Player Character Races
Each race is different. Each possesses special abilities and has different lists of classes to choose from. See the Racial Class and Level Limits, and Multiclass Combinations table below for a list of races that your character can be, based on the class you've chosen.
Minimum and Maximum Ability Scores
All nonhuman PC races (also called "demihuman" races) have minimum and maximum requirements for their ability scores. If you want to have a demihuman character, the character's ability scores must be within the allowable range. The minimums and maximums for each race are listed on (the minimums are listed before the slash; the maximums are listed after the slash). Your character's gender has no effect on these minimums or maximums.
Consult the table below while rolling your ability scores, and ensure that the required minimums and maximums are met before finalizing your character's ability scores. If the basic scores that you rolled up meet the requirements for a particular race, your character can be of that race, even if later modifications change the ability scores so they exceed the maximums or don't meet the minimums. Once you satisfy the requirements at the start, you never have to worry about them again.
The Racial Ability Requirements table gives the minimum and maximum scores a newly created character must have to be a member of a demi-human race. The scores in this table must be met before making the racial adjustments from the Racial Ability Adjustments table below.
There are no ability restrictions for human characters.
Racial Ability Requirements
Racial Ability Adjustments
If you chose to make your character a dwarf, elf, gnome, halfling, or half-orc, you now have to adjust some of your character's ability scores. The adjustments are mandatory; all characters of these races receive the adjustments. Even if adjustments raise or lower your character's ability scores beyond the minimums and maximums shown in the Racial Ability Requirements table above, you do not have to pick a new race. The adjustments can also raise a score to 19 or lower it to 2.
Racial Ability Adjustments
If racial adjustments have lowered a score below what is required for the class you've chosen, you can raise that score 1 point by lowering another score by 2 points.
Class Restrictions and Level Limits
The human race has one special ability in the AD&D game: Humans can choose to be of any class-- warrior, wizard, priest, or rogue -- and can rise to great level in any class. The other races have fewer choices of character classes and usually are limited in the level they can attain. These restrictions reflect the natural tendencies of the races (dwarves like war and fighting and dislike magic, etc.). The limits are high enough so a demihuman can achieve power and importance in at least one class. A halfling, for example, can become the best thief in the land, but he cannot become a great fighter.
The limits also exist for play balance. The ability of humans to assume any role and reach any level is their only advantage. The demihuman races have other powers that make them entertaining to play -- particularly the ability to be multi-classed. These powers balance the enjoyment of play against the ability to rise in level.
Racial Class and Level Limits, and Multiclass Combinations
Demihuman characters with high ability scores in their prime requisites can exceed the racial maximum levels shown above, but only when single-classed. In cases where multiple prime requisites exist, the lowest prime requisite is used to calculate any additional levels.
The bonus levels available to characters with high prime requisite scores are summarized in the Prime Requisite Bonuses to Max Level table. The additional levels are added to the normal maximum allowed, regardless of what class or race is involved. For classes with more than 1 prime requisites, like Rangers, use the lowest of the prime requisite scores to determine the bonus levels.
Prime Requisite Bonuses to Max Level
| Prime Requisite Ability Score |
Additional Levels |
|---|---|
| 14, 15 | +1 |
| 16,17 | +2 |
| 18 | +3 |
| 19 | +4 |
Racial Special Abilities
The following table contains a summary of all the racial special abilities and bonuses.
Racial Special Abilities
| Special Ability | Dwarves | Gnomes | Elves | Half-Elves | Halflings | Half-Orcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saving Throw Bonus vs. Wands, Staves, Rods & Spells | +1 per 3.5 pts Con | +1 per 3.5 pts Con | +1 per 3.5 pts Con | |||
| Chance of Magical Item Failure (1) | 20% | 20% | 20% | |||
| Saving Throw bonus vs. Poison | +1 per 3.5 pts Con | +1 per 3.5 pts Con | ||||
| Infravision | 60' | 60' | 60' | 60' | 30' (60' if pure Stout) | 60' |
| Surprise Others (2) | 66.6% | 66.6% | ||||
| Open Doors Quietly (2) | 33.3% | 33.3% | ||||
| Resistance to Sleep and "Charm" spells (3) | 90% | 30% | ||||
| Languages known at start of Campaign (Everyone knows "Common") |
Dwarven Gnome Goblin Kobold Orcish (+2) |
Dwarven Gnome Halfling Goblin Kobold (+2) (4) |
Elvish Gnome Halfling Goblin Hobgoblin Orcish Gnoll (+1 per pt of Int > 15) |
Elvish Gnome Halfling Goblin Orcish (+2 +{1 per pt of Int > 16}) |
Gnome Halfling (+4 +{1 per pt of Int > 16}) |
Orcish (+2) |
| Detection Abilities | ||||||
| Detect grade or slope in passage | 75% | 80% | 75% | |||
| Detect unsafe walls, ceiling, and floors | 70% | |||||
| Determine approximate depth underground | 50% | 60% | ||||
| Determine approximate direction underground | 50% | 50% | ||||
| Detect new tunnel/passage construction | 75% | |||||
| Detect sliding/shifting walls or rooms | 66.6% | |||||
| Detect stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls | 50% | |||||
| Detect Concealed Doors when passing | 16.6% | 16.6% | ||||
| Detect Concealed Doors when looking | 50% | 50% | ||||
| Detect Secret Doors when looking | 33.3% | 33.3% | ||||
| Combat Bonuses | ||||||
| Bonus "to hit" vs. orcs, half-orcs, goblins or hobgoblins | +1 | |||||
| Bonus "to hit" vs. kobolds or goblins | +1 | |||||
| Penalty to "to hit" rolls of opponents of "giant" class of ogre size or larger | -4 | -4 | ||||
| Bonus "to hit" with Bows, longsword and shortsword | +1 | |||||
| Bonus "to hit" with hand-thrown and sling weapons | +1 | |||||
(1) The same resistance to magical spell, staff, rod and wand effects makes it dicey for a dwarf, gnome or halfling to use magical items. All magical items that are not specifically suited to the character's class have a 20% chance to malfunction when used by a dwarf, gnome or halfling. This check is made each time the character uses a magical item. A malfunction affects only the current use; the item may work properly next time. For devices that are continually in operation, the check is made the first time the device is used during an encounter. If the check is passed, the device functions normally until it is turned off. Thus, a dwarf would have to check upon donning a robe of blending but would not check again until he had taken the robe off and then put it on again. If a cursed item malfunctions, the character recognizes its cursed nature and can dispose of the item. Malfunction applies to rods, staves, wands, rings, amulets, horns, jewels, and all other magical items except potions, weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles.
(2) This ability applies only if the character is: Not in metal armor AND (Alone OR in a group of elves and/or halflings not in metal armor OR at least 90' away from their party)
(3) This resistance applies to any priest spells in the charm sphere/school or arcane spells from the charm school.
(4) Gnomes can also communicate with any burrowing mammal (such as moles, badgers, ground squirrels, gophers, etc.)