Pimp my 1st level characters!

[Marcon]

So my group went through 2 or 3 TPKs at a relatively low level (Not high enough so they could get raised and not deep enough into the storyline that they badly wanted to roll new characters and continue the same campaign).

I would like to kick off War of the Burning Sky but I got a clear warning that they basically don't want to "die young" for once. I'm no roll-fudger so the obvious solution is to give them some kind of boost. I don't want to start them straight at 2nd level and I don't want to meddle with rules I might regret later down the road (Like Gestalt characters).

What is, in your opinion, the most balanced way to give 1st level characters an advantage without dragging along overpowered "gifts" you might have granted to help them survive? Toughness as a bonus feat for everybody? The Star Wars Saga 3 HD at 1st level? (Saw that somewhere, don't have the book to apply it though)

-Marco

 

[Festivus]

Some things I have tried...

• 32 point buy for character generation - Not my first choice

• Action points that diminish in power or remove after a certain level - I liked them at lower levels but at higher ones I regretted letting them have them

• Reroll 1's on all healing dice below level 3 - Lets them always get a decent heal.

• Cure Light Wounds Wand as an early on item found while adventuring

• Max hit points for 1st and 2nd level - Probably the most helpful thing for preventing low level TPKs

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

While I prefer to let players reap the rewards of their play, I understand what you're saying, and have done some things to maximize low-level playability.

I, too, have allowed rerolls of 1's and Max 1st lvl HD.

One of the favorite things I've done in the past is give out goodies based on a well-written/conceived PC history. The "Origin Story" doesn't even have to be completely original if it suits the PC.

I don't reward obvious ploys for superior gear, but if the PC's history sounds good, they might have something passed down from their Grandfather (a Weapon of Legacy, perhaps?), extra starting wealth, some political pull in the town in which the PC is based, favors owed, a powerful patron, and so forth.

The reason I like it is that it makes the Players get inside their PCs, and it gives me material for future plot hooks.

They get something, I get something...Win/Win.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

32 point buy.
Max HP at every level.
Max starting gold.
Action Points (ala Eberron, not Unearthed Arcana)

Treasure to give out: Wands of Lesser Vigor (11hp per charge? Yes, please.), Healing Belt (750gp for variable healing effects that anyone can use? Yay!), Gloves of Rope Trickery (5700gp for a completely safe hidey hole to rest in for 8 hours every day, Wee!).

-TRRW

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I'd recommend the 32 point buy: it gives good stats overall (compared to 25-point buy), and allows all the characters to have the same starting point, rather than the random chance of dice rolling. It'll also allow the players to really build a character (knowing the limits of point buy, they can get the scores that they'd prefer for a certain character concept).

However, I wouldn't just say the characters are the only factor in the TPKs--it may be the players, as well. Perhaps they stay & fight instead of withdrawing from combat. Perhaps they aren't really building the PCs to work well (like too few ranks in Disable Device for the main trapfinding rogue, a ranged combat fighter with a low Dex, etc.).

Action points are a nice mechanic to include--it provides a bit of extra edge when necessary. However, they are a limited resource, and if the PCs aren't gaining a level each adventure, then learning when & when not to use them is an issue for the players.

If the TPKs are due to the way the players play, then no amount of bonus gear, character creation bonuses, or the like will keep them from a TPK.

Or, you may want to review what the circumstances on each TPK were, and each person's role in that (including your own). Are you having the PCs face challenges of a CR much too high for the characters? Do certain player behaviors promote or hasten a TPK? Are the modules your using (if applicable) have miscalculated CRs for the encounters?

I've had (too many) TPKs and near-TPKs with a group I run for. However, I've found that many reasons for this are:

• Me trying to provide an adequate CR for an encounter for a large group (8+ players);
• Player attitudes and behavior (picking fights when they shouldn't; retreating too late or too early; lack of genuine teamwork; etc.); and
• Just pure luck of the dice rolls (the PCs dealing with a severe challenge very well, but getting wiped out by a comparatively weaker challenge).

 

[amethal]

Our DM allows us to roll two dice for hit points and take the higher. That would help a bit.

The first adventure of War of the Burning Sky finishes off with two EL 7 encounters (with the helpful advice "make sure the PCs are second level by this point ) You could be looking at TPK number 3 if you are not careful .....

 

[interwyrm]

Give them allies - not impressive ones. Just having extra bodies to soak up a few hits makes sense. If your PCs are riding through the moutains on horses, and ankheg's surprise attack... make them eat the horses, not the PCs. I mean, honestly... if you were a hungry monster, which would you rather eat? Stringy, pointy, squirmy human or a nice fleshy horse?

Riding dogs make great pets too. They are actually somewhat effective in combat and also might be better targets for enemies.



Mechanical ideas...
No instant death. If the orc crits on a PC with his battleaxe or the ghoul coup de gras the paralyzed wizard, the PC drops to -1 hp instead of dead. If that's too much, make the caveat that casting a healing spell on him will only stabilize him and will not revive him until after combat. Of course, this won't help with TPK, just with invidual deaths. If combined with bringing along a tough NPC who manages to not steal the glory, but at the same time can stay alive very well... then a TPK becomes much less likely. Create a high-hp, high-ac, low damage character for this purpose.

Action points as previously mentioned.

 

[kaomera]

You could let the characters have a "zero-th" level in one of the NPC classes from the DMG, or you could start them as 1st level PC/NPC class Gestalts and then advance them as non-Gestalt characters thereafter.

As has been suggested, 32bp points-buy helps a lot, as does giving out a Wand o' CLW and/or some similar bonus items.

If you're worried any of the above is too much you could also try giving each character a number of "buffer" hit points (10 or the character's CON score, or whatever); they take damage to the buffer hp only from damage that would otherwise drop them to 1hp or below, and these buffer hp can never be healed in any way. That should probably save them from a TPK at least once, but then their "luck" would be pretty much all used up...

 

[The Lost Muse]

Give them action points, and a list of things they can use their action points for. I'd suggest that 2 action points to stabilize a character a -1 hit points rather than dying is a good place to start.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Ok, some ideas:

Bright purple Silk Nobles outfit: 750 Gp
Bright purple fedora with yellow Pheonix Feather: 1500 Gp
Bright purple Cape with yellow silk inset and Platinum clasp: 600 gp
Masterwork Gold and Jewel encrusted Brass Knuckles: 200 gp
Elven Crafted Gryphon hide boots with platinum buckles: 500 gp
Dwarf Craft Purple Enamled Masterwork Breastplate, Platinum Inlays; 2500 Gp
Golden goblet with PC's name spelled out in Diamonds: $1000

That should about cover it. Your players will be as pimped out as possible.

Wait, you meant "Please give suggestions to make my characters more survivable".

Well, here are my thoughts on that.

You could declare that they are being assigned on a royal mandate, and let them start out with much better equipment than normal. Masterwork weapons and Medium Armour will give your fighters some extra punch. For the spell casters, I suggest giving them an equivalent gp cost in 1st level scrolls.

The 32 point buy is also a good idea. On top of that, you might want to advance them to 3rd level a bit faster than you otherwise might. A 32 point buy will have more value for the melee and Rogue and Cleric types. Your Mage / Sorcerer / anything else starting at a d4 HD will not benefit from the point buy a great deal until 5th / 6th level (assuming their stats get them an extra 3rd level spell).

Getting outside the rules as written, you can do what I do and use a story based plot device that justifies being reasonably death proof. I am overly tactical as a DM, and tend to like to push my fights to the edge. At low levels, the margin for error with that approach sucks. So I expected something to go wrong sooner rather than later. When this did happen, I did the following.

The players found themselves before a convenient evil god, who offered them a deal. Get restored to life, and you owe the god a favour to be collected on later. The players took the deal. This serves two purposes. First, it prevented a TPK. Second, it gives me a plot hook that I can pull out at any time and use to get my players to do damn near anything, even if it is somewhat out of character.

Oh, and give them the fancy pimp clothes anyway.

END COMMUNICATION