From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: AD&D: Problems with 1st ed. Bard
Date: 6 Apr 92 20:18:31 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

sue%miracle@merk.com (The Dragon Queen) writes:
>This guy is running a Bard, using the 1st edition rules.  Here's the
>first problem:  Every other character in the game is using 2nd edition
>rules -- should I make this guy change his character to 2nd ed., too?
This is up to you.  It's your campaign, and if you want him to be a 2nd ed.
Bard, then give him the option of transferring the character, or of creating
a new character.
[stuff on 1st ed bard removed]
>This guy has acheived Bard
>status, but is also an MU, so he's also got spells and a Foo-Dog familiar,
>which makes him _really_ powerful.  Is he allowed to be a mage like this?
NO, he isn't In order to dual-class, you must be between 5th and 9th level in
your original class (thus the bard goes from fighter to thief between 5th and
8th, switching to bard after passing this level as a thief).  Since Bard is not
the original class (fighter was), he cannot be an MU also.  If he started as a 
magic user, then switched to Fighter, then he cannot switch the second time to
thief.  The only time a human can change class twice (other than via a WISH 
spell) is when going the fighter-thief-bard route.

>Also, I just noticed a couple of other things.  For one, he was supposed
>to start training as a Druid when he official became a Bard -- he hasn't
>been doing this.  Also, when you change classes to be a Bard (from fighter
>to thief, from thief to Bard/Druid) you keep the previous class abilities,
>but you aren't supposed to continue gaining experience for those previous
>classes, are you?  He's still running the character as Fighter/Thief/Bard,
>and is dividing his experience so that all classes gain.  And this on top
>of the mage class.....
NO! the bard has it's own experience table, and its own hit dice.  The other 
classes do not gain experience.  The bard is NOT triple classed.  The bard is 
a single class which you work up to through the others.
>One more thing:  1st edition Bards are always supposed to be Neutral
>alignment - says so on page 117, just in case you want to check.....He
>was neutral, I think.....but a few months ago he changed his alignment
>to Chaotic Good so that he could get a good, i.e. powerful, familiar.
>The other stuff I'm not sure of, but this has _got_ to be against _any_
>DM's rules.....isn't it?
If you want to allow it, that's up to you.  But I would say definitely not. The
first ed. bard is powerful enough as it is, and in any event, he shouldn't be
a magic user anyway. (see above)
>Is it just me, or has this character gotten totally, rediculously out of
>hand?
He has.(no need to elaborate)
>PLEASE -- Email me with any ideas you have as to what to do with this guy.
>The only solution I can see is to kill him.....but I don't want to be
>totally unfair!  Can anyone help me out with this?
>Dragon Queen
--Matthew (DM for both editions)

PS, if the rest of the group is 2nd ed, then the 1st ed. Bard unbalances the
group (assuming equal level), especially with the levels in all classes, not
just bard.  You should politely ask him to remove the character from the game,
or retire him to NPC life.

PPS: It should be noted that it is easier to handle a 2nd ed. bard, compared
to a 1st ed.  point this out to your player as well.

PPPS: Remember it is now YOUR campaign- what the DM says goes.  If the Bard 
cannot be altered to stay, and the player doesn't like it, tell him (her?) that
it's your campaign, and you'll do what you want, like it or not.