AD&D Fighters: Powerhouses or Punching Bags?
Question of the day.. Can you answer it?
There is something brutally honest about the original Fighter in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, First Edition. No spells to save you, no illusions to hide behind, just a sword in your hand, a few good rolls, and the hope that your hit points hold out.
In this episode, I take a close look at the Fighter as written. What works, what does not, and whether this class still deserves a seat at the table in a game where magic often steals the spotlight.
The early levels? They are rough. Let’s be honest. One attack per round, a basic stat block, and no special abilities beyond a broad weapon list and the ability to wear the best armor. If you are lucky, you have a longbow and a suit of plate. If not, you are probably just the one up front taking hits.
But once you start gaining levels, the Fighter grows into something more dangerous. Exceptional Strength, multiple attacks as you advance, and, if your Dungeon Master allows Unearthed Arcana rules, weapon specialization. You are not flashy, but you are reliable. And in a system like AD&D, where surviving the next room is the name of the game, that matters.
Now, to be fair, high-level play leans hard in favor of spellcasters. Magic-Users shape reality. Clerics call down divine power. The Fighter? He stands his ground and fights. That is both his strength and his weakness.
And yet, that is sometimes exactly what the party needs.
This episode is for the players who enjoy the fight as much as the victory. Who do not need a bag of tricks, just a strong arm and a good initiative roll. Whether you are swinging a battle axe or drawing a longsword with nothing but a grunt and a glare, the AD&D Fighter still has a place in the dungeon.
So, was the Fighter underpowered? Maybe. Underappreciated? Often. Still worth playing? Absolutely. Especially if you are the kind of player who knows the value of standing firm when it matters most.
Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
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I often played straight fighters back in the day, however, you did not mention multi-class and dual class, the latter is often beneficial even if you just get up to level 1-3 fighter and then switch, you don't "waste" much xp from restarting and in a good party you'll be up to a higher level in the new class in no time having a healthy hit point total, and you now get to use any weapons and armour (although you still cant cast spells in plate mail, you are at least not useless once you've run out of spells), the attribute restrictions of dual classing do limit this option though.