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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9207444" data-attributes="member: 58172">Skills convey important flavor, representing that the character is particularly good at something.In my experience, skills and tools are pervasively useful. I rely on them to adjudicate ANYTHING that my players imagine that seems might work but requires effort.Mechanically, the tool sets are strictly useful, because they add an advantage to skill checks.As DM, I use tool checks for the use of the tool, but also for anything relating to a tool set. For example, any character that knows how to implement Blacksmith tools, will generally be knowledgeable about metallurgy, including where metals come from and where to get them, mining, social checks to haggle for prices, and so on.Where skills represent breadth of knowledge, tools sets represent depth of knowledge, and specialization.I prefer the rules explicitly allow characters to swap out feats while leveling. I understand it can sometimes be awkward or tangled. But for cases like these, swaps improve the happiness of leveling. That said.Here, the Magic Initiate feat refers to "Arcane", which doesnt exist anymore, and presumably refers to any spellcaster class. Ideally, the feat allows the character to pick any class spell list, and the extra spells from it. Swapping which class the feat gains spells from can easily happen while leveling.The Sorcerer class has painfully few prepared spells. So, the extra slot 1 spell from the Magic Initiate feat helps during the low levels of the class. The Sorcerer has enough cantrips, but there are many good cantrips, and the two extra cantrips from the feat allow a diverse mix of combat and utility.Skills are 100% dependent on the DM gaming style.If the skills matter to the DM, the skills will matter to the players.In my games, skills are vital.To me, those mechanics seem more like an 8 year old character.It is easy enough to jot down a minimalist statblock with only: a Standard Array, speed, hit points and AC. And thats it. There seems no need for rules to explain how to do this.Even a pet has mechanics that are more complex.Level 0 is opt in for the players who enjoy the zero-to-hero campaign.As mentioned earlier, that startup mechanics feels too minimizing.At the same time, I am open to the idea of adding features one at a time. For example, having a level 0 character with the background features, and adding level 1 class features one at a time. To add the individual class features in an ad-hoc way is more complex, and needs a more in depth treatment in the DMs Guide or future supplement.The benefit of the original post approach for level 0 is, all of the rules (except for hit points) already exist. Simple. The 2024 Players Handbook can refer to the "Character Origins" as the "Level Zero Character". Done.</blockquote>

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