D&D (2024) Level Zero

[Yaarel]

I'm soory, but 1st level really does NOT have any abundance of features

Each level is approximately an amount of features worth a feat of design space.

(Sometimes a powerful feature borrows some design space from an other level, leaving that level with a minor feature.)

With regard to 2014 classes, level 1 is worth about three feats of design space. Level 1 features can reorganize into three separate feats.

 

[Yaarel]

If I recall correctly, every playtest class gains proficiency with All Simple Weapons.

This simple weapons feature is, here, understood to be acquired during Level Zero.

In other words, players have a choice of swapping All Simple Weapons, for One Martial Weapon, or One Cantrip.


It is possible for a Level 0 adolescent to initially train to be a mage, gaining a cantrip, but then decide to become a Fighter. So, this adult level 1 Fighter character happens to have a cantrip.

 

[Horwath]

If I recall correctly, every playtest class gains proficiency with All Simple Weapons.

This simple weapons feature is, here, understood to be acquired during Level Zero.

In other words, players have a choice of swapping All Simple Weapons, for One Martial Weapon, or One Cantrip.


It is possible for a Level 0 adolescent to initially train to be a mage, gaining a cantrip, but then decide to become a Fighter. So, this adult level 1 Fighter character happens to have a cantrip.

if you are going with this variant, then use total minimum that all classes get for level 0

HP 6, d6 HD
4 skills, 2 from any class, 2 from background
2 saves,
common, plus one language
simple weapons
1 feat
1 tool

 

[Yaarel]

if you are going with this variant, then use total minimum that all classes get for level 0

HP 6, d6 HD
4 skills, 2 from any class, 2 from background
2 saves,
common, plus one language
simple weapons
1 feat
1 tool

Level Zero Character

Species
• All Traits
• [Hit Points: Size (Medium 1d8 or 5) + Constitution]

Abilities
• Standard Array (or 4d6 Drop Lowest or Point Buy)

Languages
• Common plus two languages of your choice (typically one relating to your species and one to your background)

Background
• Level Zero Feat of your choice
• Ability Improvements
• Proficiency with two skills of your choice
• Proficiency with one tool of your choice
• Starting equipment

Combat Training
• Proficiency with all simple weapons (or one cantrip, or one martial weapon, or one simple weapon with shield training)

Saves
• No save proficiencies, but apply ability bonuses

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Some players get into level zero characters. Mechanically some like the zero to hero. Narratively some like to live out the background origins, for a sense of where the character comes from.

Level zero is for players who want to opt-in.


Give me an example of level 0 character concept − maybe an adolescent with a talent for magic or a farm kid who wants to be a knight − and I will try to build you this character.

I mean, I already asked for you to give some examples of what you consider to be well-made "zero level" characters...bit frustrating to be told "nah, how about you give me concepts to make." Because, frankly, the issue isn't that I don't think you can do something you find adequate. I'm sure you can. The issue is that I don't think these things you've described would be adequate to me.

I had had more here, but perhaps it is not necessary to say so much, not yet anyway.

The only time I have ever liked level 0 characters, and even then only rarely, is when we were roleplaying and going through training and would be 1st level in our class when the training(a session or three) was done. A bunch of RP, maybe a fist fight or grabbing the grasshopper from the master's hand, and then off to the races at level 1. Or even preferably level 3. Level 3 is the new level 1.

I'm aware. These rules aren't for everyone. They're for those folks who love playing through those "who am I, how did I get to be what I am" stories, who want every proverbial step to be a trial unto itself. I, personally, have little to no use for such things. But I absolutely will die on the hill of including them, because they would be extremely useful for a large minority group of D&D fans. (As above, I could say more, but perhaps it is better to be concise at this time.)

 

[aco175]

0 level is not for me, but I can see where others might like it. I find that background is more a player thing and not the DMs. a player wants his character to have training at a noble fighter school or magic academy, fine. Roleplaying how he got into the school and such, no. Maybe introducing the big bad like a movie where the 'kids' all happen to be friends training in their own ways to be 1st level happen to be at the same place where stuff happens and their 0 level wits need to outsmart the big bad. This sets up a group and allows the people training them to push 1st level on them and out to the big quest to save Middle-Earth.

Maybe more of just talking roleplay and no dice in a session 0 type of thing.

 

[Oofta]

My current group is level 0, even more limited than the OP. They're kids attending school, establishing who their characters are really going to be when they grow up. It's pretty much 100% RP for the first session or two, even after that combat will be extremely limited for a few sessions. When I did this before the biggest fight they had in the first couple of sessions involved snowballs.

For me, level 0 is for groups that want to establish a story of who they were before they decided to be adventurers and why they decided to risk life and limb on a regular basis to become adventurers. Not for every group of course, but everyone is having a lot of fun with it. Even the person that was skeptical of the concept at the start told me after a game that they were having a lot of fun.

Having a bond of having grown up together and shared experiences that propelled you into risking life and limb on a regular basis while also establishing core concepts of why you're doing it can change the nature of the campaign. Also a fun way to introduce the campaign setting and establish a starting direction.

 

[TwoSix]

My current group is level 0, even more limited than the OP. They're kids attending school, establishing who their characters are really going to be when they grow up. It's pretty much 100% RP for the first session or two, even after that combat will be extremely limited for a few sessions. When I did this before the biggest fight they had in the first couple of sessions involved snowballs.

For me, level 0 is for groups that want to establish a story of who they were before they decided to be adventurers and why they decided to risk life and limb on a regular basis to become adventurers. Not for every group of course, but everyone is having a lot of fun with it. Even the person that was skeptical of the concept at the start told me after a game that they were having a lot of fun.

Having a bond of having grown up together and shared experiences that propelled you into risking life and limb on a regular basis while also establishing core concepts of why you're doing it can change the nature of the campaign. Also a fun way to introduce the campaign setting and establish a starting direction.

Agree with all this.

The best part of level 0 is using that time to discover who your character is going to be. If you go in t the game under the assumption that this character is going to be an Echo Knight fighter, and the level zero is just the prologue before actually getting those Echo Knight abilities, then level zero will be not nearly as fun (and honestly a waste of time).

Low-level games should be about discovery and flexibility in terms of who your character is becoming. A game where everyone already knows exactly what class and subclass and feats they want their character to have should start at higher levels (somewhere in Tier 2 minimum), so you can actually play these characters in the manner in which you're envisioning. My least favorite part of 5e is playing at low levels, waiting around to level up to gain the abilities I view as necessary for my character concept.

 

[Krachek]

Level 0 is cool when you meat grind PCs. Even better with rolled stats.
Shadow dark make a crush by reinstating level 0 meat grinding session.

 

[Reynard]

Level 0 is cool when you meat grind PCs. Even better with rolled stats.
Shadow dark make a crush by reinstating level 0 meat grinding session.

DCC popularized that, but I don't think that is why most people want 0 level characters. They want 0 level characters in order to play the "zero to hero" story that D&D used to provide out of the box.