crafting before 'being played' ??

[Tatsukun]

Hi everyone, I am in the process of starting a new game (pimp sig) and I am wondering how other games deal with "before start time". By that I mean time a newly created PC is assumed to have used to craft things before s/he started 'being played'.

For example, if a player makes a 1st level Wizard, can s/he buy scrolls at half price and just say that the PC had scribed them before the game started?

What about crafting non-magical items. Can a PC be assumed to have spent the necessary years crafting armor before the PC started adventuring?

Does it change for PC's beginning at higher than 1st level?

I'd make this a poll, but there are too many possible answers, so please just tell me what your game does.

Thanks

-Tatsu

P.S> I put this in 'rules' in case there is a hard and fast rule I missed somewhere. If that's wrong, sorry.

 

[Crothian]

I'd allow it to happen. I like when players take craft skills and feats. Note though that for the craft magic they do need XP to craft the items. So, if they are first level with zero XP, as the rules are written they could not craft anything.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The XP thing could be assumed that they adventured a little, gained the XP, and spent it all on crafting...so, 0 is still a possibility to start out with.

I'd allow it, especially since I have to encourage players to craft things and they don't like to because it takes time.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

There is a hard-and-fast rule about this in the DMG.

OK, it's not really hard, and it certainly isn't fast, but it *is* in the DMG.

When you start a campaign, the DMG recommends that you give each character an amount of XP and gold* to start with, rather than a particular level.

*The amount of gold is *usually* equal to the amount of expected wealth for a single class character who spent all his XP going up in levels, but it doesn't have to be.

So, don't say "Everyone, make 5th-level characters."

Instead, say "Everyone, make characters. You have 12,500 xp (midway between 5th-and 6th-levels), and 6,000gp."

Alternatively, "Everyone, make characters. You have 0 xp and the max normal starting gold for your class."

This way, those who want to spend XP on crafting can do so, those who end up with a multiclass penalty are appropriately penalized, and those who wish to craft mundane items can do so.

EDIT: To respond to the more general question, absolutely you should do it. Let the players get some use out of those ranks in Craft and those Item Creation feats. Alternatively, give a bonus to starting gold for any ranks in a Profession or Perform skill, as well, to represent some cash made "on the side."

 

[IronWolf]

I'd probably allow it in campaigns I ran. I like to encourage skills and feats that aren't always combat oriented. I even like the idea of allowing a little extra starting gold for characters with ranks in perform or profession.

 

[dcollins]

The DMG says (Ch. 2: "Creating Characters Above 1st Level") that the DM should assign as specific number of XP points to each character, and that crafters can spend as many XP and gold (at half-price) on magic items they wish.

My group follows this rule, and we usually give a buffer of XP so crafter PC's don't immediately start a level down. I wouldn't do this for 1st level however (since it's only a greater-than-1st-level rule; maybe possibly a DM could give some starting XP to every character and let crafters pay out of that).

 

[Sieobahn]

When starting new characters, I have ruled that the PC's can only have equipment to the starting gold limit at book prices. So they have no advantage for more equipment than anyone else, or the designed adventure level.

For roleplaying purposes, they can say they have created them.

 

[Kalendraf]

When starting new characters, I have ruled that the PC's can only have equipment to the starting gold limit at book prices. So they have no advantage for more equipment than anyone else, or the designed adventure level.

For roleplaying purposes, they can say they have created them.

Having seen many abuses with the alternate method, I rule it this way as well. Otherwise, the tendency is for every new character to come in as a crafter with up to 2x the gear.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

The rule for NPCs, that I use for everyone, is that you treat magic items you crafted yourself as 70% of the base price, and wands and such as 35% and roll randomly for charges left.

 

[Nail]

Having seen many abuses with the [craft or Item Creation] method, .....

Only if you allow them infinite time. Crafting nonmagical items takes quite a bit of time.

Moreover, the only time when you realy care about mundane items is levels 1 thru 4. After that, who cares?