{"id":96,"date":"2015-01-11T15:48:07","date_gmt":"2015-01-11T15:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/woodyfolsom.net\/blog\/?p=96"},"modified":"2015-01-11T15:49:46","modified_gmt":"2015-01-11T15:49:46","slug":"the-party-reaches-level-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodyfolsom.net\/blog\/?p=96","title":{"rendered":"The Party Reaches Level Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

After clearing the eastern half of the slums, the party reached level 2.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/dt>\n
Ding!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

A few reloads were needed when the Thief and Magic-User received a paltry few hit points each, but with the hefty bonus from 18 CON, I did not sweat only increasing the three fighters’ hit points by 10-13. \u00a0Why three fighters?<\/p>\n

I decided at the beginning of this 4-game campaign that I wanted to finish Pools of Darkness with the same 6 characters who entered Phlan at level 1. \u00a0This has significant ramifications in regard to party make-up.<\/p>\n

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  1. No Paladin, because I cannot dual-class to to this class in Curse of the Azure Bonds, although 1st edition* pen & paper rules should allow this<\/li>\n
  2. I could dual class to Ranger in CotAB, but I want to switch from a fighter class, not toan anemic Magic-User\/Fighter with a nature fetish.<\/li>\n
  3. Multi-classing is Right Out** due to the severe level limit restrictions for non human player characters (other than the Thief class).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    *The gold box games are plainly based on first edition although they were published during the heyday of AD&D 2nd ed. \u00a0At least the rules are not as broken as in Pool of Radiance 2, but that is a topic for another post.<\/p>\n

    **I can and did beat Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds with non-human and multi-class characters way back in 1990, only to find that level restrictions becoming a real problem in Secret of the Silver Blades. \u00a0Completing Pools of Darkness with a full party of non-humans would have been a daunting task indeed. \u00a0In fact, the hint book for PoD cautions the player against attempting this.<\/p>\n

    What do these constraints mean? \u00a0Dual classes for everyone! \u00a0Getting a few levels of fighter makes an enormous difference to the hit point pool for my combat casters, and a fighter\/cleric makes a passable (arguably even better) Paladin. \u00a0No lay on hands? No problem — \u00a0I’ll just cast an extra Cure Critical Wounds! \u00a0For maximum versatility, my dual class player characters will have varying levels of Fighter experience.<\/p>\n