Hey all

I'm also a 35+ year veteran, and if I ever ran through this adventure it was decades ago.

I was indeed eying up paladin. However, they don't have the anti magic shell ability I remembered, so I'll probably do something else.

GM, are we using Demi human level limits? That'll seriously affect my decision.

And what about psionics? There used to be like a 1% chance to get psionics

Oh and it would be a trip to see someone go with the old school Bard class!

So, to questions:

Pangea:

“MP” under the Strength  score means Maximum Possible. OSRIC lists the minimum and maximum ability scores for each race beginning on page three. I believe that only Halflings would be capped as far as Strength is concerned, as they can only achieve a maximum of 17. Of course, non Fighter classes max out at 18 and do not make the percentage roll for additional strength.

You are correct on the abbreviations in the Intelligence row. For character generation purposes, I’m not going to insist that players roll their percentage chance to know each spell. They can simply make their selections with the presumption that the spells in question were understood and learned. If magical texts are found during the course of the adventure, then I would request a percentile roll to comprehend any new spells that were discovered.

Yes, we’ll default to OSRIC in instances where there is a conflict between the two texts.

Monks’ additional attacks per round only apply to their open hand strikes. When using a weapon, they’re only entitled to one attack per round. And yes, you’re correct. The open handed strikes do not achieve status as a magical weapon, so having a magical weapon on hand would be a sound investment.

Sir Cal:

I’m willing to forego the class limitations for demi-humans. Given what awaits in the Barrier Peaks, the adventuring company will need every advantage it can get.

I’m glad you brought up the question on psionics. The rules as written in the Players Handbook give roughly a 1% chance of a character possessing such abilities, the possibility increasing slightly with certain high ability scores. That said, I’d prefer not to incorporate the psionics rules in this case. I’d rather have players focus on the abilities imparted by their race and class.

Hi there,

I'm the odd one out in that I'm a complete newbie to 1st ed. AD&D. I really always wanted to try it out and I'm glad to do so right now with this group!

Anyway, I've always been partial to playing clerics. Especially since I've been playing a Cleric of St. Cuthbert on an RPOL game for a decade. But I'm going to retire her and try playing another type of character, knowing that Herodian is going to have the heals covered :P

Seeing that this is my first foray into 1st ed., I thought of going with the most straightforward option and that's Human Fighter.

Bard sounds like a challenging option to try for kicks but it's not available in OSRIC.

My alternatives, would either be:

1) Dual class thief/illusionist
2) Half-elf Ranger

But from what I'm reading thus far, ability rolls also affect the class you can be? So, I'll guess I'll first roll my stats then decide.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:25, Mon 15 July 2019.

So I got a set of stats that are pretty good, but not exceptional -- and given the way the stats are weighted, that means I'd probably be best off playing something other than a fighter-type. (The combat bonuses for a Strength less than 18 are pretty stingy.)

I originally had the idea of being a bard, and my stats don't quite qualify. So I was thinking I could do a single-classed thief or magic-user and my stats would come out pretty good for that.

Whichever of the two isn't being handled by someone else, that's what I'll do.

My character sheet is pretty much filled out (will clean it up etc. later on).

Monk has the Thieving Skills (Open Locks, Remove Traps...) as a Thief of the same level.
So that part could be considered covered.

I don't believe this to be a true statement. It might be a reasonable expectation if Herodian is a pure cleric, but will certainly not be the case if he were multi-class. I wouldn't object to having a second cleric in the party.

This brings me to a question about starting play as 9th level characters. What experience point total would a multi-class character use to determine their starting level?  Specifically, I am asking about the starting level of a half-elven cleric/magic-user.

In reply to Herodian (msg # 16):

I see.

Well, based on what I rolled, I got only average rolls and 1 exceptional roll. So, that rules me out for a number of starting classes. And I don’t think I can multi class as well. (Unless I am understanding the rules wrong? It says you need a score of 17 for a prime ability for your 2nd class?)

Anyway, I’m not opposed to playing a pure cleric. Or a pure fighter
This message was last edited by the player at 10:48, Mon 15 July 2019.

The requirement for a 17+ prime req is for the class you take when switching classes to become a dual-class human. They're handled a little differently than multi-class demi-humans. Dungeon Master will correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it, there are no additional requirements for multi-class demi-humans. There are some variations in class restrictions depending on the character's race, but no requirements beyond what is normally required for each class.

I got 18, 14, 12, 12, 11, 11

Pretty good stat block, but I'm pretty sure not good enough to make Paladin.

I'm leaning heavily towards fighter so I can put that 18 to use in strength and get into the %'s to pump my strength bonus. If a 14 Int is good enough to be a serviceable magic user, then I'd consider an elf fighter/magic-user.

So far I think we have:
me - monk (seems like okay to retain this so I'll keep on working on that) - has thieving skills
Sir Cal -  pure fighter or elf fighter/magic-user
Herodian - maybe half-elven cleric/magic-user (or else pure cleric?)
Annakette - pure cleric or pure fighter
Azad - pure thief or pure magic-user
Tullen - ?

Morning everyone. I'm looking at a Mage/Thief myself depending on stats.

Also I am a veteran of the game since 87-88 and never had a chance to play this module.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Mon 15 July 2019.

Just my two cents as things roll forward...

First, I hope no one regards stocking with a single class as negative. I know that other systems such as 3.5 put a lot of stock in multi classing for customization purposes, but in First Edition/OSRIC, there are a lot of good incentives for sticking with a single class. A single classed spell caster is going to have access to higher level spells. A single classed fighter is going to have a much better chance to hit opponents with a high armor class. Any of the classes will have access to more powers and better perks at higher levels.

Don’t misunderstand, if you really wish to play a multi-classed character, go for it. By all means. Just don’t overlook the potential advantages of keeping to a single profession.

Also, I’m still waiting for potentially two or three more players to respond to invitations. A larger party seems to be a better fit, overall, for Expedition to the Barrier Peaks due to some of the challenges it puts forth. But the main reason I bring this up is also to let everyone know that the group may end up having more than one company member with the same class. And that’s okay! Having more than one capable fighter, more than one stalwart cleric, and more than one leaned magic user is a good thing. Even with Pangea possessing thieving skills, having another character on hand who can sneak around and backstab would be handy.

Please understand, I truly strive to give every character that’s on board multiple opportunities to shine. I’m going to do the same here.

Also, bear in mind that I want to take around a week for everyone to generate their characters. Like you, I’m eager to get the adventure rolling, but I don’t want anyone to feel rushed. In the end, I want each of you to be satisfied with the role you’re taking on.

Lastly, I know some of you have sent questions my way via PM. I will do my very best to get them answered this evening.

Funny enough in all the later editions I generally only play single class characters. Its only in first or 2nd did i foray a bunch into multi-class characters.


On Multi-classing, you said everyone starts at level 9. I'm going to assume it's level 9 worth of XP that needs to be split between 2 classes? Would it be easiest to assume its level 9 worth of Wizard or maybe something more mid-range that needs to be split?

12:20, Today: Ranzarth rolled 8,15,14 using 4d6,4d6,4d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 3,2,2,3,1,6,5,4,2,6,1,6.  The last 3 stats rolled.

12:20, Today: Ranzarth rolled 11,16,17 using 4d6,4d6,4d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 2,6,1,3,4,5,6,5,6,6,3,5.  First of 3 Stats Rolled

Things looking pretty good so far.

I think a better solution would be to assign a fixed amount of XP. This would put some people at different levels -- in general, a thief is going to be one level higher than a magic-user -- and it also addresses questions like multiclassed characters and dual-classed humans.

If we use magic-users as a guide, 9th level would require 140,000 XP. Make it 150K for easy division. That would make the following:


EDIT: If we instead look at the fighter as the baseline, that's minimum 250,000 XP. Again, increase to 270,000 for easy math. That gives you:


This message was last edited by the player at 22:48, Mon 15 July 2019.

My character sheet, description etc. are done.

A question:
• what are the following in the Weapons line?
Net | WT | SF | N/A

And, re. quarrels: if one has a magic crossbow, no need to get iron & silver quarrels, correct?

Otherwise, I have some 300+ GP available, and was thinking of buying a wagon and some horses and such, as well as tent, blankets, bedrolls, food, water barrels etc., for everybody (to have a base camp beyond what we'll be carrying).
Is it worth looking into that, or not really needed?

Finally, if any will be serving an LG God (Clerics or Paladin etc.) I can always change Deities to have  a linked background (or else I can switch to LN myself).
This message was last edited by the player at 10:49, Tue 16 July 2019.

First, my apologies. I didn’t anticipate the amount of interest regarding multi-classed characters. I’m afraid that is probably a function of my own, personal experience with the game. In most of the groups I was part of, the majority of players focused on a single class.

That said, I need to express my gratitude to Azad for proposing the XP solution and creating the tables for easy reference.

In short, I’ll posit that any multi-classed (or dual classed) character that has answered the call of the Grand Duchy of Geoff possesses a total of 270,000 experience points to divide among their two (or three) classes as they choose. Naturally, that means that, depending on how the points are distributed, a multi/dual classed character is likely to be several levels below their single classed compatriots in their different professions, but that’s part of the trade off involved in pursuing multiple classes.

I will add this information to the Character Creation thread later today for ease of reference.

---

I’ve also had questions arise regarding the optional use of Weapon Specialization presented in OSRIC. I’m fine with eligible classes that want to specialize doing so.

The number of weapon proficiency slots available to each class is listed in OSRIC in the block of information that provides the minimum requirements for each class, their hit die, permitted alignments, and other important guidelines. It is, however, very easy to overlook.

So, the number of weapon proficiencies available to each class are:

Assassin: 3 + 1 every 4 levels (5 total at 9th level)
Cleric: 2 + 1 every 3 levels (5 total at 9th level)
Druid: 2 + 1 every 3 levels (5 total at 9th level)
Fighter: 4 + 1 every 2 levels (9 total at 9th level)
Illusionist: 1 + 1 every 5 levels (2 total at 9th level)
Magic User: 1 + 1 every 5 levels (2 total at 9th level)
Paladin: 3 + 1 every 2 levels (7 total at 9th level)
Ranger: 3 + 1 every 2 levels (7 total at 9th level)
Thief: 2 + 1 every 4 levels (4 total at 9th level)
Monk: 1 + 1 every 2 levels (5 total at 9th level)

---

Pangea, with regard to your questions on weapons information on the character sheet:

+/- Net: This is, on average, what your normal “to hit” bonus or penalty would be with a given weapon, accounting for any bonuses or penalties imposed by Strength/Dexterity, Weapon Specialization, magic bonuses from the weapon itself, etc.

WT: Weight of the weapon

SF: Speed Factor. You can record this if you like, but it isn’t imperative. Speed factor only comes into play in certain specific situations, and in such instances, I can easily locate the information myself.

N/A: This is only used to record a non-proficiency penalty if you are carrying a weapon with which your character is not proficient.

You are correct regarding a magic bow/crossbow: You do not need to carry special ammunition for such a weapon in order to inflict harm on lycanthropes or monsters that can only be struck by magical weapons.

Okay, then. I'm going to make my character a human magic-user. They're squishy, yes, but no proper mage should ever be on the front line anyway. And having a dedicated arcanist is vital to a good adventuring party. (That, and my stats really don't work well with a fighter-type.)

Are half-orcs in play? If I took a half-orc and put my 18 in strength, would the +1 str racial bonus bump me to 19? Half-orcs are listed as max strength of 18, but the strength entry also says 18/00 = 19.

So the current lineup:




I can single class if we think we need it. Ranzarth was a mage/thief back in like 89 which is why I wanted to go that route, but I have other options. Considered the following:

Wizard (My prefered Class)
Druid (Always loved this class)
Paladin (I have the stats to make it work)
Ranger

Any preferences on what you would want to see played to fill out rolls?

Howdy folks, just making my presence known.

Looks like another front-line meat shield is needed lol.  Was hoping to make a fighter, haven't played one in years oddly enough.  Guess we'll see how my dice rolls go.

I will be Lumwik.  A dwarf of the fighter variety.

Traditionally, a +1 to your Strength score translates to +10% to exceptional Strength. So if you roll a 76 on your percentile, you would record a Strength of 18/86.

I don't know why they made the distinction that an 18/100 = 19. The bonuses listed for the 19 are the same as what the original book listed for 18/100. Because of that change, by the OSRIC rules, a half-orc's Strength can't exceed 18/99.

Maybe they just didn't want anyone having that +3/+6 bonus without magic. But then, they didn't have definitions for Strength above 18 until 2E.

Pardon the double-post, but this is unrelated. A few things I want to clarify for my character.

By your rules, I begin with the following spells (by level) in my spellbook: 5/5/4/2/1. One of the first-level spells has to be read magic. Given the assumption in OSRIC that I only had four 1st-level spells in my book at the onset, this would mean that I've only acquired four spells outside of the one-per-level that I get normally.

My spells-per-day is 4/4/3/2/2, meaning that my fifth-level spell is automagically going to be prepared twice 'cause that's all I've got.

I'm assuming that you're allowing me to select the spells I have, even though the rules state that I should determine them randomly. If you want I can roll for everything.

I found it interesting that I can buy two different kinds of paper, and a quill pen, but no ink. I've bought a quantity of paper, and I'd like to know if you'll allow me to have it folded in half and bound into a small book. I kinda wish the OSRIC book had organized the equipment list better; like grouping provisions and clothing, the way they did in the original PHB.

I don't know how picky you're going to be about spell components; my assumption is that you'll want me to track everything. If you want extra detail on this, I can find an old Dragon Magazine article that had everything you'd want to know. Or if you'd rather take a cue from 3.x, we can just hand-wave everything except the rare and expensive stuff. I'm good either way.

I have decided that Herodian will be a Half-Elven ClaM. I split the 270K experience evenly which puts him at level 8 Cleric/9 Magic-User.

My initial thought for Herodian's deity was Boccob; however, after perusing the Greyhawk Wiki for a little while I can see him as a cleric of any of the following:

• Allitur
• Corellon Larethian
• Delleb
• Lirr
• Rao
• Saint Cuthbert
• Titania

With ten people in the party, I expect that there will be several faiths represented. I have a slight preference toward a deity who has magic as one of their domains; however, in the interest of party cohesion and to leave more room for connections with other characters, I think that knowledge, reason, and wisdom are also viable choices, too. I hope we can find some common ground there, but at the least, I would prefer to select a deity that will not place Herodian directly at odds with anyone. So far (unless I have overlooked something) Pangea is the only other player who has expressed any thoughts about their character's religion. If anyone else is willing to share theirs, I'm interested in hearing them.

On a separate note, by multi-classing, I lost out on Cure Critical Wounds (and a heap of HP) but I can get a nice smattering of buffs, some battlefield control, and the potential to cause a little bit of damage. What I am wondering is, if there are two other magic-users in the party does it make more sense for me to just focus on buffs and support?