[AD&D 1st and 2nd] Several Questions, Several Settings

[Jayabalard]

1) The Wonkyness of druids: Starting around 9th level (IIRC), druids have to start fighting for level. That ends sometime around 13th or so (I can't remember precisely, and am too lazy to go look it up).

In 1e I seem to recall that it continues until the druid class runs out of levels.

[LibraryOgre]

In 1e I seem to recall that it continues until the druid class runs out of levels.

In PH, yes. In UA, they don't need to both once they're heirophants.

[Jayabalard]

In PH, yes. In UA, they don't need to both once they're heirophants.

hmm... I could have sworn that UA continued the battles up to another maximum. It's been a while and I might be mixing it up with something else.

[hamlet]

hmm... I could have sworn that UA continued the battles up to another maximum. It's been a while and I might be mixing it up with something else.

I believe the battles/contests continued until one managed to become Grand Druid (i.e., the boss of all druids below 15th level throughout the entire world) and afterward the Grand Druid could step down to become a Heirophant, resetting his experience and venturing into the realms of true wonkiness.

[Matthew]

So the idea would be a psionic like divine caster more like a a form of divine enhanced character

That seems to be about the size of it. Thinking about it, though, is Snow not open to a wholesale conversion of the D20/3e class to AD&D/2e?

[Snow]

hello guys. im a player for snow campaing.

and i dont know really what to play.

i was wanting something like warlock of 3.5. most precisely i was thinking in a eldrich knight.

now i know there isnt nothing like the warlock in 2.0 ed. there is any way to build something like that with a mix of warrior / psionic /something else (if needed) ?????

Ruinix check the complete forum, I had already created a post regarding this. They gave a few good ideas there:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136987

[Xar Draxus]

To answer your questions, albeit very late in the game...

First of all, I would discourage allowing any Dark Sun characters in your Ravenloft campaign for several very solid reasons, NONE of which involve game "balance".

The first, and most prominent reason is the crystal sphere surrounding Athas. Even greater deities like Ao and Paladine can't get through it. There are no longer God's on Athas, it's people have been forsaken. So even Ravenloft isn't stealing Athasian bad guys from the desert planet. Otherwise, several Dragon Kings would have ended up ransacking Ravenloft by now, and decorated their floors and walls with Straud carpets and Lord Soth tapestries, respectively...

Secondly, atmosphere. Dark Sun is desperate, gruelling, and hard. Its inhabitants are, therefore, hard. That's why the increased attributes. Additionally, the magic there has a vastly different flavor that needs to be preserved, no pun intended.

Thirdly, psionics. Other than Githyanki and Mind Flayers, I actively avoid poisoning a fantasy game with psionics. Psionics can right quick muddle things up in a hurry. And Athasian characters can be spectacularly powerful psionicists.

Forth, and last, no Dark Sun character should ever suffer being neutered by Faerun for the sake of balance! If my characters showed up on Faerun, they would kick some backside, and their opponents would just have to step up their "A" game to contend, thank you very much...

Ok, next point...

Monks. I never played the old 1st edition version, but heard cheesy things about the quivering palm death punch. That said, the only version I ever saw in game play utilized our favorite setup, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition, utilizing Skills & Powers, Combat & Tactics, Spells & Magic and High Level Campaigns. You'll find the bulk of the necessary information in Spells & Magic, but will need a firm grasp on the rules in Skills & Powers. Combat & Tactics gives the class it's teeth, and High Level Campaigns rounds them out beautifully, should they reach 10th level or higher.

Our monk didn't like the meager choices for a deity in the standard Faiths & Avatars of Faerun, so the DM referenced Kara-Tur and it's "Immortals" to get the monks source of power established. But there are several deities in Faiths & Avatars that specifically accomodate monks. Ilmater, Azuth and Oghma have detailed descriptions.

I hope that helps. I also hope this even gets read, lol. This is an old thread, but I wanted to answer it anyway :-)

[Xar Draxus]

Oh! I forgot to address the level limit issues.

In whatever campaign you might be running, go to the most appropriate book for racial level limits. All the Skills & Powers lineup addressed this issue well. They offered raising the limit on a given class based on that class's lowest prime requisite ability score, OR, doubling or tripling the required experience to continue to advance. They specifically recommended not using both methods, which we specifically ignored.

So, in our Birthright game, an Elven (Sidhelien) Fighter/Mage (War Wizard kit) has a base level limit of 12 for the Fighter class, and 15 in his Mage class according to that specific campaign setting.

The Fighter class has a prime requisite of strength (minimum of 9), and the Mage class has a prime requisite of intelligence (minimum of 9). My character has a strength of 17, and an intelligence of 19. According to the chart in the Skills & Powers book, he would be able to advance his Fighter class to 15th level unhindered, having received a level limit modifier of +3 from his 17 strength. His mage class, however, would advance unhindered to 19th level, as a 19 Intelligence grants a modifier of +4.

After reaching these levels in those classes, my character would have to earn twice the experience required to level.

Level limit modifiers apply only to the actual ability of the character, not the modified ability of any magical items, such as ioun stones or girdles of giant strength. For example, my character wears a Girdle of Frost Giant Strength (Strength 21), but still only receives the +3 level limit modifier, not a +5 for the "temporary" 21 strength.

Additionally, age modifiers apply. As my character gets older, he would gain an intelligence of 20, but then lose a point of strength, falling to 16. That would change his limits to +5 and +2, respectively.

[Lord Torath]

To answer your questions, albeit very late in the game...

First of all, I would discourage allowing any Dark Sun characters in your Ravenloft campaign for several very solid reasons, NONE of which involve game "balance".

The first, and most prominent reason is the crystal sphere surrounding Athas. Even greater deities like Ao and Paladine can't get through it. There are no longer God's on Athas, it's people have been forsaken. So even Ravenloft isn't stealing Athasian bad guys from the desert planet. Otherwise, several Dragon Kings would have ended up ransacking Ravenloft by now, and decorated their floors and walls with Straud carpets and Lord Soth tapestries, respectively...

One of the dragon kings already has his/her own domain in Ravenloft. Kalidnay is its own little Island or Terror ruled by Kalid-Ma and his/her high priestess Thakok-An (his/her because there's some ambiguity about whether Kalid-Ma is male or female. In one source he's male, but in an earlier source, she's female). Getting to Ravenloft is easy. It's getting out that's the tricky part...

[Thrudd]

One bit of advice: I would iron out exactly what ruleset you'll be using and make sure all the characters conform to that. 1e and 2e are very similar, but there are significant differences, too. Whether you go with one, the other, or a homebrew combination of both, everyone playing needs to know what the rules are when they make their characters. For instance, the race restrictions on classes and level limits and multiclass options are different in both editions, people will need to know those things. The way thief skills are earned is different in both editions. Non weapon proficiencies are different. How clerics and druids choose spells is different. If someone is picking a 1e class and you are using 2e rules, you need to make adjustments, and vice versa.

[Thrudd]

hello guys. im a player for snow campaing.

and i dont know really what to play.

i was wanting something like warlock of 3.5. most precisely i was thinking in a eldrich knight.

now i know there isnt nothing like the warlock in 2.0 ed. there is any way to build something like that with a mix of warrior / psionic /something else (if needed) ?????

Eldritch knight would be an elf or half elf fighter/magic-user

[LibraryOgre]

The Mod Wonder: Closed for Necromancy. Check those dates, children!