I Didn't Start with Just Holmes

In yesterday's post I noted I started with Dr. Eric Holmes blue book of D&D. That is true but it's not the entire truth.

I got my copy of the good physician's work with Christmas money in 1977 while I was in the fifth grade. It was the first Christmas with basic D&D and the boxed set sold out before Christmas so I had to settle for just the rulebook. To give you an idea of how early this was the boxed set didn't include B1 like it later would but the first set of Dungeon Geomorphs and the level 1-3 Monster and Treasure Assortment.

So, I started by getting just the blue book and a set of dice, right?

Nope, because dice sets sold out that Christmas as well. Remember, this is early enough that for many stores, the Toys by Roy in Beaumont, TX included, had only TSR as a dice source. The next run of the boxed set had a coupon for dice as they weren't available yet.

What was in stock complete with a set of polyhedrals was the first edition of Gamma World which I blew the rest of my Christmas money on, just to get the dice.

So, since we started a character a day with my first RPG let's follow up with my other first RPG and create a character for first edition Gamma World.

Like pretty much any TSR product from the era we start off with creating character attributes. Despite coming out the same year as Holmes it is not a 3d6 in order game. Gamma World was 4d6 take the three highest from the very first edition. My understanding is while Holmes references AD&D but wasn't modified from OD&D to be inline with the changes Gamma World was always published with compatibility with AD&D in mind and this is one of the touches that indicate the truth of that.

What is different from either version of D&D then in print or in the works were the attributes. In order Gamma World has Mental Strength (MS), Intelligence (IQ), Dexterity (DX), Charisma (CH), Constitution (CN), and Physical Strength (PS). Let's see what fortune gives my new character.

MS 15, IQ 15, DX 12, CH 8, CN 15, PS 12

There are some interesting contrasts with Alfred from yesterday. Alfred, rolled on 3d6, has a maximum attribute of 16, a minimum of 6, and an average of 11.2. Today we have a maximum of 15, a minimum of 8, and an average of 12.8. The big cause of the higher average on the tighter spread is three 15s compared to one 15 and one 16.

A big deal is one of the 15s is in constitution. In Gamma World there are no levels per se and no classes. Instead, there is a list of experience point levels where you get to roll a d10 for an advancement. The advancements are +1 to one of the six attributes, to hit in physical combat, or to damage in physical combat. The first has each attribute assigned to one number while the later two are assigned to 7-8 and 9-10 respectively.

Notice what isn't on the list for leveling up (while level numbers are never cited the chart basically sets levels). That's right, hit point increases. It is on there is a roundabout way at 2, the +1 to constitution. In Gamma World first edition you roll 1d6 for each point of constitution for your hit points.

So our new character starts with 15d6 hit points. I roll 66 HP. This would be above average for a name level AD&D fighter a constitution of 15 or less and just 1.5 HP before that same fighter with a constitution of 16.

That's good because there are energy weapons out there.

Gamma World doesn't have classes but it does have races: Pure Strain Human, Humanoid, and Mutated Animal. Pure strain humans have no mutations, good or bad, but much of the equipment of the Ancients will only work for them. Humanoids are mutated humans who lack the ability to work gene coded tech but have mutations. I think mutated animals are self-explanatory.

I'm going to take the humanoid option. You roll d4 for physical and mental mutations. I got a 3 and a 1. Then two methods of determining mutations are give, random percentile rolls or pick from the tables. The downside of selecting is if you roll a 3 or 4 for a type the referee gets to assign an additional negative mutation of that type.

I'll trust to fortune. She did alright by me on constitution.

For physical mutations I get 60, 16, and 30. The first is photosynthetic skin allowing me to make my own food and heal four times if I have sun exposure but I suffer extra damage from heat and cold and have a halved move in darkness. Second I got gas generation - musk. This gives me a 10m range gas attack  whose exact type is open ended. I'm going with irritating gas. Finally, I get heightened strength. This means in physical combat I do +3d6 damage.

That latter kind of puts those 15d6 hit points in perspective.

My one mental mutation role is 69 for multiple damage, which is a defect. This causes me to suffer double damage not because I am more vulnerable but because my mind tricks me into thinking all attacks are twice as bad as they are.

Gamma World has no starting equipment generation. Looking at example provided, scenarios in Dragon, and the later published ones, your referee assigns it.

So, all we need is a name for this many generations later descendent of Alfred. How about we apply some known historical pronunciation shifts. Applying the High German consonant shift turns Alfred to Alfret. The Great Vowel Shift in English would have affected neither vowel in Alfret. We can kind of replicate the Inland North American accent by moving to Olfreat (not really, but good enough for old school roleplaying.

So I present the Olfreat the fragile human plant ready to be sent by his village elders into the wastes for his youthful trials.