tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post5983381736395780315..comments2024-03-29T00:32:33.920-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: 36James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9929634072982791542021-06-26T08:28:06.927-04:002021-06-26T08:28:06.927-04:00Maybe it's nothing, but 36 is divisible by 2,3...Maybe it's nothing, but 36 is divisible by 2,3,4,6,9, and 12, allowing TSR to make products for specific levels of experience logically, instead of haphazardly (for levels 13-17, for example).<br />goodhalgaragehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08917582536883838260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77388047268983392002020-11-30T17:18:07.271-05:002020-11-30T17:18:07.271-05:00I remember the Cal-Tech crowd being famous BITD fo...I remember the Cal-Tech crowd being famous BITD for enormous hundred-level dungeons and high level play, which folks I was closer to disdained and found absurd, perceiving it as munchkinism. Shimrodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14950780684532279227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-20453484918275427102020-11-27T13:58:56.459-05:002020-11-27T13:58:56.459-05:00Perhaps they just picked some arbitrary number bef...Perhaps they just picked some arbitrary number before 40 because 40+ level characters had so long been considered absurd.<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79194464848772220682020-11-26T11:18:15.106-05:002020-11-26T11:18:15.106-05:00This is real easy
Max Basic Level = 3
Max Expert L...This is real easy<br />Max Basic Level = 3<br />Max Expert Level = 14<br />Difference between them = 11<br />So if it takes 11 levels to get from the end of Basic Tier to the end of Expert Tier, then it ought to take double the levels to get from the end of Expert Tier to the end of (let's assume its called) Companion Tier, e.g. 22<br />14+22 = 36Avahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11258726860865464759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1652453763133826302020-11-26T05:58:19.568-05:002020-11-26T05:58:19.568-05:00That's as good an explanation as any. It might...That's as good an explanation as any. It might even be true!James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6679023079413078892020-11-26T05:02:29.500-05:002020-11-26T05:02:29.500-05:00That con I mentioned was around 1979. But the 100 ...That con I mentioned was around 1979. But the 100 plus tables, full of much older dudes it seemed, may have been Arduin enthusiasts. It WAS in California :)Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-68725006910874944082020-11-25T23:59:30.827-05:002020-11-25T23:59:30.827-05:00Could it that it is just some multiple of 9? Since...Could it that it is just some multiple of 9? Since most classes gained their domain level at 9, it represents some sorta natural boundary? "36" would be four groups of 9.Warren D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05634722785917786420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43838264464212035362020-11-25T21:59:04.848-05:002020-11-25T21:59:04.848-05:00Arduin may have been a factor in how some players ...Arduin may have been a factor in how some players had 100+ level characters. If you use their advancement tables, the XP costs to level are much lower, as XP costs do not double each level up to 8th or 9th, but maintain a steady cost for ten or more levels.<br /><br />For example, the Warrior "Fighter" XP advancement is:<br /><br />1st ... 0<br />2nd ... 2,000<br />3rd ... 4,000<br />4th ... 8,000<br />5th ... 12,000<br />6th ... 16,000<br />7th ... 20,000<br />8th ... 24,000<br />9th ... 28.000<br />10th ... 32,000<br />11th to 19th level = 8,000 each level<br />21st to 55th level = 16,000 each level<br />56th to 105th level = 32,000 each level<br />106th level+ = 64,000 each level<br /><br />Thus, 1,960,000 XP to reach 100th level... 14th level in AD&D, 23rd level in B/X. I don't know that XP guidelines for attaining levels above those listed in the original LBBs was ever provided for clerics, fighters, and magic-users...<br /><br />With the popularity of Arduin at the time, you have to wonder how many players were using this kind of XP/level progression or some similar faster level progression of their own device.James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510782553325944558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77678055550157763572020-11-25T21:07:24.957-05:002020-11-25T21:07:24.957-05:00I recently calculated the following interesting co...I recently calculated the following interesting comparisons between B/X D&D and AD&D:<br /><br />B/X clerics need 2,900,000 xp to attain 36th level.<br />AD&D clerics with 2,900,000 xp are 20th level.<br /><br />B/X fighters need 3,480,000 xp to attain 36th level.<br />AD&D fighters with 3,480,000 xp are 21st level.<br /><br />B/X magic-users need 4,350,000 xp to attain 36th level.<br />AD&D magic-users with 4,350,000 xp are 21st level.<br /><br />B/X thieves need 3,400,000 xp to attain 36th level.<br />AD&D thieves with 3,400,000 xp are 25th level. Geoffrey McKinneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00042661843714609025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46800808510349082072020-11-25T20:02:25.989-05:002020-11-25T20:02:25.989-05:00I think I recall reading that it was because 14 wa...I think I recall reading that it was because 14 was the highest level anyone had yet reached by then (presumably 1980). Maybe it was an interview with Rob Kuntz?frijoles juniorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01423720423119688947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-37100984197854535882020-11-25T17:14:42.615-05:002020-11-25T17:14:42.615-05:00TSR's original B/X plan was Basic 1-3, Expert ...TSR's original B/X plan was Basic 1-3, Expert 4-14, and Companion 25-36; as the Expert rulebook says, "until the D&D® Companion supplement is released which will detail levels up to 36 in more detail". TSR possibly chose 25-36 simply because it is exactly double that of 4-14; i.e., 22 levels versus 11. When they instead released the BECMI Companion Set, they pared it back to 15-25, and added the Master Set for levels 26-36, and thus each higher set covers an equal 11 levels. A further question would be, why 4-14 for Expert? Because it looks nice?<br />Zenopus Archiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14069501995927451558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48600770216069594862020-11-25T16:53:27.326-05:002020-11-25T16:53:27.326-05:00But Frank took over/was given by Gary the D&D ...But Frank took over/was given by Gary the D&D line in 1982-ish and started working on his revision/expansion- I suspect he would have had some direction as to why 36, even though he did not make the decision. And Frank has a lot of knowledge of many things going on @ TSR that he was not in direct control of.JEFFBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862106711059104379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-81320460138166202262020-11-25T16:34:50.477-05:002020-11-25T16:34:50.477-05:00While I'd love to hear what he has to say on t...While I'd love to hear what he has to say on the matter, the number predates BECMI. I wonder if either Zeb Cook or Steve Marsh have any insights into the matter.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-84968509218585103612020-11-25T16:33:18.513-05:002020-11-25T16:33:18.513-05:00Probably a good question for Frank.Probably a good question for Frank.JEFFBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862106711059104379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-75411675195203614692020-11-25T16:26:23.691-05:002020-11-25T16:26:23.691-05:00Because 42 is the ultimate answer to Life, the Uni...Because 42 is the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Moldvey didn't want to oversell it....ThrorIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10576112896575184085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-31529480981068513352020-11-25T16:20:15.110-05:002020-11-25T16:20:15.110-05:00That's right. I often confuse very late 1e wit...That's right. I often confuse very late 1e with the beginning of 2e.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-60949830816976119672020-11-25T16:13:23.397-05:002020-11-25T16:13:23.397-05:00It was the final Bloodstone module, Throne of Bloo...It was the final Bloodstone module, Throne of Bloodstone, which was listed for levels 18-100. My Dad bought me a copy at B. Dalton's (RIP). Copyright is 1988 so I think its AD&D 1E. It even included 100th level pre-gens for Perseus, Circe, Hermes and Artemis. The module specifically says that the authors don't think anyone has legit "earned" 100 levels through play and they're included as templates for how to create "ultimate characters". I played part of it with the standard pre-gens who were in 16th-19th level range, but we didnt make it far before we got wiped out.Nathanielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02574803751977706059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27853247331022914972020-11-25T15:57:18.353-05:002020-11-25T15:57:18.353-05:00I think 36 may have been chosen because it's a...I think 36 may have been chosen because it's a magica number, someway? I may be wrong but I remember Umberto Eco saying something about the meaning of 36 in Foucault's Pendulum.artikidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474295473142339717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-45354207077723030042020-11-25T15:33:35.565-05:002020-11-25T15:33:35.565-05:00There was, I believe, a module for 2e that was des...There was, I believe, a module for 2e that was designed for level 100 characters, one of the Bloodstone adventures.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66031646691249283972020-11-25T15:17:46.737-05:002020-11-25T15:17:46.737-05:00As a kid in my my second year of DMing I went to a...As a kid in my my second year of DMing I went to a local con and in the game room I saw a sign at a table that said “100 levels plus.”<br /><br />My first thought was “what am I doing wrong?”Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.com