OD&D Demi-Humans

The three main demi-human races described in the original D&D rules have their origins in Chainmail, and were treated in greater detail in the Greyhawk supplement.  Racial combat bonuses diverged between AD&D 1e and the Basic Set rulebook, edited by J. Eric Holmes.


Dwarves:

The Greyhawk supplement states that dwarves "are of various types (hill, mountain, or burrowers) (such as gnomes)".  Mention is made of dwarven clerics (restricted to NPCs), and rules are given for dwarven fighter/thieves and dwarven thieves.

Illustration from Supplement II: Blackmoor, by David Sutherland.

In OD&D vol. 2 Monsters & Treasure under the entry for Dwarves, it is stated "Because of their relatively small size, clumsy monsters like Ogres, Giants and the like will have a difficult time hitting Dwarves, so score only one-half the usual hit points when a hit is scored." a holdover from Chainmail, where "Trolls, Ogres, and Giants find them hard to catch because of their small size, so count only one-half normal kills when Dwarves and Gnomes fight with them"

On the errata/corrections page for the 3rd and later printings of Greyhawk, it is stated that "all dwarves add +1 to hit probabilities, and subtract -1 from chances to be hit, when fighting the "Giant Class" (possibly in reference to the "Giant Types" subtable from the Wilderness Wandering Monsters table in OD&D vol 3 The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures (Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs, Hobgoblins, Gnolls, Ogres, Trolls, Giants, Gnomes, Dwarves, Elves, Ents) although likely meaning Ogres, Trolls, and Giants.

These combat bonuses were not included by Holmes in the D&D Basic Set rulebook (1977), and so were not carried over into either B/X or BECMI.

Interestingly, the AD&D 1e Monster Manual (1977) states:

Due to their great hatred of goblins, orcs, and hobgoblins, all dwarves gain a bonus of +1 on their dice rolls to hit these opponents.  When dwarves are in melee with ogres, trolls and giants, these monsters must deduct 4 from their dice rolls to hit their dwarven opponents due to the size and skill of the latter in combating these huge creatures.

The AD&D 1e Monster Manual identifies the standard type of dwarf as a hill dwarf, and provides details for mountain dwarves (slightly tougher versions of their hill-dwelling cousins).


The D&D dwarf was at least partly inspired by the character of Hugi from Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions", who speaks in a Scottish brogue and is able to detect sloping passages:

     The passage debouched in a slightly larger cavern.  Three other holes opened on the far side.  Hugi waved his companions back and stumped around.  The torchlight threw his face into craggy prominences but painted his shadow behind, like a black grotesque thing about to eat him.
     He studied the flame, which had turned yellow and smoky; he wet his thumb and held it this way and that; he stooped to smell the ground.  Finally he looked at the left-hand exit.  "This ane," he grunted.
     "No," Holger said.  "Can't you see the floor slants down in that direction?"
     "Nay, it doesna.  Mak' no such muckle noise."
     "You're nuts, I tell you!" Holger protested.  "Any fool -"
     Hugi stared through his brows at the man.  "Any fool can follow his ain fancy," the dwarf said.  "Mayhap ye're right.  I canna say for certain.  But 'tis ma opinion that yon tunnel's wha' we want, and I ken a bit more to burrowing than ye do.  So, are ye man eneugh to heed?"
     Holger swallowed.  "Okay," he said.  "I'm sorry.  Lead on."
     A ghost of a smile lifted Hugi's whiskers.  "Guid lad."  He trotted into the passage he had chosen.  The rest followed.

from "Three Hearts and Three Lions" by Poul Anderson

"A New View of Dwarves" by Larry Smith (The Dragon #3, Oct 1976) adopts a more Tolkienesque view, providing rules for advancement to 9th level (dwarf kings) among the 7 "families" of dwarves (including the tribe of Durin), dwarven cleric PCs and thieves, the special abilities of dwarves, reactions to other races, etc.


Elves:

The Greyhawk supplement describes various types of elves (wood, high elves, meadow elves) (fairies).  Mention is made of elven clerics (fighter/magic-user/clerics) restricted to NPCs, and rules are given for elven fighter/magic-user/thieves and elven thieves.

Illustration from the AD&D 1e Monster Manual, by David Sutherland.

In OD&D vol. 2 Monsters & Treasure under the entry for Elves, it is stated "Elves armed with magical weapons will add one pip to dice rolled to determine damage" a holdover from Chainmail, where "Those Elves (and Faeries) armed with magical weapons add an extra die in normal combat"

Under the entry for Ghouls, it is stated "Ghouls paralyze any normal figure they touch, excluding elves" which may have emerged as a house rule in Chainmail.

On the errata/corrections page for the 3rd and later printings of Greyhawk, it is stated "all elves add +1 to their hit probabilities when using sword or bow).  This rule was carried over into AD&D 1e, but not included in Holmes, B/X, or BECMI.

The AD&D 1e Monster Manual provides descriptions for the standard type of elf, as well as aquatic elves (introduced in the Blackmoor supplement), a teaser on the Drow, gray elves (faeries, who live in isolated meadowlands), half-elves, and wood (sylvan) elves.


"The Three Kindreds of the Eldar" by Larry Smith* (The Dragon #1, Jun 1976) draws its inspiration from Tolkien, and provides additional rules for Silvan or wood elves, Sindar or grey elves, and Noldor or Exiles:

A Silvan elf is more of a fighter than a magic user, and so may advance in levels as a fighter without limit, but may only use up to 2nd level spells as a magic user, and cannot use items restricted to magic users (such as wands or staves).

A Sindar elf is described as the standard type of elf.

A Nolder elf may advance in levels without limit, and both ranges and areas of effect when spell casting are increased by 50%.

In addition, chances are given for going across the sea "to the land of the Valar" for each of the three kindreds (10% per game year for Silvan elves, 25% per game year for Sindar elves, and variable for Noldor elves) which might be taken as an interesting rationale for level limits.

*This article prompted a letter by Lewis Pulsipher, to which Larry Smith was given the opportunity to respond, in the letters column ("Out On A Limb") in The Dragon #3, Oct 1976.


Hobbits:

Hobbits were renamed "halflings" in the 6th printing (1977) of the original D&D rules, as well as in the 3rd edition (1979) of the Basic Set rulebook, following a lawsuit by Saul Zaentz/Tolkien Enterprises.

Illustration from the AD&D 1e Monster Manual, by David Sutherland.

The Greyhawk supplement states that hobbits can be either fighters or thieves, and as thieves they have better chances for doing most things and are not limited to how high in level they can progress.

On the errata/corrections page for the 3rd and later printings, it is stated "all halflings add +3 to hit probabilities when using the sling".  This rule applies to bow or sling in the stat block for halflings in the AD&D 1e Monster Manual, although was not mentioned in the AD&D 1e Players Handbook.

Halflings gain a +1 to hit using any missile weapon in Holmes, a rule which carried over into B/X and BECMI.