Here is a summary of the significant changes in character races from the 1e advanced game to Labyrinth Lord’s Advanced Edition Companion:

Dwarves: Lost orcish language

Lost +1 to-hit vs. half-orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs

Lost -4 defense bonus vs. ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, and titans

Saving throw bonuses vs. magic and poison are handled differently with roughly similar results

Gained saving throw bonuses vs. breath weapons

Elves: Lost 90% resistance to sleep and charm

Lost +1 to-hit with bows

Lost gnome, halfling, hobgoblin, orcish, and gnoll languages

Gained kobold language

Lost surprise bonus when alone or with only other elves

Gained resistance to ghoul’s paralyzation

Gnomes: Gained orcish language

Lost ability to communicate with burrowing mammals

Saving throw bonuses vs. magic are handled differently with roughly similar results

Gained saving throw bonuses vs. poison and breath weapons

Lost +1 to-hit vs. kobolds and goblins

Halflings: Saving throw bonuses vs. magic and poison are handled differently with roughly similar results

Gained saving throw bonuses vs. breath weapons

Lost all racial languages (6 total)…halfings in core LL also list no languages

Lost infravision (some breeds)

Lost tunnel observation skills

Lost surprise bonus when alone or with only other halflings

Gained ability to hide in wilderness

Gained ability to hid in shadows underground

Gained initiative bonus when alone or with only other halflings

Gained +1 to-hit on all missile attacks

Half-Elves: Lost 30% resistance to sleep and charm

Gained resistance to ghoul’s paralyzation

Lost gnome, halfling, and goblin languages

Half-Orcs: Gained ability to detect secret and hidden doors

I haven’t looked at changes to racial level limits or thief skill adjustments yet.

To be honest, now that I look more closely and make a list, the changes are lot more significant than I had thought when I wrote my review. I will add a link to this list from the review. Personally, I don’t really mind seeing what is generally a “powering-down” of the demi-human races, but this seems a bit excessive.

My guess is that it is due to how the race-classes were written up in the 1981 B/X game, which mostly carried over into Labyrinth Lord. When making the AEC races match racial abilities of the core LL race-classes, a lot had to go. Much of it, though nice flavor, isn’t really necessary. But some of it is more than just cosmetic.

This isn’t a knock against LL or the AEC, as I really like the simplified mechanics and write-ups of the basic game. And taking advanced stuff and porting it into a basic game was no mean trick, so this list is meant as an observation, not a criticism. If every little advanced bit was more or less duplicated in the AEC, it wouldn’t be a basic game any more, would it? The beauty of the AEC is that it makes using the advanced stuff in a basic game a snap. And it does it well.

Even if elves don’t get a +1 with bows other than crossbows.

UPDATE: Some seem to have taken this listing as a knock against the AEC for some reason. I haven’t quite figured out how that happened, as it’s merely a quick listing of simple fact and my written conclusion is generally supportive of the decisions made.

I merely thought that a look at some of the details would be interesting. I’ve played LL (and a very little S&W) exclusively over the past year, haven’t played 1e AD&D since 1989 or so, and the differences were greater than I had remembered. I thought others may be interested, too, in a look at some details. I’m mystified how that could bother anyone.

UPDATE 2: Grognardia linked to this post and Dan Proctor’s comments. That in itself is cool, but I encourage you to check out what James has to say on the subject.