XP, Levels, Hit Dice/Hit Points, Fighting Capability; Annotated

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Statistics Regarding Classes

Even though every class rolls a six-sided dice for hit points, astute readers will note the hit die and hit point progressions are not even at all. 

For example, at third level both Fighting-Men and Clerics have 3 hit dice, Magic-Users have only 2. At ninth level Fighting-Men have 9 hit dice plus 8 hit points, Clerics have 7 HD plus 2 hit points, Magic-Users have 6 HD plus 4 hit points. 

These hit die and hit point differences are further magnified by differences in combat “to hit” progression, with Fighting-Men at the apex of combat ability and Magic-Users (and later, Thieves) at the bottom. The Cleric class’ lower hit dice are partially offset by a more rapid level advancement, they require fewer XP overall to advance in class than the Fighting-Men require.

Experience Points: almost as an aside, we received our first and only rules-based guideline for awarding experience points (XP). 

[…] a troll (which is a 7th-level monster, as it has over 6 hit dice) which is followed in the next sentence which is dealing with awarding XP: +700 for killing the troll. 

 

A year later in Supplement I: Greyhawk Gary makes the following observation before introducing a new XP awards table, emphasis is EGG’s: The awarding of experience points is often a matter of discussion, for the referee must make subjective judgments. Rather than the (ridiculous) 100 points per level for slain monsters, use the table below, dividing experience equally among all characters in the party involved. The typical caveats for adapting the game to fit one’s vision for a campaign aside? One might question the implication 100 XP/Hit Die is subjective, giving the plainly worded statement quoted above, regardless of the lack of emphasis granted by the rules. 

Levels: per Gygax, the Greyhawk campaign did not have characters of the levels mentioned here, that is, 20^th level and above. He allowed for the possibility in the rules, but always seemed to subtly (more or less) imply he found such game play as rather silly. As an example, peruse this quote by Tim Kask and taken from the Foreword to Supplement VII: Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes: 

This volume is something else, also: our last attempt to reach the “Monty Hall” DM’s. Perhaps now some of the ‘giveaway’ campaigns will look as foolish as they truly are. This is our last attempt to delineate the absurdity of 40+ level characters. When Odin, the All-Father has only(?) 300 hit points, who can take a 44th-level Lord seriously?

Dice for Accumulative Hits (Hit Dice): this is an attempt to clarify how hit dice are rolled. A common misinterpretation was, for example, rolling one die for first level, then 2 additional dice for second level, and so on. Another typical point of confusion was adding the hit die bonus, the Swashbuckler’s “+1” for example, to all the character’s accumulated hit dice. Yet another common error, one we ourselves encountered in the first game we ran, was equating hit points with hit dice. 

These common misinterpretations aside? What the rules do not clearly state is dice are cumulative and not rerolled in toto when gaining a level. EGG has confirmed the former as how he intended the game to play. The rules in general and this clarification specifically do leave interpretation open. 

Fighting Capability: Gygax intended the references to Chainmail as a draw for miniatures wargamers, some of whom looked down on OD&D and were hesitant to try the game. He is on record as never having used this for combat resolution, save for mass combat actions. Nor did Dave Arneson, who used it on a trial basis early in the development of his Blackmoor campaign but quickly discarded it. There is simply no basis, with all due apologies to the but the rules SAY crowd, for CM ever being a major factor in individual combat resolution in either Blackmoor or Greyhawk.