Creating Characters



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In 1E AD&D character creation is a process and it works a little different than some 5E players are used to.  In some ways it's more restrictive and limiting than in 5E, but this also makes us play the characters differently.

First, the character's race drives everything.  That's right, I said the "r" word.  In AD&D race refers to whether a character is human, a dwarf, an elf, a half elf, a gnome, a halfling, or a half orc.  Those are the only options in 1E AD&D.

Race drives everything because race modifies ability scores (for example, dwarves get a +1 on their constitution but a -1 on their charisma), limits ability scores (a female halfling can have a maximum strength of a 14 for example), and can limit both character class options and the maximum level a character can achieve.  

Once a character race is determined, it's time to determine ability scores.  The default way is to either roll a 3d6 or a 4d6 keeping the three highest die.  It is quite possible to roll a 3 or a 5 using both these methods, which means a character probably isn't going to survive very long.  As a DM I like method 3 in the DMG, which is roll a 3d6 6 times for each ability and take the six highest.  Believe it or not you can still roll a lot of 11's with this method, but it helps to make sure that characters have a chance to survive.

In 1E AD&D, your ability scores determine your class options.  Cleric, fighter, magic user, and thief all require a minimum of a 9 on their primary ability (wisdom, strength, intelligence, and dexterity respectively).  On the other hand, the other classes require varied minimum ability scores.  For example, as assassin needs a minimum strength of a 12, a minimum intelligence of an 11, and a minimum dexterity of a 12.

The DMG has tables to determine a character's height, weight, and starting age.  This is all important because it can impact game play.  Six foot tall character when the corridor is only four feet tall?  230 pound character that steps on a trap door that will spring when 150 pounds is on it?  Or the fact that time passes in the game so characters get older.  Eventually age impacts ability scores if the character survives long enough.

1E also doesn't have all these skills that I see in other editions.  The DMG has a table of secondary skills that can be determined randomly or can be selected (select one), the assumption being that the character did something before they began adventuring.  Anything else has to be developed the hard way; training, practice, and paying for it.

The result of all this is that nobody starts out with superhero characters.  The characters are more than average people, but they have to solve problems, endure dangers and suffering, and if enough time passes they may end up as a lot more than they began as - which is a lot of the fun in the game (my opinion!).

Having said all of this, a DM has a great deal of latitude.  For example, your homebrew world might have assassin halflings or monks that are elves (neither of which is allowed in the Player Handbook).  At the end of the day it's a fantasy game and is hopefully about both the DM and the players having fun!



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