Stay Classy 2 - The OD&D (3LBB) Magic-User

In the first episode of this series I took a look at what makes up the Fighter in the Original D&D Three Little Brown Books. Today we're diving into the Magic-User (a class name that would stick up to AD&D 2nd Edition).

We are told on page 6 of Volume 1 - Men & Magic that, "There are three (3) main classes of characters." (I am inordinately amused by that emphasis on "three (3)!")

The second class listed and described is 'Magic-Users.' We are told that Magic-Users include only Men (humans) and Elves.

The full class descriptions follow this - with Magic-Users getting one paragraph taking up about one-fifth of page 6, and about half of the next page (though half of that is a table of costs of manufacturing magic items). Magic-Users are described as potentially the strongest characters in the game at high levels, but initially weak, requiring protection from other characters. Magic-Users are allowed the use of all magical items except weaponry and armor (though one must assume they can use magical daggers), have (potentially) the least hit points, and can, on reaching 11th level ("Wizard"), create magical items - for a cost. At any level, Magic-Users can research new spells of any spell level they can cast, but this is also at a cost of time and material, and detailed later in the book.

On page 7, the equally small descriptions of the non-human races begins with "Dwarves," who we are told can only be Fighters. Elves and Halflings appear on page 8, with Halflings also limited to Fighters. Elves, however, are described as being able to begin as "either Fighting-Men or Magic-Users" and being able to "freely switch class whenever they choose, from adventure to adventure, but not during the course of a single game." They "gain the benefits of both classes and may use both weaponry and spells." They can wear magic armor and still act as Magic-Users, though it does not really say anywhere if they can wear regular armor and do the same. I'm not sure which way to go with this - on the one hand, multi-class Fighter-Mages in 2nd edition are required to remove armor if going to cast (some kits notwithstanding), while in 1e Elves and Half-Elves apparently can wear armor and cast. For the characters I'm currently preparing for 3LBB, I'm going with can wear armor. In any case, my interpretation of the 3LBB Elf is a prototype of the multi-classing we see in 1e and 2e, but instead of splitting XP between their classes, they pick for each adventure which class they are earning XP in for that adventure. Elves are limited to level 8 ("Warlock") as Magic-Users.

Page 10 starts discussing the Ability Scores and how to generate them, and lists Intelligence as the "Prime Requisite" for Magic-Users, the key ability for the Class. One thing notably absent compared to later editions is any minimum score to be a Magic-User - in fact, it is noted that, while a score above 12 in one's Prime Requisite will grant a bonus on Experience earned, a score below 9 will grant a penalty. This is the same across the 3 classes. One could conceivably roll a character with an Intelligence of 6 and still opt to be a Magic-User. Other than increasing (or decreasing) a Magic-User's Experience, Intelligence has little mechanical effect in this version. It does grant bonus languages for an Intelligence above 10, but no system is given for chance to learn spells, chance of spell failure, or maximum (or minimum) numbers of spells by Intelligence. The description mentions that "Intelligence will affect referees’ decisions as to whether or not certain action would be taken," but no further explanation of this is given.

Other Abilities of use to a Magic-User would be Dexterity for potential bonus to hit with thrown daggers, Constitution for possible bonus hit points, and Charisma for hirelings. OD&D puts significant focus on hirelings, taking up the majority of pages 12 and 13.

Pages 16-18 cover level advancement charts. Magic-Users start on the slowest track, but Magic-Users slowly gain speed, and by level 7, they pass Fighters. A bonus for Intelligence 13 or higher can help Magic-Users advance faster. All Classes have a Hit Die of d6 in this version of the rules, with Magic-Users (and Clerics) starting at 1d6, versus 1d6+1 for Fighters. By level 10, Magic-Users have 7d6 Hit Dice, while Fighters have 10d6+1, and Clerics 7d6+2.

Stats are given on these pages as well for using Chainmail combat, something which I still don't entirely understand, but page 19 describes the 'Alternative Combat System,' later and better known as THAC0. All characters start with THAC0 19, but with each advancement on this track, the target number drops by 2 or 3. Magic-Users advance along this track the slowest, every 5 levels, Clerics every 4 and Fighters every 3.

Finally, page 20 gives us Saving Throws. These advance by level at the same rate as the THAC0, but there are some differences again. Magic-Users start with the worst Save value for 'Death Ray or Poison' and 'All Wands - Including Polymorph or Paralyzation,' They have the best initial Save versus 'Stone,' are tied for the worst initial Save versus 'Dragon Breath,' and are tied for the best Save versus 'Staves and Spells.'

Spells are described starting on page 23, and it is worth noting that, in these initial 3 books at least, Magic-User spells only go up to Spell Level 6, not the 9 we are used to from later editions. Page 35 lays out the costs and time commitments for crafting magical items. Spell Books are also briefly described. As worded, apparently both Magic-Users and Clerics use spell books, and "are assumed to acquire books containing the spells they can use, one book for each level." This seems to imply that when you gain access to a new spell level, you automatically acquire a spell book containing all the spells listed for that spell level (a prospect that awes the 2e player in me.)