The Apprentice Tier

[cavalier973]

I was reading a comparison of the different editions of D&D, and someone made a compelling argument for 1st edition's handling of new characters vs. 4th edition's. In 4th edition, the characters are already heroes, while 1st edition was focused on more or less normal people becoming heroes. So I wonder if it would be difficult to implement a lower tier that represents the characters before they became heroes.

For example, the characters' ability scores begin at a much lower level (no ability with a score higher than 13, say), the characters have a lower number of hit points, and can only do basic attacks.

The idea being that the characters start normal, then accomplish some quest that makes more experienced adventurers (or the Adventurers' Guild) take notice, and they are then assigned to a mentor who gives them the proper training they need.

Has anyone tried anything like this?

 

[Saagael]

It's a good idea, but one thing that strikes me as odd is that a lot players include something like this in their game, but it's just in their background. 4e cuts out that part of the mechanics because it's (to most people, I'm guessing) more fun to play a hero, rather than an average person.

Where the character got their fighting prowess is up to the player, and they usually will come up with a story about it in their background. If you wanted to play it out, that wouldn't be too hard; I would probably make each PC be something like a really low-level companion character with basic attacks.

Then you end up with combats that are "I smack him with my sword" over and over and over again. What would arcane, diving, primal or psionic characters do? Are there enough options below 1st level to make the game interesting? It might be doable, and it's definitely an interesting idea, but I would leave something like this either in the backgrounds of characters, or as pure role-playing.

 

[FireLance]

Way back in the early days of 4E, I came up with some rules for Novice and Apprentice level characters.

I have not added novice and apprentice levels for the races and classes introduced after the first PH, though.

 

[Garthanos]

I discovered I could build a non-combatant princess (flavored many ways from a screamer to a bookish professor who notices things - mix in a shaman or ranger to give the character a guardian) and a inspiring pacifist thief who barely ever harmed anyone and an incompetent fighter who annoys and irritates instead of threatens.

Note you can manage some very useful noncombatants all the way through the better part of paragon tier.

I always lacked the desire to play some minion who dies from a cat scratch or because somebody looked funny at them... funny how few novels movies or fictional sources featured those. Nor is it as old school as some seem to think.

In fiction for the most part heros are compensated for lack of skill/experience in direct proportion via an extra allotment of extraordinary luck... and for the most part that is the purpose of hit points to provide a buffer of luck on the defensive end.

Retraining and reflavoring can be used to show character development as well in interesting ways... that simply advancing numbers do not.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Let me start with a cautionary tale: I had a DM start me at 0 level, for all the usual reasons. It wasn't fun. I find 1st level characters limited enough, so anything below that is a mark behind in my book from the get-go. But if your group really wants to do this, here's how to keep it balanced. (Unlike how my DM did it.)

Zero Tier: There are two levels in the zero tier; I'll steal FireLance's labels to maintain consistency.

Novice Level
XP: 0
Array: 12, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10 (or 3 point buy)
Race: You get all your racial goodies.
Class: You get your class goody that allows you to fulfill your combat role. Strikers must strike (sneak attack, etc.), leaders must heal (inspiring word, etc.), defenders must mark (combat challenge, etc.) and controllers must control (implement mastery, etc.). Also, if a class ability allows a PC to add an unusual stat to AC or to attack rolls, the novice PC has it.
Powers: You get two at-wills, plus whatever class and race basics you already have.
Hit Points:

• 10 or 12 HP Class: You get 2 + Constitution score hit points.
• 15 or 17 HP Class: You get 3 + Constitution score hit points.

Skills: You get skills as usual.
Feats: 0
Stuff: You get the usual 100 gp to spend on stuff. (You the DM might feel like reducing that number, but resist this impulse. PCs need certain equipment to adventure, so taking away starting cash is a knee-breaker.)
Heavy Armor Ineptitude: If you wear heavy armor, its AC bonus is reduced by 2 due to inexperience.

Apprentice Level
XP: 250
Array: 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 10 (or 11 point buy). If you use point buy, don't forget to remove your racial bonuses, add your 8 new points and then reapply your racials.
Race: You get all your racial goodies.
Class: You get the rest of your class goodies.
Powers: Choose one encounter power.
Hit Points: Add whatever your class says to add.
Feats: Choose a feat.
Heavy Armor Ineptitude: Your armor's penalty is reduced to -1.

1st Level
XP: 500. When you hit the 500 mark, your XP resets to 0 and you gain your first actual level. (Keep leftover points.)
Stats: As normal. If you use point buy, don't forget to remove your racial bonuses, add your 11 new points and then reapply your racials.
Powers: You gain one daily power.
Hit Points: Add whatever your class says to add.
Heavy Armor Ineptitude: Your armor's penalty disappears at 1st level.

Monsters
Go easy on your 0 level PCs, but they'll be able to handle the usual low level monsters. When planning encounters, just remember that novices are effectively 2 levels lower than 1st level and apprentices are effectively 1 level lower than 1st level.

 

[cavalier973]

"Apprentice Tier" characters' only "at-will" powers are the basic attacks. They can choose a true at-will power and treat it as an encounter power, and choose an encounter power to treat as a daily power.

Combat encounters would probably need to only involve minions as opponents.

Magic users (divine and arcane) must cast spells from scrolls until they have done it a certain number of times, after which they can cast spells from memory.

Ability scores start low, but build quickly as the character moves toward hero status; using the "point buy" system as a guide, the character gets two points to spend on ability score increases after each encounter for ten encounters, plus an extra two to spend either before adventuring or just before graduating to hero status (the costs for increasing ability scores would be the same as stated in the PHB, and points could be saved rather than spent after each encounter).

 

[FireLance]

"Apprentice Tier" characters' only "at-will" powers are the basic attacks. They can choose a true at-will power and treat it as an encounter power, and choose an encounter power to treat as a daily power.

I deliberately chose not to go this route for a number of reasons.

First, I wanted to stick as close to actual 4E gameplay as possible. Hence, while I might deny daily powers to Apprentice characters, and deny both encounter and daily powers to Novice characters, an at-will power can always be used at will, and an encounter power (when you get it) can be used once per encounter.

Second, having the basic attacks as the characters' only at-will powers makes the "Apprentice Tier" harder for certain characters than others. Characters who have good Strength scores will be the least affected, characters with poor Strength but good Dexterity may find that they are more effective using ranged attacks only, and characters with poor Strength and Dexterity scores may find that they are contributing less than the other characters in fights. If this is the outcome you are looking for, then by all means, go for it. However, I prefer to have the various characters more closely balanced, even at Novice and Apprentice levels.

 

[Garthanos]

My son DM'd and I played in an introduce ourselves to 4e scenario where we used basic attacks/bull rushes/charges/basic movement/improvised weapons and liberal application of DMs best friend bonuses. My character had intelligent blademaster (so the attribute was somewhat lessened) and we allowed it to apply to the stick he picked up to fight the bully... after the fight was over Alek Cor'Daren was requested to join the school of arcane blades (swordmages). We had the fight go until bloodied... at which time my nascient hero had sufficiently cowed his opponent. It was ok as a snapshot flash back but not exactly something I would do as a full adventure.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

"Apprentice Tier" characters' only "at-will" powers are the basic attacks. They can choose a true at-will power and treat it as an encounter power, and choose an encounter power to treat as a daily power.

What Firelance said. By restricting everyone to basic attacks, you're relegating anyone who doesn't focus on Str or Dex to being a sidekick. I played one of those sidekicks, and believe me, it's not fun.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I'd probably not bother doing different stats, just stick with reduced hitpoints and no encounter/dailies.

I guess the question is: what's your goal? For me this would give reduced complexity and allow mostly-minion combats to pose serious threat. It would also exaggerate the differences between the roles.