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Post by waysoftheearth on Jan 23, 2010 1:40:03 GMT -6
I just happened upon a small quirk of S&W, and thought it worth mentioning...
Both the Core Rules and White Box versions of S&W list the Medusa as a 6 HD monster.
But as far as I can tell the Medusa was listed as a 4 HD monster throughout the ODD, Holmes, B/X and BECMI eras. The earliest reference to a 6 HD Medusa I could find was in the 2nd print AD&D Monster Manual (I don't have a 1st print).
I wonder whether it a conscious decision to make the S&W Medusa a 6 HD monster?
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bat
Level 4 Theurgist
Mostly Chaotic
Posts: 144
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Post by bat on Jan 23, 2010 14:45:25 GMT -6
Have you ever had to deal with a medusa?
Hooboy! 6HD all the way.
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Post by verhaden on Jan 23, 2010 14:46:50 GMT -6
6 HD in the 1st edition AD&D Monster's Manual.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jan 23, 2010 16:58:23 GMT -6
6 HD in the 1st edition AD&D Monster's Manual. Yes, I should have been clearer. I have a 2nd print of the 1st edition MM. I don't think it is likely to have changed between the 1st and 2nd print, but you never know... |
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jan 23, 2010 17:55:48 GMT -6
Have you ever had to deal with a medusa? Hooboy! 6HD all the way. No, not personally. That is what heroes and wizards are for  Bat, I'm not sure if this is what you meant to imply, but the main difference I see between the 4 and 6 HD Medusa is when (in a PC's career) or where (in terms of dungeon levels) one might be encountered based on random encounter tables. The 6 HD monster is more likely to be encountered by, say, 4th to 6th level PCs, whereas the 4 HD monster is more likely to be encountered by, say, 2nd to 4th level PCs. Based on that (dubious?) analysis, you could say the 6 HD version is watered down compared to the 4 HD version. |
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Post by philotomy on Jan 23, 2010 19:52:12 GMT -6
Matt's initial draft of S&W (Core) was very AD&Dish, in many ways. It was kind of like "AD&D played B/X style." In subsequent drafts, he made it much more OD&Dish, but it's possible that some of the AD&Disms remained: this may be one of those. When WhiteBox was developed, the initial drafts were revisions of the Core document, backing farther into LBB territory. I suspect the medusa's hit dice was just one of those things that was left in. It probably wasn't a conscious decision, though. Had I noticed it in WB, I would have pointed it out (most of my input was to harass Marv with lists of stuff I thought strayed too far from the LBB). |
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Post by Finarvyn on Jan 23, 2010 20:07:29 GMT -6
I based the WB on Mythmere's Core rules, and honestly didn't go back to double-check some of that stuff. (I probably should have.) So, it's consistent but I guess not the same as OD&D.
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Post by danbuter on Jan 30, 2010 21:25:48 GMT -6
I have no problem with it being a 6 HD creature. I honestly wonder why people get so bent out of shape over such a minor detail.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jan 31, 2010 15:39:44 GMT -6
I wouldn't say I was bent out of shape over it, and I hope I didn't come across that way.
It was meant as an observation not a criticism. And I thought it interesting to ask after a little S&W history.
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