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Message: <blockquote data-quote="strumbleduck" data-source="post: 4355613" data-attributes="member: 36526">It does feel very much as though the characters are starting at 3rd level, with 1st and 2nd levels having been removed from the game.  As has been stated, the 1st-level monsters in the MM are an entirely appropriate challenge for a 1st-level party, and you don't need to do anything special to make the encounters harder.  This is mostly a positive change: a lot of campaigns used to start above 1st level since 1st level was fairly boring, and 1st-level PC's used to die too easily.If you really, really want, it should be possible to start PC's at level 0, level -1, or level -2.  (Level -2 PC's should remind you very much of 1st-level characters from earlier editions.)  Just have the players create 1st-level characters which they then "level down" by decreasing hit points and such.  Here are the necessary details:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Level -2 PC's start with a single at-will power and a single encounter power.  They gain a second at-will power at level -1 and their first daily power at level 1.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">PC's below level 1 take a -1 penalty to all ability scores.  PC's below level 0 take an additional -1 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, initiative, AC, and defenses.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">PC's gain their first feat at level 0 (though human PC's start with a feat).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Paladins do not gain plate armor proficiency until level 0.  The same goes for fighters and scale armor, and for rangers and hide armor.  Wizards do not gain implement mastery until level 0, and warlocks do not gain shadow walk until level 0.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It takes 625 XP to advance from level -2 to level -1, 750 XP to advance from level -1 to level 0, and 875 XP to advance from level 0 to level 1.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When planning encounters, use an XP budget of 88 x number of PC's for level 0, 75 x number of PC's for level -1, and 63 x number of PC's for level -2.  If you like, you can level down monsters in the MM below 1st level, with 88 XP for a 0th-level monster and 75 XP for a monster of level -1.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It's ok to hand out some magic items while the party is at very low level.  Before they reach 1st level, the party should find one 4th-level item, two 3rd-level items, three 2nd-level items, and four 1st-level items, as well as some healing potions and about 1000 gp.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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