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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Henry" data-source="post: 215240" data-attributes="member: 158">There are ways to simulate this, but I can't help but feel as if you are introducing an artificial blind-spot onto your view of how to portray that first-level character.If a character is first level, then BY DEFINITION he is a neophyte. There is no way around this. The answer is not that you are playing an unrealistic character, the answer is that you are starting at too low a level. If you want to have a guy with decades of experience at being a village defender and being the local blacksmith, you need to be higher than first level.Second, if your character is REALLY as good as you say he is at 'smithing, then there is an easy way to do this.Put highest or second-highest score in INTPut all four skill points into Craft(blacksmith)Put Skill Focus (blacksmith)He will be the most skilled neophyte blacksmith in the local area, at a +8 (or +9 if your DM uses skill emphasis instead of skill focus) to his checks. That's pretty darned skilled. Most normal folks don't get that skilled until 4th or 5th level.A character with tons of skill at 'smithing and defending needs to start at least at 3rd or 4th level - he puts on 1 or two levels of expert, then 1 or 2 levels of warrior, and then one level of whatever he finally wound up being. Maybe he is a sorcerer, and has JUST discovered his powers? Maybe he has decided to strike out on his own at age 30, and is already a skilled warrior?Don't let the concept of a fully detailed character with a massive backstory blind you to what 1st level REALLY is. It IS neophytic in flavor - I cannot realistically see a first level character being any older than a young adult, and certainly not older than age 25 or so. If he is, just plain LIVING took care of that little neophytic detail.I hope this helps somewhat, Limper.</blockquote>

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