II-5: Monster Special Abilities, Attack/Defense, & Bandits; Annotated

Page 5

 

Special Ability: here we are told no player-character or creature in service to same can see in total darkness. Some referees have seen this as loophole. We ourselves used this to grant a “lower grade” version of infravision, as it was later to be known, to dwarves (because of their Chainmail description). 

 

Attack/Defense: states parenthetically [c]ombat is detailed in Book III. Spoiler alert! It is not. The QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS RULES published in the summer 1975 issue of The Strategic Review on pp. 3-4 would later provide that example. This would be based upon the CM system and not the alternate combat system as appearing in the rule books. 

 

Monster Descriptions

 

Bandits: not only useful for creating groups of bandits. The description also provides good guidelines for creating NPC parties by providing percentage chances for magical items, weapons, and armor.