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REVEALING NEW ARCANA
FOREWORD BY E. GARY GYGAX
It was with considerable reluctance that I went to the Unearthed
Arcania site at the request of Brenton Miller. Simply put, Brent
contacted me about doing a foreword for the new netbook being
readied. While there were many reasons for my hesitation, and
a large one was my having something less than enthusiasm for yet
another creative demand, my principle concern was with the nature
of the site. Of course, once I got there, I discovered to my great
delight there was no need for trepidation. Indeed, had my concern
been founded, you would not be reading this. Thankfully, this
is not a place to endlessly worry what I wrote or debate some
minutia found in the UNEARTHED ARCANA supplement. It is a place
for you, the creative and thoughtful game participant, to add
your own arcana to the library of lore for the AD&D game.
That such contributions are necessary seems evident. When it was
I who directed the shape of the game, there was a continual search
for improvement, so that rules would be better, options expanded,
and so forth. Second edition, regardless of my opinion of motives
or value, continued the changing nature of the game. Wizards of
the Coast has stated that a third edition of AD&D is now underway,
so the policy of maintaining the AD&D game as non-static and
changing continues. Chess is a game played on a board with clearly
defined limits, known pieces, and thus rules can be graven in
stone. RPGs have no boundaries save the extent of the imagination
of the participants, are directed by game masters, and so they
can never have absolutes.
Some ideas are better than others. When I wished to air a new
idea I had for the AD&D game, I had the luxury of publishing
it in DRAGON Magazine. Reader input then helped me to assess what
was proposed and make such changes as were necessary. That was
done with the intent of inserting the new material into the game.
Thus UNEARTHED ARCANA was published.
Here you have the forum for presenting your own ideas as to how
the fantasy role-playing game in general can be made better in
some way. I believe that be the matter a small thing or large,
such opportunity, and the realization through publication here,
is a tremendous benefit for all concerned. I urge all participants
to take advantage of the opportunity presented in all ways. Share
your creative thinking, read and utilize such material offered
as suits your game environment, and tell other enthusiasts about
this netbook. Imagine a readership numbered in the tens or even
hundreds of thousands! Quite possible, don't you think?
In any event, I can't resist contributing a couple of things to
the forum. One brief one is my own, the other drawn from a recent
email, and far more thought provoking than my own small matter…
Demihumans vs. Giants: Dwarves get a +4 in defense when being
attacked by giants, ogres, and other hulking members of the Giant
Class. Gnomes and halflings should have received this same benefit,
and it was purely a matter of overlooking this omission on my
part that they didn't. Why did I blow it? Because at the time,
I wasn't playing either race of character, and no other gamer
gave me a kick to call my attention to the fact that both were
small and likely as hard to strike as any dwarf. Gnomes and halflings
don't get the bonuses to fight, but they surely deserve them in
defense.
Next, I submit for consideration the thoughtful analysis of an
astute enthusiast. I take the liberty of so doing because I found
the suggestions compelling, and as they were directed to me, I
feel free to share them here, giving readers the benefit of knowing
the author's name, Jared Milne. Here is the substance of what
Jared had to offer in regards to demihumans in the AD&D game,
UNEARTHED ARCANA presentation, that consider the underlying assumption
that humans predominate and so must be assumed to have greater
potential for development than do the demihuman races:
Demihuman Level Limits: Here are three possible solutions that
should not throw things totally out of whack. Note that Unlimited
(U) scope is rearranged in places. I was a little puzzled by each
demihuman race getting Us as thieves, while in some cases not
getting them in classes that would fit them better, i.e., Gnome
Illusionists, Dwarf Fighters, and Elf/Half-elf rangers. Halflings
could keep U as thieves, because I thought it fit them well (that's
what comes of reading The Hobbit, I guess). The current limits
for those classes would go into the thief column.
1) Rearrange as above, but also switch gnome and half-elf assassin
and fighter limits. All else stands. I can't really see gnomes
following an assassin class, as most of them are NG or LG in alignment.
But then this doesn't take PCs into account. What is your opinion
on this?
2) Instead of giving Us to the requisite race/class combinations,
why not keep them at 15, but they can progress no further. As
for the other limits, take 2nd Edition stuff and tone it down
by 2, 3, or 4 times. Here is what such things would look like:
Dwarf: F 15, C 6, T 7, A 5
Elf: C 7, F 8, M-U 15, R 10, T 6, Cav 13, A 9
Gnome: F 8, I 15, T 8, C 7, A 6
Half-elf: B 12, C 15, F 9, M-U 7, D 8, T 6, R 9, A 6
Halfling: F 6, C 6, T 15, D 8
Under no circumstances can a demihuman advance beyond 15th
level. They can, however, progress beyond if single-classed and
possess scores of 16 or more in their prime requisite: 16, +1;
17, +2; 18, +3. % scores for fighters' strength allow another
+1 at 18/50, +2 at 18/76, and +3 at 18/00. Note that if you do
use this, the race and sex limits still apply, so a gnome fighter
could not work beyond 12th level.
3) Allow demihuman fighters to obtain XP beyond their maximum
level, but NO additional HP or saving throws. They can only progress
in THACO, and then only to 6, which is 2 worse than a human can
attain. Humans, of course, can continue without restriction in
any class of their choosing.
There you have it. Of course I am enthused about this netbook, for I believe in all that it stands for. That I to this day continue to engage in this sort of creative discourse and rule creation seems indicative of the nature of the RPG game form and its participants. Both are imaginative; each requires stimulation. Here you have the vehicle to serve those needs.
GARY GYGAX
March, 1998
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