Even if you are not familiar with fantasy role playing games in
general, and dungeons and dragons in particular, you will find this
work (with its companion volumes, monster manual and dungeon masters
guide) is a complete game system in itself.  It will stand alone, and
it has been written and edited in order to make the whole as easily
understood as possible without taking anything away from its
complexity and completeness. If, on the other hand, you are a veteran
adventurer of many swords and sorcery campaign games, advanced dungeons
and dragons will prove to be superior to any past offerings in the
fantasy role playing game field.  You will find it easy to integrate
your existing character or characters into the new system, and at the
same time the game will be both familiar and different.

half-elves do not form a race unto themselves, but rather they can be
found amongst both elvenkind and men. For details of the typical half-elf
see advanced dungeons and dragons, monster manual under the heading elf.
A character of half-elven race can play as a cleric (maximum of 5th level),
druid, fighter (maximum of 8th level), ranger (maximum of 8th level),
magic-user (maximum of 8th level), thief, or assassin (maximum of 11th level).
A character of half-elven race can also opt to become a multi-classed individual,
ie cleric/fighter, cleric/ranger, cleric/magic-user, fighter/magic-user,
fighter/thief, magic-user/thief, cleric/fighter/magic-user, or a fighter/magic-user/thief.
Half-elven characters who choose the cleric as one of their multi-classes
aren't limited by that class' proscriptions upon weapons usable, but they are
quite restricted in level.

All thieves are neutral or evil, although they can be neutral good (rarely), and
of lawful or chaotic nature.  Most thieves tend towards evil.
Thieves are principally meant to take by cunning and stealth.  Thieves have
six-sided hit dice. They are, however, able to wear light (leather) armor and use
a fair number of weapons. Although they fight only slightly more effectively
than do magic-users, they are able to use stealth in combat most effectively
by back stabbing.  This ability is explained hereafter.

Initial number of weapons shows the number which the character may select to be
proficient with, ie a cleric could select a flail and staff, club and mace,
or any combination of two permitted weapons.
Non-proficiency penalty indicates the subtraction from the character's
"to hit" dice which applies to attacks by the character using such a weapon
in missile or melee combat (see combat).
Added proficiency in weapons gives the number of additional weapons the character
can use with proficiency upon attaining the indicated number of levels above
the 1st.  Thus, at 1st level a cleric can use two weapons with proficiency,
at 5th level the cleric selects another for a total of three, at 9th level the
total is four, at 13th five, etc.

Explanation / description : The cleric cures most diseases -- including those of
a parasitic, bacterial or viral nature -- by placing his or her hand upon the
diseased creature.  The affliction rapidly disappears thereafter, making the
cured creature whole and well in from 1 turn to 1 week, depending on the kind
of disease and the state of its advancement when the cure took place.  The
reverse of the cure disease spell is cause disease.  To be effective, the cleric
must touch the intended victim, and the victim must fail the saving throw.
The disease caused will begin to affect the victim in 1-6 turns, causing the
afflicted creature to lose 1 hit point per turn, and 1 point of strength per hour,
until the creature is at 10% of original hit points and strength, at which time
the afflicted is weak and virtually helpless.

Explanation / description : This spell causes a misty vapor to arise around the
druid. It persists in this locale for 4 rounds per level of experience of the
druid casting the spell, and it reduces visibility of any sort (including
infravision) to 2' to 8' (2d4). The area of effect is a cubic progression based
on the druid's level of experience, a 1" cube at 1st level, a 2" cube at 2nd level,
a 3" cube at 3rd level, and so on. Underground, the height of the vapor is restricted
to 1", although the length and breadth of the cloud is not so limited.  A strong
wind will cut the duration of an obscurement spell by 75%.

When this spell is cast, the individual is empowered to leap up to 30' forward or
10' backward or straight upward. Horizontal leaps forward or backward are in only
a slight arc -- about 2'/10' of distance travelled.  The jump spell does not insure
any safety in landing or grasping at the end of the leap. For every 3 additional
levels of experience of the magic-user beyond the 1st, he or she is able to empower
1 additional leap, so a 4th level magic-user can cast a jump spell which enables
the recipient to make 2 leaps, 3 leaps at 7th level, etc. All leaps must be completed
within 1 turn after the spell is cast, for after that period has elapsed the spell
wears off.  The material component of this spell is a grasshopper's hind leg, one
for each leap, to be broken when the leap is made.

By casting this spell the magic-user appears to immolate himself or herself, but the
flames are thin and wispy, shedding light equal only to half that or a normal torch
(15" radius of dim light), and colored blue or green if variation A is cast,
violet or blue if variation B is employed. Any creature striking the spell caster
with body or hand-held weapons will inflict normal damage upon the magic-user,
but the attacker will take double the amount of damage so inflicted! The other
spell powers depend on the variation of the spell used.

The charm plants spell allows the spell caster to bring under command vegetable
life forms, communicate with them, and these plants will obey instructions to the
best of their ability.  The spell will charm plants in a 3" x 1" area. While the
spell does not endow the vegetation with new abilities, it does allow the magic-user
to command the plants to use whatever they have in order to fulfill his or her
instructions, and if the plants in the area of effect do have special or
unusual abilities, these will be used as commanded by the magic-user. The saving
throw applies only to intelligent plants, and it is made at -4 on the die roll.
The material components of the spell are a pinch of humus, a drop of water and a
twig or a leaf.

The paralyzation spell enables the spell caster to create illusionary muscle slowdown
in creatures whose combined hit dice does not exceed twice the total level of of
experience of the illusionist.  If the recipient creatures fail their saving throws,
they become paralyzed, and a dispel illusion or dispel magic spell must be used to remove
the effect, or the illusionist may dispel it at any time he or she desires.

It is not generally possible to envenom a weapon. This is because the poison will not
readily adhere to the blade or head of the weapon (and for purposes of the game, widespread
use of poison is highly undesireable in any event). However, let us suppose that your
dungeon master will allow poisons as follows.
Poison potions discovered in an adventure can be used as missiles to be hurled into the
maws of monsters or can be offered as "gift" potions to intelligent captors.

Psionic creatures can operate together to increase the range of psionic disciplines
where range is a factor and such increase is otherwise possible.  Where applicable,
the multiple individuals link their minds and this then adds a cumulative 50% to
the range of the discipline, so that 2 individuals operating together have 200% of
the range normally possible.  However, range base is always that of the weakest individual
in the group. It is possible for 2 or more creatures to operate to increase psionic combat
powers.