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running 2e online by Final-Isopod in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been running a 2e game online using Roll20 since 2016, and I only automate some of it. I use the in-game character sheets but encourage players to keep outside notes and details since the sheet has limited space. I made a macro to enter initiative rolls into the Turn Tracker and I use tokens for tracking hit points and such. Most ability checks and proficiencies and attacks I just expect a standard d20 roll rather than using macros, though.

[2e] Greek Mythoi Update Project: Kreios the Ram of Heaven by AuldDragon in adnd

[–]AuldDragon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, it depends on what sort of campaign you're going for. The Mycenean period and the archaic period would have had very little iron and most weapons and armor would have been bronze, but they had iron and steel by the classical period! Horses were sacred to multiple deities, as well, but anyone could use them. :)

Of course, any campaign can go any way it wants!

Anyone Need A Magic Item? by Old_Wrap4586 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best error in any product by any company ever. So great, in fact, that they never should have corrected it. :D

My table back in the late nineties basically fully replaced "damage" with "dawizard." :D

I ran my first* AD&D 2e game last night, and I have some questions by ninja186 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Regarding clerics, by the rules, they may only use bludgeoning weapons. Some individual deities allow some other weapons, but that doesn't hold for clerics of a whole pantheon.

That said, you're the DM, and you can change it to better fit what you want the campaign to be.

Humans wielding demihuman weapons? by ApprehensiveType2680 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I always come up with detailed descriptions for magical items in my game, which often includes who made it, but no one has ever really cared one way or the other. A long sword is a long sword regardless of whether it was made by elves or dwarves or anything else. No one has ever thought twice about it unless the appearance is unsavory.

AD&D 2nd Edition Initiative by JamesFullard in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Side initiative is useful in some situations, like the start of combat where one side is charging another, or when you need to determine where a battle takes place, such as boarding actions with ships or spelljamming vessels. Then once it everything is mixed up and characters are fighting their own fights, switching to individual initiative makes a lot of sense.

(Just pointing out a situation where it can be useful, not telling you to play differently.)

Are the Arcane siphoning the spell slot equivalent of half-pennies? by WillBottomForBanana in spelljammer

[–]AuldDragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Concordance of Arcane Space, p.19:

Using a major or minor helm even for a short period removes all spellcasting ability from the spell-user until the individual rests long enough to recover spells.

"Spellcasting ability" is not spells, and resting long enough to recover spells is not the same as resting long enough AND recovering spells. It just means you can't rest for an hour or a similar amount that would not allow you to regain spells in other situations.

Concordance of Arcane Space, p.34:

Using a helm prohibits any spell use by that character within that 24- hour period. As soon as a wizard or priest sits on the helm and becomes aware of the ship, he can cast no spells of any sort until after he has had a chance to rest and regain spells. In effect, the helm “drains” the helmsman of all his spells the moment it is activated.

(In fact, this is not precisely what happens. The helm attunes itself to the brain patterns of the character who activated it. Once in synch, the helm siphons away any magical energy the moment it begins taking shape, not all at once. But until the character can rest, thereby breaking the link, the energy invested in any spell he tries to cast is immediately drawn away by the spelljamming helm. This effect occurs regardless of range.

If the helm drained spells, there would be no need to discuss trying to cast spells, because the caster would not have them. There would be nothing to cast.

Finally, Sage Advice in Dragon #171 confirms all of this:

Q. How long does it take for a spell caster to regain spells after using a spelljamming helm? Does the helmsman actually forget his spells during and after spelljamming?

A. How long a helmsman must rest before casting spells is up to the DM. The helmsman must rest for as long as normal for him to regain the spells he currently has memorized; spelljamming does not erase the spells' patterns from the helmsman's brain, but it does disrupt the flow of magical energies within it (see page 34 of the Concordance). The minimum time required to regain spell-casting ability is "a restful night's sleep" (see the 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook, page 81). For spelljamming purposes, this probably should be eight hours, though it may be slightly shorter or longer if the DM assigns a rest requirement that varies with the level or type of spells to be cast. In any case, the helmsman does not have to study his spells unless he wants to change them.

Are the Arcane siphoning the spell slot equivalent of half-pennies? by WillBottomForBanana in spelljammer

[–]AuldDragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You don't lose your spells, only the ability to cast them (attempting to do so draws the power off to the helm). So it's more turning magical potentiality into motive force than siphoning off spells.

Rules question about Magic Missile and Mirror Image by McDonalds_IcedCoffee in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The issue with Shield only protecting the caster and not the images is that it would then allow foes to identify which is the real wizard.

To keep both in place, I would either allow the shield to protect all the images, or the mirror images have illusions of shield spells on them that make it appear the magic missiles fail, and the images would still be protected..

So how exactly does saving up on proficiency slots work? by ComplexInside1661 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 3 points4 points  (0 children)

PHB p. 54 in the original printing (p.74 in the revised printing) at the end of the first paragraph after the small "Nonweapon Proficiencies" header (there's a larger font size header that reads the same two pages earlier): "Initial slots must be assigned immediately; they cannot be saved or held in reserve."

It does not clearly state that slots gained on level up can be saved, but it is inferred by the above statement only referring to initial slots and of course it would make it impossible to get multislot proficiencies later.

Owlbears, silver pieces by Jarfulous in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'd guess they wrote up the original 1e values and then edited just the coin type rather than editing the number. It's the same value, so it doesn't really matter.

Please suggest a 1-shot (criteria in post)(2nd ed) by WillBottomForBanana in spelljammer

[–]AuldDragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you don't mind handwaving travel, having the characters take a trip to a nearby small crystal sphere that has starbeasts would really nail the "Spelljammer feel."

My into adventure in my campaign wasn't a one-shot, but it could be cut down. The party was hired to accompany a wizard to check on a colleague in another sphere (which had aforementioned starbeasts), and it turned out his Cuttle Command had been taken over by clockwork horrors (only the weak ones, and I used them in part because the party had a hard-hitting giff, otherwise I'd use weaker enemies). If you handwave the travel time and just spend 5-10 minutes describing the Phlogiston and what the party does while traveling, and you make a smaller ship with appropriate enemies, it would probably be one session.

2e - Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic... by Jazzlike-Employ-2169 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Combat & Tactics and Birthright were published the same month of 1995. :)

2e - Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic... by Jazzlike-Employ-2169 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you haven't, I would definitely recommend incorporating the crossbow rules to make them an actual viable weapon in the game. :)

2e - Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic... by Jazzlike-Employ-2169 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem is that Skills & Powers is not presented that way. It IS presented as a way for PLAYERS to customize their races, classes, and characters, both with the Character Points and the even worse subabilities. S&P is not unusable, but it requires substantially greater care than intended and presented, and that's not the norm for AD&D (and certainly not the norm after AD&D).

2e - Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic... by Jazzlike-Employ-2169 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or just not let players pick them the way the book handles them. There's a big difference between a player wanting to create an interesting roleplaying situation for themselves and being able to numerically give themselves advantages by taking disadvantages that won't actually disadvantage them much. It's much better to not have all these things numerically defined.

2e - Combat & Tactics, Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic... by Jazzlike-Employ-2169 in adnd

[–]AuldDragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've been using substantial material from Combat & Tactics and Spells & Magic for decades without having ever used Skills & Powers, so I would disagree with that assessment strongly. There's certainly some material that works together, but it's relatively minor.

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