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Questions tagged [odnd]

For questions relating to the original 1974 edition of Dungeons & Dragons (also known as "OD&D" or "0e") and its supplements. (This tag also covers some questions about Chainmail, a predecessor wargame to which D&D was originally written partly as an expansion.)

2 votes
1 answer
166 views

How did Chainmail to hit resolution work for OD&D?

I recently bought the hefty "The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons", weighing in at 576 pages. It is a fascinating resource, with facsimile copies of the original Chainmail Fantasy ...
Nobody the Hobgoblin's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why would anyone kill a dragon rather than subdue it in OD&D?

The rule for subdual in OD&D says (Monsters & Treasure, p. 12/13): Subduing Dragons: Any attack may be to subdue rather than to kill, but this intent must be announced before melee begins. ...
Nobody the Hobgoblin's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
637 views

Is there an equivalent to archmage special ability Arcane Fire in previous editions?

I'm searching for an equivalent to the archmage prestige class ability from 3.5e, Arcane Fire (DMG, page 178), in previous editions (Player's Options, 2e, 1e or OD&D), but not 4e or 5e. Any ...
Lucas's user avatar
  • 865
4 votes
0 answers
106 views

Were there multiple tripartite portals in the Greyhawk Castle?

I'm sorry that I have a kind of esoteric question, but it has been bothering me for some time, and I cannot find a resolution. There supposedly was a tripartite portal somewhere in the deepest levels ...
Nobody the Hobgoblin's user avatar
31 votes
3 answers
6k views

Why are there five chromatic dragons and not four?

The five chromatic dragon types are already in the original edition of D&D. In that same game, player characters had access to four primary kinds of damage: physical blows, fire, cold and ...
Nobody the Hobgoblin's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
378 views

In OD&D, how do you calculate XP, HP and Max HP when switching class?

In Original D&D, specifically the rules described in Men & Magic, it says: Elves can begin as either Fighting-Men or Magic-Users and freely switch class whenever they choose, from adventure ...
F1000003's user avatar
  • 691
11 votes
1 answer
488 views

What is "fantastic melee", and "non-fantastic melee"?

I was reading about some original DnD editions today and came across an excerpt of combat that mentioned non-fantastic combat. The excerpt in question was Assume the following dice score by the Hero. ...
Cereal's user avatar
  • 213
48 votes
2 answers
6k views

Identifying my late father's D&D stuff found in the attic

I recently found a box of Dungeons & Dragons stuff in the attic of my father's home. In addition to an old boxed set of Dungeons & Dragons (the Men and Magic booklet mentions hobbits and ents),...
Jagd's user avatar
  • 413
6 votes
2 answers
191 views

In Caverns of Thracia, where does this trap door lead to?

In the original Caverns of Thracia, there is a trap door marked on the map. Where does this lead to?
munk's user avatar
  • 1,153
12 votes
1 answer
406 views

Where is the first description or explanation of role-playing in OD&D?

Does anyone know where the first reference/explanation of role-playing exists in OD&D (beyond "I am x class")? Dave Arneson is often credited with the advent of what we would consider role-...
John Turner's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
388 views

What text changes were made for the 2013 Deluxe OD&D reprint?

I’ve heard references to text having been removed for the reprinted boxed set of the original Dungeons & Dragons booklets, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2013, but I haven’t ever found a ...
SevenSidedDie's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
361 views

Where is weapon damage stated?

So I've read from multiple sources that weapon damage in the original D&D booklets is 1d6 regardless of weapon. However, reading through the books, I can't find reference to weapon damage at all. ...
JAMalcolmson's user avatar
  • 3,204
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

What are the differences between Holmes D&D and Original D&D?

What are the differences between Holmes D&D and Original D&D (as opposed to the differences between Holmes, Moldvay, and Mentzer D&D)?
Dif Tor Heh Smusma's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
502 views

Were there Martians in Greyhawk?

The third of the three Dungeons and Dragons booklets Underworld & Wilderness Adventures (1974) on Other Worlds says Some areas of land could be gates into other worlds, dimensions, times, or ...
Hey I Can Chan's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
2k views

What does '#AT' mean in early versions of D&D and AD&D?

In many early D&D and AD&D modules, NPCs, monsters, and other creatures are often listed with an attribute of #AT followed by a number. What does that mean? For example, from the AD&D ...
cas's user avatar
  • 982

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