Gary Gygax on why you're not allowed to play a monster PC, Relishing the sweet sweet taste of 1978 Options

[Wounded Ronin]

Man, I am really relishing my read of the 1st edition AD&D DMG. Gary Gygax states at great length why you cannot possibly have a quality game with a monster PC:

THE MONSTER AS A PLAYER CHARACTER
On occasion one player or another will evidence a strong desire to operate
as a monster, conceiving a playable character as a strong demon, a devil,
a dragon, or one of the most powerful sort of undead creatures. This is
done principally because the player sees the desired monster character as
superior to his or her peers and likely to provide a dominant role for him or
her in the campaign. A moment of reflection will bring them to the unalterable
conclusion that the game is heavily weighted towards mankind.
ADVANCED DBD is unquestionably "humanocentric", with demi-humans,
semi-humans, and humanoids in various orbits around the sun of
humanity. Men are the worst monsters, particularly high level characters
such as clerics, fighters, and magic-users - whether singly, in small
groups, or in large companies. The ultra-powerful beings of other planes
are more fearsome - the 3 D s of demi-gods, demons, and devils are
enough to strike fear into most characters, let alone when the very gods
themselves are brought into consideration. Yet, there is a point where the
well-equipped, high-level party of adventurers can challenge a demon
prince, an arch-devil, or a demi-god. While there might well be some near
or part humans with the group so doing, it is certain that the leaders will be
human. In co-operation men bring ruin upon monsterdom, for they have
no upper limits as to level or acquired power from spells or items.
The game features humankind for a reason. It is the most logical basis in
an illogical game. From a design aspect it provides the sound groundwork.
From a standpoint of creating the campaign milieu it provides the most
readily usable assumptions. From a participation approach it is the only
method, for a11 players are, after all is said and done, human, and it allows
fhem the role with which most are most desirous and capable of identifying
with. From all views then it is enough fantasy to ossume a swords &
sorcery cosmos, with impossible professions and make-believe magic. To
adventure amongst the weird is fantasy enough without becoming that
too! Consider also that each and every Dungeon Master worthy of that title
is continually at work expanding his or her campaign milieu. The game is
not merely a meaningless dungeon and an urban base around which is
plopped the dreaded wilderness. Each of you must design a world, piece
by piece, as if a jigsaw puzzle were being hand crafted, and each new
section must fit perfectly the pattern of the other pieces. Faced with such a
task all of us need all of the aid and assistance we can get. Without such
help the sheer magnitude of the task would force most of us to throw up
our hands in despair.

Of course, as we all know, many years after 1978 a number of quality games have come out in D&D allowing for monster PCs. My favorite personally was Planescape: Torment which was all about oddball player characters with unique situations and special powers.


An idea that I've had since I was a kid was how much fun it would be to play a necromancer or lich campaign. Basically you would try to take over the world and a lot of the game would be doing quests and undertaking tasks to allow you to raise a bigger and badder undead army. If all the player characters are evil and working together to build the world's biggest undead army there's no reason why the campaign couldn't run smoothly.