Iron weapons

[Gray Mouser]

In my OD&D games fairies (a PC race of my own creation) suffer double damage from iron weapons. But on the plus side, they can fly

Do you give them any penalties for wearing metal armor (besides, perhaps, being too heavy to utilize their wings)? Taking damage, not being able to use magical abilities, etc.?

Gray Mouser

[T. Foster]

In my OD&D games fairies (a PC race of my own creation) suffer double damage from iron weapons. But on the plus side, they can fly

Do you give them any penalties for wearing metal armor (besides, perhaps, being too heavy to utilize their wings)? Taking damage, not being able to use magical abilities, etc.?

Gray Mouser

Fairies are all single-classed magic-users (with a higher level-limit than elves - 9th vs 8th, allowing use of 5th level spells); they can only wear elfin mail as armor, and the only weapons they can use are the normal magic-user weapons (dagger, quarter staff) plus short bows. They can only fly while unencumbered and can only remain airborne for 3 consecutive rounds/turns. Note that this is in a white-box OD&D context; if I were to adapt them to AD&D I'd probably add and change some things (but I've never done so, because they don't really "feel like AD&D" to me -- they don't really fit into the magical ecosystem as described by Gygax in the MMs and WOG).