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Post by Zenopus on Jun 11, 2021 9:57:08 GMT -6
This phrase that appears on OD&D Vol 1 (Men & Magic) under the description for "Strength" has been used to support the argument that the ability score point swap is "virtual", i.e., only used to determine if you get the prime requisite bonus.
However, what I just noticed for the first time is that this phrase is *not* in the 1st printing of OD&D Vol 1. Which means that it was added at some later point, perhaps as a clarification, perhaps as a change. It may be tied to the new ability score modifiers for Strength in Greyhawk, which specify that the score must be "raw i.e. not altered by intelligence scores". This is the first point at which ability score modifiers for prime requisites really began to matter. The real/virtual swap is almost moot with respect to the LBBs because there are no modifiers for the primes anyway, with the possible exception of # of languages, but that could be considered a different category as it is not a modifier to a roll.
My question: in which printing was this statement added? I only have access to the 1st printing and a late print with Tolkien references.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jun 11, 2021 19:05:12 GMT -6
I can confirm the phrase does not appear in the 4th print and is then present in the 5th print (Dec 1975 according to acaeum).
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Post by aldarron on Jun 11, 2021 19:19:53 GMT -6
I don't know the answer but I can help narrow it down. The phrase is not in 2nd print either.
edit - oh Wote got the answer I see.
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Post by delta on Jun 12, 2021 7:17:12 GMT -6
Fascinating, another great catch!
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Post by Finarvyn on Jun 12, 2021 13:20:12 GMT -6
Fantastic find, and I think it does support the "virtual switch" interpretation, which is the way my group played prime requisites even though I'm pretty sure we played using 4th print (so the clarification wouldn't have been there yet). Or, maybe we started playing one way and then switched, since my set was 5th print and it's possible that we saw the addition there. Or maybe there was some mention in Strategic Review or Dragon? Not sure and I'll have to ask my old group to see if anyone remembers. It's been too many decades for me to recall for sure.
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