D&D 4E 1st level 4E characters are already Heroes

[ragnarok77]

I love playing lower level characters!
You want to know the difference between first level characters and commoners?
The guts!!! I can't miss the flavour of saving the day with almost the same power of an annoying aristocrat or a fearful paesant!

Obviously the challenges are differents, but what's the porpouse of CR?

I really hope that we aren't going to loose this in 4e.

 

[The Grackle]

I mean, they just have more HPs right? BAB, skills, saves, and such are all the same. Don't most of us use Max HP at first level anyway?

This seems more of a fluff than a crunch issue.

 

[EATherrian]

For me, this issue comes down to two questions. First, who wants to play the wet-behind-the-ears proto-hero, the novice gamers (getting their first taste of D&D) or the veteran gamers who enjoy the challenge of bringing their character up from lowly beginnings? Second, should level 1 cater to the novice gamer or the veteran gamer?

I conjecture that the typical novice gamer would have more fun starting with a hero already heads and shoulders above the typical commoner. In the current edition, I can introduce this novice as a level 1 character who can drop after one hit or die from one crit. Alternatively, if I start my friend out at level 3 as a basic human fighter, she must choose five feats before even getting a feel for the game, right before selecting 2700 gp worth of equipment.

I'm feeling more and more the odd man out as I read these boards. I personally loved the lower levels, the danger was much more evident. And it teaches you that if you think you're going to die maybe you should run. Heck I enjoyed the zero-level pc rules that were out for a while, where you wouldn't even have a class until you got enough experience.

 

[EATherrian]

To me, this is more of a flavor thing. Why would a village send a group of four 1st level PCs to go deal with a nearby goblin tribe when a group of six or so guardsmen would do just as well (probably better)? If 1st level PCs are noticeably better than the village guard, it would make sense for people to turn to them with their problems.

Plus, anything that takes the crappiness out of playing a 1st level arcane spellcaster is good in my book. A 1st level fighter plays just fine. A 1st level wizard? Not so much.

I always think they send them because they are the ones dumb enough to go. At least that's how it works in my games.

 

[Slife]

I always think they send them because they are the ones dumb enough to go. At least that's how it works in my games.

But the PCs have higher wisdom and intelligence than the guards do.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

But the PCs have higher wisdom and intelligence than the guards do.

Which only goes to show that those numbers are even more meaningless than IQ

 

[EATherrian]

But the PCs have higher wisdom and intelligence than the guards do.

I don't know, I generally play with an average wisdom of about 6. So it works for me.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Exactly. A 1st-level PC-class character already has considerable training and skills; a 1st-level fighter is not a kid straight from the farm who has picked up his granddad's old sword.

I disagree. I 1st level fighter is EXACTLY that, save for a bit of training with said sword. A better analogy might be a soldier who has completed basic training, but has yet to experience his first firefight.

 

[Grog]

I disagree. I 1st level fighter is EXACTLY that, save for a bit of training with said sword. A better analogy might be a soldier who has completed basic training, but has yet to experience his first firefight.

As has been pointed out, that 1st level fighter is proficient in the use of something like 40 different weapons, from daggers to glaives to longbows. He's clearly not some kid just out of basic - he has very extensive training.

The problem is, the rest of his stats don't reflect that.

 

[zlorf]

I don't think most bandits exactly quake in terror at the mention of Rays of Frost.

Yes, but they may catch a cold. (i heard that airborn viruses may make an appearence in 4th edition, imagine the possibilities)