Q. The rules on page 97 of the PHB say that pole-arms and spears do
double damage versus charging opponents, but the tables on pages 68
and 69 say only a few pole-arms can do this. Which is correct?
A. Those pole-arms marked with a "#" and all spears do double damage
when set versus a charge. Pole-arms marked with an asterisk do double
damage versus charging opponents that are larger than man size.
Q. Both of the AD&D game 2nd Edition rule books say that magical rings
"radiate" magic. Does this mean they glow with a magical aura all the
time? Can you tell an item is magical just by looking at it?
A. The term "radiates" indicates there is a magical aura which cannot
be seen, touched, tasted, or smelled but can be detected with the
proper divination; a ring can radiate magic, a dragon can radiate
evil, and so on. While the DM might rule that an aura might be
detectable without magical aid, magical items usually are found only
with detect magic spells or by experimenting with them to test for
unusual properties.
Q. If an identify spell will not tell you the exact number of charges
or pluses an item has, how do you find out? Can a sage tell?
A. The best way to get an item's exact charges or pluses is to start
with an identify spell to determine the approximate number, then use a
contact other plane or commune spell to get the exact number. The DM
has to decide what sages can do in his campaign, but giving a sage a
chance to determine an item's exact pluses is reasonable. Sages have
no way to determine charges; a wand with one charge looks exactly like
a wand with 99 charges. If the item was first studied with detect
magic and identify spells, a sage could study the item for additional
clues about who made and enchanted it and stand a good chance of
guessing its powers. This would require a sage with knowledge of
folklore, history, or both.
Q. Can a player who finds a potion taste it and immediately find out
exactly what it is?
A. First, players cannot test potions, but player characters can. When
a character tastes a potion, the DM should give some hint or clue
about its properties (see the DMG, page 141).
Q. Is there a reason why all the character-class experience charts
stop at level 20?
A. In the AD&D 2nd edition game, 20th level is the intended stopping
point for all character advancement. This is because the designers and
editors believe (and I agree) that the AD&D game system begins to
break down around level 20. After level 20, continued advancement
becomes almost meaningless, adventures are hard to design, and
campaigns are hard to maintain. An expansion for character levels 21
and up has been discussed, but there are no current plans for such a
product. Players and DMs who want to use mega-level characters are on
their own.
Q. Does a cleric's ability to turn undead really stop getting better
at level 14, as table 61 (page 103) in the PHB suggests?
A. Yes, the progression does stop at level 14, at least for now. In
game terms, this is the limit of power that deities can (or will)
"lend" to clerics to fight undead. In design terms, this keeps
high-level clerics from blowing away liches and other powerful undead
with a simple die roll.
Q. How come the "death at −10 hit points" rule was dropped from the
game?
A. It hasn't been dropped. See the "Hovering on Death's Door" optional
rule in the DMG, page 75.
Q. Should characters who put on a cloak of poisonousness be allowed a
save versus poison or a save versus death?
A. Neither. Characters who don the cloak die.
Q. Does attacking dispel the invisibility given to the attacker by a
ring of invisibility or a cloak of elf-kind? If so, how long must the
attacker remain visible?
A. Offensive actions break the invisibility. The wearer must remain
visible at least until the beginning of the next mêlée round.
Q. Can a cleric use an amulet versus undead? Can a druid?
A. Clerics whose power to turn undead is equal to or better than the
amulet's get no benefit from it; all other characters turn undead at
the amulet's level regardless of class or alignment.
Q. The table for the staff-spear (DMG, page 154) says a roll of 20
indicates a +3 weapon. Shouldn't this be +6?
A. A roll of "20" indicates the ranseur version of the staff-spear;
the asterisk should have been placed by the "+3" figure in the bottom
line.
Q. The description of a helm of teleportation mentions a risk for
non-wizards when teleporting. What is the risk?
A. The "risk" is the same for all characters; see the wizard spell,
teleport, in the PHB, page 172.
Q. At what level is a wizard character allowed to specialize?
A. Wizard specialities should be chosen when the character is created.
If a character does not meet the ability score requirements for his
desired speciality, the DM might allow him to specialize later in his
career if the deficiency is resolved and the character does not have
spells from a prohibited school in his spell books.
Q. Can a non-warrior have a strength greater than 18? If so, does the
character get exceptional strength or does he proceed straight to 19?
A. Strength ratings over 18 are possible through the use of wishes or
magical items. Generally, an increase in an ability score. that is
higher than 16 and less than 20 comes in increments of one-tenth of a
point (see the DMG, pages 11-12). A non-warrior with a strength
greater than 18 but less than 19 gets no special benefits; treat the
character's strength as an unremarkable 18.
Q. Do halflings get any combat modifiers due to their small size?
A. Halflings get no combat modifiers due to size in the core rules,
but this could change in a future supplement.
Q. Can a character with a strength of 1 wear clothes? The chart on
page 14 of the PHB says the PC's maximum press is 3 lbs, but the text
on page 75 says clothes weigh 5 lbs.
A. The character's maximum press has nothing to do with what he can
carry. The character cannot raise the clothes above his head, but he
can wear or carry them. Clothes, however, would encumber the
character.
Q. If the minimum wisdom score for a cleric is 9, why does table 5
list spell failure chances for wisdoms of less than 9?
A. A cleric must begin play with a wisdom score of 9 or higher, but
the score might drop temporarily (or permanently) during play; most
DMs allow PCs to continue in their classes, even if their ability
scores fall below the minimum requirements.
Q. Can non-elven characters find secret or concealed doors?
A. Yes. Generally, the chance for them to do so is one in six, only if
the character is actively searching a 10' section of a surface.
Q. Do gnomes get a constitution based saving throw bonus versus poison
like dwarves do?
A. No; gnomes have no special resistance to poison.
Q. Does fighting with two weapons require a special weapon slot? If
so, do rangers have to spend a weapon proficiency on it?
A. This is up to the DM. If a slot is required, rangers get it free.
Q. Is there a range limit on the clerical undead turning ability?
A. A cleric can turn undead if he can see and recognize them as
undead, and if they can see and recognize him as a cleric. The range
indoors is limited by the size of the area and the available light.
The absolute limit outdoors is about 240 yards, less in poor light or
through concealment.
Q. How long does it take a druid to change form when shape changing?
How long do changes in form take with a polymorph self or shape change
spell? Do protective items like rings or bracers work with druid's new
form? Are protective items like bracers or rings considered clothing,
since only clothing and one item held in each hand changes along with
the druid?
A. Generally, assuming a new form counts as an action and takes three
segments (+3 initiative modifier). The first change in form is usually
considered part of the casting time for polymorph self and shape
change spells. Most DMs allow protective devices to work even on
polymorphed or shape changed creatures, and most DMs I know ignore the
clothing-and-two-items restriction for druids and allow all the druids
equipment to change with him.
Q. The set snares proficiency is available to both rogues and
warriors. However, table 37 (PHB, pages 54-55) says this requires a
dexterity check for rouges and an intelligence check for warriors. Are
these really different skills or is there an error?
A. Check dexterity in either case.
Q. Will 90% soft cover, such as a tapestry or overturned table,
protect a character from spells, or does only hard cover do this?
A. DMs must resolve this on a case-by-case basis. When in doubt, have
the cover make an item saving throw; if this succeeds, characters
behind it take one-half or no damage.
Q. Can monsters use breath weapons or innate spell abilities during
the "free" round they get when they achieve surprise?
A. You bet. Any creature who surprises another can use any attack it
has, but it cannot cast a spell.
Q. Does a PC's lifetime limit on the number of henchmen apply to
henchmen who leave because they equal or surpass the PC's level? I
assume not. Henchmen achieve high levels with help from PCs. If
"graduating " henchmen did count, it would be in the player's best
interest to see that none of his character's henchmen ever became high
level.
A. This is up to the DM, but your argument is very persuasive.
Q. Can a wizard or priest pick the number of people affected by a hold
person spell?
A. Yes, the number of creatures affected by a hold person spell is
under the caster's control.
Q. How much does one day's amount of common meals weigh?
A. The weight of a day's common meals varies with the locale, season,
and cuisine, but 2-5 lbs. per person is a good rule of thumb. This
weight includes bones, skins and other inedibles. Common meals,
however, are rarely carried anywhere, so their weights don't matter
much. A week's dry rations generally weigh 7-10 lbs, all of which is
edible.
Q. Can specialist wizards use scroll spells from opposition schools?
Can clerics use scroll spells from outside their spheres?
A. A character who can use spells can use a scroll if it matches his
class, so priests can. use scroll spells from outside their spheres
and wizards can use scroll spells from outside their schools.
Q. Table 56 in the PHB (page 94) says that a scroll's initiative
modifier is the same as the spell on the scroll. What is the modifier
for a protection scroll?
A. Unless stated otherwise in the scroll's description, a protection
scroll has an initiative modifier of +3.
Q. My DM says that a specialist wizard gets one bonus first-level
spell for each level of experience he has. Is this correct?
A. No. A specialist wizard gets one bonus spell for each level of
spells he can cast. For example, a 5th-level wizard can cast four
first-level, two second-level, and one third-level spells; if he is a
specialist, he gets three extra spells, one of each level.
Q. There seems to be an error in the description for the second-level
subtract one from its saving-throw roll for every level of the caster?
save.
Q. Do bards have to spend a proficiency slot on a musical instrument?
What happens to their ability to influence reactions if they do not?
A. That is entirely up to the DM. If the DM decides a musical
instrument is necessary to influence reactions, I suggest bards either
learn an instrument for "free" or that they be required to
automatically spend a proficiency on an instrument. On the other hand,
a bard might very well be able to sing or speak well enough to
influence reactions without an instrument; this is a common practice
in the real world.
Q. Can a ranger (or other character) who uses two weapons parry with
one and attack with the other? Would the character get a better armour
class modifier is he parried with both weapons?
A. The only way to parry in the AD&D game is to forfeit all attacks,
whether the character is using two weapons or one.
Q. The description of the wizard spell, animal growth, suggests that a
tongues spell can be used to converse with animals, but the
description of the tongues spell says it cannot.
A. A tongues spell allows the caster to communicate only with
creatures that have language. The reference to the tongues spell in
the description of the animal growth spell is an error.
Q. How close must a creature come to an object with an attraction
spell (the reverse of an avoidance spell) cast on it before the object
moves toward him? Does the object move quickly enough to inflict
damage if it strikes the creature?
A. The object moves when the creature comes within 1'. The object
moves quickly but does not inflict damage when it strikes the
creature.
Q. If a light spell is cast upon a piece of chalk, can the chalk be
used to write glowing messages? If the spell is cast on a rock, can
you break the rock in half and have two half strength light effects?
If the spell is cast on a vial of water, will the water glow?
A. No, no, and no. A light spell illuminates a 20' radius. Casting it
on an object simply makes the effect mobile. The spell has one and
only one centre of effect; if the object the spell has been cast upon
is broken, spilled, or worn away, the spell stays with one portion of
the object or becomes immobile, fixed in space. It might be possible
to transfer the spell from one object to another by casting it on a
mutable object. For example, if the spell is cast on an open vial of
water, the spell will be transferred to the vial if the water is
allowed to evaporate away.
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