-class characters.

Half-elves do not have a language of their own. Their extensive contact with other races enables them to choose any of the following languages (plus any other allowed by the DM): common, elf, gnome, halfling, goblin, hobgoblin, orc, and gnoll. The actual number of languages the character knows is limited by his Intelligence (see Table 4) or by the number of proficiency slots he allots to languages (if that optional systern is used).

Half-elven characters have a 30 percent resistance to sleep and all charm-related spells.

Half-elven infra vision enables them to see up to 60 feet in darkness.

Secret or concealed doors are difficult to hide from half-elves, just as they are from elves. Merely passing within 10 feet of a concealed door (one hidden by obstructing curtains, etc.) gives the half-elven character a one-in-six chance (roll a 1 on 1d6) of spotting it. If the character is actively seeking to discover hidden doors, he has a one-in-three chance (roll a 1 or 2 on 1d6) of spotting a secret door (one constructed to be undetectable) and a one-in-two chance (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6) of locating a concealed door.

Halflings

Halflings are short, generally plump people, very much like small humans. Their faces are round and broad and often quite florid. Their hair is typically curly and the tops of their feet are covered with coarse hair. They prefer not to wear shoes whenever possible. Their typical life expectancy is approximately 150 years

Halflings are sturdy and industrious, generally quiet and peaceful. Overall they prefer the comforts of home to dangerous adventuring. They enjoy good living, rough humor, and homespun stories. In fact, they can be a trifle boring at times. Halflings are not forward, but they are observant and conversational if in friendly company. Halflings see wealth only as a means of gaining creature comforts, which they love. Though they are not overly brave or ambitious, they are generally honest and hard working when there is need.

Halfling homes are well-furnished burrows, although most of their work is done on the surface. Elves generally like them in a patronizing sort of way. Dwarves cheerfully tolerate them, thinking halflings somewhat soft and harmless. Gnomes, although they drink more and eat less, like halflings best, feeling them kindred spirits. Because halflings are more open and outgoing than any of these other three, they get along with other races far better.

There are three types of halflings: Hairfeets, Tallfellows, and Stouts. Hairfeets are the most common type, but for player characters, any of the three is acceptable.

A halfling character can choose to be a cleric, fighter, thief, or a multi-class fighter/thief. The halfling must use the rules provided for multi-class characters.

Through their contact with other races, halfling characters are allowed to choose initial languages from common, halfling, dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, and orc, in addition to any other languages the DM allows. The actual number of languages the character knows is limited by his Intelligence (see Table 4) or by the number of proficiency slots he allots to languages (if that optional system is used).

All halfling characters have a high resistance to magical spells, so for every 3½ points of Constitution score, the character gains a +1 bonus on saving throws vs. wands, staves, rods, and spells. These onuses are summarized on Table 9.

Halflings have a similar resistance to poisons of all sorts, so they gain a Constitution bonus identical to that for saving throws vs. magical attacks when they make saving throws vs. poison (i.e., +1 to +5, depending on Constitution score).

Halflings have a natural talent with slings and thrown weapons. Rock pitching is a favorite sport of many a halfling child. All halflings gain a +1 bonus to their attack rolls when using thrown weapons and slings.

A halfling can gain a bonus to surprise opponents, but only if the halfling is not in metal armor. Even then, the halfling must either be alone, or with a party comprised only of halflings or elves, or 90 feet or more away from his party to gain this bonus. If he fulfills any of these conditions, he causes a -4 penalty to opponents’ surprise rolls. If a door or other screen must be opened, this penalty is reduced to -2.

Depending on their lineage, certain halfling characters have infravision. Any halfling character has a 15 percent chance to have normal infravision (this means he is pure Stout), out to 60 feet; failing that chance, there is a 25 percent chance that he has limited infravision (mixed Stout/Tallfellow or Stout/Hairfeets lineage), effective out to 30 feet.

Similarly, halflings with any Stoutish blood can note if a passage is an up or down grade with 75 percent accuracy (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d4) . They can determine direction half the time (roll a 1, 2, or 3 on 1d6). These abilities function only when the character is concentrating on the desired information to the exclusion of all else, and only if the character is pure or partially Stout.

Halfling characters have a penalty of -1 to their initially generated Strength scores, and they gain a bonus of +1 to Dexterity.

Humans

Although humans are treated as a single race in the AD&D® game, they come in all the varieties we know on Earth. A human PC can have whatever racial characteristics the DM allows.

Humans have only one special ability: They can be of any character class and rise to any level in any class. Other PC races have limited choices in these areas.

Humans are also more social and tolerant than most other races, accepting the company of elves, dwarves, and the like with noticeably less complaint.

Because of these abilities and tendencies, humans have become significant powers within the world and often rule empires that other races (because of their racial tendencies) would find difficult to manage.

Other Characteristics

After you have selected a race, you may want to fill in the details of your character. You are not required to do so, but there are many situations in which this information is vital or useful to role-playing.

The sex and name of your character are up to you. Your character can be of the same sex as yourself or of the opposite sex.

Some people feel it is important to know whether their character is right- or left-handed. Actually, this has no bearing on the play of the game, since all characters are assumed to be reasonably competent with either hand (that doesn’t mean everyone is trained to fight with two weapons). It is easiest to say that your character has the same handedness as you. This will result in the normal ratio of right- to left-handed people.

On occasion it may be useful to know your character’s height and weight: The best way to determine height and weight is to choose the appropriate numbers, subject to your DM’s approval. If you want a short, pudgy human fighter, you can select an appropriate height and weight. Otherwise, heights and weights can be generated randomly using Table 10 (next page). Take the appropriate base score and add the die roll modifier. As with all tables, this can create some ridiculous results (one of the problems with randomness) and, at the same time cannot account for the full variety of mankind (or demihumankind). The table only reproduces a fairly average range for each race. Heights and weights for demihuman races not listed on the table must be decided by your DM.

Players may also want to know their characters’ starting ages. Human characters can start at any age that is agreeable to both the player and the DM. However, all beginning adventurers are assumed to be at least 16 years old, since they must grow physically, emotionally, and in practical experience before they are ready to undertake the rigors of an adventuring life. Table 11 can be used to give a starting age (add the variable die roll to the base starting age to get the character’s starting age) and the possible life span of a character, assuming a quiet and peaceful life. Humans are also included on this list in case you want to determine their ages randomly. The maximum age for a character should be secretly determined and recorded by the DM. Player characters may have an idea of how long they expect to live, but do not know their true allotted life spans.

As a character ages, his ability scores are affected. Upon reaching one-half of his base maximum age (45 for a human), the character loses 1 point of Strength (or half of his exceptional Strength rating) and 1 point of Constitution, but gains 1 point each of Intelligence and Wisdom. At two-thirds of his base maximum age (60 for a human), the character loses 2 more points of Strength (or all his exceptional Strength and 1 point more), 2 points of Dexterity, and 1 more point of Constitution, but he gains 1 point of Wisdom. Upon reaching the base maximum age, the character loses 1 more point from each of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, while gaining 1 more point in both Intelligence and Wisdom. All aging adjustments are cumulative. See Table 12 for a summary of these effects.

There may be times when a magical device or spell adds years to or subtracts years from a player character’s life. This magical aging can have two different effects. Some magical aging physically affects the character. For example, a haste spell ages those it affects by one year. This aging is added directly to the player character’s current age. He physically acquires the appearance of himself one year older (a few more wrinkles, etc.). Characters who increase in age from magical effects do not gain the benefits of increased Wisdom and Intelligence – these are a function of the passage of game time – but the character does suffer the physical losses to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution associated with aging. These are breakdowns of the body’s systems. Physical age can also be removed in the same manner. Some potions give years back to the character. In this case, the physical appearance of the character is restored. The character can regain lost vigor (Str, Dex, and Con) as his body is renewed but he does not lose any of the benefits of aging (Wis and Int).

Magical aging can also work to increase or decrease the life span of the character. In such a case, the actual age of the character is unaffected. All adjustments are made by the DM to the character’s maximum age (which only the DM knows). For example, a human finds a magical fountain that bestows great longevity (10 to 60 years more). The DM has already determined the human will naturally live to 103 years (base 90 + 2d20, in this case 13). The water of the fountain bestows 40 more years so that, unless the character meets a violent end, he will live to 143 years. He still suffers the effects of aging at the usual ages (45, 60, and 90 years, respectively), but the period in which he would be considered a venerable elder of his people is extended for 40 years.

There are a number of other personal characteristics your character has – hair and eye color, body shape, voice, noticeable features, and general personality. There are no tables for these things, nor should there be. Your job, as a player, is to add these details, thereby creating the type of character you want. You probably know some from the start (do you want to play a towering, robust warrior, or a slim, unassuming swordsman?); others, especially your character’s personality, will grow and take form as you play. Remember, you are an actor and your character is your role!

Table 10: AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
	Height in Inches		Weight in Pounds
Race	Base *	Modifier	Base *	Modifier
Dwarf	43/41	1d10	130/105	4d10
Elf	55/50	1d10	90/70	3d10
Gnome	38/36	1d6	72/68	5d4
Half-elf	60/58	2d6	110/85	3d12
Halfling	32/30	2d8	52/48	5d4
Human	60/59	2d10	140/100	6d10

* Females tend to be lighter and shorter than males. Thus, the base numbers for height and weight are divided into male/female values. Note that the modifier still allows for a broad range in each category.

Table 11: AGE
	Starting Age		Maximum Age Range
Race	Base Age	Variable	(Base + Variable)
Dwarf	40	5d6	250 + 2d100
Elf	100	5d6	350 + 4d100 *
Gnome	60	3d12	200 + 3d100
Half-elf	15	1d6	125 + 3d20
Halfling	20	3d4	100 + 1d100
Human	15	1d4	90 + 2d20

* Upon attaining this age, an elf does not die. Rather he feels compelled to migrate to some mysterious, other land, departing the world of men.

Table 12: AGING EFFECTS
	Middle Age *	Old Age **	Venerable ***
Race	(½ Base Max.)	(⅔ Base Max.)	(Base Max.)
Dwarf	125 years	167 years	250 years
Elf	175 years	233 years	350 years
Gnome	100 years	133 years	200 years
Half-elf	62 years	83 years	125 years
Halfling	50 years	67 years	100 years
Human	45 years	60 years	90 years

* -1 Str/Con; +1 Int/Wis
** -2 Str/Dex, -1 Con; +1 Wis
*** -1 Str/Dex/Con; +1 Int/Wis

To venture into the worlds of the AD&D® game, you first need to create a character. The character you create is your alter ego in the fantasy realms of this game, a make-believe person who is under your control and through whom you vicariously explore the world the Dungeon Master (DM) has created.

Each character in the AD&D game has six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The first three abilities represent the physical nature of the character, while the second three quantify his mental and personality traits.

In various places throughout these rules, the following abbreviations are used for the ability names: Strength – Str; Dexterity – Dex; Constitution – Con; Intelligence – Int; Wisdom – Wis; Charisma – Cha.

Rolling Ability Scores

Let’s first see how to generate ability scores for your character, after which definitions of each ability will be given.

The six ability scores are determined randomly by rolling six-sided dice to obtain a score from 3 to 18. There are several methods for rolling up these scores.

• Method I: Roll three six-sided dice (3d6); the total shown on the dice is your character’s Strength ability score. Repeat this for Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, in that order. This method gives a range of scores from 3 to 18, with most results in the 9 to 12 range. Only a few characters have high scores (15 and above), so you should treasure these characters.

Alternative Dice-Rolling Methods

Method I creates characters whose ability scores are usually between 9 and 12. If you would rather play a character of truly heroic proportions, ask your DM if he allows players to use optional methods for rolling up characters. These optional methods are designed to produce above-average characters.

• Method II: Roll 3d6 twice, noting the total of each roll. Use whichever result you prefer for your character’s Strength score. Repeat this for Dexterity. Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. This allows you to pick the best score from each pair, generally ensuring that your character does not have any really low ability scores (but low ability scores are not all that bad anyway!).

• Method III: Roll 3d6 six times and jot down the total for each roll. Assign the scores to your character’s six abilities however you want. This gives you the chance to custom-tailor your character, although you are not guaranteed high scores.

• Method IV: Roll 3d6 twelve times and jot down all twelve totals. Choose six of these rolls (generally the six best rolls) and assign them to your character’s abilities however you want. This combines the best of methods II and III, but takes somewhat longer.

As an example, Joan rolls 3d6 twelve times and gets results of 12, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, 9, 12, 6, 11, 10, and 7. She chooses the six best rolls (15, 12, 12, 11, 10, and 10) and then assigns them to her character’s abilities so as to create the strengths and weaknesses that she wants her character to have (see the ability descriptions following this section for explanations of the abilities).

• Method V: Roll four six-sided dice (4d6). Discard the lowest die and total the remaining three. Repeat this five more times, then assign the six numbers to the character’s abilities however you want. This is a fast method that gives you a good character, but you can still get low scores (after all, you could roll 1s on all four dice!).

• Method VI: This method can be used if you want to create a specific type of character. It does not guarantee that you will get the character you want, but it will improve your chances.

Each ability starts with a score of 8. Then roll seven dice. These dice can be added to your character’s abilities as you wish. All the points on a die must be added to the same ability score. For example, if a 6 is rolled on one die, all 6 points must be assigned to one ability. You can add as many dice as you want to any ability, but no ability score can exceed 18 points. If you cannot make an 18 by exact count on the dice, you cannot have an 18 score.

The Ability Scores

The six character abilities are described below. Each description gives an idea of what that ability encompasses. Specific game effects are also given. At the end of each ability description is the table giving all modifiers and game information for each ability score. The unshaded area of these tables contains scores a player character can have naturally, without the aid of magical devices, spells, or divine intervention. The blue-shaded ability scores can be obtained only by extraordinary means, whether by good fortune (finding a magical book that raises a score) or ill fortune (an attack by a creature that lowers a score).

Strength

Strength (Str) measures a character’s muscle, endurance, and stamina. This ability is the prime requisite of warriors because they must be physically powerful in order to wear armor and wield heavy weapons. A fighter with a score of 16 or more in Strength gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Furthermore, any warrior with a Strength score of 18 is entitled to roll percentile dice (see Glossary) to determine exceptional Strength; exceptional Strength improves the character’s chance to hit an enemy, increases the damage he causes with each hit , increases the weight the character is able to carry without a penalty for encumbrance (see below), and increases the character’s ability to force open doors and similar portals.

The rest of this section on Strength consists of explanations of the columns in Table 1. Refer to the table as you read.

Hit Probability adjustments are added to or subtracted from the attack roll rolled on 1d20 (one 20-sided die) during combat. A bonus (positive number) makes the opponent easier to hit; a penalty (negative number) makes him harder to hit.

Damage Adjustment also applies to combat. The listed number is added to or subtracted from the dice rolled to determine the damage caused by an attack (regardless of subtractions, a successful attack roll can never cause less than 1 point of damage). For example, a short sword normally causes 1d6 points of damage (a range of 1 to 6). An attacker with Strength 17 causes one extra point of damage, for a range of 2 to 7 points of damage. The damage adjustment also applies to missile weapons, although bows must be specially made to gain the bonus; crossbows never benefit from the user’s Strength.

Weight Allowance is the weight (in pounds) a character can carry without being encumbered (encumbrance measures how a character’s possessions hamper his movement – see Glossary). These weights are expressed in pounds. A character carrying up to the listed weight can move his full movement rate.

Maximum Press is the heaviest weight a character can pick up and lift over his head. A character cannot walk more than a few steps this way. No human or humanoid creature without exceptional Strength can lift more than twice his body weight over his head. In 1987, the world record for lifting a weight overhead in a single move was 465 pounds. A heroic fighter with Strength 18/00 (see Table 1) can lift up to 480 pounds the same way and he can hold it overhead for a longer time!

Open Doors indicates the character’s chance to force open a heavy or stuck door. When a character tries to force a door open, roll 1d20. If the result is equal to or less than the listed number, the door opens. A character can keep trying to open a door until it finally opens, but each attempt takes time (exactly how much is up to the DM) and makes a lot of noise.

Numbers in parentheses are the chances (on 1d20) to open a locked, barred, or magically held door, but only one attempt per door can ever be made. If 1t fails, no further attempts by that character can succeed.

Bend Bars/Lift Gates states the character’s percentage chance (rolled on percentile dice) to bend normal, soft iron bars lift a vertical gate (portcullis), or perform a similar feat of enormous strength. When the character makes the attempt roll percentile dice. If the number rolled is equal to or less than the number listed on Table 1, the character bends the bar or lifts the gate. If the attempt fails, the character can never succeed at that task. A character can, however, try to bend the bars on a gate that he couldn’t lift, and vice versa.

Table 1: STRENGTH
Ability Score	Hit Probability	Damage Adjustment	Weight Allowance	Maximum Press	Open Doors	Bend Bars/Lift Gates	Notes
1	-5	-4	1	3	1	0%
2	-3	-2	1	5	1	0%
3	-3	-1	5	10	2	0%
4-5	-2	-1	10	25	3	0%
6-7	-1	None	20	55	4	0%
8-9	Normal	None	35	90	5	1%
10-11	Normal	None	40	115	6	2%
12-13	Normal	None	45	140	7	4%
14-15	Normal	None	55	170	8	7%
16	Normal	+1	70	195	9	10%
17	+1	+1	85	220	10	13%
18	+1	+2	110	255	11	16%
18/01-50	+1	+3	135	280	12	20%
18/51-75	+2	+3	160	305	13	25%
18/76-90	+2	+4	185	330	14	30%
18/91-99	+2	+5	235	380	15(3)	35%
18/00	+3	+6	335	480	16(6)	40%
19	+3	+7	485	640	16(8)	50%	Hill Giant
20	+3	+8	535	700	17(10)	60%	Stone Giant
21	+4	+9	635	810	17(12)	70%	Frost Giant
22	+4	+10	785	970	18(14)	80%	Fire Giant
23	+5	+11	935	1,130	18(16)	90%	Cloud Giant
24	+6	+12	1,235	1,440	19(17)	95%	Storm Giant
25	+7	+14	1,535	1,750	19(18)	99%	Titan

Dexterity

Dexterity (Dex) encompasses several physical attributes including hand-eye coordination, agility, reaction speed, reflexes, and balance. Dexterity affects a character’s reaction to a threat or surprise, his accuracy with thrown weapons and bows, and his ability to dodge an enemy’s blows. It is the prime requisite of rogues and affects their professional skills. A rogue with a Dexterity score of 16 or higher gains a 10 percent bonus to the experience points he earns.

Reaction Adjustment modifies the die roll to see if a character is surprised when he unexpectedly encounters NPCs. The more positive the modifier, the less likely the character is to be surprised.

Missile Attack Adjustment is used to modify a character’s die roll whenever he uses a missile weapon (a bow or a thrown weapon). A positive number makes it easier for the character to hit with a missile, while a negative number makes it harder.

Defensive Adjustment applies to a character’s saving throws (see Glossary) against attacks that can be dodged – lightning bolts, boulders, etc. It also modifies the character’s Armor Class (see Glossary), representing his ability to dodge normal missiles and parry weapon thrusts. For example, Rath is wearing chain mail, giving him an Armor Class of 5. If his Dexterity score is 16, his Armor Class is modified by -2 to 3, making him harder to hit. If his Dexterity score is 5, his Armor Class is modified by +2 to 7, making him easier to hit. (In some situations, beneficial Dexterity modifiers to Armor Class do not apply. Usually this occurs when a character is attacked from behind or when his movement is restricted – attacked while prone, tied up, on a ledge, climbing a rope, etc.)

Table 2: DEXTERITY
Ability Score	Reaction Adjustment	Missile Attack Adjustment	Defensive Adjustment
1	-6	-6	+5
2	-4	-4	+5
3	-3	-3	+4
4	-2	-2	+3
5	-1	-1	+2
6	0	0	+1
7	0	0	0
8	0	0	0
8	0	0	0
10-14	0	0	0
15	0	0	-1
16	+1	+1	-2
17	+2	+2	-3
18	+2	+2	-4
19	+3	+3	-4
20	+3	+3	-4
21	+4	+4	-5
22	+4	+4	-5
23	+4	+4	-5
24	+5	+5	-6
25	+5	+5	-6

Constitution

A character’s Constitution (Con) score encompasses his physique, fitness, health, and physical resistance to hardship, injury, and disease. Since this ability affects the character’s hit points and chances of surviving such tremendous shocks as being physically reshaped by magic or resurrected from death, it is vitally important to all classes. Some classes have minimum allowable Constitution scores.

A character’s initial Constitution score is the absolute limit to the number of times the character can be raised or resurrected from death. Each such revival reduces the character’s Constitution score by one. Magic can restore a reduced Constitution score to its original value or even higher, but this has no effect on the number of times a character can be revived from death! Once the character has exhausted his original Constitution, nothing short of divine intervention can bring him back, and divine intervention is reserved for only the bravest and most faithful heroes!

For example, Rath’s Constitution score at the start of his adventuring career is 12. He can be revived from death 12 times. If he dies a 13th time, he cannot be resurrected or raised.

Hit Point Adjustment is added to or subtracted from each Hit Die rolled for the character. However, no Hit Die ever yields less than 1 hit point, regardless of modifications. If an adjustment would lower the number rolled to 0 or less, consider the final result to be 1. Always use the character’s current Constitution to determine hit point bonuses and penalties.

Only warriors are entitled to a Constitution bonus of +3 or +4. Non-warrior characters who have Constitution scores of 17 or 18 receive only +2 per die.

The Constitution bonus ends when a character reaches 10th level (9th for warriors and priests) – neither the Constitution bonus nor Hit Dice are added to a character’s hit points after he has passed this level (see the character class descriptions that start on page 25).

If a character’s Constitution changes during the course of adventuring, his hit points may be adjusted up or down to reflect the change. The difference between the character’s current hit point bonus (if any) and the new bonus is multiplied by the character’s level (up to 10), and added to or subtracted from the character’s total. If Delsenora’s Constitution increased from 16 to 17, she would gain 1 hit point for every level she had, up to 10th level.

System Shock states the percentage chance a character has to survive magical effects that reshape or age his body: petrification (and reversing petrification), polymorph, magical aging, etc. It can also be used to see if the character retains consciousness in particularly difficult situations. For example, an evil mage polymorphs his dim-witted hireling into a crow. The hireling, whose Constitution score is 13, has an 85 percent chance to survive the change. Assuming he survives, he must successfully roll for system shock again when he is changed back to his original form or else he will die.

Resurrection Survival lists a character’s percentage chance to be successfully resurrected or raised from death by magic. The player must roll the listed number or less on percentile dice for the character to be revived. If the dice roll fails, the character is dead, regardless of how many times he has previously been revived. Only divine intervention can bring such a character back again.

Poison Save modifies the saving throw vs. poison for humans, elves, gnomes, and half-elves. Dwarves and halflings do not use this adjustment, since they have special resistances to poison attacks. The DM has specific information on saving throws.

Regeneration enables those with specially endowed Constitutions (perhaps by a wish or magical item) to heal at an advanced rate, regenerating damage taken. The character heals 1 point of damage after the passage of the listed number of turns. However, fire and acid damage (which are more extensive than normal wounds) cannot be regenerated in this manner. These injuries must heal normally or be dealt with by magical means.

Table 3: CONSTITUTION
Ability Score	Hit Point Adjustment	System Shock	Resurrection Survival	Poison Save	Regeneration
1	-3	25%	30%	-2	Nil
2	-2	30%	35%	-1	Nil
3	-2	35%	40%	0	Nil
4	-1	40%	45%	0	Nil
5	-1	45%	50%	0	Nil
6	-1	50%	55%	0	Nil
7	0	55%	60%	0	Nil
8	0	60%	65%	0	Nil
9	0	65%	70%	0	Nil
10	0	70%	75%	0	Nil
11	0	75%	80%	0	Nil
12	0	80%	85%	0	Nil
13	0	85%	90%	0	Nil
14	0	88%	92%	0	Nil
15	+1	90%	94%	0	Nil
16	+2	95%	96%	0	Nil
17	+2 (+3)*	97%	98%	0	Nil
18	+2 (+4)*	99%	100%	0	Nil
19	+2 (+5)*	99%	100%	+1	Nil
20	+2 (+5)**	99%	100%	+1	1/6 turns
21	+2 (+6)***	99%	100%	+2	1/5 turns
22	+2 (+6)***	99%	100%	+2	1/4 turns
23	+2 (+6)****	99%	100%	+3	1/3 turns
24	+2 (+7)****	99%	100%	+3	1/2 turns
25	+2 (+7)****	100%	100%	+4	1/1 turn

*	Parenthetical bonus applies to warriors only. All other classes receive maximum bonus of +2 per die.
**	All 1s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 2s.
***	All 1s and 2s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 3s.
****	All 1s, 2s, and 3s rolled for Hit Dice are automatically considered 4s.

Intelligence

Intelligence (Int) represents a character’s memory, reasoning, and learning ability, including areas outside those measured by the written word. Intelligence dictates the number of languages a character can learn. Intelligence is the prime requisite of wizards, who must have keen minds to understand and memorize magical spells. A wizard with an Intelligence score of 16 or higher gains a 10 percent bonus to experience points earned. The wizard’s Intelligence dictates which spells he can learn and the number of spells he can memorize at one time . Only those of the highest Intelligence can comprehend the mighty magic of 9th-level spells.

This ability gives only a general indication of a character’s mental acuity. A semi-intelligent character (Int 3 or 4) can speak (with difficulty) and is apt to react instinctively and impulsively. He is not hopeless as a player character (PC), but playing such a character correctly is not easy. A character with low Intelligence (Int 5-7) could also be called dull-witted or slow. A very intelligent person (Int 11 or 12) picks up new ideas quickly and learns easily. A highly intelligent character (Int 13 or 14) is one who can solve most problems without even trying very hard. One with exceptional intelligence (Int 15 or 16) is noticeably above the
norm. A genius character is brilliant (Int 17 or 18). A character beyond genius is potentially more clever and more brilliant than can possibly be imagined.

However, the true capabilities of a mind lie not in numbers – I.Q., Intelligence score, or whatever. Many intelligent, even brilliant, people in the real world fail to apply their minds creatively and usefully, thus falling far below their own potential. Don’t rely too heavily on your character’s Intelligence score; you must provide your character with the creativity and energy he supposedly possesses!

Number of Languages lists the number of additional languages the character can speak beyond his native language. Every character can speak his native language, no matter what his Intelligence is. This knowledge extends only to speaking the language; it does not include reading or writing. The OM must decide if your character begins the game already knowing these additional languages or if the number shows only how many languages your character can possibly learn. The first choice will make communication easier, while the second increases your opportunities for role-playing (finding a tutor or creating a reason why you need to know a given language). Furthermore, your DM can limit your language selection based on his campaign. It is perfectly fair to rule that your fighter from the Frozen Wastes hasn’t the tongues of the Southlands, simply because he has never met anyone who has been to the Southlands.

Spell Level lists the highest level of spells that can be cast by a wizard with this Intelligence.

Chance to Learn Spell is the percentage probability that a wizard can learn a particular spell. A check is made as the wizard comes across new spells, not as he advances in level. To make the check, the wizard character must have access to a spell book containing the spell. If the player rolls the listed percentage or less, his character can learn the spell and copy it into his own spell book. If the wizard fails the roll, he cannot check that spell again until he advances to the next level (provided he still has access to the spell).

Spell Immunity is gained by those with exceptionally high Intelligence scores. Those with the immunity notice some inconsistency or inexactness in the illusion or phantasm, automatically allowing them to make their saving throws. All benefits are cumulative , thus a character with a 20 Intelligence is not fooled by 1st- or 2nd-level illusion spells.

Table 4: INTELLIGENCE
Ability Score	# of Languages	Spell Level	Chance to Learn Spell	Maximum # of Spells/Level	Spell Immunity
1	0*	–	–	–	–
2	1	–	–	–	–
3	1	–	–	–	–
4	1	–	–	–	–
5	1	–	–	–	–
6	1	–	–	–	–
7	1	–	–	–	–
8	1	–	–	–	–
9	2	4th	35%	6	–
10	2	5th	40%	7	–
11	2	5th	45%	7	–
12	3	6th	50%	7	–
13	3	6th	55%	9	–
14	4	7th	60%	9	–
15	4	7th	65%	11	–
16	5	8th	70%	11	–
17	6	8th	75%	14	–
18	7	9th	85%	18	–
19	8	9th	95%	All	1st-level illusions
20	9	9th	96%	All	2nd-level illusions
21	10	9th	97%	All	3rd-level illusions
22	11	9th	98%	All	4th-level illusions
23	12	9th	99%	All	5th-level illusions
24	15	9th	100%	All	6th-level illusions
25	20	9th	100%	All	7th-level illusions

* While unable to speak a language, the character can still communicate by grunts and gestures.

Wisdom

Wisdom (Wis) describes a composite of the character’s enlightenment, judgment, guile, willpower, common sense, and intuition. It can affect the character’s resistance to magical attack. It is the prime requisite of priests; those with a Wisdom score of 16 or higher gain a 10 percent bonus to experience points earned. Clerics, druids, and other priests with Wisdom scores of 13 or higher also gain bonus spells over and above the number they are normally allowed to use.

Magical Defense Adjustment listed on table 5 applies to saving throws against magical spells that attack the mind: beguiling, charm, fear, hypnosis, illusions, possession, suggestion, etc. These bonuses and penalties are applied automatically, without any conscious effort from the character.

Bonus Spells indicates the number of additional spells a priest (and only a priest) is entitled to because of his extreme Wisdom. Note that these spells are available only when the priest is entitled to spells of the appropriate level. Bonus spells are cumulative, so a priest with a Wisdom of 15 is entitled to two 1st-level bonus spells and one 2nd-level bonus spell.

Chance of Spell Failure states the percentage chance that any particular spell fails when cast. Priests with low Wisdom scores run the risk of having their spells fizzle. Roll percentile dice every time the priest casts a spell; if the number rolled is less than or equal to the listed chance for spell failure, the spell is expended with absolutely no effect whatsoever. Note that priests with Wisdom scores of 13 or higher don’t need to worry about their spells failing.

Spell Immunity gives those extremely wise characters complete protection from certain spells, spell-like abilities, and magical items as listed. These immunities are cumulative, so that a character with a Wisdom of 23 is immune to all listed spells up to and including those listed on the 23 Wisdom row.

Table 5: WISDOM
Ability Score	Magical Defense Adjustment	Bonus Spells	Chance of Spell Failure	Spell Immunity
1	-6	–	80%	–
2	-4	–	60%	–
3	-3	–	50%	–
4	-2	–	45%	–
5	-1	–	40%	–
6	-1	–	35%	–
7	-1	–	30%	–
8	0	–	25%	–
9	0	0	20%	–
10	0	0	15%	–
11	0	0	10%	–
12	0	0	5%	–
13	0	1st	0%	–
14	0	1st	0%	–
15	+1	2nd	0%	–
16	+2	2nd	0%	–
17	+3	3rd	0%	–
18	+4	4th	0%	–
19	+4	1st, 4th	0%	Spook, Charm Person, Command, Friends, Hypnotism
20	+4	2nd, 4th	0%	Forget, Hold Person, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scare
21	+4	3rd, 5th	0%	Fear
22	+4	4th, 5th	0%	Charm Monster, Confusion, Emotion, Fumble, Suggestion
23	+4	5th, 5th	0%	Chaos, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Magic Jar, Quest
24	+4	6th, 6th	0%	Geas, Mass Suggestion, Rod of Rulership
25	+4	6th, 7th	0%	Antipathy-Sympathy, Death Spell, Mass Charm

Charisma

The Charisma (Cha) score measures a character’s persuasiveness, personal magnetism, and ability to lead. It is not a reflection of physical attractiveness, although attractiveness certainly plays a role. It is important to all characters, but especially to those who must deal with non-player characters (NPCs), mercenary hirelings, retainers, and intelligent monsters. It dictates the total number of henchmen a character can retain and affects the loyalty of henchmen, hirelings, and retainers.

Maximum Number of Henchmen states the number of non-player characters who will serve as permanent retainers of the player character. It does not affect the number of mercenary soldiers, men-at-arms, servitors, or other persons in the pay of the character.

Loyalty Base shows the subtraction from or addition to the henchman’s and other servitors’ loyalty scores (in the DMG). This is crucial during battles, when morale becomes important.

Reaction Adjustment indicates the penalty or bonus due to the character because of Charisma when dealing with non-player characters and intelligent creatures. For example, Rath encounters a centaur, an intelligent creature. Rath’s Charisma is only 6, so he is starting off with one strike against him. He probably should try to overcome this slight handicap by making generous offers of gifts or information.

Table 6: CHARISMA
Ability Score	Maximum # of Henchmen	Loyalty Base	Reaction Adjustment
1	0	-8	-7
2	1	-7	-6
3	1	-6	-5
4	1	-5	-4
5	2	-4	-3
6	2	-3	-2
7	3	-2	-1
8	3	-1	0
9	4	0	0
10	4	0	0
11	4	0	0
12	5	0	0
13	5	0	+1
14	6	+1	+2
15	7	+3	+3
16	8	+4	+5
17	10	+6	+6
18	15	+8	+7
19	20	+10	+8
20	25	+12	+9
21	30	+14	+10
22	35	+16	+11
23	40	+18	+12
24	45	+20	+13
25	50	+20	+14

 

What the Numbers Mean

Now that you have finished creating the ability scores for your character, stop and take a look at them. What does all this mean?

Suppose you decide to name your character “Rath” and you rolled the following ability scores for him:

Strength	8
Dexterity	14
Constitution	13
Intelligence	13
Wisdom	7
Charisma	6

Rath has strengths and weaknesses, but it is up to you to interpret what the numbers mean. Here are just two different ways these numbers could be interpreted.

1) Although Rath is in good health (Con 13), he’s not very strong (Str 8) because he’s just plain lazy he never wanted to exercise as a youth and now it’s too late. His low Wisdom and Charisma scores (7, 6) show that he lacks the common sense to apply himself properly and projects a slothful, “I’m not going to bother” attitude (which tends to irritate others). Fortunately, Rath’s natural wit (Int 13) and Dexterity (14) keep him from being a total loss.

Thus you might play Rath as an irritating, smart-alecky twerp forever ducking just out of range of those who want to squash him.

2) Rath has several good points he has studied hard (Int 13) and practiced his manual skills (Dex 14). Unfortunately, his Strength is low (8) from a lack of exercise (all those hours spent reading books). Despite that, Rath’s health is still good (Con 13). His low Wisdom and Charisma (7, 6) are a result of his lack of contact and involvement with people outside the realm of academics.

Looking at the scores this way, you could play Rath as a kindly, naive, and shy professorial type who’s a good tinkerer, always fiddling with new ideas and inventions.

Obviously, Rath’s ability scores (often called “Stats”) are not the greatest in the world. Yet it is possible to tum these “disappointing” stats into a character who is both interesting and fun to play. Too often players become obsessed with “good” stats. These players immediately give up on a character if he doesn’t have a majority of above-average scores. There are even those who feel a character is hopeless if he does not have at least one ability of 17 or higher! Needless to say, these players would never consider playing a character with an ability score of 6 or 7.

In truth, Rath’s survivability has a lot less to do with his ability scores than with your desire to role-play him. If you give up on him, of course he won’t survive! But if you take an interest in the character and role-play him well, then even a character with the lowest possible scores can present a fun, challenging, and all-around exciting time. Does he have a Charisma of 5? Why? Maybe he’s got an ugly scar. His table manners could be atrocious. He might mean well but always manage to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. He could be bluntly honest to the point of rudeness, something not likely to endear him to most people. His Dexterity is a 3? Why? Is he naturally clumsy or blind as a bat?

Don’t give up on a character just because he has a low score. Instead, view it as an opportunity to role-play, to create a unique and entertaining personality in the game. Not only will you have fun creating that personality, but other players and the DM will have fun reacting to him.

You are reading the key to the most exciting hobby in the world – role-playing games.

These first few pages will introduce you to the second addition of the most successful role-playing game ever published. If you’re a novice role player, stop right here and read the section labeled the real basics (on the next page). When you understand that role-playing and the AD&D game are all about, come back to this point and read the rest of the introduction.  If you are an experienced role-player, skip the real basics.

Why a Second Edition?

Before answering that question, let’s define what the second edition of the AD&D game is and is not.

The second addition of the AD&D game is a lot different from the first edition. The presentation of the game has been cleaned up. The rules are reorganized, clarified, and streamlined.  Where necessary, things that didn’t work have been fixed. Things that did work haven’t been changed.

The second edition of the AD&D game is not a statement of what any one person thinks the game should be. It is the result of more than three years of discussion, thought, consultation, review, and play testing.

Now to the question of “Why a second edition?” The AD&D game evolved over the course of 16 years. During that time, the game grew tremendously through play. Changes and improvements (and a few mistakes) were made. These were published in subsequent volumes. By 1988, the game consisted of 12 hardcover rulebooks. It was physically and intellectually unwieldy (but still a lot of fun). The time was right to reorganize and recombine all that information into a manageable package. The package is the second edition.

How the Rule Books are Organized

The AD&D game rulebooks are intended primarily as reference books. They are designed so any specific rule can be found quickly and easily during the game.

Everything a player needs to know is in the Players Handbook. That’s not to say that all the rules are in this book. But every rule that a player needs to know in order to play the game is in this book.

A few rules have been reserved for the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG). These either cover situations that very seldom arise or give the Dungeon Master (DM) information that players should not have beforehand. Everything else in the DMG is information that only the Dungeon Master needs. If the DM feels that players need to know something that is explained in the DMG, he will tell them.

Like the DMG, the Monstrous Compendium is the province of the DM. This gives complete and detailed information about the monsters, people, and other creatures inhabiting the AD&D world. Some DMs don’t mind if players read this information, but the game is more fun if players don’t know everything about their foes – it heightens the sense of discovery and danger of the unknown.

Learning the Game

If you have played the AD&D game before, you know most everything you need to play the second edition. We advise you to read the entire Players Handbook, but the biggest changes are in these chapters:character classes, combat, and experience. Be sure to read at least those three chapters before sitting down to play.

If you come to a term you do not understand, look for it in the glossary, which begins on page 11.

If you ever play the AD&D game before, the best way to learn to play the game is to find a group of experienced players enjoying them. They can get you immediately into the game and explain things as you need to know them. You don’t need to read anything beforehand. And fact it’s best if you can play the game for several hours with experienced players before reading any of the rules. One of the truly marvelous things about role-playing game is that even though the concept is difficult to explain, it is simple to demonstrate.

If none of your friends are involved in a game, the best place to find experienced players is through your local hobby store. Role-playing and general gaming clubs are common and are always eager to accept new members. Many hobby stores offer a bulletin board through which DMs can advertise for new players and new players can ask for information about new or ongoing games. If there is no hobby store in your area, check at the local library or school.

If you can’t find anyone else who knows the AD&D game, you can teach yourself. Read the Player’s Handbook and create some characters. Try to create a variety of character classes. Then pick up a pre-packaged adventure module for low-level characters, round up two or three friends, and dive into it. You will probably make lots of mistakes and wonder constantly whether you are doing everything wrong. Even if you are, don’t worry about it. The AD&D game is big, but eventually you’ll bring it under control.

The Second Edition AD&D Game Line

Quite a few books and other products are published for the AD&D game. As a player, you need only one of them – this book. Every player and DM should have a copy of the Player’s Handbook. Everything else is either optional or intended for the Dungeon Master.

The Dungeon Master’s Guide is essential for the DM and it is for the DM only. Players who are not themselves DMs have no cause to read the DMG.

The Monstrous Compendium is not one, but several products. The book can be expanded whenever new compendiums are released. The first pack of monsters is essential to the game. It includes the most commonly occurring monsters, mythical beasts, and legendary creatures. Additional packs expand on these monsters and give the game more variety. Specialty compendiums – those for Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, Kara-Tur, etc. – are highly recommended for DMs who play in those settings.

Expanded character class books – The Complete Fighter, The Complete Thief, etc. – provide a lot more detail on these character classes than does the Player’s Handbook. These books are entirely optional. They are for those players who really want a world of choice for their characters.

Adventure modules contain complete game adventures. These are especially useful for DMs who aren’t sure how to create their own adventures and for DMs who need an adventure quickly and don’t have time to write one of their own.

A Note About Pronouns

The male pronoun (he, him, his) is used exclusively throughout the second edition of the AD&D game rules. We hope this won’t be construed by anyone to be an attempt to exclude females from the game or imply their exclusion. Centuries of use have neutered the male pronoun. In written material it is clear, concise, and familiar. Nothing else is.

Creating a Character

To create a character to play in the AD&D game, proceed, in order, through Chapters 1 through 6. (Chapter 5 is optional).  These chapters will tell you how to generate your character’s ability scores, race, class, decide on his alignment, proficiencies, and buy equipment. Once you have done all this, your character is ready for adventure!

This section is intended for novice role-players. If you have played role-playing games before, don’t be surprised if what you read here sounds familiar.

Games come in a wide assortment of types: board games, card games, word games, picture games, miniature games. Even within these categories are subcategories. Board games, for example, can be divided into path games, real estate games, military simulation games, abstract strategy games, mystery games, and a host of others.

Still, in all this mass of games, role-playing games are unique. They form a category all their own that doesn’t overlap any other category.

For that reason, role-playing games are hard to describe. Comparisons don’t work because there isn’t anything similar to compare them to. At least, not without stretching your imagination well beyond its normal, everyday extension.

But then, stretching your imagination is what role-playing is all about. So let’s try an analogy.

Imagine that you are playing a simple boardgame, called Snakes and Ladders. Your goal is to get from the bottom to the top of the board before all the other players. Along the way our traps they can send you sliding back towards your starting position. There are also ladders that can let you jump ahead, closer to the finish space. So far, it’s pretty simple and pretty standard.

Now let’s change a few things. Instead of a flat, featureless board with a path winding from side to side, let’s have a maze. You’re standing at the entrance, and you know that there’s an exit somewhere, but you don’t know where. You’ll have to find it.

Instead of snakes and ladders, will put in hidden doors and secret passages. Don’t roll a die can see how far you move; you can move as far as you want. Move down the corridor to the intersection. You can turn right, or left, or go straight ahead, or go back the way you came. Or, as long as you’re here, you can look for a hidden door. If you find one, it will open into another stretch of corridor. That corridor might take you straight to the exit or lead you into a blind alley. The only way to find out is to step in and start walking.

Of course, given enough time, eventually you’ll find the exit. To keep the game interesting, let’s put some other things in the maze with you. Nasty things. Things like vampire bats and hobgoblins and zombies and ogres. Of course, we’ll give you a sword and shield, so if you meet one of these things you can defend yourself. You do know how to use a sword, don’t you?

And there are other players in the maze as well. They have swords and shields, too. How do you suppose another player would react if you chance to meet? He might attack, but he also might offer to team up. After all, even an ogre might think twice about attacking two people carrying sharp swords and stout shields.

Finally, let’s put the board somewhere you can’t see it. Let’s give it to one of the players and make that player the referee. Instead of looking at the board, you listen to the referee as he describes what you can see from your position on the board. You tell the referee what you want to do and he moves your piece accordingly. As the referee describes your surroundings, try to picture them mentally. Close your eyes and construct the walls of the maze around yourself. imagine the hobgoblins as the referee describes it whooping and gamboling down the corridor towards you. Now imagine how you would react in that situation and tell the referee what you are going to do about it.

We have just constructed a simple role-playing game. It is not a sophisticated game, but it has the essential element that makes a role-playing game: the player is placed in the midst of an unknown or dangerous situation created by a referee and must work his way through it.

This is the heart of role-playing. The player adopts the role of a character and then guides that character through an adventure. The player makes decisions, interacts with other characters and players, and, essentially, “pretends” to be his character during the course of the game. That doesn’t mean that the player must jump up and down, dash around, and act like his character. It means that whenever the character is called on to do something or make a decision, the player pretends that he is in that situation and chooses an appropriate course of action.

Physically, the players and referee (the DM) should be seated comfortably around a table with the referee at the head. Players need plenty of room for papers, pencils, dice, rule books, drinks, and snacks. The referee needs extra space for his maps, dice, rule books, and assorted notes.

The Goal

Another major difference between role-playing games and other games is the ultimate goal. Everyone assumes that a game must have a beginning and an end and that the end comes when someone wins. That doesn’t apply to role-playing because no one “wins” in a role-playing game. The point of playing is not to win but to have fun and to socialize.

An adventure usually has a goal of some sort: protect the villagers from the monsters; rescue the lost princess; explore the ancient ruins. Typically, this goal can be attained in a reasonable playing time: 4 to 8 hours is standard. This might require the players to get together for one, two, or even three playing sessions to reach their goal and complete the adventure.

But the game doesn’t end when an adventure is finished. The same characters can go on to new adventures. Such a series of adventures is called a campaign.

Remember, the point of an adventure is not to win but to have fun while working toward a common goal. But the length of any particular adventure need not impose an artificial limit on the length of the game. The AD&D game embraces more than enough adventure to keep a group of characters occupied for years.

Required Materials

Aside from a copy of this book, very little is needed to play the AD&D game.

You will need some sort of character record. TSR publishes character record sheets that are quite handy and easy to use, but any sheet of paper will do. Blank paper, lined paper, or even graph paper can be used. A double-sized sheet of paper (11×17 inches), folded in half, is excellent. Keep your character record in pencil, because it will change frequently during the game. A good eraser is also a must.

A full set of polyhedral dice is necessary. A full set consist of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 20-sided dice. A few extra 6- and 10-sided dice are a good idea. Polyhedral dice should be available wherever you got this book.

Throughout these rules, the various dice are referred to buy a code that is in the form: # of dice, followed by “d,” followed by a numeral for the type of dice. In other words, if you are to roll one 6-sided die, you would see “roll 1d6.” Five 12-sided dice are referred to as “5d12.” (If you don’t have five 12-sided dice, just roll one five times and add the results.)

When the rules say to roll “percentile dice”or “1d100,” you need to generate a random number from 1 to 100. One way to do this is to roll two 10-sided dice of different colors. Before you roll, designate one die as the tens place and the other as the ones place. Rolling them together enables you to generate a number from 1 to 100 (a result of “0” on both dice is red as “00 “or “100”). For example, if the blue die (representing the tens place) rolls an “8” and the red die (ones place) rolls a “5,” the result is 85. Another, more expensive, way to generate a number from 1 to 100 is to buy one of the dice that actually have numbers from 1 to 100 on them.

At least one player should have a few sheets of graph paper for mapping the group’s progress. Assorted pieces of scratch paper are handy for making quick notes, for passing secret messages to other players or the DM, or for keeping track of odd bits of information that you don’t want cluttering up your character record.

Miniature figures are handy for keeping track of where everyone is in a confusing situation like a battle. These can be as elaborate or a simple as you like. Some players use miniature lead or pewter figures painted to resemble their characters. Plastic soldiers, chess pieces, board game pawns, dice, or bits of paper can work just as well.

An Example of Play

To further clarify what really goes on during an AD&D® game, read the following example. This is typical of the sort of action that occurs during a playing session.

Shortly before this example begins, three player characters fought a skirmish with a wererat (a creature similar to a werewolf but which becomes an enormous rat instead of a wolf) . The wererat was wounded and fled down a tunnel. The characters are in pursuit. The group includes two fighters and a cleric. Fighter 1 is the group’s leader.

DM: You’ve been following this tunnel for about 120 yards. The water on the floor is ankle deep and very cold. Now and then you feel something brush against your foot. The smell of decay is getting stronger. The tunnel is gradually filling with a cold mist.

Fighter 1: I don’t like this at all. Can we see anything up ahead that looks like a doorway, or a branch in the tunnel?

DM: Within the range of your torchlight, the tunnel is more or less straight. You don’t see any branches or doorways.

Cleric: The wererat we hit had to come this way. There’s nowhere else to go.

Fighter 1: Unless we missed a hidden door along the way. I hate this place; it gives me the creeps.

Fighter 2: We have to track down that wererat. I say we keep going.

Fighter 1: OK. We keep moving down the tunnel. But keep your eyes open for anything that might be a door.

DM: Another 30 or 35 yards down the tunnel, you find a stone block on the floor.

Fighter 1: A block? I take a closer look.

DM: It’s a cut block, about 12 by 16 inches, and 18 inches or so high. It looks like a different kind of rock than the rest of the tunnel.

Fighter 2: Where is it? Is it in the center of the tunnel or off to the side?

DM: It’s right up against the side.

Fighter 1: Can I move it?

DM (checking the character’s Strength score): Yeah, you can push it around without too much trouble.

Fighter 1: Hmmm. This is obviously a marker of some sort. I want to check this area for secret doors. Spread out and examine the walls.

DM (rolls several dice behind his rule book, where players can’t see the results): Nobody finds anything unusual along the walls.

Fighter 1: It has to be here somewhere. What about the ceiling?

DM: You can’t reach the ceiling. It’s about a foot beyond your reach.

Cleric: Of course! That block isn’t a marker, it’s a step. I climb up on the block and start prodding the ceiling.

DM (rolling a few more dice): You poke around for 20 seconds or so, then suddenly part of the tunnel roof shifts. You’ve found a panel that lifts away.

Fighter 1: Open it very carefully.

Cleric: I pop it up a few inches and push it aside slowly. Can I see anything?

DM: Your head is still below the level of the opening, but you see some dim light from one side.

Fighter 1: We boost him up so he can get a better look.

DM: OK, your friends boost you up into the room…

Fighter 1: No, no! We boost him just high enough to get his head through the opening.

DM: OK, you boost him up a foot. The two of you are each holding one of his legs. Cleric, you see another tunnel, pretty much like the one you were in, but it only goes off in one direction. There’s a doorway about 10 yards away with a soft light inside. A line of muddy pawprints leads from the hole you’re in to the doorway.

Cleric: Fine. I want the fighters to go first.

DM: As they’re lowering you back to the block, everyone hears some grunts, splashing, and clanking weapons coming from further down the lower tunnel. They seem to be closing fast.

Cleric: Up! Up! Push me back up through the hole! I grab the ledge and haul myself up. I’ll help pull the next guy up. (All three characters scramble up through the hole.)

DM: What about the panel?

Fighter 1: We push it back into place.

DM: It slides back into its slot with a nice, loud “clunk”. The grunting from below gets a lot louder.

Fighter 1: Great, they heard it. Cleric, get over here and stand on this panel. We’re going to check out that doorway.

DM: Cleric, you hear some shouting and shuffling around below you, then there’s a thump and the panel you’re standing on lurches.

Cleric: They’re trying to batter it open!

DM (to the fighters): When you peer around the doorway, you see a small, dirty room with a small cot, a table, and a couple of tools. On the cot is a wererat curled up into a ball. Its back is towards you. Theres another door in the far wall and a small gong in the corner.

Fighter 1: Is the wererat moving?

DM: Not a bit. Cleric, the panel just thumped again. You can see a little crack in it now.

Cleric: Do something quick, you guys. When this panel starts coming apart, I’m getting off it.

Fighter 1: OK already! I step into the room and prod the wererat with my shield. What happens?

DM: Nothing. You see blood on the cot.

Fighter 1: Is this the same wererat we fought before?

DM: Who knows? All wererats look the same to you. Cleric, the panel thumps again. That crack is looking really big.

Cleric: That’s it. I get off the paneL I’m moving into the room with everybody else.

DM: There’s a tremendous smash and you hear chunks of rock banging around out in the corridor, followed by lots of snarling and squeaking, You see flashes of torchlight and wererat shadows through the doorway.

Fighter 1: All right, the other fighter and I move up to block the doorway. That’s the narrowest area, they can only come through it one or two at a time. Cleric, you stay in the room and be ready with your spells.

Fighter 2: At last, a decent, stand-up fight!

DM: As the first wererat appears in the doorway with a spear in his paws, you hear a slam behind you.

Cleric: I spin around. What is it?

DM: The door in the back of the room is broken off its hinges. Standing in the doorway, holding a mace in each paw, is the biggest, ugliest wererat you’ve ever seen. A couple more pairs of red eyes are shining through the darkness behind him. He’s licking his chops in a way that you find very unsettling.

Cleric: Aaaaarrrgh! I scream the name of my deity at the top of my lungs and then flip over the cot with the dead wererat on it so the body lands in front of him. I’ve got to have some help here, guys.

Fighter 1 (to fighter 2): Help him, I’ll handle this end of the room. (To DM): I’m attacking the wererat in the doorway.

DM: While fighter 2 is switching positions, the big wererat looks at the body on the floor and his jaw drops. He looks back up and says, “That’s Ignatz. He was my brother. You killed my brother.” Then raises both maces and leaps at you.

At this point a ferocious melee breaks out. The DM uses the combat rules to play out the battle. If the characters survive, they can continue on whatever course they choose.

Glossary

Ability – any of the six natural traits that represent the basic definition of a player character: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. A player character’s abilities are determined at the beginning of a game by rolling 6-sided dice (d6s). The scores continue to be used throughout the game as a means of determining success or failure of many actions.

Ability check – a 1d20 roll against one of your character’s ability scores (modifiers may be added to or subtracted from the die roll). A result that is equal to or less than your character’s ability score indicates that the attempted action succeeds.

AC – abbreviation for Armor Class (q.v.).

Alignment – a factor in defining a player character that reflects his basic attitude toward society and the forces of the universe. Basically there are nine categories demonstrating the character’s relationship to order vs. chaos and good vs. evil. A player character’s alignment is selected by the player when the character is created.

Area of effect – the area in which a magical spell or a breath weapon works on any creatures unless they make a saving throw.

Armor Class (abbr. AC) – a rating for the protective value of a type of armor, figured from 10 (no armor at all) to 0 or even -10 (the best magical armor). The higher the AC, the more vulnerable the character is to attack.

Attack roll – The 1d20 roll used to determine if an attack is successful.

Bend bars/lift gates roll – the roll of percentile dice to determine whether a character succeeds in bending metal bars, lifting a heavy portcullis, or similar task. The result needed is a function of Strength and can be found in Table 1.

Bonus spells – extra spells at various spell levels that a priest is entitled to because of high Wisdom; shown in Table 5.

Breath weapon – the ability of a dragon or other creature to spew a substance out of its mouth just by breathing, without making an attack roll. Those in the area of effect must roll a saving throw.

Cha – abbreviation for Charisma (q.v.).

Chance of spell failure – the percentage chance that a priest spell will fail when cast. Based on Wisdom, it is shown in Table 5.

Chance to know spell – the percentage chance for a wizard to learn a new spell. Based on Intelligence, it is shown in Table 4.

Charisma (abbr. Cha) – an ability score representing a character’s persuasiveness, personal magnetism, and ability to lead.

Common – the language that all player characters in the AD&D game world speak. Other languages may require the use of proficiency slots.

Con – abbreviation for Constitution (q.v.).

Constitution (abbr. Con) – an ability score that represents a character’s general physique, hardiness, and state of health.

d – abbreviation for dice or die. A roll that calls for 2d6, for example, means that the player rolls two six-sided dice.

d3 – since there is no such thing as a three-sided die, a roll calling for d3 means to use a d6, making 1 and 2 be a 1, 3 and 4 be a 2, and 5 and 6 be a 3.

d4 – a four-sided die.

d6 – a six-sided die.

d8 – an eight-sided die.

d10 – a ten-sided die. Two d10s can be used as percentile dice (q.v.).

d12 – a twelve-sided die.

d20 – a twenty-sided die.

d100 – either an actual 100-sided die or two different-colored ten-sided dice to be rolled as percentile dice (q.v.).

DMG – a reference to the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Damage – the effect of a successful attack or other harmful situation, measured in hit points.

Demihuman – a player character who is not human: a dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, or halfling.

Dex – abbreviation for Dexterity (q.v.).

Dexterity (abbr. Dex) – an ability score representing a combination of a character’s agility, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and the like.

Dual-class character – a human who switches character class after having already progressed several levels. Only humans can be dual-classed.

Encumbrance – the amount, in pounds, that a character is carrying. How much he can carry and how being encumbered affects his movement rate are based on Strength and are shown in Tables 47 and 48. Encumbrance is an optional rule.

Energy drain – the ability of a creature, especially undead, to drain energy in the form of class levels from a character, in addition to the normal loss of hit points.

Experience points (abbr. XP) – points a character earns (determined by the Dungeon Master) for completing an adventure, for doing something related to his class particularly well, or for solving a major problem. Experience points are accumulated, enabling the character to rise in level in his class, as shown in Table 14 for warriors, Tab1e 20 for wizards, Table 23 for priests, and Table 25 for rogues.

Follower – a non-player character who works for a character for money but is initially drawn to his reputation.

Gaze attack – the ability of a creature, such as a basilisk, to attack simply by making eye contact with the victim.

Henchmen – non-player characters who work for a character mainly out of loyalty and love of adventure. The number of henchmen a character can have is based on Charisma and is shown in Table 6. The DM and the player share control of the henchmen.

Hireling – non-player characters who work for a character just for money. Hirelings are completely under the control of the DM.

Hit dice – the dice rolled to determine a character’s hit points. Up to a certain level, one or more new Hit Dice are rolled each time a character attains a new class level. A fighter, for example, has only one 10-sided Hit Die (1d10) at 1st level, but when he rises to the 2nd level, the player rolls a second d10, increasing the character’s hit points.

Hit points – a number representing 1. how much damage a character can suffer before being killed, determined by Hit Dice (q.v.). The hit points lost to injury can usually be regained by rest or healing. 2. how much damage a specific attack does, determined by weapon or monster statistics, and subtracted from a player’s total.

Infravision – the ability of certain character races or monsters to see in the dark. Infravision generally works up to 60 feet in the darkness.

Initiative – the right to attack first in a combat round, usually determined by the lowest roll of a 10-sided die. The initiative roll is eliminated if surprise (q.v.) is achieved.

Int – abbreviation for Intelligence (q.v.).

Intelligence (abbr. Int) – an ability score representing a character’s memory, reasoning, and learning ability.

Italic type – used primarily to indicate spells and magical items.

Level – any of several different game factors that are variable in degree, especially: 1. class level, a measure of the character’s power, starting at the 1st level as a beginning adventurer and rising through the accumulation of experience points to the 20th level or higher. At each level attained, the character receives new powers. 2. spell level, a measure of the power of a magical spell. A magic-using character can use only those spells for which his class level qualifies him. Wizard spells come in nine levels (Table 21); priest spells in seven (Table 24).

Loyalty base – a bonus added to or a penalty subtracted from the probability that henchmen are going to stay around when the going gets tough. Based on the character’s Charisma, it is shown in Table 6.

M – abbreviation for material component (q.v.).

Magical defense adjustment – a bonus added to or a penalty subtracted from saving throws vs. spells that attack the mind. Based on Wisdom, it is shown in Table 5.

Maneuverability class – a ranking for flying creatures that reflects their ability to turn easily in aerial combat. Each class from a top of A to a bottom rank of E has specific statistical abilities in combat.

Material component (abbr. M) – any specific item that must be handled in some way during the casting of a magic spell.

Maximum press – the most weight a character can pick up and raise over his head. It is a function of Strength and may be found in Table 1.

Melee – combat in which characters are fighting in direct contact, such as with swords, claws, or fists, as opposed to fighting with missile weapons or spells.

Missile combat – combat involving the use of weapons that shoot missiles or items that can be thrown. Because the combat is not “toe-to-toe,” the rules are slightly different than those for regular combat.

Movement rate – a number used in calculating how far and how fast a character can move in a round. This number is in units of 10 yards per round outdoors, but it represents 10 feet indoors. Thus, an MR of 6 is 60 yards per round in the wilderness, but only 60 feet per round in a dungeon.

MR – abbreviation for movement rate (q.v.).

Multi-class character – a demihuman who improves in two or more classes at the same time by dividing experience points between the different classes. Humans cannot be multi-classed.

Mythos (pl. mythoi) – a complete body of belief particular to a certain time or place, including the pantheon of its gods.

Neutrality – a philosophical position, or alignment, of a character that is between belief in good or evil, order or chaos.

Non-player character – character controlled by the DM instead of a player.

NPC – abbreviation for non-player character(q.v.).

Open doors roll – roll of a 20-sided die to see if a character succeeds in opening a heavy or stuck door or performing a similar task. The die roll at which the character succeeds can be found in Table 1.

Opposition school – school of magic: that is directly opposed to a specialist’s school of choice, thus preventing him from learning spells from that school, as shown in Table 22.

PC – for player character (q.v.).

Percentage (or percent) chance – number between 1 and 100 used to represent the probability of something happening. If a character is given an X percentage chance of an event occurring, the player rolls percentile dice (q.v.).

Percentile dice – a 100-sided die or two 10-sided dice used in rolling a percentage number. If 2d10 are used, they are of different colors, and one represents the tens digit while the other is the ones.

Player character (abbr. PC) – the characters in a role-playing game who are under the control of the players.

Poison save – a bonus or a penalty to a saving throw vs. poison. Based on Constitution, it is shown in Table 3.

Prime requisite – ability score that is most important to a character class; for example, Strength to a fighter.

Proficiency – a character’s learned skill not defined by his class but which gives him a greater percentage chance to accomplish a specific type of task during an adventure. Weapon and nonweapon proficiency slots are acquired as the character rises in level, as shown in Table 34. The use of proficiencies in the game is optional.

Proficiency check – roll of a 20-sided die to see if a character succeeds in doing a task by comparing the die roll to the character’s relevant ability score plus or minus any modifiers shown in Table 37 (the modified die roll must be equal to or less than the ability score for the action to succeed).

q.v. – “which see,” or “turn to.”

Race – a player character’s species: human, elf, dwarf, gnome, half-elf, or halfling. Race puts some limitations on the PC’s class.

Rate of fire (abbr. ROF) – number of times a missile-firing or thrown weapon can be shot in a round.

Reaction adjustment – a bonus added to or penalty subtracted from a die roll used in determining the success of a character’s action. Such an adjustment is used especially in reference to surprise (shown on Table 2 as a function of Dexterity) and the reaction of other intelligence beings to a character (shown on Table 6 as a function of Charisma).

Regeneration – a special ability to heal faster than usual, based on an extraordinarily high Constitution, as shown in Table 3.

Resistance – innate ability of a being to withstand attack, such as by magic. Gnomes, for example, have a magic resistance that adds bonuses to their saving throws against magic (Table 9).

Resurrection survival – the percentage chance a character has of being magically raised from death. Based on Constitution, it is shown in Table 3.

Reversible – of a magic spell, able to be cast “backwards” so that the opposite of the usual effect is achieved.

ROF – abbreviation for rate of fire (q.v.).

Round – in combat, a segment of time approximately 1 minute long, during which a character can accomplish one basic action. Ten combat rounds equal one turn.

S – abbreviation for somatic component (q.v.).

Saving throw – a measure of a character’s ability to resist (to “save vs. “) special types of attacks, especially poison, paralyzation, magic, and breath weapons. Success is usually determined by the roll of 1d20.

School of magic – One of nine different categories of magic, based on the type of magical energy utilized. Wizards who concentrate their work on a single school are called specialists. The specific school of which a spell is a part is shown after the name of the spell in the spell section at the end of the book.

Somatic component (abbr. S) – the gestures that a spellcaster must use to cast a specific spell. A bound wizard cannot cast a spell requiring somatic components.

Specialist – a wizard who concentrates on a specific school of magic (q.v.), as opposed to a mage, who studies all magic in general.

Spell immunity – protection that certain characters have against illusions or other specific spells, based on high Intelligence (Table 4) or Wisdom (Table 5).

Sphere of influence – any of sixteen categories of clerical spells to which a priest may have major access (he can eventually learn them all) or minor access (he can learn only the lower level spells). The relevant sphere of influence is shown as the first item in the list of characteristics in the priest spell.

Str – abbreviation for Strength (q.v.).

Strength (abbr. Str) – an ability score representing a character’s muscle power, endurance, and stamina.

Surprise roll – the roll of a ten-sided die by the Dungeon Master to determine if a character or group takes another by surprise. Successful surprise (a roll of 1, 2, or 3) cancels the roll for initiative on the first round of combat.

System shock – a percentage chance that character survives major magical effects, such as being petrified. Based on Constitution, it is shown in Table 3.

THAC0 – an acronym for “To Hit Armor Class 0,” the number that a character needs to roll in order to successfully hit a target with AC 0.

To-hit roll – another name for attack roll (q.v.).

Turn – in game time, approximately 10 minutes; used especially in figuring how long various magic spells may last. In combat, a turn consists of 10 rounds.

Turn undead – a magical ability of a cleric or paladin to turn away an undead creature, such as a skeleton or a vampire.

V – abbreviation for verbal component (q.v.).

Verbal component – specific words or sounds that must be uttered while casting a spell.

Weapon speed – an initiative modifier used in combat that accounts for the time required to get back into position to reuse a weapon.

Wis – abbreviation for Wisdom (q.v.).

Wisdom (abbr. Wis) – an ability score representing a composite of a character’s intuition, judgement, common sense, and will power.

XP – abbreviation for experience points (q.v.).

This is the 2nd Edition AD&D Player’s Handbook converted to article format. Some of the content is missing as I either deemed it redundant or unnecessary for the purposes of this project. For instance, I have not included the Forward to the book, its publisher’s info, the acknowledgements, or any of the artwork. Certain appendices have been condensed and/or incorporated into other sections of the book. There is also a possibility of separating out all of the Table information to create a page containing all the Tables within the book (essentially creating a full Table Appendix of sorts, for use in a DM screen or crib sheet for play). Once I figure out the best method for doing that in Joomla, I will incorporate that into the site here.

I have tried to cross-link any references the original content made directly to the subject matter. For example, whenever the text says “See Chapter 7: Magic in this book” the text will link directly to that section. I have also tried to do the same with all references to individual spells. There are references here to the other rulebooks that will be cross-linked as well once the Dungeon Master’s Guide has been converted. Any references to page numbers has been kept just for the sake of efficiency in converting the text and will be cross-linking these as well at a later date.

Update 11/2/2015

Since the move from Joomla to WordPress, I’ll be trying to adjust the structure of the site so that tables can be a separate widget of some sort and to incorporate the spell listings into a catalog system, or possible use the blog system to the same effect.

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Everything 2nd Edition That I Own

Behold, the geekdom of my youth meets the geekdom of my present. This is a repository for all the 2nd Edition AD&D materials that I and my siblings have collected over the years. It is shameful to think that my brothers and I apparently had to have our own personal copies of the core rulebooks, as I ended up with all of it. There are four… FOUR friggin copies of the Player’s Handbook in my house.

Four!

There were only three of us, what the hell did we need a FOURTH one for?

Anyway, I’ll be slowly adding the content of these books to this site in the hopes that I will eventually have the entire library of information available from here, all cross-linked and handy-dandy. The plan is to get the three big ones in here first: The Player’s Handbook, which I just finished uploading, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monstrous Compendium. I have no plans as yet to go beyond that, but I’m just saying that there are plenty of other books in the collection I could add sitting here (Tome of Magic, Legends & Lore, The Complete [character class]’s Handbook[s], The Castle Guide, etc.) and I have an idea to somehow incorporate a character sheet maker on here, and possibly even start adding modules here too. I see the potential to run a tabletop session completely from this site, complete with dice generators, calculators, etc., but that is far into the future. For now, enjoy the PHB and, hopefully soon, the DMG.

Update 4/22/2015

Welp, the DMG and PHB are complete. I’m currently pondering what I want to do with the MC, since my initial idea was to have it set up like a catalog of sorts: something you could filter by treasure type, alignment, hit dice, etc. to make it really useful. Otherwise, it’d just be a list of monster descriptions and there are already sources like that out on the web that I’ve found that are FAAAAAAAR more extensive than my meager monster manual materials. Trouble is, I cannot find any Joomla extensions that do what I’m looking for (at least, no free or demo ones that I could find). I do not really intend to spend $50+ on a plugin just to find that it won’t let me add more than ten filters or something.

So, this has led me to start pondering learning how to code my very own extension for Joomla that’ll do what I need.

Update 11/1/2015

Well, as you can see, I’ve abandoned Joomla in favor of WordPress. Or, perhaps you didn’t notice, since nowhere on the front end of either version of this site does it indicate what CMS it’s using, does it? But anyway, I’m kinda done with Joomla! and am going to use WordPress from now on.

Now calm down, as Bill Hicks once said when he quit smoking “This ain’t ‘Dylan goes electric’, chill out.” I’ve been using WordPress more and more and Joomla less and less at work and have been learning the ins and outs of building sites using WordPress and doing it far faster than my progress was with Joomla, so I’m going to move the site here, especially now that I was able to put this new WordPress 4.3.1 version on the vanhiel.com website, whereas before this I could only use version 3 or something using the intallers that the web host provided. But, being a web developer has its perks every now and then…
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