Starting at level 0

[Asmor]

I'm curious, are there any established rules for starting without a class?

I've got a campaign starting soon where the characters start as slaves, forced to fight in gladiator-style battles, with no experience whatsoever. I'm going to let them take a class after that first fight ("Wow, you survived. The nobles seem to like you. Here's a training manual and a sword, kiddo."), and I'm going to stack it heavily in their favor with a combination of NPCs fighting amongst themselves and, if they roleplay well, being told some secrets about where to find hidden weapons that will aid them.

So basically, they're just going to start off by picking a race. They have 4 HP, plus con modifier, and +0 to all base saves and attack bonus.

The thing I'm a little worried about is whether that's really going to do the flavor right... In particular, it would be especially odd for someone to literally become a wizard over night.

So I'm thinking of letting everyone choose a "natural proficiency," which they lose as soon as they gain a class level. The list would probably be:

Tough: +2 HP (It seems like giving a +1 BAB wouldn't really make much of a difference, whereas a couple HP could very well mean a lot since there's not going to be very powerful weapons, maybe a couple rusty daggers. I'd also let a "tough" person find out about a hidden masterwork longsword or something in the arena).

Sneaky: +1d6 sneak attack (keeping in mind that this first battle is going to be a free for all where the NPCs are meant to go down fast. This is probably the most powerful of these three, though...)

Magical aptitude: Know 2 0-level spells, able to cast them a number of times per day equal to int, wis or cha modifier. This is really the whole reason I'm even bothering with this, just so that there's some however-small amount of "sense" behind a character becoming a spell-casting class.

I'd also, barring unusual circumstances, require people to take a class that fit one of those three archetypes loosely.

 

[Crothian]

I'm curious, are there any established rules for starting without a class?

First edtion Greyhawk Adventures hardbound book.

 

[smootrk]

I don't know of any real rules for zero level characters, so I would make them Commoners to start out with, then simply convert them to appropriate classes.

Alternatively, you might make players who already wish for fighter types to start with Warrior, Spell Casters might get Adept. Personally, I have 'lite' classes that are natural lead-ins for most classes, like a Hunter (Warrior with a couple of changes for wilderness), Squire (Knight or Paladin lite) Thug & Bandit (lite versions of Rogue or Wilderness Rogue types), Witch/Warlock/Hedgewizard (for Arcane), Priest for clerical types (I do not actually use the Adept class as is). The exact name does not matter much to me, as I use whatever name that works for the npc in question, but the concept of these lite classes may work easier than transforming a Commoner straight into a full fledged class.

Maybe you can start characters with Commoner then progress them according to the role they wish to take.

1st level character = Commoner1
2nd level character = Warrior2 (or whatever role they happen to be transitioning into)
3rd level character = Fighter3 gaining all the regular class benefits.

Skills and such might jump around a little, but it might be fun to progress from nothing, to semi-skilled, and then finally to a full fledged character type.

 

[Bladesong]

All of my players start with 0 level characters. and I move the experience table up one level so they need 1000 to reach 1st. The rules are easy, but too much for my lazy backside to type out, so I'll just give you some ideas. Understand that we assume that the characters have some small notion of the direction they would be going (i.e. what class).
~ Characters starting hit points are equal to their CON score and do not adjust at 1st level.
~ Skill points are as the class they will ultimately take but multiplied by 3 not 4 and the max ranks they can have at this level are 3.
~ Their main save is +1 and they get the other +1 at 1st level.
~ Everyone has a BAB of +0.
~ No feats.
~ Spell casters only get to cast 0 level spells (and only know half of them), but we have expanded the bonus due to high INT/WIS/CHR to include 0 level spells, so everyone usually has at least one additional 0 level spell. Also, the spells they would normally get at 1st are usually found/received as scrolls to decipher.
~ Everyone can be proficient with 1 simple weapon except fighter types who get all simple weapons. Only fighters get armor proficiency, but only light. The only exceptions are due to race (i.e. elves with sword and bow).
~ You could allow them to get their first feat at 0, but I would limit them to general feats only, no class specific ones. If they wait til 1st level, they can take feats as normal.
~ A rogue could get the sneak attack, but it should only add +1 or +1d3.

Anyway, this is very similar to what I run. Otherwise the idea about them all starting as commoners is good. Good luck.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Not sure if this'll help, but your question brought it to mind.

In the homebrew we play, every race has "racial levels" they're required to take, where the inherent race bonuses get assigned to individual HD, instead of being something you always get at level 1. Most of the playable races have 2 HD; in general, the physical stuff (stats, vision boosts) happens at level 1, but the cultural stuff (skill boosts, weapon proficiencies) doesn't happen until level 2. So, for instance, Elves might get their low-light vision and sleep immunity at level 1 but not get the Listen/Spot/Search or weapon proficiency bonuses until level 2. A few of our custom races have higher; the Drak'hai (dragonmen) have 8 or 9, IIRC. The rule we have is that until you've acquired all of your race's levels, it must be at least half your levels. (So, you could go Elf/Fighter/Elf/whatever or Elf/Elf/whatever, but not Elf/Ftr/Ftr...) We don't use Favored Class.

Each race's Racial Levels give a number of HP, skill points, BAB, saves, etc., and the two or three class skills you get for your race remain class skills permanently (some skills are hardcoded, some are selected). We use the fractional BAB/save system, of course, but we DON'T max the first hit die or give x4 skill points at level 1. This tends to increase CRs by 1 (a level 3 character under this system has roughly the same strength as a level 2 under the PHB system).

So, it'd be really easy under this sort of system for your players to play "unclassed" characters; simply start them off so low that they don't have any non-Racial class levels yet (level 1 or 2). Now, in our world, adults are almost always at least level 3 (1 is for small children, 2 is teenagers), but you don't need to hold to that or anything.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I'm curious, are there any established rules for starting without a class?

Yes, the 3.0 DMG has rules for this. The intent may have been to allow a 1st-level character to have two classes, I can't remember, but certainly it could be used to have only half a class. If you'd like I could try to dig those rules up for you.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Kolja Raven Liquette (is that the correct spelling?) had some rules for this, on the Waking Lands website.

 

[kaomera]

Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics series includes two zero-level adventures, DCC #0 Legends are Made, not Born and DCC #35A Halls of the Minotaur (part of the DCC #35 Gazetteer of the Known Realms box set). Their rules give zero-level characters a single NPC-class level that "doesn't count" once you get to first level (after 1000xp). I like the system, characters who have gone through a level zero will be slightly tougher than those who have not, but that's fine by me (a bonus, even).

 

[jeffh]

I don't know how good this is, but I was very impressed with the same author's Character Customization.

You could also simply start them as first-level Commoners, or less harshly, first level members of an NPC class of their choice, then let them convert that level to a level of a "real" class a little later on.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Kolja Raven Liquette (is that the correct spelling?) had some rules for this, on the Waking Lands website.

http://www.wakinglands.com/htm_files/the_classes_page.htm