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Oddities Found in Old School D&D Rules

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Oddities Found in Old School D&D Rules Oddities Found In Old School D&D Rules ©J.D. Neal 2012 All Rights Reserved Referring to: Original 1974 Rules Holmes Edited Introductory rules ("Holmes Basic") c. 1977. Moldvay and Cook/Marsh Dungeons & Dragons of c. 1980-1981 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons including the Dungeons Master's Guide (DMG) Monster Manual (MM) and Players Handbook (PHB) NOTE: These are not necessarily ERRORS nor FAULTS in the game. No book has ever been perfect 4) A set of booklets compiled by Frank Mentzer with and these were printed before the modern age of publishing started in 1983. The Rules Cyclopedia computers, often from hand written manuscripts which was published in 1991, and was an edited version where typed by someone else which means various of the Mentzer set combined into one book - and translation problems and miss-communications minus various elements. And there was a Classic occurred from the start. They were often laid out by Dungeons & Dragons game offered in 1994 in a manual means, building pages by literally cutting them black box introductory set offering the first five up with razors or scissors and pasting them together levels of experience. with glue and so on. Typo's occurred and fixing them was often hit-or-miss. Some errors were fixed in certain Note that I am referring to D&D, not AD&D. The printings only to reappear again later. Whether or not Advanced D&D rules only saw one edition under Gary something appears as noted can depend on your Gygax and the second edition - while TSR - is not printing of a book. Errata was seemingly printed covered here. When Wizards of the Coast bought TSR erratically. and D&D, they dropped the "Advanced" title and continued with the 3rd edition moniker, although in I have some of the official errata and will include it, reality there were 4 previous editions of D&D itself and given time. 2 editions of Advanced D&D which would have made their edition 7th edition. What is interesting is how I have to correct my own typos and typos in the errata as well (the transcriptions Players of AD&D often refer to other versions as "basic of errata seem to have problems...) And how the errata D&D". They were NEVER "basic D&D". As stated on sometimes does not match corrected printings. the very first page of each book and throughout the rest: they were Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) itself. The Dungeons & Dragons evolved through various editions: confusion is due to marketing referring to "basic" sets in advertisements and people who have never figured 1) The 1974 three book set (and supplements), out that AD&D was indeed Advanced D&D, while D&D which some people call 0th Edition (zero-th Edition itself continued in the form of various multi-book or Edition 0/Zero). publishings. Some people who only play AD&D think it is is the only "D&D" there is and somehow fail to 2) The 1977 Introductory booklet inspired greatly by realize it is indeed a variant of D&D called "AD&D". Eric Holmes. The publishers even went so far as to specify in the rules that the game was "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & 3) The 1980-81 rules edited by Tom Moldvay and DRAGONS" or "AD&D" every time it was mentioned. Dave Cook/Steve Marsh. 1 Table of Contents Accessories..................................................................3 Magic-User Trap The Soul Spell (PHB 92).....................22 Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (0D&D or Official Errata:.................................................................23 OD&D).........................................................................4 AD&D 1st Edition Monster Manual.............................24 Spelling Issues..................................................................4 Trapper (page 95)...........................................................24 Barding.............................................................................4 From the Monster Manual Errata Sheet:........................24 Bracers of Defenselessness.............................................4 Moldvay Basic and Cook/Marsh Edited Expert Sets: c. Damage............................................................................4 1980-1981..................................................................26 Heavy Wand and Staff......................................................4 1,110 s.p. vs. 1,100 g.p. (Sample Adventure in Basic Hobbits & Balrogs.............................................................4 Book)..............................................................................26 Missing Text......................................................................5 36 Levels of Experience.................................................26 Movement.........................................................................5 Average Values for Treasures........................................26 Movement and Distances in Inches..................................5 Bandits = Thieves (B30).................................................27 Official Errata For Earlier Printings...................................6 Bat: (B31)........................................................................27 Turning Undead................................................................7 Character Creation (B5)..................................................27 War Hammer....................................................................7 Cleric Spells at the 6th level of Experience:...................27 Holmes Edited Introductory Rules ("Holmes Basic") c. Companion Rules...........................................................27 1977.............................................................................8 Damage..........................................................................27 Barding, pages and 28......................................................8 Detection Spells (Comparison).......................................27 Damage............................................................................8 Detect Invisible Spell (B16).............................................27 Dwarf Saves, page 13......................................................8 Dwarf and Halfling Saves Saving Throws.......................28 Experience Points for Monsters Overcome (page 11)......8 Equipment - Flail.............................................................28 Giants, page 26................................................................8 Light Catapults (X64, 3-18 has no 3d6)..........................28 Hippogriph, page 28.........................................................8 Living Statue (B37).........................................................28 Horses, page 28...............................................................8 Magic Armor Encumbrance............................................28 Missile Fire [page 20]........................................................9 Medallion of ESP............................................................29 Movement Rates...............................................................9 Monster Hit Points (B29).................................................29 Pegasus, page 30.............................................................9 Sharks (Movement rate = inches)...................................29 Skeleton Hit Die................................................................9 Skeleton vs Zombie Speed.............................................29 Spells................................................................................9 Staff of Power (X49).......................................................29 War Hammer (equipment list page 7)...............................9 Staff of Wizardry Area of Blast (X49)..............................29 AD&D 1st Edition DMG (1978)...................................10 Strength Bonuses & Opening Doors:..............................29 Cover Art Credit..............................................................10 Swimming (3,000 coins treasure...)................................29 Damage..........................................................................10 Thieves versus Other Classes and Finding Traps:.........29 Druid Spell Animal Friendship (DMG 43)........................10 Thief Skill Climbing Description......................................29 Example of Melee (DMG 71)..........................................10 Wand of Fireball (6d6 after damage)..............................29 Monsters Not In Appendix E...........................................10 Dungeons & Dragons c. 1983 (Frank Mentzer Calculated X.P. Values in APPENDIX E: ALPHABETICAL Compilation)...............................................................30 MONSTER LISTING.......................................................10 Damage..........................................................................30 Masher (Monster) Not Included in Appendix E...............15 Doors (Forcing)...............................................................30 Storm Giant Rock Hurling (DMG Versus Monster Manual) Dwarf and Halfling Saves Saving Throws.......................30 ........................................................................................15 Maximum Level For Elf...................................................30 Official Errata from the Acaeum.com:.............................15 Equipment - Crowbar......................................................30 AD&D 1st Edition Player's Handbook (1978).............22 Equipment - Flail.............................................................30 Cleric Augury Spell (PHB 45)..........................................22 Finding Traps: Thief versus other Characters.................30
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