Ive been thumbing through my 1st Edition books recently, and without a doubt the prohibition against edged or pointy weapons is hard and fast. But I seem to recall during the lifetime of 1st edition that some book (or maybe The Dragon) mentioned allowing Clerics to use the weapon considered the signature weapon of their god, such as Clerics of Odin using spears.

Does anyone recall seeing actual references to this in 1st edition materials?

I think the Greyhawk boxed set (1983 version, at least) included some of this in the deity descriptions, along with additional granted powers (clerics of Wastri can jump like a toad, frex).

The Greyhawk Adventures hardcover may also have included such provisions, it being a bridge to 2e.

It was certainly part of specialty priests in v2 Forgotten Realms IIRC.

Deities & Demigods includes such information.

It was also in the Dragon Magazines.  I can't recall which issue specifically (early 100s I think), but the article was around clerics of the Gods that appeared in Deities and Demigods.  For example, clerics of Odin used spears or composite bows.

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;626448Deities & Demigods includes such information.

That's what I thought, too, although I just did a quick check and couldn't find it. But I was checking for general info on changing clerical weapons and didn't check each pantheon or god.

Quote from: talysman;626450That's what I thought, too, although I just did a quick check and couldn't find it. But I was checking for general info on changing clerical weapons and didn't check each pantheon or god.

Same here. I started leafing through the various mythos sections and didnt find it there, either.

There was a Dragon magazine article that developed because of some earlier issues that had Letters to the Editor about this topic.

I flipflop on this issue. In my retrowhatever, my gods are going to be very mace / hammer / staff centric due to tradition in OD&D, but some clerics may have daggers too.

Quote from: Spinachcat;626578There was a Dragon magazine article that developed because of some earlier issues that had Letters to the Editor about this topic.

I flipflop on this issue. In my retrowhatever, my gods are going to be very mace / hammer / staff centric due to tradition in OD&D, but some clerics may have daggers too.

I think I've settled on the rule that clerics and thieves know how to use any weapon they buy during character creation, other than missiles and polearms, and attack at level 0 with any other weapon... and clerics of Law are forbidden to use edged weapons in battle. Magic weapons, other than swords, work for anyone who knows how to use the mundane version of that weapon; otherwise, they appear non-magical.

That seems like enough of a weapon restriction to me, and lets players design non-standard priests (because I allow Neutral clerics, so they can be priests of Odin or Tyr and use appropriate weapons.)

Does it serve a design purpose of some sort?  Or was it simple flavor?

If it is a comparative weighing of the weapons for an appearance of balance, these weapons have near equivalent damage (2-7 or 1d8) and the same speed factor (7) as a mace: footman’s flail, battle axe, military fork, light lance, morning star and footman’s military pick.

For a comparison, these are the combat benefits given to clerics by Gygax in the World of Greyhawk.

Hextor (lawful evil lesser god): priests of Hextor are trained in assassination.
Nerull (neutral evil major god): 1-4 sickle, 5+ hook-fauchard
Olidammara (Neutral with chaotic tendency lesser god): have the thief skill Hide in Shadows
Tritheron (chaotic good lesser god): 4-7 spears, 8+ broadswords
Xan Yae (neutral lesser goddess): psionic clerics tend to follow Xan Yae, but they do not gain psionics by default

Deities and Demigods and the Dungeon Masters Guide seems to imply that shamans and witchdocters are able to use the standard weapon of the creature, which is how I have always adjudicated it.

Quote from: mcbobbo;626670Does it serve a design purpose of some sort?  Or was it simple flavor?

Which person were you directing that towards?

This was a dirt common house rule back in the day. It seemed ludicrous to me that a flanged mace was allowed while a sword or spear was not.

Gary had a whole series in Dragon detailing the gods of Greyhawk (issues 67-71), where granted powers and weapons were discussed.  Len Lakofka had a similar series on the gods of the Suel pantheon (issues 86-92).

Quote from: DestroyYouAlot;627122Gary had a whole series in Dragon detailing the gods of Greyhawk (issues 67-71), where granted powers and weapons were discussed.  Len Lakofka had a similar series on the gods of the Suel pantheon (issues 86-92).

Those descriptions Gygax placed in Dragon back in the day really rocked the boat. ha  Sometimes it almost seems like he wrote things to mess with folks. I mean he is including things like assassination as a excepted and trained practice.  I enjoy those particular Greyhawk write-ups by him.

So, allowing clerics to have weapons with 1d8 or less damage to medium creatures and a speed factor of 7 or more is totally within the bounds of what even he was doing.  Make it fit the setting, though.  That is the criteria for adding them, at least as I see it.  I don't think one should just make it an option without some type of setting reason.

Edit: Since we are talking about AD&D 1, one could say that all polearms are available to clerics, which would be very Gygaxian!  One could bring over Gyagax's own full concept of them to clerics.  It seems very AD&D 1 to me, and it would bring all of those odd ones he liked into the game, which would be cool to the Gygax fans in one's player group. Still, set it up as some sort of setting feature, though.