What is YOUR level?
- Thread starter Emerald
- Start date
LazarusLong42
First Post
Hrm. Using Celebrim's rules, I have 7700 xp, good for 4th level. I've set my "age to start taking life seriously" at 8 due to a rather life-threatening surgery I went through. Kinda changes one's outlook on life. So:
Expert 4
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills with Ranks:
Knowledges: Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Computers, and half a dozen others with only one rank each...
Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Innuendo, Perform(violin, voice, short story), Profession (molecular biologist), Profession (web/database programming)
Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge (Biochemistry))
Expert 4
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills with Ranks:
Knowledges: Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Computers, and half a dozen others with only one rank each...
Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Innuendo, Perform(violin, voice, short story), Profession (molecular biologist), Profession (web/database programming)
Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge (Biochemistry))
Celebrim
Legend
cptg1481: Well, it wasn't an entirely serious post, but it was intended to prompt an introspective balanced post very much like yours from someone with your sort of background - for which I thank you.
I get quite tired of 17 year olds claiming to be sixth level fighters because they've taken sport taikwando at some weekly for four years, or eighth level bards (spell casting and all I guess), because they are in a garage band.
A post like yours brings a little more perspective to the subject, and shows the sort of intense skill aquisition and risks you have to go through before you can make reasonable claims of being experienced.
I guess it really doesn't matter a whole lot whether or not some 18 year old player/DM thinks he's a 6th level expert with 18 INT, but I would hazard the guess that a player who thinks an ordinary person like himself is 6th level with extraordinary stats feels much less comfortable with 28 point buy than I do.
In a way, I'm trying to make a backhanded point on how special even a 1st level PC really is.
BTW, you'd make a great NPC (please take that as a complement), and any game writers out there that might be reading this should IMO make characters that more resemble that sort of realistic varied background.
PS: Thanks for serving.
Sixchan: Clearly even kids can earn skills, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with childhood in a level based system. For the record, I started playing chess at three, and was reading Twain and Poe at six. Whether any of that translated into more knowledge now, I couldn't say. In the D&D paradym I'd say our childhood prepared us better for taking our first level in expert rather than commoner, but clearly that isn't going to work in the D20 modern system. *shrug* No one said this discussion actually meant anything.
Good awareness + low wisdom otherwise = points in spot skill. Also, 'common sense' != wisdom. In some case, quite the contrary is actually true, so don't feel too bad.
I get quite tired of 17 year olds claiming to be sixth level fighters because they've taken sport taikwando at some weekly for four years, or eighth level bards (spell casting and all I guess), because they are in a garage band.
A post like yours brings a little more perspective to the subject, and shows the sort of intense skill aquisition and risks you have to go through before you can make reasonable claims of being experienced.
I guess it really doesn't matter a whole lot whether or not some 18 year old player/DM thinks he's a 6th level expert with 18 INT, but I would hazard the guess that a player who thinks an ordinary person like himself is 6th level with extraordinary stats feels much less comfortable with 28 point buy than I do.
In a way, I'm trying to make a backhanded point on how special even a 1st level PC really is.
BTW, you'd make a great NPC (please take that as a complement), and any game writers out there that might be reading this should IMO make characters that more resemble that sort of realistic varied background.
PS: Thanks for serving.
Sixchan: Clearly even kids can earn skills, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with childhood in a level based system. For the record, I started playing chess at three, and was reading Twain and Poe at six. Whether any of that translated into more knowledge now, I couldn't say. In the D&D paradym I'd say our childhood prepared us better for taking our first level in expert rather than commoner, but clearly that isn't going to work in the D20 modern system. *shrug* No one said this discussion actually meant anything.
Good awareness + low wisdom otherwise = points in spot skill. Also, 'common sense' != wisdom. In some case, quite the contrary is actually true, so don't feel too bad.
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Here goes,
Str 11 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 9 Cha 9
Warrior -2/Expert -2/(Father -4)/Cleric -1
I won't go into how I got the experience (10,200) but I spent 10 years in the Military. I have a BS. and am currently working on a MBA. I have 3 children, am an ordained priest. (obviously not Catholic), and I'm a Boy Scout Troop Leader.
Skills
Knowledge (Military), Knowledge (Engineering), Knowledge (Communications), Knowledge (Chemistry), Knowledge (Biology),Profession (Project Manager/Engineer), Drive (wheeled and Track Veh.), Leadership et. al.
Proficient in Hand Guns, Automatic and Semi-automatic Weapons, and crew served weapons. Weapon Specialization in the Mark-19 40mm Grenade Launcher.
spells Bless Water, Commune, and Heal
ML
Str 11 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 9 Cha 9
Warrior -2/Expert -2/(Father -4)/Cleric -1
I won't go into how I got the experience (10,200) but I spent 10 years in the Military. I have a BS. and am currently working on a MBA. I have 3 children, am an ordained priest. (obviously not Catholic), and I'm a Boy Scout Troop Leader.
Skills
Knowledge (Military), Knowledge (Engineering), Knowledge (Communications), Knowledge (Chemistry), Knowledge (Biology),Profession (Project Manager/Engineer), Drive (wheeled and Track Veh.), Leadership et. al.
Proficient in Hand Guns, Automatic and Semi-automatic Weapons, and crew served weapons. Weapon Specialization in the Mark-19 40mm Grenade Launcher.
spells Bless Water, Commune, and Heal
ML
s/LaSH
First Post
Hee, my xp by that scheme would be pretty low... which is largely a measure of my application. I've rarely finished anything, but right now I can explain the principles governing the speed of light, take a light aircraft out of a stall at medium altitude, earn money with my artwork and program a 3D graphics engine (the kind that doesn't use a 3D card).
OK, that's boasting, but my point is: Experience doesn't stay the same over the centuries. The modern Western citizen has far more skills than the average medieval peasant, because of three simple factors: our education systems are better, resulting in more knowledge at an earlier age; our learning time is expanded by labour-saving devices; and we've been exposed to so much stuff through the media that we can't help but absorb a little of it. Like kung fu movies.
So don't feel bad about giving yourself a couple extra levels; Drizzt could still take you, but at least you could try a few ninja tricks before he started trying.
Myself? I'd probably go with a few levels of Expert, not more than 4 or 5 though I think. Stat-wise, if the PHB is to be trusted the measure of my STR comes out at 13 or 14; DEX, I'd give 16 (I'm a man more flexible than most females); CON, probably around 10 - out of shape, y'know. INT I think approximates 16, WIS 14? don't really know, CHA again don't really do much social interaction, but don't have any enemies so maybe 14? Skills, blargh, can't be bothered. There, I'm a minor munchkin. Or the epitome of a technological society, either one's good.
OK, that's boasting, but my point is: Experience doesn't stay the same over the centuries. The modern Western citizen has far more skills than the average medieval peasant, because of three simple factors: our education systems are better, resulting in more knowledge at an earlier age; our learning time is expanded by labour-saving devices; and we've been exposed to so much stuff through the media that we can't help but absorb a little of it. Like kung fu movies.
So don't feel bad about giving yourself a couple extra levels; Drizzt could still take you, but at least you could try a few ninja tricks before he started trying.
Myself? I'd probably go with a few levels of Expert, not more than 4 or 5 though I think. Stat-wise, if the PHB is to be trusted the measure of my STR comes out at 13 or 14; DEX, I'd give 16 (I'm a man more flexible than most females); CON, probably around 10 - out of shape, y'know. INT I think approximates 16, WIS 14? don't really know, CHA again don't really do much social interaction, but don't have any enemies so maybe 14? Skills, blargh, can't be bothered. There, I'm a minor munchkin. Or the epitome of a technological society, either one's good.
mistergone
First Post
Eh, I'm still an Outsider with a high ECL...
Arthur Tealeaf
First Post
com1
Str 9
Dex 13
Con 9
Int 12 (hah! I don't know, I just don't want to appear more stupid than I am)
Wis 10 (or 9)
Cha (Hmm...)
Skills & Feats: Some in D&D, a little in D&D, a lot in skateboarding, skill focus: skateboarding, I think.
Str 9
Dex 13
Con 9
Int 12 (hah! I don't know, I just don't want to appear more stupid than I am)
Wis 10 (or 9)
Cha (Hmm...)
Skills & Feats: Some in D&D, a little in D&D, a lot in skateboarding, skill focus: skateboarding, I think.
In core D&D I'd probably be Expert, 1st level just like almost everyone else (if you're honest & look at the DMG level distributions!).
In Traveller20 though, I'd be roughly Academic 5/Army 1, which sounds a lot better.
To detail:
Age: 30, 11 years in Higher Education including undergrad (3 yrs), PhD (5 yrs - ouch) & 3 years in research/teaching post, also 2 years in Army Reserve (yes the Army level is a highly marginal one - maybe just a Weapon Proficiency in Assault Rifle & some related skills in forced marching, rifle maintenance, etc). This would be a pretty typical Traveller20 starting PC.
High Int, currently Con low due to chronic back pain - it feeds through into other stuff like lowered immune system also, sadly
Str varies from medium-high (while in Army Reserve) to medium-low (now), Wis was rather low but age has helped a bit, Dex lowish (twisted right leg, explains why I was so bad at soccer/football as a child, never knew that until recently), Cha seems variable so I'll say average. Currently (with +1 Int for all that PhDing when I hit 4th level):
Str 9 (was ca 12-13) Dex 8 (was 10) Con 8 (was 12-14) Int 17 (was 16) Wis 10 (was 8) Cha 11 (was 8).
Edit: oh yeah, I have the Iron Will feat.
I could claim to have Int 19 since my starting Int would've been in top 0.5% of general population, but that depends on whether you assume the 3d6 bell curve applies to the general population or not, so that .5% of people have 18 in any particular stat.
In Traveller20 though, I'd be roughly Academic 5/Army 1, which sounds a lot better.
To detail:
Age: 30, 11 years in Higher Education including undergrad (3 yrs), PhD (5 yrs - ouch) & 3 years in research/teaching post, also 2 years in Army Reserve (yes the Army level is a highly marginal one - maybe just a Weapon Proficiency in Assault Rifle & some related skills in forced marching, rifle maintenance, etc). This would be a pretty typical Traveller20 starting PC.
High Int, currently Con low due to chronic back pain - it feeds through into other stuff like lowered immune system also, sadly
Str varies from medium-high (while in Army Reserve) to medium-low (now), Wis was rather low but age has helped a bit, Dex lowish (twisted right leg, explains why I was so bad at soccer/football as a child, never knew that until recently), Cha seems variable so I'll say average. Currently (with +1 Int for all that PhDing when I hit 4th level):
Str 9 (was ca 12-13) Dex 8 (was 10) Con 8 (was 12-14) Int 17 (was 16) Wis 10 (was 8) Cha 11 (was 8).
Edit: oh yeah, I have the Iron Will feat.
I could claim to have Int 19 since my starting Int would've been in top 0.5% of general population, but that depends on whether you assume the 3d6 bell curve applies to the general population or not, so that .5% of people have 18 in any particular stat.
Last edited:
hammymchamham
First Post
i'm not sure, but some where around 20th level commenor/4th level expert.
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