Advanced Dungeons & Dragons®

1 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbookfor the AD&D , Sheridan Springs Church End,Lake Geneva,Cherry HintonWI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3 LBUSAU nited KingdomForeword to the 2nd EditionIt has been a long time getting here. I don't mean the months, perhaps even years, youmay have waited for a revised, expanded, and improved edition of the AD&D game. Imean the long time it has taken me to reach this point, the writing of the are written last, so that you can summarize your feelings and experiencesabout the book you have 's not accurate to say this is a book that I alone have written. First off, there are a lotof other names listed in the credits. They, especially the editors, contributed time andtalents that I don't have. Improving the organization and readability was one of thereasons we started this project in the first place. These are tasks that can't be done withouttalented editors who play and care about the game.

2 If you discover that it's easier to findrules during your gaming sessions and that everything seems to make more sense, thankthe with the editors, this is not our work alone. None of this would ever have comeinto being without interested and involved players. The people who really decided whatneeded to be done for the AD&D 2nd Edition game are the players who mailed inquestions, everyone who wrote an article for DRAGON Magazine, and everyone whobutton-holed me (or other designers) at conventions. These were the people who decidedwhat needed to be done, what needed fixing, what was unclear, and what they just didn'tlike. I didn't sit in a vacuum and make these decisions. As the designer and developer, Ihad to make the final choice, but those choices were based on your input. And your inputis the most valuable asset we have how do I feel? Excited, exhausted, relieved, and nervous -- all at once.

3 It's a greatbag of emotions. I'm excited to see this book come out. I've spent more time on this than Ihave on any other single work I've done. That leads to exhaustion. The AD&D 2ndEdition game has demanded and received hours upon months of attention. Now that it isfinally coming out, the feeling of relief is beginning to set in. There were times when thetask looked impossible, when it seemed it would never end, or when everything wasgoing wrong. Only now, when it's in the final stages of polishing, am I beginning torealize that it is really done. And of course there is the nervousness. The AD&D game isthe granddaddy of all role-playing games. You've made it perfectly clear that you likedthe original edition of the AD&D game, even with all its warts. I liked (and still like) , now with the arrival of AD&D 2nd Edition, of course I'm of this comes as any surprise. I volunteered to prepare this Edition because Iwanted to do something for the game I liked.

4 The ten years of experience I've had ingame design has shown me what works and what doesn't and sometimes even why. Atthe very start, we outlined the goals: to make it easier to find things, to make the ruleseasier to understand, to fix the things that did not work, to add the best new ideas fromthe expansions and other sources, and, most important of all, to make sure the game wasstill the one you knew and enjoyed. Of them all, the last was the hardest and mostdemanding, conflicting as it did with my basic desire to design things. Fortunately, thingsdidn't rest on me alone. Lots of eager eyes, from those of fellow designers to those ofenthusiastic playtesters, minutely examined this book and restrained me fromoverzealousness. It hasn't always been easy to walk the fine line between "not enough"and "too much."In the past two years, I've talked to interested players many times, hearing theirconcerns and sharing my ideas.

5 It was at the end of one of these talks (at a convention inMissoula, Montana), just as I described some rules change, that one of the listenerssmiled and said, "You know, we've been doing that for years." And that is what AD&D2nd Edition is all about--collecting and organizing all those things that we, as players,have been doing for "Zeb" CookJanuary, 1989 Credits2nd Edition design: David "Zeb" CookDevelopment: Steve Winter and Jon PickensPlaytest Coordination: Jon PickensEditing: Mike Breault, Jean Rabe, Thomas Reid, Steven Schend, and Ray ValleseProofreading: Jean Black, Teresa Reid, Curtis Smith, Vallerie Vallese, and James WardGraphics Coordinator: Sarah FeggestadGraphic Design: Dee BarnettToo numerous to mention by name are the hundreds of players who assisted us inplaytesting the AD&D 2nd Edition game. Their efforts were invaluable in improving , credit must also be shared with anyone who has ever asked a question, offereda suggestion, written an article, or made a comment about the AD&D is a derivative work based on the original Advanced Dungeons & DragonsPlayer's Handbook and Dungeon Master Guide by Gary Gygax and Unearthed Arcanaand other materials by Gary Gygax and & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, AD&D, Dungeon Master, Dragon, Dragonlance,Forgotten Realms, and Ravenloft are registered trademarks of TSR, Inc.

6 Dungeon Master, DM, and the TSRLogo are trademarks owned by TSR, book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or otherunauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permissionof TSR, House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for Englishlanguage products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. 1995 TSR, Inc. All Rights we even start, I want to make sure everyone understands one very important fact:This is not AD&D 3rd Edition!There, everyone can breathe assured that this is still the same version of the AD&D game that your friends,classmates, and business partners have been playing for , there are some small and subtle changes in the rules, but you would have to readthe whole book very carefully, and have a tremendous memory, to find them.

7 (Thechanges are the sorts of minor corrections and clarifications we make every time wereprint, and we've reprinted both the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master Guidemore than 10 times since 1989!)So what has changed? Obviously, the books look different. We were awfully proud ofthem when they were released in 1989, but the world doesn't stand still for anyone. Wedecided that after six years, it was time for a new as long as AD&D was getting a new suit of clothes, we elected to let out theseams a bit, too. Both books are a lot bigger: 25% more pages in the PHB, 33% more inthe DMG. And we used them up just looking good. Inside you'll find bigger illustrations,lots more color, and pages that are easy to read. Making the switch turned out to be a lotmore work than most of us expected it to be, but it was well worth the the 2nd Edition was released, the AD&D game has grown in ways we neveranticipated.

8 We've traveled to a multitude of fabulous worlds, from the misty horror ofRavenloft, to the exotic bazaars of Al Qadim, and across the burning face of Dark the endless horizons of Planescape beckon to us, and beyond even that we seespearpoints and banners waving above the gathering armies of Birthright. And, of course,presiding over it all is the grand and legendary Forgotten change, but our goal stays the same: to publish things that make fantasygamers exclaim, "That's just what I was looking for!" And we do it for the same reasonthat you play: because it's fun!Steve WinterFebruary 6, 1995 Table of Contents Welcome to the AD&D GameHow the Rule Books are OrganizedLearning the GameComing From the D&D GameThe AD&D Game LineA Note About PronounsCreating a CharacterThe Real BasicsThe GoalRequired MaterialsAn Example of PlayGlossaryStep-by-Step Character GenerationChapter 1: Player Character Ability ScoresRolling Ability ScoresAlternative Dice-Rolling MethodsThe Ability ScoresStrengthDexterityConstitutionIntel ligenceWisdomCharismaWhat the Numbers MeanChapter 2: Player Character RacesMinimum and Maximum Ability ScoresRacial Ability AdjustmentsClass Restrictions and Level LimitsLanguagesDwarvesElvesGnomesHalf-El vesHalflingsHumansOther CharacteristicsChapter 3.

9 Player Character ClassesClass Ability Score RequirementsClass DescriptionsWarriorFighterPaladinRangerW izardMageSchools of MagicSpecialist WizardsIllusionistPriestClericPriests of Specific MythoiRequirementsWeapons AllowedSpells Allowed (Spheres of Influence)Granted PowersEthosPriest TitlesBalancing It AllDruidDruid OrganizationRogueThief BardMulti-Class and Dual-Class CharactersMulti-Class CombinationsMulti-Class Benefits and RestrictionsDual-Class Benefits and RestrictionsChapter 4: AlignmentLaw, Neutrality, and ChaosGood, Neutrality, and EvilAlignment CombinationsNon-Aligned CreaturesPlaying the Character's AlignmentChanging AlignmentChapter 5: Proficiencies (Optional)Acquiring ProficienciesTrainingWeapon ProficienciesEffects of Weapon ProficienciesRelated Weapon BonusWeapon SpecializationCost of SpecializationEffects of SpecializationNonweapon ProficienciesUsing What You KnowSecondary SkillsNonweapon ProficienciesUsing Nonweapon ProficienciesNonweapon Proficiency DescriptionsChapter 6: Money and EquipmentStarting MoneyEquipment ListsClothingDaily Food and LodgingHousehold ProvisioningTack and HarnessTransportMiscellaneous EquipmentAnimalsServicesWeaponsArmorEqui pment DescriptionsTack and HarnessTransportMiscellaneous EquipmentWeaponsArmorArmor SizesGetting Into and Out of ArmorCreatures with Natural Armor ClassesEncumbrance (Optional Rule)Basic Encumbrance (Tournament Rule)Specific Encumbrance (Optional Rule)Encumbrance and Mounts (Tournament Rule) magical Armor and EncumbranceEffects of EncumbranceChapter 7.

10 MagicWizard SpellsSchools of MagicLearning SpellsIllusionsPriest SpellsCasting SpellsSpell Components (Optional Rule) magical ResearchSpell DescriptionsChapter 8: ExperienceGroup Experience AwardsIndividual Experience AwardsTrainingWhere's the Specific Info?Chapter 9: CombatMore Than Just Hack-and-SlashDefinitionsThe Attack RollFiguring the To-Hit NumberModifiers to the Attack RollWeapon Type vs. Armor Modifiers (Optional Rule)The Various Types of WeaponsImpossible To-Hit NumbersCalculating THAC0 Combat and EncountersThe Combat RoundWhat You Can Do in One RoundThe Combat SequenceInitiativeStandard Initiative ProcedureInitiative ModifiersGroup Initiative (Optional Rule)Individual Initiative (Optional Rule)Multiple Attacks and InitiativeSpellcasting and InitiativeWeapon Speed and Initiative (Optional Rule) magical Weapon SpeedsAttacking with Two WeaponsMovement in CombatMovement in MeleeMovement and Missile CombatCharging an OpponentRetreatAttacking Without KillingPunching and WrestlingOverbearingWeapons in Non-Lethal CombatNon-Lethal Combat and CreaturesTouch Spells and CombatMissile Weapons in CombatRangeRate of FireAbility Modifiers in Missile CombatFiring into a MeleeTaking Cover Against Missile FireGrenade-Like MissilesTypes of Grenade-Like MissilesSpecial DefensesParrying (Optional Rule)