Zero Level Characters
Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:26 pm
I just got my copy of DCC #35: The Known Realms, and so it's only a matter of time before I give my Wilderlands campaign the hard goodbye and switch over. I already have a bunch of questions, and I will eventually post a big list of questions for Harley, Jeff and Mike to answer, but right now I am just trying to wrap my head around Zero Level Characters.
So a character starts out at -1000 XP, and becomes first level after reaching 0 XP. But how does that work? Does the character gain all the normal benefits of being first level (a bonus feat, maximum hit points, four times normal skill points), or do they just gain the normal benefits?
Let's say I start with Joe Warrior at zero level:
Joe Warrior: Male Human Warrior 1; CR 0; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d8)+1; hp 9; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +1; Grp+2; Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); Full Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +3; Blind-Fight, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
Joe gains 1000 Xp, and becomes a first level Fighter.
There are two possible ways to interpret this. The less disruptive way is to simply "upgrade" Joe from a Warrior to a Fighter:
Joe Fighter 1.0: Male Human Fighter 1; CR 1; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d10)+1; hp 11; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +1; Grp+2; Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); Full Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +3; Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
This route, the character gains +2 HP, and an extra feat.
The other method is to simply add a level of fighter:
Joe Fighter 2.0: Male Human Warrior 1/Fighter 1; CR 1; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d8)+(1d10)+2; hp 20; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +2; Grp+3; Atk: +3 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword) ; Full Atk: +3 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword) ; SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Intimidate +4, Jump +4; Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
The second option seems to be the one presumed by the book, but that results in a pretty uber first level chaarcter, and seems like it would be unbalancing. I mean here you have a first level fighter with 5 ranks in his skills, 20 HP, and a +2 BAB. He's essentially an EL 2 character.
Which system is the one you'd recommend? Also, what about players who want to play Barbarians? What NPC class works for them?
So a character starts out at -1000 XP, and becomes first level after reaching 0 XP. But how does that work? Does the character gain all the normal benefits of being first level (a bonus feat, maximum hit points, four times normal skill points), or do they just gain the normal benefits?
Let's say I start with Joe Warrior at zero level:
Joe Warrior: Male Human Warrior 1; CR 0; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d8)+1; hp 9; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +1; Grp+2; Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); Full Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +3; Blind-Fight, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
Joe gains 1000 Xp, and becomes a first level Fighter.
There are two possible ways to interpret this. The less disruptive way is to simply "upgrade" Joe from a Warrior to a Fighter:
Joe Fighter 1.0: Male Human Fighter 1; CR 1; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d10)+1; hp 11; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +1; Grp+2; Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); Full Atk: +2 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword); SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +3; Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
This route, the character gains +2 HP, and an extra feat.
The other method is to simply add a level of fighter:
Joe Fighter 2.0: Male Human Warrior 1/Fighter 1; CR 1; Medium Humanoid (human); HD (1d8)+(1d10)+2; hp 20; Init +0; Spd Walk 30'; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14, Base Atk +2; Grp+3; Atk: +3 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword) ; Full Atk: +3 Melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, Longsword) ; SA -; SQ: Normal; AL: TN; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will -1; STR 13, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Intimidate +4, Jump +4; Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack
Possessions: Chain Shirt; Longsword
The second option seems to be the one presumed by the book, but that results in a pretty uber first level chaarcter, and seems like it would be unbalancing. I mean here you have a first level fighter with 5 ranks in his skills, 20 HP, and a +2 BAB. He's essentially an EL 2 character.
Which system is the one you'd recommend? Also, what about players who want to play Barbarians? What NPC class works for them?