0-level Rules Question

[JDeMobray]

Does anyone know of any good house rules for 0-level characters, or perhaps something like the d20 Modern Backgrounds that could be used to add a little more versatility (but not a lot of power) on to first level characters?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Aaron2]

I have some written up but they need one more round of simplifying before I release them. I'll post in this thread when I'm finished.


Aaron

 

[Aaron2]

I'm posted the 0th level human rules. The other races are still in process. They are here:

http://jtjaguar.home.texas.net/0thlevel.htm

Feedback appreciated.


Aaron

 

[Sanackranib]

there is a section in the 3.0 DMG on "aprentice level claracters" I would assume that it made it to 3.5 as well. basically you only get some of the characters abilities.

I ran a game where I started everyone off at -500 xo or "0" level. it was interesting because the players only had from 3-6 hp so they had to fear everything.

 

[Aaron2]

there is a section in the 3.0 DMG on "aprentice level claracters" I would assume that it made it to 3.5 as well. basically you only get some of the characters abilities.

I don't think the apprentice rules ever made it into the SRD. However, my main design goal was to get rid of the * 4 class skills at first level. I'm tired of every character picking rogue as their first level class.


Aaron

 

[Sanackranib]

why? in a game as combat driven as D&D or as skill driven as D&D why would you care if your players wanted to take rogue to get a decient ammount of class skills and the skill points to max said skills at level 1?
unless they all continue to advance as rogues thier class skill list willl change and they will go back to the same low skill points the other classes all have. 4 ranks in any skill isnt going to break any game I have ever been a part of. As DM or player.

 

[Aaron2]

4 ranks in any skill isnt going to break any game I have ever been a part of. As DM or player.

This has never been about broken or balance, just preference. I would prefer that a Rog 1 / Wiz 1 not be clearly superior to a Wiz 1 / Rog 1. (I dislike the Epic rules for the same reason). I would prefer that starting character had a wider mix of skills instead of just maxing out X class skills. I would prefer that a character's background mattered, even if it only matters a little bit.


Aaron

 

[Wantung]

Well, you could make a House Rule that everybody is required to take some ranks in a Profession skill, with well-reasoned exceptions.

 

[Aaron2]

Well, you could make a House Rule that everybody is required to take some ranks in a Profession skill, with well-reasoned exceptions.

I wanted to start my characters out as unclassed 0th level characters. Since there are no official rules to do such, I had to make up my own. I figured that while I was making up rules anyway, I might as well add stuff like backgrounds skills and starting ages. The apprentice rules in the DMG still require 0th level character to belong to a class. This won't work since the whole point of the being 0th level (in my mind at least) is running the adventure where the characters actually find a wizard who will teach them, or a church that will accept someone, etc. The campaign world is magic-light. Well, not so much cause magic is weak but because most magic-types jealousy guard their knowledge. Starting a character as a "wizard's apprentise" won't emphasise this enough.

Anyway, that's my "why". I curious what the original poster's ideas are.


Aaron

 

[Beholder Bob]

Your concern is the abuse of skill point accumlation, not level. Give double the normal amount of skill points for the first 3 levels rather then x4 the normal skill points at 1st. By 3rd level, skill points will be correct.
This does weaken the 1st/2nd level characters (less skill points), I would suggest a 'childhood bonus'

You grew up as a non-pc class person (even paladins played as kid, it wasn't all sword play and study). Give 4 skill points to reflect their past, based on their description of it. Focus on unusual (for their class) skills and non-dungeon skills: 1 rank in diplomacy for the wizard who, as a child, rode into the towns with his father to sell apples. The paladin with the potter father gains pottery, the rogue learned orc from his 1/2 orc friend, the young elf gained knowledge of wine, and the halfling learned to swim 9 summers ago. The DM assigns the skills, but they are bonus skills so why complain? Also - no matter the 1st level class, the childhood skills are always class skills