Again, Confounded Rules! Exploring More Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Rules

Another in-depth look at some troublesome rules in First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

By R. Nelson Bailey

First Edition Player Handbook.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) is a gloriously sprawling game, and with that scope comes more than a few puzzling, oddly phrased, or hard-to-find rules. Some of these quirks stem from old printing errors, some from vague wording, and others from information tucked away in unexpected corners of the books. This article shines a light on several of those murkier areas — clarifying how the rules function as written, exploring why they may have been included, and pointing to where the official answers can be found.

The purpose here is not to insist that you must use these rules exactly as written. AD&D has always been a game shaped at the table, and your group’s traditions are every bit as valid as what appears in print. Think of this instead as a guided tour through the game’s back alleys and forgotten rooms — a chance to rediscover details you may have overlooked, interpreted differently, or intentionally set aside. Most of the topics discussed arose from situations in my own campaigns or from questions players have raised over the years. A deeper understanding of the system’s foundations ultimately gives both DMs and players more tools — and more freedom — to shape the game in the way they enjoy most.

The rules often prove challenging to understand for several reasons, the most common being:

1. Omission: Key concepts are left out, either in part or entirely.

2. Clarity: Explanations are sparse, overwrought, or muddled.

3. Inaccuracy: Typographical errors or incorrect information appear.

4. Organization: Details are scattered across multiple sections or even multiple books.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read this article’s companion piece, Confounded Rules!. Like this one, it examines and explains some of AD&D’s trickier rules.

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Cavalier Hit Dice

The First Edition Cavalier is a tough character class with an impressive array of special abilities. Amongst these is the ability to increase character attributes. Unearthed Arcana notes that Cavaliers use a d12 for Hit Dice generation.[1] However, this is incorrect. As clarified in the article “Arcana Update, Part 1,” Cavaliers actually use a d10 for Hit Point determination.[2]

[1] Gary Gygax, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Unearthed Arcana (TSR, 1985), p. 15.

[2] Kim Mohan, “Arcana Update, Part 1,” (Dragon, Issue 103, Nov. 1985), p. 13.

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Dragon Issues

Rules governing dragons in First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons have long vexed Dungeon Masters. The chief source of contention stems from pervasive ambiguity in their ability descriptions. Two of the most problematic areas are dragon Hit Dice and spellcasting level.

Hit Dice

Each dragon in First Edition has a range of three Hit Dice listed in its monster statistics. For example, a blue dragon has a Hit Dice range of “8–10” (i.e., 8, 9, or 10). The general description notes that three sizes exist: “small,” “average,” and “huge.” The Dungeon Master determines a dragon’s size by rolling a d8. Finally, dragons progress through eight growth stages that determine their Hit Points.

The problem lies in the text’s ambiguity regarding how a dragon’s Hit Dice correspond to its size. Does this mean there are three distinct types of dragons (i.e., small, medium, and large), each with its own Hit Dice? Does each type go through all eight growth stages? The answer is found on p. 29 of the Monster Manual: “This size determination indicates the number of hit dice a dragon has.” This murky statement suggests that as a dragon ages, it increases both in size and in Hit Dice. Thus, a small dragon has the lowest Hit Dice listed; an average dragon has the middle value; and a huge dragon has the highest.

Spellcasting Level

Another issue with dragons is that the Monster Manual does not specify the level at which they cast spells. Is it equal to their Hit Dice? Their age group? Some other measure? The column Dispel Confusion in Polyhedron #20 provides an answer — though ironically, a confusing one. It states that a dragon’s spellcasting ability “…is a function of the spell level that they can cast. If a dragon can use 4th-level spells, that is also the level of its ability.”

But what exactly does this mean? Does the dragon cast 4th-level spells as a 4th-level caster? Or does it cast them at the minimum level required to use such spells — i.e., as a 7th-level caster? The former seems far too low for a creature of such magical power. The latter makes more sense and better aligns with other spellcasting monsters. Dispel Confusion further notes that the Dungeon Master has the authority to adjust a dragon’s spellcasting level upward in the case of a “particularly old dragon.”

Encumbrance is a game abstraction that encompasses “the combined weight and relative bulkiness of the item.” 

Encumbrance

You might recall an article concerning the weight of a gold coin that appeared in issue 80 of Dragon magazine. Titled “How Many Coins in a Coffer?”, the article explores the size of a gold coin when ten of them equal one pound in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game.[3] [4] The author makes a strong effort to estimate the size and weight of coins based on the density of the metal. According to the article, a gold coin would have to be quite large to weigh one-tenth of a pound.

However, this thesis contains a fatal flaw that renders it useless to players. The problem is that Gold Piece (G.P.) weight is not a measure of the actual weight of a coin or object. Instead, it measures encumbrance — a game abstraction that encompasses “the combined weight and relative bulkiness of the item.” [5] For example, a staff has a listed weight of 100 gold pieces, or 10 encumbrance pounds. Because encumbrance accounts for both weight and bulk, a staff made of Styrofoam would still have the same G.P. weight.

Why, then, did the author misinterpret this rule when the rulebooks clearly state that encumbrance does not equate to literal weight?[6] The problem stems from the rules using “pounds” as the unit for gold piece weight. When players read the rules incompletely — or fail to grasp the abstraction — they can easily mistake “pounds” as a reference to actual weight rather than encumbrance.

This serves as an excellent example of how erroneous rules propagate in role-playing games. It often begins with a Dungeon Master who ignores or misinterprets a rule. That misunderstanding is then passed on to players, who in turn spread it to other groups, perpetuating the error. The lesson here is clear: both DMs and players must read the rulebooks thoroughly rather than rely on secondhand explanations. A solid grasp of the rules only improves play.

[3] Gary Gygax, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook (TSR, 1978), p. 103.

[4] Gary Gygax, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide (TSR, 1979), p. 225.

[5] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, 225.

[6] A letter in Dragon, Issue 122 (Oct. 1987), p. 10, makes the same mistake, criticizing the use of gold as a weight measure.

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Experience Points

Experience Points (XP) measure a character’s ability in their chosen class,[7] and acquiring them through defeating monsters and gaining treasure is the primary goal of the game.[8] In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, calculating XP may sound simple enough. The Dungeon Master tallies up the total XP value of all the monsters slain and the gold piece value of all the treasure taken during the adventure. The DM then divides it among all the player characters in the party, with a portion going to henchmen (who most certainly did not earn their share!). Done and done.

Ha-ha! — just kidding. Of course, it’s not that simple. Yet this is how most DMs handle the collection and division of XP. In fact, I would be surprised if many used the actual method as spelled out in the Dungeon Masters Guide.[9] While the above approach is technically correct, the DM must also consider several additional factors when awarding XP:

1. Adjusting Experience. The DM adjusts the amount of XP earned for monsters slain or treasure gained in comparison to the level of the characters.[10] In short, characters gain less XP if they are significantly more powerful than the foes they defeat. A single goblin defeated by a 10th-level fighter is hardly an even match. In such cases, characters might gain only half the normal XP — or even less — depending on circumstances.

2. Magic Items. Magic items have a set XP value, which applies only if the player characters keep the item. If sold instead, the party gains XP equal to the G.P. value of the sale.[11]

3. Character Performance. Once XP is earned and calculated, the DM is under no obligation to award it immediately. The DM must first assess each player’s performance, ranging from “excellent” to “poor.” Poor players are those who fail to adhere to their class role — for example, a cleric who neglects to heal or assist the party. This assessment is entirely subjective. Its intended purpose is to alert weaker players to their shortcomings so that they might improve. In practice, however, this often breeds resentment among players who feel cheated out of XP.

4. Training. Characters must undergo training before leveling up, provided they have accumulated enough XP. Each character must pay for each week of training, with costs increasing at higher levels. The number of weeks required depends on the character’s performance in their last adventure(s). Characters who perform well require minimal training, while those who perform poorly must spend more time and money. And what is the point of this training? Simply put, it serves to drain surplus funds, compelling characters to continue adventuring. (See “Upkeep” below for more about this.)

5. Other Experience. Characters typically gain XP for slaying monsters or recovering treasure (and yes, the treasure must be taken, not merely found).[12] However, the DM may also award XP for defeating monsters without combat, capturing or ransoming foes, overcoming traps or tricks that guard treasure, or solving problems through “professional means.” [13] [14] The rules, however, give no guidance on how to calculate such awards. XP is not given for characters practicing their skills. As noted in the Dungeon Masters Guide, players only gain experience through adventuring. Anything else, the book warns, would be “conducive to non-game boredom!” [15]

[7] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 106.

[8] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 91. 

[9] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, pp. 84-86.

[10] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, pp. 84-85.

[11] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 121.

[12] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 85.

[13] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 84.

[14] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 106.

[15] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 85.

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Find the Path

You might have heard this one before. The adventurers stand at the entrance of a dungeon — let’s say it’s the Tomb of Horrors. The cleric casts find the path. Voilà! The party now has what seems like an express ticket to the end of the dungeon. The spell, supposedly, lets them bypass all those time- and resource-draining rooms they would otherwise need to explore to reach Acererak’s vault.

I hardly need to say that this is a gross misinterpretation of how the spell actually functions. First, the spell lasts only 10 rounds per level of experience. In First Edition AD&D, dungeon movement is slow — characters move only 10 feet per turn for each 1″ of movement rate. Thus, a party with a Move Rate of 9″ covers only 90 feet per turn.[16] When guided by find the path, they can move five times faster, or 450 feet per turn. Even so, when factoring in encounters, secret doors, traps, and similar obstacles, the party will not travel far before the spell expires.

Once the spell ends, the cleric forgets the route to the location or object sought.[17] The caster must also have a specific destination in mind — not a vague notion such as “the end of the dungeon.” The spell allows the caster to “find a way to a locale or area,” such as the nearest pool of water,[18] but it cannot pinpoint specific sites such as “Acererak’s vault.”

[16] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 102.

[17] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 51.

[18] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 42.

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Gaze Attacks

How a monster’s gaze attack functions is another source of confusion for Dungeon Masters. The rulebooks tell us that monsters such as basilisks and vampires possess gaze attacks and describe their effects — but that’s all. The unaddressed question is: do gaze attacks affect a single target or multiple ones?

Dispel Confusion in Polyhedron addressed this issue twice.[19] [20] Both answers note that gaze attacks affect only one target at a time. Related to this are rules concerning whether a target meets the gaze of a monster. These can be found in the dracolisk entry in Monster Manual II (p. 55), REF1 Dungeon Masters Screen, and module S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

[19] “Dispel Confusion” (Polyhedron, Issue 10, 1983), p. 6.

[20] “Dispel Confusion” (Polyhedron, Issue 2, 1981), p. 3.

Missile Weapon Targeting

In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, fired and thrown weapons — such as arrows, axes, spears, and sling bullets — offer advantages in range and rate of fire that melee weapons lack. They also strike before melee weapons in the initiative order.[21] Left unchecked, these weapons could easily dominate the game. However, the rules include a built-in check: combatants using missile weapons cannot strike a specific target engaged in melee.[22]

Instead, the Dungeon Master assigns values based on the size of all participants in the melee, then rolls randomly to determine which combatant the missile strikes — friend or foe alike.[23] The rationale is that participants in melee are constantly moving, shifting, and jockeying for position. An attacker’s stance is fluid. During each round, they roll, duck, dive, and dodge to avoid blows or deliver their own. They do not stand stock-still, trading punches like Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots. Thus, a designated target can easily move out of the path of a missile before it lands. The errant shot then risks striking another combatant, possibly even one of the shooter’s allies.

The module A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords offers a simplified version of the rules for firing into melee.[24] While similar to those found in the Dungeon Masters Guide, it allows players to select a specific target. In this system, the DM assigns a value to the target and to all other nearby combatants based on size. Each value represents a chance to be struck by the missile.

For example: A halfling thief hurls a sling bullet at an ogre locked in combat with an allied human fighter and two enemy orcs. Being Medium-sized creatures, the human and the two orcs each receive a target value of 1, while the Large-sized ogre counts as 1½. The DM then rolls a d10 to determine the actual target of the attack:

1–3 = Ogre

4–5 = Orc

6–7 = Orc

8–9 = Fighter

10 = Re-roll

[21] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 61.

[22] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 63.

[23] Characters can target very large opponents, however, without the danger of striking others.

[24] Allen Hammack, A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords (TSR, 1981), p. 23.

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Opening Doors

Whilst creeping through a dungeon, the party’s thief scouts out a closed door. The player announces that their character quietly opens it to peek inside. The Dungeon Master calls for an Open Doors roll.

“You had me roll to open the last five doors? They can’t all be stuck,” the player scoffs.

“It’s a regular door. Just roll the die,” the DM replies.

So what exactly is going on here? The reason the DM calls for an Open Doors roll on an ordinary-looking door is that, in dungeons, all doors are considered stuck. As such, every door requires a successful roll to open.[25] Furthermore, dungeon inhabitants are exempt from this rule. Thus, it might take a player character three or four attempts to force a door open — while a lone kobold could slip through the same door with ease.

What is the point of this odd rule? Without it, a well-organized party could ransack a dungeon with relative ease. The rule serves to slow exploration, limit the players’ ability to fling doors open at will, and prevent them from surprising every monster lurking behind the next portal.

An amusing bit of trivia: the average dungeon door is listed as 8 feet wide [26] — roughly the size of a barn door!

[25] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 97.

[26] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 97.

Poison

The First Edition Monster Manual contains many creatures with poisonous attacks — bites, stings, gas, and so forth. In most cases, however, the book fails to specify what the poison actually does to a victim. For example, the iron golem entry simply notes that it can breathe “a cloud of poisonous gas” once every seven rounds. And that’s all.

So what are the effects of poison in First Edition? The answer: Unless stated otherwise, poison kills anyone who fails their saving throw. As the Dungeon Masters Guide explains: “The poison of monsters, regardless of its pluses or minuses to the victim’s saving throw, is an all-or-nothing affair. That is, either they do no damage, or they kill the victim.” [27]

First Edition doesn’t mess around. Finito.

[27] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 20.

Maybe you’ve wondered why there was a separate saving throw for devices that typically duplicate spell effects?

Save vs. Rod, Staff, or Wand

The saving throw versus Rods, Staffs, or Wands was a staple of Dungeons & Dragons from its inception in 1974 until the release of Third Edition in 2000. It appeared in the Original D&D game (the “brown books”), “Basic” D&D, and the First and Second Editions of AD&D.

Maybe you’ve wondered why there was a separate saving throw for these devices, which typically duplicate spell effects. At first glance, it seems superfluous — even nonsensical — to have a separate save for devices. However, there was a sound reason for its inclusion. You might have noticed that these saving throws are always one point better than a save versus Spells. This demonstrates that the magical power imbued in devices is weaker than that of a cast or innate spell. For example, a staff’s powers are equivalent to spells cast by an 8th-level caster, while wands are limited to 6th-level spells.[28] Another indication of this principle can be seen in the Hit Dice of conjured elementals: a magic-user casting conjure elemental can summon the most powerful type (16 Hit Dice), while those conjured through a staff are limited to weaker ones (8 Hit Dice).

So, why are cast spells more powerful than those from devices? The rationale lies in D&D’s spellcasting system. Magic-users — and, to a lesser extent, clerics — are subject to many restrictions designed to preserve game balance.[29] Spellcasters must declare and memorize (or pray for) their daily spells,[30] and they can lose them if disrupted in combat.[31] Magic-users must keep a spellbook, which can be stolen, lost, or destroyed;[32] they must successfully learn a spell, and are limited in how many they can know.[33] They must also have spell components — often expensive ones — readily available.[34] Clerics must carry a holy symbol to cast many spells,[35] and their gods may withhold spells if they stray from alignment, or deny specific spells if the request conflicts with divine goals.[36]

The purpose of these restrictions is to prevent spellcasters from overshadowing other classes, especially at higher levels. This is where devices such as rods, staffs, and wands — along with scrolls and potions — come into play. These items fill the gap created by spellcasting restrictions. While a 3rd-level magic-user has little innate spellcasting ability, the game assumes this weakness is balanced by access to spell-mimicking devices. Since such items are limited in power, expendable, and subject to destruction or loss, they cannot overpower the game in the long term. This also explains why devices are weaker than cast spells.

That’s all well and good — but why not just give everyone a +1 bonus on their save versus Spells when attacked by a wand, instead of having a separate saving throw category? The answer lies in D&D’s earliest days. In the “brown books,” saving throw modifiers were uncommon. Only a handful of spells and items granted bonuses or penalties. Thus, the separate saving throw versus Rods, Staffs, or Wands was essentially an anachronism — an artifact of the game’s evolution. Personally, I think this category adds to the unique charm of First Edition AD&D.

[28] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, pp. 133 & 135.

[29] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 100.

[30] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 40.

[31] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 65.

[32] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 25.

[33] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 10.

[34] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 40.

[35] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 20.

[36] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 40.

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Shamans & Witch Doctors

The Dungeon Masters Guide lists the types of humanoids and giants who have tribal spellcasters.[37] Shamans are clerics of limited spellcasting ability, while witch doctors are multi-class cleric/magic-users of a similar type. The book notes that some of these spellcasters can reach the 7th level of experience. However, it fails to specify how many extra Hit Dice these spellcasters gain per level. Do they progress the same as their equivalent character classes? Or do they gain none at all?

As with many rules in AD&D, the answer lies in another book — in this case, Deities & Demigods (later Legends & Lore). The introductory section of the “Nonhuman Deities” chapter states that they accumulate roughly 1d4 extra hit points per level of experience and attack one Hit Dice higher for every two levels gained.[38]

[37] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 40.

[38] James M. Ward & Robert J. Kuntz, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Deities & Demigods (TSR, 1980), p. 105 (or 90).

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Subduing Player Characters

Rising from behind the blood-stained altar, the gloating priest points a bony digit toward the band of adventurers who have profaned his god’s unholy fane. With a withering glare, he hisses at his guards, “Capture them! More sacrifices for the demon prince!” Unheedingly obeying his command, his devotees lurch forward, the flats of their blades ready to subdue the interlopers.

This scenario seems reasonable. After all, a villain knocking out and capturing a protagonist is a familiar trope in fantasy literature that influenced Dungeons & Dragons — from the orcs capturing Merry and Pippin in The Lord of the Rings to Thongor being captured in seemingly every other chapter of Lin Carter’s series.

One problem: monsters and NPCs cannot subdue player characters. That is, they cannot intentionally knock them unconscious by nonlethal means.[39] The rules do not explain why, but it likely has to do with the fact that captives must “submit” to the will of their captor.[40] This would rob heroes of their agency, as players are always the final arbiters of their characters’ actions.

Still, enemies have other means of taking characters alive. They can capture them with spells such as hold person, with confining traps, or simply by reducing them to zero hit points in the usual way.

[39] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 67.

[40] Gygax, Unearthed Arcana, p. 109.

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Surprise

In the First Edition game, gaining surprise over an opponent is paramount in melee. The results of a surprise roll can tip the balance of power decisively, often with dire results for the loser. The effects of surprise in First Edition are significantly harsher than in Second Edition AD&D (one free action; no spellcasting allowed; +1 “to hit;” no AC bonus for high Dexterity) or “Basic” D&D (one full round of move and attack). Unsurprisingly, the surprise rules in the First Edition rulebooks are complex and murky, leaving many DMs with questions.

Here is a walkthrough of how surprise works in First Edition AD&D. In this example, a group of adventurers encounters a 10-headed hydra in a dungeon.

1. Surprise Conditions

Each encounter has different circumstances that influence the surprise roll. Depending on the situation, surprise might not even be possible for one side — or for either side. Conditions include line of sight, noise, light, and distance, as noted on p. 62 of the Dungeon Masters Guide. While the rulebooks list factors that affect surprise, they provide no fixed modifiers. For example, if the party makes noise, the rules do not specify whether soft noises impose +1 or loud noises impose +2. Instead, the DM must adjudicate.

The only explicit example given is that a party that is both silent and invisible surprises an opponent on a roll of 1–4 on a d6 instead of the standard 1–2.[41]

2. Rolling Dice

Under normal conditions, each side rolls a d6. A result of 1–2 indicates surprise. Situational modifiers may expand or reduce that range.

1. Party: Because they carry light, must open a door, and face a relatively silent hydra, their chance to be surprised increases to 1–5 on a d6.

2. Hydra: Under the same conditions, the party surprises the hydra only on a roll of 1.

3. The Roll: The party rolls a 1, and the hydra rolls a 5. The party is therefore surprised. This equates to four lost segments (5 – 1 = 4; see DMG, p. 62).

3. Actions

The hydra now has four full segments to act — one full action for each segment the party loses.[42] During this time, the adventurers remain inactive. The hydra can perform any action on the initiative steps list.[43] Because it is only 10 feet from the door, it is already in striking distance and does not need to spend segments moving closer.

It opts to attack, making a full routine of attacks during each segment. With ten heads, the hydra delivers 40 attacks over the four surprise segments! Clearly, being surprised can have deadly consequences.

Other Considerations

• Surprise Chance. Some monsters (e.g., bugbears, doppelgangers), races (e.g., elves, halflings), and classes (e.g., rangers, monks) have unique base chances to surprise opponents and/or resist surprise.

• Reaction Adjustment. Dexterity reaction adjustment increases or reduces the number of surprise segments.[44]

• Missile Weapons. Attackers with missile weapons ready may fire at triple their normal rate of fire when they gain surprise.[45] Thus, a character with a bow handy could fire six arrows per surprise segment.

• Spells. Casting time is subtracted from the available surprise segments. If a spell is short enough to complete within those segments, it is cast during the surprise round; longer spells may be started but only take effect in the following round. A spellcaster may cast only one spell during a surprise round, regardless of its casting time.

[41] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 103.

[42] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 71.

[43] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 61. See steps A to H.

[44] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 62.

[45] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 62.

Turning Undead

One peculiarity of First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is that the books often speak to the reader as if they are already familiar with the rules. Because of this, explanations often fail to present the procedures in full. Instead, they provide partial answers scattered across multiple sections and even multiple books. Nowhere is this more evident than with the clerical ability to turn undead. To fully understand how a cleric turns undead, a Dungeon Master must consult five separate areas spread across two rulebooks.[46]

The rules clearly address how many undead a cleric can turn and which types are affected. However, they leave unanswered many practical questions about the mechanics of turning. Does a cleric always need a holy symbol? Must they see the undead? Is speaking required? What is the range? Is turning their only action for the round? Can they attempt it more than once? What happens if the turned undead are attacked?

Below is a summary of these unresolved issues:

1. Holy Symbol. A cleric must have a holy symbol to turn undead.[47] Higher-level clerics and paladins may attempt to turn without one, but at greatly reduced chances.[48]

2. Line of Sight. A cleric must see and face the target — undead hidden from view cannot be turned.[49] Turning can only occur “in one direction at a time.” [50] No official range is given, though the undead must be within sight and hearing — roughly 90 feet or so, depending on circumstances.

3. Speech. The cleric must be able to speak.[51] [52]

4. Action Economy. Turning is the cleric’s only action that round.[53] [54] It occurs at “Step D” of the combat round simultaneously with missile fire, device use, and spell discharge.[55] Thus, a cleric may lose initiative before the turn attempt occurs.[56]

5. Effects. Successfully turned undead move away at full speed for 3d4 rounds and will not return to the cleric who turned them.[57] Turning does not make them passive; if cornered, the undead will defend themselves.

6. Attempts. A cleric gets only one attempt per type of undead encountered. However, if the same undead are reencountered later, the cleric may attempt to turn them anew.[58]

[46] In case you are interested, these areas are: 1) PHB, p. 20; 2) PHB, p. 104; 3) DMG, pp. 61; 4) DMG, pp. 65-66; 5) DMG, pp. 75-76.

[47] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 104.

[48] REF 5 Lords of Darkness (TSR, 1988), p. 86.

[49] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 104.

[50] REF 5 Lords of Darkness, p. 38.

[51] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 104.

[52] Dispel Confusion in Polyhedron, Issue 17, p. 31, erroneously states that clerics can turn undead in silence and that doing so does not count as an action for the round.

[53] Gygax, Players Handbook, p. 104.

[54] “Sage Advice” (Dragon, Issue 42, October 1980), p. 22.

[55] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 61.

[56] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 61.

[57] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 76.

[58] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 76.

Adventurers must keep moving. Few ever retire from the adventuring life. Most end up dead — or broke.

Upkeep Costs

One little-known — and even less often used — rule in the First Edition AD&D is that of upkeep costs. As detailed in the Dungeon Masters Guide, all player characters must spend 100 gold pieces per level of experience each month of game time for “support, upkeep, equipment, and entertainment expense.” [59] In short, this is the cost of being a character-class adventurer.

The rationale is that adventurers are “a free-wheeling and high-living lot.” Think of Robert E. Howard’s stories, in which Conan quickly burns through his money on wine, women, and gambling. This expense comes on top of taxes, hireling wages, equipment purchases, tithes, spell components, bribes, and countless other costs.

Furthermore, as adventurers rise in level, so too does their reputation. Well-known heroes constantly face petitions from common folk who idolize them — whether to pay for drinks, provide alms, or host grand parties. (This ties into an often-neglected aspect of role-playing games: reputation, and a character’s place within society.)

Players almost uniformly dislike this rule. They often look as if the DM slapped them in the face when told they must part with their hard-earned gold and get nothing tangible in return. Yet there is good reason for it: upkeep costs keep adventurers hungry for more treasure, ensuring they must continue to adventure. Characters should never be able “to obtain all of the goods they would like to feel safe and satisfied.” Instead, they must keep moving. Few ever retire from the adventuring life. Most end up dead — or broke. Such is the fate of those who choose the path of the adventurer.

[59] Gygax, Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 25.

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Closing Thoughts

The First Edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons remains a fascinating mix of brilliance and bewilderment. For every inspired mechanic that enriches immersion, there is another rule that obscures more than it clarifies. Yet this “confounded” nature of AD&D is part of its enduring charm: it requires Dungeon Masters to adjudicate, interpret, and, at times, invent.

While the rules are often ambiguous, hidden answers do exist — tucked away in an obscure paragraph, buried in a different book, or clarified in an old magazine column. Discovering them is part of the game’s peculiar treasure hunt, rewarding persistence with insight.

In the end, these gaps are not simply flaws but invitations to creativity — ensuring that every campaign is truly unique.

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