Did your very first character die or level up?

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

My first character was a human cleric (2E) which I played at a day camp. The party got into a massive bar fight and fled the town when the guards came to arrest us. As we fled, we encountered four bears. My character became bear food

My second character (also played at the day camp) was a fighter. He made it to level 6 until he was killed walking into a barracks of soldiers. I recall being hit 4-5 times with two of them being critical hits.

 

[Zustiur]

I started with 2nd Ed. I had two characters. One survived the first fight, the other didn't but was resurrected. However, since I had two level 1 characters and the rest of the party was about 14th level, I gained enough XP to level up both characters about 6 times (we ignored the gain a max of 1 level at a time rule that day).

 

[Nymrohd]

My Erzel became a 2nd level druid killing Norkers. I'm still fond of them

 

[Plane Sailing]

1976, 1st level thief, 1hp. Survived the adventure (most of the party of 13 died). Along the way used his slingstone against an iron golem (which fortunately wasn't attacking us! I had no idea what it was!), used wordplay to persuade an earth elemental to kill itself, and picked up a dancing sword that an enemy had been using against us. At the end of the fight it was just lying on the ground, nobody else seemed interested, so I asked the DM if I could pick it up and slide it into my scabbard. Nobody else seemed to care

He made it to 2nd level. After this length of time I've got no idea what his name was!

 

[Bullgrit]

I had a theory to test, that’s why I posted the poll as I did.

My hypothesis:
Starting characters had a better chance of surviving a Player’s first experience in the game in later editions of the game versus earlier editions.

With D&D4’s high hit points at 1st level.

With D&D3’s standard of max hit points at 1st level.

And maybe with AD&D2’s supposed more emphasis on storytelling (this may be gaming myth rather than actual book instructions).

Although there really isn’t enough data here, (especially for later editions), to make a true judgment on my hypothesis.

OD&D -- 4:8 die:gain ratio
BD&D – 27:25 die:gain
AD&D1 – 18:14 die:gain
AD&D2 – 8:12 die:gain
D&D3 – 2:16 die:gain
D&D4 – 0:1 die:gain

I’m really surprised at how many OD&D, BD&D, and AD&D1 first characters survived their first adventure to gain a level. I mean, for a true beginning Player with a first character, you haven’t learned the “tricks of the trade,” so to speak, of D&D gaming. Survival, in my experience, with a first character in early D&D was mostly a crap shoot with every dungeon room.

Fighters with average 4 hit points, thieves with a 75--90% chance to set off a save-or-die poison trap, magic-users with one spell, clerics with no healing, Players with no experience, etc. (This is assuming first character came in at 1st level.)

My first D&D experience was exploring the module In Search of the Unknown. One of our 4 PCs died in the very first encounter, through absolutely no fault of his own. My own PC died in a troglodyte encounter just a few minutes later, through no real fault of my own.

Dying so easily, of course, didn’t dissuade me from continuing the game. But it does make me awe at how others could survive the dozen or two encounters/situations/battles it would take to make second level. I mean, all it takes is a goblin rolling a 4, 5, or 6 on his d6 damage roll to kill your average BD&D fighter. In fact, I never had a PC [legitimately] make 2nd level from 1st.

Bullgrit

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I’m really surprised at how many OD&D, BD&D, and AD&D1 first characters survived their first adventure to gain a level.

As you point out, there's not really enough data, here, to say much. I'm a bit surprised, too. However, you may also be seeing effects of early games where people hadn't fully grasped the rules, yet, and were still learning how to play and how the game worked.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

In fact, I never had a PC [legitimately] make 2nd level from 1st.

Bullgrit

I think this right here is what is skewing the results. I know I, for one, fudged die rolls fairly often as a DM introducing new players to the game to keep them alive.

I'm sure it wasn't an uncommon practice.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Another factor might be death house rules. For example, is your PC dead at 0 hp? At -10 hit points? At -Con hit points? At -Level hit points? Or maybe you get a Death save at 0 hit points to decide if you're really dead or just incapacitated. Or maybe you roll on a table when you reach 0 hit points.

I think the lethality of low-level D&D (especially the older editions) is something that isn't necessarily good or bad; it depends on player expectations and how you approach the game. For example, if you take the approach where a player envisions his hero, creates him and a detailed back-story, motivations, et cetera, and expects a kind of "zero to hero" story to develop around that character, then the default lethality can easily be seen as a drawback.

However, maybe the DM tells the players, "Okay, you're going to be starting in a frontier 'boom town' that's sprung up near a mysterious and ancient ruin where adventurous souls have been risking their lives to recover fortunes in treasure. Many die, but a few find themselves rich and the subject of heroic tales and songs sung around campfires and in taverns. I need you to roll up five characters each: all neophyte adventurers hungering after fortune and glory. Roll them up, see what fate gives you, and pick one to start out with. If he lives, great. If not, you'll move to your second PC. We'll see what the fates decree…"

That kind of approach puts a little different spin on the start of the game, and helps set the player expectations ("5 PCs -- damn, sound like I might die"). Most players will also see it as a sort of challenge, which can be fun.

Another factor is how often the group plays and how fast characters advance. If you have frequent play, losing a low-level PC isn't so bad. But if you just spent six months bringing your PC up to 2nd level, and then he dies after falling into a pit, you'll be pretty bummed.

 

[Bullgrit]

In fact, I never had a PC [legitimately] make 2nd level from 1st.

I think this right here is what is skewing the results.

My first character to gain a level did so because the DM "gave it." We started Palace of the Silver Princess, but the DM had a single PC finish the adventure while the rest of the party rested. He then gave all characters enough XP to make 3rd level. Total whack-job of an experience with that DM.

Here's my original character sheet for that PC: Total Bullgeek

Bullgrit

 

[WayneLigon]

Started with original D&D. Sat down, 10 minutes later or so had a notecard with stats and my class: Magic User, first level. The rest of the party is fifth? I'm not sure. We travel a bit, then camp for the night. Random encounter! Five mindflayers storm the group. I go down, tentacles boring into my brain, as three others succumb to the monsters. The others take to horses and flee until the monsters are gone.

Level up? I never even got any XP before I died!