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The
Great Sage Answers...
The following are questions previously
answered by the Great Sage.
Peruse them, and learn.
Q: Does a wizard's intelligence limit his overall spells, or simply the ones he can have in his traveling spellbook?
A: The spells in the traveling spellbook are limited only by the number of pages. Indeed, this limitation applies to the wizard's overall spells per level. If he is limited to 18 (having a fairly high INT), he may have up to 18 first level spells, 18 second level spells, and so on. Optionally, a DM can use a rule specifying that this limit can be broken, but only if the wizard spends the normal research time (minimum 2 weeks/spell level) learning the spell. Normal research rules (and costs) apply.
Q: Would a paladin ever lie to protect the party from a situation he might have accidentally caused?
A: No. No. No. For reference, you can refer to the Complete Paladin's Handbook. However, the general parts of interest to this question illustrate that a paladin would never, ever lie (being silent is okay though), because his motto is "Truth by example" -- if he lies, he is saying it is okay for others to lie "as the situation dictates", which means very different things from person to person. A paladin would feel bad about causing a dangerous situation, perhaps self-imposing an ethos violation, but he would never lie about it. A paladin who willingly tells a lie should be considered immediately held under a significant ethos violation.
Q: If a druid cast a spell called Flaming Chariot in the middle of the field would it set the field on fire and would he be judged for this action?
A: In general, druids are wise to avoid fire-based spells in situations where large fires would occur. While forest fires are a natural part of the environment, man-made forest fires (including druid-made fires) are almost exclusively in the realm of an ethos violation.
Q: If a druid destroyed a human village "just for the heck of it", would that be an ethos violation?
A: Destroying a village just for the heck of it is definitely a Chaotic act of either neutral or evil alignment. In some worlds, this could be considered an act that violates the natural cycle of the local food chains as well - as humans are a large part of any local food chain.
Q: If a character has regeneration via a high Constitution bonus, does he regenerate beyond death without the loss of a Constitution point?
A: No - as in, he cannot regenerate beyond death. Once dead, the high-constitution regeneration no longer occurs. CON is a measurement of fortitude and therefore this regenerative capability is a result of quick healing, and should not be considered a magical endowment. This means that the regeneration is not affected by spells like -dispel magic -, and it also means that it does not bestow life once dead.
Q: How can you have a character like MacGyver in AD&D?
A: I actually had a player play a character once, and his name was "MacGyver Gnome". Eh, not too original, but the character was certainly amusing. In addition to gnomish things like engineering, and a knack for creative applications, we also generated class abilities based upon potion mixing. Basically, he could take random things from around his environment and attempt to make paltry potions of limited effect. Quite amusing. We only used MacGyver Gnome for one adventure, and I wouldn't recommend it for long term playing, but as comic relief and pure fun it's great for a short shot!
Q: What are the stats on the Kender's Hoopak?
A: According to the original 2nd edition Dragonlance boxed set, the hoopak is a staffsling modified for kender use as both staff and sling. Non-kender suffer -2 penalties when attempting to wield such weapons and should never be allowed to gain proficiency in the use of the Hoopak. When used as a melee weapon, similar to a quarterstaff, the weapon does 1d6+2 vs S/M and 1d4+2 vs L. It costs 3 stl (steel pieces), has a speed of 2, and weighs 3 lbs. It is both a type P and a type B weapon. When used as a missile weapon, the Hoopak does 1d4+1 vs S/M and 1d6+1 vs L, has a speed of 2, and is a type B weapon. The stones weigh as little as 1/10th of a pound each and are only 3" in diameter. Ranges for the Hoopak are 30 yards / 60 yards / 120 yards, and as a missile weapon it may be used for only 1 attack per round.
Q: I want to turn a silver dragon into a PC. Do you know where I can find the stats and other details?
A: There was a boxed set known as "Council of Wyrms" that TSR publihed in 1994. This box detailed all sorts of dragon PC races as well as delving into half-dragons. You may be able to find this boxed set in a used bookstore or even some roleplaying stores in your local area. Recently, TSR/WotC updated the material in that boxed set and placed it in book format: Council of Wyrms. At the time of this answer, Amazon.com is selling the book for 30% off (about $8 off) - a rather good deal. If you are unable to purchase it online, looking in bookstores is still a good idea. If unable to purchase anything, use the following guidelines in conversion to PC use:
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* A
dragon is both race and class. * Dragons require age, gold, and magic items (use the Monstrous Manual for guidelines) to advance in power. The also require experience points - use XP equivalent to GP. So, if a dragon needs 20,000 GP, it also needs 20,000 XP. * Dragons that acquire spells do so completely randomly. * Dragons eat. A lot. * Dragon PCs easily upset campaign balance if in a group with "normal" PCs. Use them carefully and wisely. |
I hope this helps you some.
Q: What is your favorite class to play, and why?
A: I enjoy playing the Paladin class, actually. AD&D is a game of heroes to me, and what better hero than the "knight in shining armor"? I enjoy the idea of being someone who will risk everything for something he believes in - for there can be no greater hero than a person such as that, in any world.
Q: What are the attribute score adjustments for Sylvan Elves?
A: According to the Completes Elves Handbook, sylvan elves, also known as wood elves, receive a +1 STR, +1 DEX, -1 CON, and a -1 CHA.
Q: As a player, I had a DM who was a bit of a control freak, although he ran an excellent story. He kept implementing rules that held characters back. He would pick and choose these rules - even the same monsters had different rules applied to them from session to session. If we tried to comment on this, or complain, he would simply say "I'm the DM, I make the rules" or something similar. What could I do/say to let him know that he is going to lose players? I tried the direct approach already, but I was simply removed from the group.
A: You are right, he probably is going to
lose players. Of the most important skills a DM can have,
consistency and fairness are among the most important (along with
basic mechanics and a sense of drama). Also of importance, in
AD&D as in real life, is the capability to take constructive
criticism and then use it to improve one's self. I would ask this
- how do the other players feel? If they feel he is doing good,
then perhaps it is time for you to find a gaming group that
understands your plight. However, if they tend to agree with you,
then perhaps those players and yourself could start your own
campaign. Invite the DM in question to participate as a player -
perhaps he will learn by demonstration (much as the paladin would
say - "Truth by example").
Of course, there is one more question - is this DM your friend?
If so, as is the case in many groups, it is important to realize
that friendship is worth more than a game - any game. Your best
bet will be to calmly explain your frustration - a good friend
will respect that. Failing that, tell him he is more than welcome
to be a player in *your* campaign - all DMs need periodic breaks,
after all...
Q: Can you gain AC from a shield in conjunction with the -spirit armor - spell?
A: No. Shields are a type of armor.
Q: I'm interested in playing a Paladin, but I don't like the LG requirement. Shouldn't deities of the other alignments get to have holy warriors too? What would you suggest as guidelines for making a different paladin-like class? (In regard to the penalties for comitting chaotic and evil acts)
A: Certainly holy warriors exist for all
alignments and faiths. However, the paladin is unique among them.
The paladin is, by definition, the Lawful Good holy warrior.
Other holy warriors can exist, but they cannot be called paladins
and will most likely have different abilities and a different
ethos. Examples to look for include: Spells &
Magic (Crusader Priests), Al-Qadim (Faris), and Warriors and
Priests of the Realms. When making your own holy warrior class,
it is essential that balance be maintained. The class needs
disadvantages for every advantage. So, you could make a chaotic
good holy warrior. In this example, an ethos needs to be wide
open (chaotic) and leave many options - and therefore isn't a
disadvantage like the paladin's ethos is (lawful). Perhaps the
CG-aligned Power will grant the warrior a beserker rage
capability, and in return expect the holy warrior to make regular
temple donations (10% tithe). For a CN holy warrior, perhaps the
ethos can be restricted by requiring the warrior to engage in
combat as the result to all threats or insults, combat being the
most chaotic response - and in return the warrior can affect
others as if by the spell -chaos - 1/day starting at
level 5. Or perhaps the CN warrior must roll a die and consult a
table for his reactions to insults - true chaos.
Whatever the alignment, create an ethos first, including general
goals of the religion - and then build advantages and
disadvantages that are both fun and balanced.
Q: If a character devotes two weapon slots to the two weapon fighting proficiency, and uses two longswords, he will get 2 attacks, but what if he specializes in the use of the longsword? How many attacks will he get?
A: Combat and Tactics, in chapter two, has a specific answer to this question. No matter the characters proficiency, the character can only gain a maximum of one extra attack per round for his second weapon. So, a first level fighter with 3/2 attacks would gain an extra attack for a second weapon with this skill, for a total of 5/2 attacks.
Q: Under Skills & Powers, a priest gains 125 Character Points. However, nothing exists to force those points to be spent on spheres. I had a PC create a priest character, and then buy the warrior thac0 and other warrior abilities, and have plenty of CPs left over to become proficient in almost every weapon! Is there anything in the rules to prevent this?
A: Of course. You're the DM, and it's your campaign. If you can't trust your players to create realistic first-level characters, then I recommend imposing Specialty Priests. Essentially, these are packages of pre-built purchases of spheres and abilities. If you want, you can leave a few CPs left over so that players still get to choose special abilities. Simply force your players to select a specialty priest. This not only prevents many problems with character creation, it also adds to you campaign design quite a bit. For a few examples of various methods, check out the Religions section of the Great Library.