Rules for Creating Character higher than 1st Level

[Li Shenron]

DMG Page 42 under "Making a New Character" it says:

"As a general rule, a new character can spend no more than half her total wealth on any single item, and no more than one quarter the total wealth on consumables such as ammunition, scrolls, potions, wands, or alchemical items."

Doh!! I cannot find this in my 3.0 DMG... Is it a 3.5 thing?

Here in the 3.0 DMG "Creating Characters above 1st level", after the wealth by level table, I find only a paragraph "Limitation on Magic Items".

It starts brilliantly with a "You're free to limit characters to what items they can choose..."

Then it actually gives an example that with 27000gp total you can limit each item to 5000gp.

I think these kind of limitation rules have a couple of good points:
- first they may prevent having item with specific powers too soon (e.g. an item with teleportation, before the characters can normally have teleportation spells -> but can this happen really? a deeper study of item gp costs would be interesting)
- second they result in PCs which are more similar to what they would be if they had been actually played through all the levels

However, I just prefer to be told I'm free to do what I think it's best for my game, instead of being told "it's the rule, if you don't like it change it but you're on your own".

 

[Thanee]

The other interesting thing is that this house rule is regarded by most gamers as a way not to let PC be too powerful

Nah, it's just to protect them from their own greediness.

Bye
Thanee

 

[el-remmen]

How do folks handle # of starting spells for a wizard coming into a game at higher level, or is that covered in DMG as well and I have just missed it?

 

[Christian]

How do folks handle # of starting spells for a wizard coming into a game at higher level, or is that covered in DMG as well and I have just missed it?

I don't think there's anything in the books. One common choice is to give the wizard the free spells she would have learned at first level, and charge against the starting gear value an amount equal to the scroll price plus the scribing cost for each additional spell. So each additional first-level spell costs 125 GP (25 GP for the scroll of the spell and 100 GP in scribing costs), each second-level costs 350 GP (150 GP for the scroll and 200 GP to scribe), etc.

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't think there's anything in the books. One common choice is to give the wizard the free spells she would have learned at first level, and charge against the starting gear value an amount equal to the scroll price plus the scribing cost for each additional spell. So each additional first-level spell costs 125 GP (25 GP for the scroll of the spell and 100 GP in scribing costs), each second-level costs 350 GP (150 GP for the scroll and 200 GP to scribe), etc.

All the spells for levelling up are "free" of cost.

Any extra spell that he wants to have scribed will cost at least the scribing cost.

Then it could be slightly debated about the scroll cost: 25 x spell level x CL (IIRC). Because in theory a wizard can also copy spells from other friendly wizards (50 x spell level), or buy/find/steal someone else's spellbooks, which I think are not easy to price...

 

[rbingham2000]

Also, if you have the PHB II, it has a rundown right at the end on quick creation of higher-level PCs, including quick rundowns on what each point of magical enhancement costs in GP, and it even throws in a standard Adventurer's Kit for those of us who aren't really crazy about picking our way through the equipment section of the PHB for a good half-an-hour or more. There's plenty of room for deviation from the standard characters that this system tends to create.

 

[Quartz]

With regard to item creation, I'd suggest being generous as long as the character can make the thing on his own. This means having the ability to create Masterwork items when Taking 10 in the appropriate Craft (i.e. the character has 10 ranks in the skill, after bonuses), as well as the feats.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

The interesting thing about the "one-half max wealth" house rules is that an assortment of cheaper items will usually be more powerful than a single more expensive item of the same cost.

It depends on many things. I guess I'd say that in many instances, several cheaper items that are similar will be better than one stronger of the same general type.

Like a +5 Armour costs 25000, but a +2 armour, as well as +1 shield, +1 ring of protection and +1 amulet of natural armour only costs 9000 (assuming he'd have a masterwork armour and shield, anyway)

You can have five +2 stat enhancers and a +4 stat enhancer for the same price as a single +6 stat enhancer, for instance.

That one, on the other hand, is a lot less clear, because often, the extra +2 on your primary stat will be more useful than +2 on everything else.

Let's consider a wizard: +6 int or +4 int and +2 everything else? Well, he might be okay with +2 Dex and Con, which is good for defense, and dex a bit for offense, too (rays). But He he'll probably won't mind them too much, and Str, Wis and Cha even less, if that means getting another +2 Int, with more spells, more powerful spells and spells that are harder to defend against.

IMO, you're better off limiting higher-level starting PCs by number of items, rather than by cost. Otherwise you risk have characters wearing so much magic that they looks like Christmas trees.

Well, they're already limited by their item slots.

Plus, why wouldn't you allow the new fighter to take magic armour, magic shield, magic ring and magic amulet (all for AC) if the existing fighter in the group will already have bought them. You don't force them to upgrade other things before they buy new ones, do you?

 

[Gooba42]

Easiest, or so I hear, is to grant XP up to level 10 rather than simply 10 levels. XP deductions and level adjustments are then able to be taken into account.

I'm not sure if it was DMG or PHBII where I pulled this from but the wealth per level is actually calculable as a wealth per XP. The charts give you 0.9 GP per XP. Even if your character is behind levels because of level adjustment or because you spent your XP making stuff you'll still receive full monetary credit for having done the same amount of adventuring.

 

[Dross]

A couple of house rule things that I do (we play in FR).

A history of some sort: Allows for hooks, but mechanic wise it shows a PC's ability to meet things like Regional Feat requirements.

If multiclassed, give a reason consistent with your history what your starting class is (esp important for rogue x4 skill points etc).

I've never started high enough for people to qualify for PrC's but all RP requirements need to be met in game. This was negotiable for higher level starts tho'

Also in a more RP sense:
Try to find a reason in game for why you will stay with the other PC's.
My campgains have had a theme and area/region so PCs needed to fit into that theme and provide an explanation as to why they would be in the area.