Starting w/o equipment at 1st level

[thalmin]

At least my characters knew they were starting at zero with nothing, that's how I described it to potential players.

 

[Aaron L]

Like every campaign, the character start with nothing?

I dunno, sounds really wierd. And it would seriously screw a wizard.


"I have 4 hit points, an 8 strenght, and a club. My name is Splat!"

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Thalmin: They knew they were not going to start with anything.

Aaron L: Not every game, it just happens every once in a while upon start up of a new campaign. Three of the players were newbies so I figured it would be easier to just give them stuff piecemeal and explain to them specifics as we go along. And the Wizards spellbook rule is just something I kinda handwave really. All of the old players seem to enjoy starting out with no stuff and the newbies had a lot of fun.

 

[Mark Hope]

Wizards in my DS games tend not to have spellbooks in the traditional sense - that's just asking to be lynched. The wizard in the previous campaign used tattoos and scarification and the one in the current game has these little bone trinkets woven into his hair that look like ornaments. Even when they lose all of their gear, they still have access to their spells (barring events like having all of their hair shaved off - which has happened in the past, although not to either of the wizards above).

I think games that start with no gear (or remove gear later on) can work, with two considerations. Firstly, it has to be appropriate to the setting and the game in question. Secondly, it had better be addressed from a balance point of view, either by allowing the PCs to get access to appropriate gear at some point or by reducing the EL of the enemies that they face. Otherwise you are looking at a very short game indeed...

 

[irdeggman]

Wizards in my DS games tend not to have spellbooks in the traditional sense - that's just asking to be lynched. The wizard in the previous campaign used tattoos and scarification and the one in the current game has these little bone trinkets woven into his hair that look like ornaments. Even when they lose all of their gear, they still have access to their spells (barring events like having all of their hair shaved off - which has happened in the past, although not to either of the wizards above).

I was going to say the DS is a setting where wizards not having spell books isn't as big a deal. Mostly because reading is illegal in most places in the first place. Also becasue wizards are generally hated and hunted down since they were the casue of the condition of the planet in the first place.

Also the insertion of psionics haelp[s to balance things out - especially if using the everyone is naturally psionic variations (and themes from the 2nd ed stuff).

Dark Sun is one of 2 most favorite settings - right after Birthright. Although I will say that Eberron is rapidly catching on with me.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Everyone of my games has started a little different, I think next time the PCs will start with nothing.

 

[ChristianW]

I dislike games that take my character concept and completely nullify it from the beginning. I had someone describe a sea-based game to me, so I made a sailor, and it started off by shipwrecking us with no equipment. We spent the whole campaign on dry land. Had I known, I would have made a different character.

Ha! That reminds me of a Twilight 2000 campaign we played back in the day.

Concept: We are an M1 tank crew.
Build Up: We make appropriate characters - commander, gunner, driver, loader.
Execution: Our tank gets blown up within the first 10 minutes of play. We never see another tank again. Well, we see LOTS of tanks. They are just Soviet tanks that try to kill us daily.

 

[Agent Oracle]

I did it... once. Three monks, two sorcerers.

 

[Kormydigar]

In my game, they not only don't start with equipment, they don't start with adventuring classes. They start as Slaves (a variation of Commoner). No weapon proficiencies. No feats, just skills (that don't count against their first-level x4 skill points.)
I'm mean.

This sounds like a campaign I am planning for the near future. I will be converting and modifying N4 Treasure Hunt to start off the campaign. I am in the process of designing character creation rules. Each player will start off as a young (teenage) member of either commoner, expert, or aristocrat. To balance out the inequalities of these classes the players number of starting points to buy stats will differ. Upon completion of the first adventure (when they escape the island) an NPC will introduce them to a wealthy uncle who runs an academy for adventurers. At that time, the PC's spent 2 game years learning thier class and receive more points to raise thier stats ( once again commoners will get more than anyone else) I am making magic items more rare and unique in this campaign (except potions and scrolls) and giving out stat increases and more feats instead. The players will be aware of all of this before the campaign begins. I am excited about this change of pace and can't wait to see how it plays out.

 

[Wolfwood2]

How often do you have PCs start without any equipment other than clothes in your games? Htis is my preffered method as it does at first somewhat limit what they have and allows me to have good encounters to gain equipment they need.

That sounds awesome!

Any frustration caused by lack of equipment is easily going to be made up for by the free excuses to whine and complain and blame the DM for everything that goes wrong. The wizard chararcter you create may only last till the first ambush, but the ability to complain about how the DM "screwed me over"? Ah, that's a gaming story you're going to have for a lifetime!