Tag: 2e-AD&D

As mentioned in Part 2 of this series, my knowledge of the D&D editions I grew up on is not actually complete. This is especially true of Advanced D&D 2nd Edition (2e).

There is a now-old jibe about how no one has read the 5th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) because most DMs (at that time) were older players who had played prior editions. The idea of “rereading a book you already know” caused issues because of rule changes. This is old news to me as I never read the 2nd Edition DMG when it came out.

As orisons were introduced in 2e Players Handbook—which I did read at the time—I decided to check the 2e DMG to see if it covered zero-level characters. Indeed, it did: more than half a page! Here is the introduction:

It goes on to cover Ability Scores and Proficiencies (weapon and non-weapon) which I am skipping here. It is worth reviewing the section on Hit Points:

Quite a range depending upon vocation. Basic D&D only had two categories: Normal Man (1d4) and Man-at-arms (1d4+3).

Clerics had to wait for the AD&D Second Edition supplemental rulebook Player’s Options: Spells & Magic for cantrips, there named orisons.

In both editions of AD&D, Cantrip/Orison was a first-level spell. That was the cost for them. A first-level caster got four cantrips for the expenditure of a first-level spell. Thus the three grades of zero-level magic-user granting use of 1, 2, and 3 cantrips per day. This can easily be mirrored for clerics.