Alternate Appendix P

Appendix P of the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide is a set of instructions for “Creating a Party on the Spur of the Moment” - generating pre-experienced characters quickly for use in convention or other one-off games. The bulk of the system is devoted to a series of tables for determining which magic items such characters may possess. However, using those tables requires a lot of die-rolling and there’s a chance that even high level characters will end up with few (or no) magic items. With that in mind, in order both to simplify the process and to make it less random I came up with this alternative:

Level 1: no magic items
Level 2-3: pick one item from group 1
Level 4-5: pick two items from group 1
Level 6-8: pick three items (no more than one from group 2, none from group 3)
Level 9-11: pick five items from group 1 or 2
Level 12+: pick six items (no more than two from group 3)

Group 1:
Leather Armor +1
Chain Mail +1
Shield +1
Sword +1
Battle Axe +1
12 Crossbow Bolts +2
Dagger +1, +2 vs Smaller than Man-sized
Mace +1
Spear +1
Potion of Climbing
Potion of Diminution
Potion of Fire Resistance
Potion of Flying
Potion of Gaseous Form
Potion of Growth
Potion of Healing
Potion of Invisibility
Potion of Polymorph Self
Potion of Water Breathing
Scroll of 1 Spell (MU level 1-4)
Scroll of 1 Spell (Cleric, Druid or Illusionist level 1-3)
Ring of Protection +1
Ring of Warmth
Boots of Elvenkind
Cloak of Elvenkind

Group 2:
Chain Mail +2
Plate Mail +1
Sword +1, Flame Tongue
Sword +2
Bow +1
Mace +2
Potion of Extra-healing
Scroll of 3 Spells (MU level 1-6)
Scroll of 3 Spells (Cleric, Druid or Illusionist level 1-4)
Scroll of Protection from Magic
Ring of Feather Falling
Ring of Protection +2
Ring of Water Walking
Wand of Fear
Wand of Paralyzation
Wand of Wonder
Bag of Holding (500#)
Boots of Levitation
Bracers of AC 6
Brooch of Shielding
Folding Boat (small rowboat)
2 Javelins of Lightning
Necklace of Adaptation
Robe of Useful Items*
Rope of Climbing

Group 3:
Chain Mail +3
Shield +2
Sword +3
Crossbow of Speed
Dagger +2, +3 vs Larger than Man-sized
Spear +2
Ring of Protection +3
Ring of Spell Turning
Wand of Fire
Wand of Frost 
Staff of Striking
Arrow of Direction
Boots of Striding & Springing
Bracers of AC 4
Crystal Ball

*select 10 of the following:

BONFIRE, small
CASK, 1-3= water, 4-5= wine, 6 = brandy (3 gallon capacity) CALTROPS, six
CROWBAR, 4’ tempered iron
DAGGER, silver
DOG, WAR
DOOR, standard size, oak with iron bindings and bar
GEM, 100 gold piece value
LADDER, 12’ long
LANTERN, bullseye
MALLET & STAKES
MEAT, haunch of roast mutton, venison, etc.
MONEY, stack of 50 silver coins
MULE, pack
OAK TREE, 30’ high, large
OWL, GIANT
PICK, standard digging
POLE, 10’
ROOSTER
ROPE, 50’coil
SHOVEL
TORCH, flaming
WASP NEST, normal, about 200 wasps