OD&D - Class & Race
Sept 9, 2023 18:35:20 GMT -5
The Semi-Retired Gamer, El Borak, and 2 more like this
Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Sept 9, 2023 18:35:20 GMT -5
In OD&D it lays out the typical Classes that each Race can have.
Men: Fighting-Men, Magic-Users and Clerics
Elves: Fighting-Men, Magic-Users and F-M/M-U
Dwarves: Fighting-Men
Hobbits: Fighting-Men
Commentary:
This is bog standard. I from 1975 looked at it this way. Elves have few Clerics and those few do not adventure. Also most Elves have some skill in healing and have all manner of ointments and salves.
Dwarves: Have very few Clerics and those are very devout and don't adventure. Dwarven Magic-Users don't adventure because, one they are rare, two a valued resource that is protected and three their magic use is bound up in forging and enchanting weapons and armor and has little extension into other areas that Dwarves view as suspect.
Hobbits are simple people, Clerics are very much pacifists and very much typical stay at home types. Hobbits as a group have little to no interest in the long hours of study and solitude required to be a successful Magic-User and even Fighting-Men Hobbit Adventurers are very, very rare. They will defend the Shire, but rarely will they go anywhere else.
Now the Introduction on page 4 of Men & Magic Volume 1:
The above includes what later on was called Rule Zero. I.E. it tells you implicitly and explicitly to go make the game your own and so I did.
Therefore, as the referee, if someone really wanted to play an Elven Cleric, I would let them. However, they would have different spells than a Human Cleric. If someone wanted to be a Dwarven Magic-User, they would have a range of spells specific to making enchanted weapons and not much other magic and they would be not be as good a Fighting-Man as other Dwarves. Same with Dwarven Clerics, they would have different spells from other Clerics. And so on for Hobbits.
In all the years I have played I have only had three players who played a Hobbit. And then only because bitd we allowed the thief class, which I no longer do.
House rule for Elves, I think switching back and forth is silly, so one of my earliest house rules was that Elves could act as F-M and M-U at the same time.
Men: Fighting-Men, Magic-Users and Clerics
Elves: Fighting-Men, Magic-Users and F-M/M-U
Dwarves: Fighting-Men
Hobbits: Fighting-Men
Fighting-Men includes the characters of elves and dwarves and even hobbits.
Magic-Users includes only men and elves. Clerics are limited to men only. All
non-human players are restricted in some aspects and gifted in others. This will be
dealt with in the paragraphs pertaining to each non-human type.
Magic-Users includes only men and elves. Clerics are limited to men only. All
non-human players are restricted in some aspects and gifted in others. This will be
dealt with in the paragraphs pertaining to each non-human type.
Commentary:
This is bog standard. I from 1975 looked at it this way. Elves have few Clerics and those few do not adventure. Also most Elves have some skill in healing and have all manner of ointments and salves.
Dwarves: Have very few Clerics and those are very devout and don't adventure. Dwarven Magic-Users don't adventure because, one they are rare, two a valued resource that is protected and three their magic use is bound up in forging and enchanting weapons and armor and has little extension into other areas that Dwarves view as suspect.
Hobbits are simple people, Clerics are very much pacifists and very much typical stay at home types. Hobbits as a group have little to no interest in the long hours of study and solitude required to be a successful Magic-User and even Fighting-Men Hobbit Adventurers are very, very rare. They will defend the Shire, but rarely will they go anywhere else.
Now the Introduction on page 4 of Men & Magic Volume 1:
INTRODUCTION:
These rules are as complete as possible within the limitations imposed by the space of three booklets. That is, they cover the major aspects of fantasy campaigns but still remain flexible. As with any other set of miniatures rules they are guidelines to follow in designing your own fantastic-medieval campaign. They provide the framework around which you will build a game of simplicity or tremendous complexity — your time and imagination are about the only limiting factors, and the fact that you have purchased these rules tends to indicate that there is no lack of imagination — the fascination of the game will tend to make participants find more and more time. We advise, however, that a campaign be begun slowly, following the steps outlined herein, so as to avoid becoming too bogged down with unfamiliar details at first. That way your campaign will build naturally, at the pace best suited
to the referee and players, smoothing the way for all concerned. New details can be added and old “laws” altered so as to provide continually new and different situations.
In addition, the players themselves will interact in such a way as to make the campaign variable and unique, and this is quite desirable. If you are a player purchasing the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules in order to
improve your situation in an existing campaign, you will find that there is a great advantage in knowing what is herein. If your referee has made changes in the rules and/or tables, simply note them in pencil (for who knows when some flux of the cosmos will make things shift once again!), and keep the rules nearby as you play. A quick check of some rule or table may bring hidden treasure or save your game “life.”
These rules are as complete as possible within the limitations imposed by the space of three booklets. That is, they cover the major aspects of fantasy campaigns but still remain flexible. As with any other set of miniatures rules they are guidelines to follow in designing your own fantastic-medieval campaign. They provide the framework around which you will build a game of simplicity or tremendous complexity — your time and imagination are about the only limiting factors, and the fact that you have purchased these rules tends to indicate that there is no lack of imagination — the fascination of the game will tend to make participants find more and more time. We advise, however, that a campaign be begun slowly, following the steps outlined herein, so as to avoid becoming too bogged down with unfamiliar details at first. That way your campaign will build naturally, at the pace best suited
to the referee and players, smoothing the way for all concerned. New details can be added and old “laws” altered so as to provide continually new and different situations.
In addition, the players themselves will interact in such a way as to make the campaign variable and unique, and this is quite desirable. If you are a player purchasing the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules in order to
improve your situation in an existing campaign, you will find that there is a great advantage in knowing what is herein. If your referee has made changes in the rules and/or tables, simply note them in pencil (for who knows when some flux of the cosmos will make things shift once again!), and keep the rules nearby as you play. A quick check of some rule or table may bring hidden treasure or save your game “life.”
The above includes what later on was called Rule Zero. I.E. it tells you implicitly and explicitly to go make the game your own and so I did.
Therefore, as the referee, if someone really wanted to play an Elven Cleric, I would let them. However, they would have different spells than a Human Cleric. If someone wanted to be a Dwarven Magic-User, they would have a range of spells specific to making enchanted weapons and not much other magic and they would be not be as good a Fighting-Man as other Dwarves. Same with Dwarven Clerics, they would have different spells from other Clerics. And so on for Hobbits.
In all the years I have played I have only had three players who played a Hobbit. And then only because bitd we allowed the thief class, which I no longer do.
House rule for Elves, I think switching back and forth is silly, so one of my earliest house rules was that Elves could act as F-M and M-U at the same time.
