od&d character classes/roles… First, however, it is necessary to describe fully the roles possible. (“fully” 🙄 )

I am reading the od&d rules (the version easily available from drivethru) and am amazed by some of the word choices. So, here you go with some commentary on what “fully” seems to have meant in 1974 or whenever. (Fully… means: scores of words! good luck!… I might start subtitling all my things “OSR compliant: Good Luck!)

CHARACTERS: There are three (3) main classes of characters: Fighting-Men Magic-Users Clerics Fighting-Men includes the characters of elves and dwarves and even halflings. Magic-Users includes only men and elves. Clerics are limited to men only. All non-human players are restricted in some aspects and gifted in others. This will be dealt with in the paragraphs pertaining to each non-human type.

Fighting-Men: about 120 words.

Magic-Users: about 250 words, about half of them explaining the other half by way of examples

Clerics: about 200 words, sort of splits the difference between fighting-men and magic-users

Dwarves: about 100 words

Elves: about 100 words, switch between fighting-men and magic users between session!

Halflings: about 50 words, about half indicating what a poor option they are

Other Character Types (worth quoting in full, because whoa!): There is no reason that players cannot be allowed to play as virtually anything, provided they begin relatively weak and work up to the top, i.e., a player wishing to be a Dragon would have to begin as, let us say, a “young” one and progress upwards in the usual manner, steps being predetermined by the campaign referee.

I think the part I love best is: “your player wants to play an X? Let ’em, don’t be a jerk. Good luck!”