Whether a method of satire, or merely innocent of intentions, The Ultimist character class Gygax put up for Polyhedron Magazine is something else. By design it is absurd, and below I shall leave it for your humor.
Not only does the character have minimum requirements (a common feature of AD&D), but it also gives great bonuses to make sure they are met, and then after the rolled scores are modified to greater values. We also see that the character fights as Fighting-men do, cast magics as a Magic-user and Cleric both, and no less does it possess the skills of a Martial Monk and can foil devices as does a Thief (without needing tools)! And by merit, it seems the fellow needs half experience gains as does a Fighting-man to advance in level.
Better still, we find out on the second page the filling for the cake. Each level the character gains nets him 100 "Spell Points", of which at first level he's got 100, and can cast 100 First Level Spells per day, I josh you not! Maybe in EGG's games First Level Spells are diddly-squat, but that's still a whole lot of diddly! The character also comes with a schwanky Bag of Holding from the get-go, among other things and from 1,000 - 4,000 gold pieces fresh off the press.
So, my few readers; satire, or honestly-considered-good-idea? If nothing else, the picture's a good chuckle.
Not only does the character have minimum requirements (a common feature of AD&D), but it also gives great bonuses to make sure they are met, and then after the rolled scores are modified to greater values. We also see that the character fights as Fighting-men do, cast magics as a Magic-user and Cleric both, and no less does it possess the skills of a Martial Monk and can foil devices as does a Thief (without needing tools)! And by merit, it seems the fellow needs half experience gains as does a Fighting-man to advance in level.
Better still, we find out on the second page the filling for the cake. Each level the character gains nets him 100 "Spell Points", of which at first level he's got 100, and can cast 100 First Level Spells per day, I josh you not! Maybe in EGG's games First Level Spells are diddly-squat, but that's still a whole lot of diddly! The character also comes with a schwanky Bag of Holding from the get-go, among other things and from 1,000 - 4,000 gold pieces fresh off the press.
So, my few readers; satire, or honestly-considered-good-idea? If nothing else, the picture's a good chuckle.
