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Something an old DM of mine has done with an NPC has bothered me for going on 20+ years now and wanted to leverage the community to help me settle it.

The issue is this particular NPC hated by all (I mean absolutely reviled) has been in every iteration when we change editions. He has been updated and tweaked, supposedly to meet the requirements and limitations of the current edition. Unfortunately I don't buy it one bit as this DM won't share any details of the build although he swears it is legal in all editions.

So I first met this NPC in 2nd edition but had been also in 1st. My question revolves the maximum number of attacks in each edition given a specific limitation, in this case I know that the NPC was at least mostly a Thief-Acrobat from the Unearthed Arcana.

I have looked around for specifics on editions and the maximum number of attacks but none of them answer my particular quandary. So...

Is it acceptable to ask this question knowing it spans multiple editions and decades in play and in reality is a series of questions albeit tightly spun with a specific purpose? When a 2nd edition character exceeded 25 attacks in a single round I worried but it has gotten worse in later iterations.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What iteration are you specifically asking about? (Or do you want an answer for all iterations) You could just ask in the stack for a single iteration easily. \$\endgroup\$
    – David Coffron
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ It would be throughout the NPC's "life". So since 1st edition inception but skipping 4e because we never played it. Essentially, the answer to this question would alleviate mistrust or confirm it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ I know some of the details and some of the sources he used but haven't played those early editions for a dog's age so leveraging those that have the source material and possibly still play would help answer my question(s). \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ You're going to make me get out my AD&D 2e books aren't you... :) \$\endgroup\$
    – David Coffron
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ And possibly old hard copy Dragon Magazines. I do know we all had an aversion to the Mongoose crap though and most things "not official". \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm pretty excited to see this question posted. I know you could get up to some serious shenanigans in 3.x, but 5th has curbed most of it. \$\endgroup\$
    – goodguy5
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ I will set up a draft tonight and try to think real hard on all the stuff I can remember to add detail and to keep it focused. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ Darts. I bet it involves darts. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Apr 23, 2018 at 21:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ Out of curiosity: what has you thinking to present it as one question spanning editions rather than a 1e question incorporating all the info you remember from that decade, a 2e question incorporating all the info you remember from that bit of the campaign, &c.? My thinking is that if you ask it across editions your answers necessarily require answerers who are expert in many editions; if you present them severally each draws on a strictly larger set of experts for the answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – nitsua60 Mod
    Apr 23, 2018 at 23:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ I was just thinking that @nitsua60 but my remembrance of the first 2 editions have gotten hazy over the years, I fear I would have issues in either case though presenting them very well... still formulating though. I will likely at least break them up into first and second and then 3.X + at the very least. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 24, 2018 at 0:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ @HeyICanChan You are somewhat correct, I am sure he used those rules but with knives and he did it two handed and 3 at a time, pretty sure that was from OA. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 24, 2018 at 13:14

2 Answers 2

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I think this is a stackable question.

Either, you are asking if NPC-X is possible D&D Nth Edition

or, you are asking "how has Build-Y changed between editions?"

Both of which (theoretically) have finite answers.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I thought as much but I have had differing opinions to some of the answers and rationale before. In your first though it sounds more like it should be a series of questions, which I wanted to attempt to avoid. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 23, 2018 at 19:19
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This is stackable

The tag description says "Questions relating to Dungeons & Dragons as a whole, or to multiple versions of Dungeons & Dragons."

Your question just applies to multiple editions. Just make sure you state the question and issue clearly to avoid the Too Broad flag.

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