In early editions of D&D, level titles were used as descriptors for each character class at each level of advancement. A first-level cleric, for example, was known as an Acolyte, while a second-level cleric was called an Adept. Encountering three Mediums was synonymous with encountering three first-level magic-users. This system of level titles held true until the publication of AD&D 2nd edition in 1989 which dropped the practice. At the time, I can’t recall anybody I gamed with ever really noticing the change since most of us had already begun to ignore the titles in actual game play.
Author: The Rambling Cleric
I'm a former professor of religious studies turned hospital chaplain that has a love for old-school roleplaying, particularly original D&D and B/X D&D. If you enjoy pondering the esoteric nature of early D&D, or just want to poke around and see what another player does in his old-school games, then you should find something of interest here.