D&D General Critique My Funnel Rules for D&D5E 2024

[Paul Farquhar]

That’s not really an answer as to the “why”. Giving the players multiple characters to control slows the game down horribly. Running multiple characters in 5.5 is a lot slower than it was in 1st edition.

I'm toying between having Proficiency bonus be +0, to reflect just how weak a 0-level character

Even unleveled commoners and their pet gerbils have proficiency bonuses of +2 in 5.5.

 

[CreamCloud0]

DCC does recommend that players create four characters at a time and effectively play them all at once. Whereas my idea was to let players randomly select a character after every death and only play one at a time. Apparently there's a tendency in funnels for players to deliberately protect their favourite character and use the others as fodder. Then again, in DCC stats are generated randomly using 3d6 straight down the line. So there can be a fair amount of variety. Whereas in my approach, the stats block is always the same, it just gets allocated randomly. There isn't really any such thing as "better" character, just different.

i don't think playing the characters one-by-one will prevent any protective favouritism from taking place, they can just use their fodder characters first and let them die or throw them into a trap near the end so their favourite walks out the last few steps to claim the prize, put them all in the funnel at once and fate might decree their favourite dies anyway.

anyway as for the rules themselves,

0-level character rules
Characters start with the standard stat block -- 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 -- randomly assigned to Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha.

four sets of randomly attributed standard arrays, fine

Species is chosen randomly, again with higher weighting for more common species (eg, depending on where the campaign starts)
-Species traits apply as normal. Players can choose sub-species if applicable.
-If the species offers a choice of abilities (eg, Humans being versatile), the player can choose

A background is randomly applied, with higher weighting for more common backgrounds (eg, farmer).
-Attribute bonuses (eg, +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1) are randomly applied
-If the Origin feat given by a background involves making choices (eg, Skilled, or Magic Initiate), player's can make this choice

i'd let the player pick two species and randomly generate the other two, same goes for backgrounds, then they have to pick which combinations of array/species/background they want to make, but i'd say they do get to assign their background ASI,

• Hit Points start at 4 (1d4) plus any bonuses

i'd add reroll 1's onto this but otherwise good.

 

[Mecheon]

Genuinely I'm questioning the why of it as well

I thought I would short-circuit the (potentially) time-consuming process of character generation, and try a variation of the Dungeon Crawl Classics "funnel" concept.

Every D&D since 3.0, and even 2E itself once kits got involved, is far more of a character builder game than DCC or even older D&D editions. Genuinely, I think doing this entire process is taking away a bit of the fun of the modern game. Character building is a much more important thing to the point that you're basically planning a path for your character at level 1. Its not as bad as 3.5e where your character's fate was sealed from "Unstoppable god-king who can single handedly solo anything not designed specific to counter you" to "Wet noodle who is less effective than a summoned bear" at level 1 and knowing what sourcebooks to plunder, but its still part of the overall experience

Also I'm not sure on that stat array. 4d6 drop lowest is the standard these days, not 3d6, so stuff's expected to run higher

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you want quick character creation and a retro vibe you could do a lot worse than run Heroes of the Borderlands starter set.

 

[Fattycat]

Also I'm not sure on that stat array. 4d6 drop lowest is the standard these days, not 3d6, so stuff's expected to run higher

4d6 (drop lowest) results in an average 12.25.
The "standard array" (which I proposed using) is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8, which is an average of... 12.

 

[Tigris]

4d6 (drop lowest) results in an average 12.25.
The "standard array" (which I proposed using) is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8, which is an average of... 12.

Yes and this is by choice. If you do random and have less control you get better stats in average.

Also standard arrayis horrible for many classes/subclasses

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I have played with level 0 chars quite a lot:

1. Don't reduce proficiency bonus. Having a skill should make a difference.

2. Keep Hit dice at 1d6.

2. Start with lower stats instead. Maybe 13,12,11,10,8,6.

This is a difference of 12 points/+6 total bonuses.

During your game, instead of giving xp, you give stat points.
The limit is 15/14/13/12/10/8.

Characters are encouraged to spend it on abilities they actually use.
So the players with thwir level 1 character will have a choice about their stats. But they will still be limited a bit by their starting atteibutes.

Raising a 6 to 15 will take most of their stats. If you think that is too much, you could limit it to only max +4 from where characters started.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'm generating approx. 20 0-level characters, using the approach outlined below. Each PC is written up on an index card. Players take a card at random, and play that character until they die, or complete the scenario.

I'm toying between having Proficiency bonus be +0, to reflect just how weak a 0-level character is, versus making it +1 so having proficiency in a particular skill actually makes a difference. 0-level characters are supposed to be weak, and plenty of character death is part of the fun of the funnel concept.

I think it's a fun idea, but I would keep the proficiency bonus at +2.

It's hardly the proficiency bonus value which makes them weak... rather, it's the lack of HP, armor and spells/abilities. Before the get a class, they will have quite poor combat stats.

In addition, I think it's good that their background is worth, since it's the only thing they have beyond racial abilities (although that actually means armor/weapon profs for some). I am probably biased because I play with the original 5e rules where a background basically only grants proficiencies so without a bonus the background would be almost useless.