Classes in Gygax's Campaign

[Falconer]

What classes were actually used in Gygax's original games (OD&D era Castle Greyhawk Campaign) as PCs?

Almost all you ever hear about are Magic-Users or Fighting Men.

There were maybe a couple of Clerics.

A Monk.

Possibly the occasional Elf or Dwarf.

I think that's about it. Anyone?

[blackmoor]

Hobbit, Magic-User, Fighter, Cleric, Monk, Elf and Dwarves were in Blackmoor which predate Greyhawk by over a year.

Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"

[Finarvyn]

Dec 30, 2008 15:45:54 GMT -6 blackmoor said:

Hobbit, Magic-User, Fighter, Cleric, Monk, Elf and Dwarves were in Blackmoor which predate Greyhawk by over a year.

Were elves and dwarves actual "classes" or just Fighters with special abilities?

What was done with the Monk class? Does it resemble the Monk given in the OD&D supplements or was it different?

[Falconer]

Mr. Arneson--

Thanks for the interesting info.

Did you have Paladins, Rangers, and Assassins in your campaign previous to the published classes?

What can you tell us about Merchants and the Sages?

By the way, I didn't mean to imply that Gygax's campaign was the original campaign. I meant in contrast to Gygax's later AD&D-era campaigning (which included Gnomes, Thief-Acrobats, Half-Elf Druid/Rangers...).

[geoffrey]

I remember Gary saying on his ENWorld Q&A thread that almost no one played a thief. If a thief was needed, an NPC thief was typically hired.

Also, it makes sense that most Greyhawk players would play human characters, given the very low level limits for demi-humans in OD&D. Demi-humans would run out of steam very fast, while the humans just kept going.

[Finarvyn]

Dec 30, 2008 17:34:39 GMT -6 geoffrey said:

Also, it makes sense that most Greyhawk players would play human characters, given the very low level limits for demi-humans in OD&D. Demi-humans would run out of steam very fast, while the humans just kept going.

But in Dave's campaign I think there were three primary levels of character: Flunky, Hero, and Super Hero. Demi-human limits might not have been much of an issue at that point.

[grodog]

I've never heard of any thief PCs---famous or otherwise. The "Mystic Traders" were mentioned by Gary in a few places, and were basically con artists/thieves, but I don't know if they were classed as thieves or not.

There was definitely at least one paladin (Ayelerach/Ayelerarch [which version is right Scott?]), and there was an assassin in Faceless Men & Clockwork Monsters, too (Scrag Flatchet).

[Ghul]

Jan 1, 2009 19:24:01 GMT -6 grodog said:

I've never heard of any thief PCs---famous or otherwise. The "Mystic Traders" were mentioned by Gary in a few places, and were basically con artists/thieves, but I don't know if they were classed as thieves or not.

There was definitely at least one paladin (Ayelerach/Ayelerarch [which version is right Scott?]), and there was an assassin in Faceless Men & Clockwork Monsters, too (Scrag Flatchet).

Ayelarach



I corresponded with A. Mark Ratner several times while developing Castle Zagyg. He was a very interesting interview subject with his own unique memories regarding how some of those Lake Geneva games played out.