Class Restrictions & 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 are usually 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 multiclassed. These powers balance the enjoyment of play against the ability to rise in level. Ask your DM for the level limits imposed on non-human characters.
Insert links here to the indivual races where level limits are listed
Again, unlimited class choice and level ceiling is a human special ability, something no other race has. In the game. humans are more motivated, indeed driven, by ambition and the desire for power, than the demihuman races. Thus. they advance further and more quickly than other races.
Demihumans can attain significant levels in certain classes, but do not have the same unlimited access. Some players may argue that the greater age of various non-humans automatically means they will attain greater levels. That can present problems.
Demihuman characters are limited in how high a level they can achieve both to preserve internal consistency (humans are more flexible than non-humans) and to enforce game balance. A DM, however, can change or eliminate these limits as he sees fit. As with class restrictions, the consequences must be examined in detail.
Given their extremely long lifespans, demihumans without limitations would quickly reach levels of power far beyond anything attainable by humans. The world would be dominated by these extremely powerful beings, to the exclusion of humans. Human heroes would be feeble compared to the heroes of elves and dwarves.
Given their numerous advantages, demihumans would be the most attractive races—no one would play a human. Again, this isn't necessarily bad, but it's very different. The resulting game will be completely unlike the standard sword-and-sorcery milieu. It may need to be set it in an ancient age when elves and dwarves ruled the world, before the ascendance of men (though given the situation. it's unlikely that men would ever become dominant).
For information on how the optional rules below are implemented into the game, please refer to the indivudual race articles.
Slow Advancement (Optional Rule)
If you decide to allow demihumans unlimited advancement. consider this option: To counteract the demihumans' long life, slow down their advancement. Require demihumans to earn two, three, or even four times as many experience points as a human in order to advance a level.
This allows the short-lived humans to advance more quickly than their long-lived comrades, who will eventually catch up (after the humans' demise). If this solution, though logical, is unacceptable to your players, a compromise may be called for.
The best compromise is to allow demihumans normal (or double-cost) advancement to their "maximum" levels. Then require them to earn triple or quadruple experience points to advance beyond that point. They will advance very slowly, but the players will still have a goal and the sense of accomplishment that comes with rising a level.
Bonus Levels
| Prime Requisite | Bonus Levels |
|---|---|
| 14, 15 | +1 |
| 16, 17 | +2 |
| 18 | +3 |
| 19 | +4 |
Exceeding Level Limits (Optional Rule)
Demihuman characters with extremely high ability scores in their prime requisites can exceed the racial maximum levels. 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 on the Bonus Levels table. The additional levels listed in the table are added to the normal maximum allowed, regardless of what class or race is involved.
For example, a half-elf is limited to 12th level as a thief. A half-elf thief with Dexterity 17, however. is allowed two bonus levels, so he could advance to 14th level.
[Dungeon Master Guide]
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