The Campaign: Taming The Wilderness Comes Early For Competent Campaigners

(Following from this post.)

Over the years, much has been said about two 3rd level Cleric spells and their implications. On p. 36 of the Player's Handbook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition you'll find them in black and white:

Continual Light (Alteration) Reversible

Level: 3
Range: 12"
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 6" radius globe
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 6 segments
Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: This spell is similar to a light spell, except that it lasts until negated (by a continual darkness or dispel magic spell) and its brightness is very great, beign nearly as illuminating as full daylight. It can be cast into air, into an object, or at a creature. In the third case, the continual light affects the space about one foot behind the creature if the latter makes it saving throw. Note that this epell will blind a creature if it is successfully cast upon the visual organs, for example. Its reverse causes complete absence of light.

Create Food & Water (Alteration)

Level: 3
Range: 1"
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 1 cubic food/level
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: None

Explation/Description: When this spell is cast, the cleric causes food and/or water to appear. The food thus created is highly nourishing, and each cubic foot of the material will sustain three human-sized creatures or one horse-sized creature for a full day. For each level of experience the cleric has attained, 1 cubic foot of food and/or water is created by the spell, i.e. 2 cubic feet of food are created by a 2nd level cleric, 3 by a 3rd, 4 by a 4th, and so on; or the 2nd level cleric could create create 1 cubic foot of food and one 1 cubic foot of water, etc.

Recall that, as per Dungeon Master's Guide p. 38, all Cleric and Druid spells at 3rd level and above are bestowed either by the patron god or one of his subordinates.

The presence of a settlement there these magics are present are definitive proof of a religion that has a real god behind it; ruins where such magics linger are proof that such a presence was once resident and may yet be present.

"But who wants to spend precious time memorizing spells just to feed people and light up places?"

A Cleric that wants to win does this. Even one that is evil himself and pursues an evil god will make use of these spells and not complain in the least. The reason? "Those that follow (god) shall enjoy (god)'s bounty, be secure in his temples, and enjoy the benefit of his protection. In return, you must do as (god) commands and render up sacrifices as required." Sure, it's a cosmic protection racket, but it's either that or facing the wilderness on your own- something most cannot do and survive.

"But no one would take that deal?"

Oh really?

They did. Many times. Many places. Many names. Many faces. Same racket.

"Okay, fine, but that still ties down a 5th level Cleric indefinitely."

Not if he, or his superiors, have a Magic-User with Enchant An Item and Permanency to call upon- say, in return for all those healing/curing/raising services rendered previously. (What part of "cosmic protection racket" did you not understand?)

Imagine that there is an item that, once per day, performed Create Food & Water on command- and that this command could be done by anyone that knows how. Oh wait, I don't have to.

As for the lights, all that involves is taking a useless rock, setting into a lamppost with shutters or a hood on it, and casting continual light on the rock within it- and the casting function could be off-loaded to a charged item like a wand/staff/rod or an item able to cast it (X) times per day on command.

"That's not very fantasy-like."

Do you have any idea what a Roman encampment looked like? Or any of the various rivals or contemporaries? If they could get access to light sources better than torches, they would use them immediately- as proven by the fact that this happened as soon as such better options could be had. An army that has as many of these light sources, just like one that has several magical food/water producers, is an army with a massive advantage over its opposition.

"But-"

If you can figure out how to automate magical food creation or light generation, you can figure out how to automate magical item creation.

Given what that involves, that's a topic for another post and it's equal to Clone in its impact, but when you're just starting out you can start taming areas that your man and his allies operate out of right quick with minimal maintenance- and most of that to be done during one's downtime when Time Jail doesn't lock him into another course of action.

Learn how to turn a mudhole into a thriving and secure forward base camp with just these few simple tricks and you'll be on your way to winning at AD&D.

Pacifying such an area, ensuring that mundane food cultivation is not the sole food generation method,