Q. Why haven't you answered my 27 letters, each with 57 questions on
my favourite game system? You said you would reply if I sent an SASE
with each letter. Why don't you give a seminar at the GEN CON® game
fair? If I come to Lake Geneva, can I meet you and ask you questions?
A. Although the "Sage Advice" in Dragon issue #121 said the sage would
make personal replies, I receive so many letters that I cannot answer
every one. (However, if you don't enclose an SASE, I cannot reply at
all.) Usually I reply only to letters that have questions I can use in
the column, so that all the readers get the benefit of my time.
Needless to say, I don't give extended private interviews in Lake
Geneva or anywhere else. If you want to increase your chances of
getting a personal reply, do the following: 1. Look through your books
for your answers, and be sure to consult the indexes (if the books
have them). Often, with a little extra effort, you'll find rules that
have eluded you. 2. Keep your letter short. Decide what you really
need to know, and stick to the most important questions. As I've
stressed before, role-playing games involve choices and decisions;
don't be afraid to make some on your own. 3. Include the title of the
book and the page number that contains the rule you are asking about;
this saves me a lot of page flipping. My work with the RPGA Network
keeps me busy at almost every game convention I attend, and seminars
are not the best place to answer rules questions. I'm not an
encyclopaedia of game knowledge. I rely on a big library and a large
network of personal contacts to find answers, and few people would be
entertained by watching me flip through my books and consult my files
while I struggle with a tricky question. Still, I do answer some
questions at conventions; just keep them short, and don't interrupt me
while I'm running a game. Also, some conventions I attend collect
written questions for me so that I can use them in the column or work
on them during the show and discuss the results with anyone who is
interested. ― Skip Williams
Q. Why are you still running questions for the AD&D 1st Edition game
now that the AD&D 2nd Edition game is on the market?
A. Dragon Magazine will continue to use material specifically for the
AD&D 1st Edition game simply because so many people use that edition.
The 2nd Edition has only been out for six months, but the 1st Edition
game has been available for over a decade. (Remember, too, that
material for one edition can usually be used with the other with
ease.) As time goes on, we expect that more players will switch to the
2nd Edition game, and our coverage of that system will increase. We
want to offer the most useful material to the largest number of
gamers. ― Roger E. Moore
Q. What is the proper way to handle a fight with a hydra? Does the
creature 's effective hit dice drop as it loses heads? Will damage to
the creature's body kill it? How do area effect spells such as fire
ball effect the heads? How does one determine when a lernaean hydra's
regeneration ability is stopped?
A. Hydras do pose a few problems, especially when magic is involved. I
suggest the following rules for handling combat with a hydra. A
hydra's effective hit dice do not drop as the creature loses heads.
With respect to mêlée, each of a hydra's heads is treated as a
separate creature. Each head dies when it reaches zero hit points, and
excess damage does not carry over to another head. When all heads are
reduced to zero hit points, the creature dies immediately. Hits to a
hydra's body will kill it; the body has as many hit points as the
total hit points of its starting heads. When the body is reduced to
zero hit points, however, the creature continues to fight as long as
it has at least one living head. It will then fight for an additional
2-8 rounds or until the body is reduced to −20 hp. A lernaean
hydra's regeneration ability makes it a tougher nut to crack. The
individual heads can be slain in the normal manner; however, a fire
source must be applied to each slain head or it will regenerate.
Burning hands is the easiest way to scorch the stumps or sundered
heads. A torch, flask of oil, or flame tongue sword will stop a single
head's regeneration if applied in time. Any successful hit on the
slain head will stop regeneration. A lernaean hydra stays alive as
long as it has one living or regenerating head (hits to the creature's
body not withstanding). When any hydra is affected by an area spell
such as fire ball or lightning bolt, the heads are treated as a single
entities, with the damage distributed as evenly as possible among the
heads. Although the heads are separate mêlée targets, they are still
part of the same creature. The creature's body suffers as much damage
as the heads took in total (i.e. the hydra gets one saving throw, but
the heads and the body each take damage). Spells that can kill a
creature outright such as death spell, power word kill, or
disintegrate kill the creature only if it fails its saving throw (if
applicable). When determining a hydra's resistance to such spells, its
effective hit dice are equal to its starting number of heads (or peak
number, in the case of a lernaean hydra), and its effective hit points
are equal to the total hit points of all the heads (damage to the body
notwithstanding). A spell that affects one creature or a limited area
(such as magic missile or burning hands) must be directed either at
the body or at one or more heads of the hydra, according to the
limitations of the spell. Spells such as charm monster, hold monster,
or slow affect the entire creature, as the beast effectively has only
one brain, perhaps at the base of the necks inside the body.
Q. What happens if a magician uses a sword when in desperate need?
If a character's need is truly great, the DM can allow any class of
character to use a weapon prohibited to his class. The normal
non-proficiency penalty applies (perhaps with an additional −1 to
hit). If a player falls into the habit of declaring his characters in
desperate need too often, however, the DM should either disallow the
use of the prohibited weapon or give the character no experience award
for completing the adventure.
Q. What are the effects of blindness and deafness on spell-casting?
A. Blinded creatures are unable to cast any spell that requires a
target, but spells that can be cast on an area (such as fire ball) or
delivered by touch (such as cure light wounds) may still be used.
Deafness can cause spells with verbal components to be miscast and
fail. The failure chance is up to you, but it shouldn't exceed 20%
(less for spells with short casting times). The cleric spell holy word
has a deafness effect that causes spells to fail 50% of the time; this
is due mostly to the extreme power of the holy word, not merely the
deafness.
Q. What is the significance of weapon speed factors?
A. Weapon speed factors allow for comparison among weapons. The lower
the speed factor, the quicker the weapon. Their most common use (and
the only use mentioned in the rules) is for breaking ties on
initiative. When a tie occurs, compare weapon speed factors; the
lowest factor goes first. However, on the first round of a mêlée,
when the opponents are closing, the longer weapons have the advantage.
The advantage is also with mounted opponents attacking or defending
against unmounted opponents and with characters who are defending or
attacking from above. Spell casting time is equivalent to the weapon
speed factor. That is, a weapon with a speed factor of 3 is as slow as
a three segment spell for purposes of tie breaking.
Q. How do you use the weapon to-hit adjustment tables in the Players
Handbook (page 38) and Unearthed Arcana (page 27)? I don't understand
what they mean.
A. The tables list the bonus or penalty given to a weapon against the
basic armour types. For example, the line for "Axe, Hand" reads: −5,
−4, −3, et cetera, for AC 0, AC 1, AC 2, et cetera, respectively.
Full plate armour and shield gives AC 0, so a hand axe has a −5 to
hit versus full plate armour and shield. If the target were wearing
full plate armour + 1 and using no shield, the adjustment is still AC
0. However, full plate armour alone is AC 1, so you use the AC 1
column regardless of magical bonuses, and the hand axe has a −4 to
hit. The same holds true for dexterity bonuses. These tables are for
attacking humans, demi-humans, and humanoids, never for attacking
monsters. Use of the tables is strictly optional; they were included
in the game mainly to satisfy the real history buffs who know that
certain weapons were much more effective than others on the medieval
battlefield.
Q. What do the following weapons look like: bardiche, spetum, voulge,
guisarme, halberd, and scimitar?
A. Some of the less-known weapons in the AD&D game are pictured and
described in Unearthed Arcana, pages 123-128. The weapons depicted on
these pages include everything on your list except the scimitar. A
scimitar is simply a curved broad sword used by Arabs and Saracens. If
you've seen any movies depicting the Middle East during the crusades,
you've seen scimitars.
Q. What is a morning star?
A. A morning star looks like a long, thin club with spikes or flanges
at the business end. The morning star in the AD&D game is similar to a
mace but is longer and heavier. Some books on weapons identify a ball
and chain as a morning star, but this combination is considered to be
a flail in the AD&D game.
Q. Why did Unearthed Arcana take shields away from assassins? It seems
a high price to pay for the option of having a good alignment.
A. Unearthed Arcana is in error. Assassins may use shields but not
during a mêlée round in which the character is engaged in the act of
assassination. The alignment expansion was not an error.
Q. Can a character with a girdle of giant strength throw a halberd?
When one of my players tried to do this I allowed it, but with a big
to-hit penalty.
A. You were correct. Pole arms are not intended to be thrown, no
matter what the thrower's strength. Anything, however, can be thrown
with some chance of success. For throwing a pole arm, we suggest a
to-hit penalty of −4 at short range (10' or less), −6 at medium
range (11-20'), and −9 at long range (21-30'). We also suggest that
you use these ranges outdoors where other missiles have ranges
measured in yards. A pole-arm is far too long for a human-sized
creature to throw like a hand axe (so that the weapon spins or
tumbles), no matter how much strength is available. Spear-type throws
are possible, but hits can inflict damage only if the pole arm that is
thrown has a spear point. Use spear damage (1-6) in this case, not
pole-arm damage.
Q. What are the effects of total darkness on combat? When last faced
with this problem, I simply ruled that everything within the darkness
was invisible, and I applied the −4 to-hit penalty.
A. You handled the situation correctly. More information on the
effects of darkness is given on page 32 of the Dungeoneer's Survival
Guide.
Q. What does the space requirement listed for each weapon mean?
The space requirement is exactly that: the minimum space a character
must have in order to use a weapon. For example, a fighter must be
standing in a space at least 4' wide to use a battle axe. Space
requirements are cumulative; therefore, two fighters using battle axes
side-by-side would require 8' of space.
Q. Can creatures with at-will abilities use such abilities while
attacking? Can they use several abilities in the same round, say one
per segment?
A. Creatures that have at-will abilities may use one such ability,
once per round, in addition to normal movement or attacks.
Q. Can magicians move during a round when they cast spells?
A. A magician must remain stationary only as long as the casting time
of the spell. After casting a spell, the magician can move during the
remainder of the round. For example, a fire ball takes three segments;
therefore, the magician casting it could have seven segments worth of
movement after casting the spell. See page 102 of the Player's
Handbook for per-segment movement rates.
Q. Is it possible for a character to leave a mêlée without exposing
his back?
The DM might allow a character to back out of a mêlée at half speed
so that the opponent's free attack would be frontal. Some campaigns
allow a friendly character to cover for a retreating character so that
the extra attack is resolved normally against the the character who is
covering.
Q. Can fighters with multiple attacks attack more than one opponent
per round?
A. Yes; so can monsters and the members of other character classes
that get multiple attacks.
Q. How long does paralysis last? Is it permanent until cured? What
cures paralysis? What is paralysis, really?
A. In medical terms, paralysis is the loss of sensation in part of the
body as the victim's brain, for one reason or another, no longer
controls the body. The uncontrolled muscles relax, and the victim goes
limp. Autonomic muscles, such as the heart and lungs, are unaffected.
Some kinds of paralysis in the AD&D game (paralysis caused by ghouls
and ghasts, for example) cause the victim to become rigid and
immobile. In either case, paralysis affects only the body, not the
mind. The victim can still think and use psionics or any form of
movement that does not require muscular effort. For example, if a
character becomes paralysed while using a fly spell, he can still fly
until the spell runs out. Paralysis is not permanent. It can last
anywhere from several rounds or turns to as much as a day. It can be
removed with a remove paralysis spell (which removes paralysis of all
types) or by a cure disease, neutralize poison, or dispel magic spell,
depending on what caused the paralysis. Paralysis caused by undead
creatures is disease- or fear-based; paralysis caused by living
creatures is poison-based; paralysis caused by a glyph of warding or
the illusionist spell paralysis is magic-based. The AD&D 2nd Edition
Monstrous Compendium, Volume 1, lists the duration for ghoul paralysis
as 3-8 rounds and ghast paralysis as 5-10 rounds. Paralysis caused by
more powerful creatures lasts longer; lich paralysis, for example,
lasts until dispelled.
Q. Can a character with a bastard sword proficiency also use long
swords and two-handed swords, or does the character instead, require a
proficiency in both long and two-handed swords?
A. Each weapon on the weapons lists requires a separate proficiency
Although a bastard sword can be used one-handed with the same effect
as a long sword, its larger size requires different handling.
Likewise, the bastard sword requires different handling than the
longer and heavier two-handed sword. However, if a character is
proficient in bastard sword, he may use that sword either way.
Q. What is a bastard sword's space requirement and speed factor when
used one-handed?
A. The same as when it is used two-handed.
Q. If a fighter is specialised (or double specialised) in a bastard
sword, does he get the specialisation bonuses when using the sword
two-handed and one-handed?
A. A bastard sword is primarily a two-handed weapon. For purposes of
game balance, it is best to limit specialisation bonuses to two-handed
use (or let the player choose).
Q. When a character gains proficiency with a multi-purpose weapon
(such as a kusari-gama in Oriental Adventures), does the character
automatically gain proficiency with the weapons that correspond with
each function (in this case, with chain and kama)?
A. The situation is analogous to that of the bastard sword described
previously. Knowledge of the combination weapon does not necessarily
allow use of its component weapons. The techniques required to use
each of the weapons you mentioned are different. The governing
principle in both of these cases is the no-free-lunch rule: You can't
get two or more proficiencies for the price of one simply by selecting
a multi-purpose weapon.
Q. When do charging characters attack? What are the effects of a
charge?
A. Charging monsters or characters may attack normally at the end of
their charge; exactly when depends on the reach of the weapons being
used (longer weapons attack first). The charge movement, initiative,
and affects chance to hit. See the DMG, page 66, for more details on
charging.
Q. How do high dexterity scores or a short sword of quickness affect
initiative?
A. High dexterity never affects initiative; it affects only surprise.
A short sword of quickness allows the wielder to attack first. This is
not the same has having the initiative; a thief-acrobat (for example)
cannot automatically evade each round simply because he has a short
sword of quickness. He must win the die roll before he can evade.
Q. Can missile weapons, other than hurled mêlée weapons, he used in
mêlée?
A. No, missiles cannot be fired or hurled when the firing character is
in mêlée. Furthermore, bows and arrows are not mêlée weapons and
cannot normally be used in hand-to-hand combat. A bow or crossbow
could, however, be used for pummelling (see Unearthed Arcana, page
107).
Q. Can a character fire a missile into a mêlée without hitting
friendly characters? If not, what is the chance of hitting an ally?
A. This depends on the situation. When firing into a mêlée, use the
following procedure: The character firing the missile declares which
creature he is targeting. (Any of the character's allies who are
fighting with the target creatures are potential targets for the
missile.) Randomly determine which target will actually be in the path
of the missile. If the figures in the mêlée are about the same size
(e.g., human versus human, elf versus dwarf), there is an equal chance
that either the enemy or an ally could be the missile's actual target.
If the die roll indicates that an ally will be the actual target and
there are multiple allies fighting the intended target, randomly
determine which ally is the actual target. Roll the to-hit number. If
the appropriate number for the target's armour class is rolled, then
the target is hit whether or not the character firing the missile
wanted to hit that target. If the creatures in the mêlée are of
different sizes, the larger creatures are more likely to be hit. I
suggest a two-thirds chance (1-4 on 1d6 to hit the larger target when
the height difference is 2-3' (ignore height differences of less than
2'). If the height difference is more than 3', allow the missile to
hit the larger target automatically if the firer wishes; otherwise,
the chance to hit the larger target is 5 in 6. Many campaigns exempt
the magic missiles spell from this rule. Magic missiles are assumed to
unerringly strike their targets.
Q. Is it possible to use an object for non-lethal combat? How much
damage would a chair or bar stool do?
A. Yes, you can use odd objects for non-lethal combat. The amount of
damage such objects can do depends on their hardness and mass. See
Unearthed Arcana, page 107.
Q. How far can objects be tossed or thrown?
A. The maximum range for any tossed object is 5" (a stone) or 3" (a
flask of oil or a vial of holy water), as long as the object is
reasonably compact. Large, bulky objects have a maximum range of 2" or
less, depending on the situation.
Q. How do you handle gaze attacks?
A. A creature with a gaze weapon may use it on one opponent per round
in addition to any physical attacks. If the creature is unintelligent,
this will be a random opponent. Intelligent creatures may pick their
victims. Any opponent who can see the creature can be subject to the
attack. The opponent who is subjected to the gaze attack must save
versus petrification. Some campaigns allow opponents to avert their
eyes and become immune to the gaze attack, but such opponents attack
and defend at a −4 penalty, and the decision to avert the eyes must
be made prior to both the initiative roll and anyone knowing where the
gaze will be directed. Some DMs may rule that if an entire party is
surprised, all must save against the gaze during the first surprise
segment of the encounter (several party members could accidentally
meet the creature's gaze during the confusion of the surprise
segment).
Q. I seem to recall some rule about a penalty when a character makes
more than one attack in a round. Is there such a rule?
A. We can refer to page 70 of the DMG for this answer. The reference
states that a character may use a second weapon instead of a shield,
provided that the second weapon is a dagger or hand axe. Otherwise,
there is no penalty for multiple attacks.
Q. Is there any way to prevent a vorpal weapon from severing the neck
if the attack roll is high enough?
A. No. However, the DM might choose to introduce some kind of
protective magic that would do this. Note the limitations given on
page 166 of the DMG. The DM might choose to introduce some additional
limitations; for example, it would be impossible for a human to sever
a cloud giant's neck unless the giant was bent over or the human was
flying or levitating.
Q. Will unholy water harm a paladin?
A. Yes. It is created by an evil ritual and is harmful to paladins and
good creatures of extraplanar origin such as devas and solars.
Q. Can a cleric turn undead, then attack, run away, or cast a spell in
the same round? Or does he stand there for a whole round, give up
shield and dexterity adjustments to armour class, and hope that the
turning works?
A. Turning undead is a separate activity. A cleric who turns undead
may not fire missiles, mêlée, or cast spells in the same round as he
turns undead, although he defends normally and may be able to move
(DM's option). The monk ability quivering palm does not work on
creatures that are struck only by magical weapons.
Q. Looking at the DMG, I see that creatures that are themselves immune
to normal weapons can hit other creatures that are immune to normal
weapons. Does the reverse hold true? That is to say, are those
creatures that can hit creatures immune to normal weapons immune to
normal weapons themselves? Specifically, are high-level barbarians
immune to normal weapons and quivering palm?
A. The barbarian's ability to hit those creatures that are normally
hit only by magic weapons does not protect him from non-magical
weapons or a monks quivering palm.
Q. Can a torch be used as a weapon? How far can a torch be thrown?
There are some instances when it is desirable to use a torch as a
secondary weapon; is this allowed?
A. Torches can be used as primary weapons; treat them as clubs for all
purposes, even when throwing and inflicting damage, assuming that the
torch is lit and the target is not immune to fire. A torch may be used
as a secondary weapon if the DM thinks the situation warrants it.
Apply the "Attacks With Two Weapons" rule on page 70 of the DMG. If
players attempt to abuse the privilege, the DM might have a character
set fire to himself or his equipment. Have the torch either save
versus normal blow as thin wood, or break. The fire has a 10% chance
of going out per blow.
Q. How long does it take to draw a weapon?
A. Any weapon can be drawn in one segment (this effectively adds one
segment to the weapon's speed factor). Common sense, however, dictates
that a character who draws a weapon during a mêlée will lose
initiative to a character who has already drawn his weapon, unless the
character with the drawn weapon must use the segment that is required
for the draw in order to close to mêlée range. Note that sheathing a
weapon takes a bit longer; changing weapons carefully takes a full
round (see Oriental Adventures, page 54).
Q. How come a low-level character gets only one attack per round? A
one-minute mêlée round certainly allows time for several attacks,
especially if the character uses a light weapon such as a dagger.
A. A single mêlée attack in the AD&D game assumes the exchange of
several blows. The player's single attack roll represents the result
of a series of attacks by the character, not just a single blow. See
the DMG, page 61, for more details. High-level characters who are
allowed multiple attacks do not actually strike more blows; their
greater experience merely allows them to strike a larger percentage of
telling blows.
Q. Unearthed Arcana (page 78) says that a sap will stun an opponent if
it hits him in the head when the head is uncovered. Since there are no
hit location tables in the AD&D game, how do you determine if the sap
hit the opponent's head?
A. The DMG has a rule that says an intelligent creature can aim a blow
at an opponent 's head half the time (1-3 on 1d6). While this rule
(see page 46) encourages characters to wear helmets, I think it's a
bit excessive. Try any of the following for adjudicating attacks with
a sap: Any attack roll four or more over the minimum score needed to
hit the target strikes the head. Strength bonuses don't count when
determining the minimum score to hit, but bonuses for rear attacks
(including a thief's back-attack bonus) and attacks on prone opponents
do count. Treat the sap as a pummelling implement, and use the rules
on page 107 of Unearthed Arcana. The sap does no damage unless a stun
is scored. It has the chance of a large and hard object to stun, and
does normal sap damage (1-2) when a stun is scored. A sap is a weapon
and negates the initiative penalty for pummelling attacks. Roll a 1d6
before each attack; a one indicates that the attack will strike the
head if the sap hits.
Q. The DMG gives a procedure on page 70 for attacking magically
sleeping opponents, but what about normally sleeping opponents?
A. The to-hit bonus versus normally sleeping opponents is +4.
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