Tragon's Behests

Image from freepik.com If we're still playing 1E AD&D then we're probably an older player.  Most of us grew up reading the Elric books, Thieves World, Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, The Lord of the Rings, etc.  So in our teens it wasn't unusual for us to make up really interesting names like "Altor" for PCs and NPCs.  As an adult GM, I hate these kinds of names.  I recognize that this is my problem, but I have some thoughts on how to get around this. Where to get PC and NPC names from? Fiction.  Huge resource.  I have Elrics, Corums, Hawkmoons, Toc, Whiskeyjack, Fiddler, and Prosperos in my campaigns that I DM as well as campaigns that I play in.  These are from Michael Moorcock's books, the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and the Conan books. Historical.  Pull in some historical names from Egyptian, Roman, Greek, or other times.  Nothing wrong with having a Ramses, Caesar. Have a theme:  I like something that Steven Erikson d...

From freepik.com In 1E AD&D, the gnome is a fun race both as a character and as a non-player character.  Gnome males are somewhere between 39 and 45 inches tall and weigh between 72 and 92 pounds.  Gnome males can attain a strength of 18/50 if a fighter.   Females are between 36 and 42 inches tall and weigh between 67 and 83 pounds.  Females can attain a strength of up to 15.  Unlike other races, gnomes do not add to their dice rolls for abilities though their lowest possible strength is a 6. Depending upon their class, they begin the game at somewhere between 65 (fighter on one extreme) and 124 (illusionist on the other extreme) years old.  Gnomes are considered young adults at 50, mature at 91, middle aged at 301, old at 451, and venerable at 601.  Following the Dungeon Master's Guide, gnomes could live to 770. Gnome player characters can be fighters up to level 6 depending upon their strength, illusionists up to level 7 depending upon their...

  Image by freepik.com The druid is a character class that has a basis in history.  Priests, judges, and teachers.  Caesar tells us that they practiced human sacrifices, sometimes burning victims alive in wicker cages. In AD&D 1E, this is a very powerful class though it is often not played that way.  To be a druid a character must have a minimum wisdom of 12 and a minimum charisma of 15.  The class uses d8 for hit points and gains spells each level.   Let's start with the negatives of the class: Druids cannot use metal armor or shields.  This means they are restricted to leather armor and wooden shields. Druids have limitations in terms of their weapons.  In 1E AD&D they are limited to clubs, daggers, darts, hammers, scimitars, slings, spears, and staves. Druids cannot turn undead. Druids have a level limit of 14. The class has some major advantages: They can earn up to 14 d8 in hit points if they advance to level 14! They fight on th...