Would You Allow an Old Starting PC?

[haakon1]

I'd tell him to take one level of an NPC class, and 2nd level as a Wizard. 1.5 level worth of "power" is not that much different from 1st level, but it makes it more believable that he's achieved little as a wizard if he's done something else too.

 

[Numion]

I'd tell him to take one level of an NPC class, and 2nd level as a Wizard. 1.5 level worth of "power" is not that much different from 1st level, but it makes it more believable that he's achieved little as a wizard if he's done something else too.

Isn't that just shafting the character? He would be one level behind in casting, would more easily get the XP penalty for multiclassing, and he would be taking a level in an NPC/b] class.

 

[JoeBlank]

Isn't that just shafting the character? He would be one level behind in casting, would more easily get the XP penalty for multiclassing, and he would be taking a level in an NPC/b] class.

I thought NPC classes did not count towards the multiclass penalty, or is that just a common house rule people mention.

 

[Gnome]

Lets look at the #'s

25 point buy

Human Wizard 1
Str 5, Dex 7, Con 9, Int 18, Wiz 16, Cha 13
HP 3
Init -2, AC 8
Attack -3 melee, -2 ranged
Fort -1, Ref -2, Will +5

- OR -

Human Wizard 1
STR: 6, DEX: 10, CON: 11, INT: 19, WIS: 10, CHA: 10
HP: 4
Init: 0
AC: 10
Attack -2 meele, 0 ranged
Fort 0, Ref 0, Will +2

He could have a 20 INT by 4th-level, and after that he could bump-up his CON.

or, if you really want to min/max:

Dwarf Wizard 1

STR: 6, DEX: 10, CON: 10, INT: 20, WIS: 10, CHA: 8
HP: 4
Init: 0
AC: 10
Attack -2 meele, 0 ranged
Fort 0, Ref 0, Will +2

Pretty impressive for 1st-level, but not campaign-breaking, I don't think.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

One of my recurring characters in our Mystara games was an 800 year old shadow elf. Since that race banished members who were too old to be considered helpful to the community, it made a good reason for a shadow elf to find the way to the surface and become an adventurer. Technically, I could have played some sort of spy or something, but the idea of playing an ancient character appealed to me.

Anyhow, the starting low level of the character was handwaved as him having been a ordinary citizen for most of his life. It never really bothered me- we're already talking about a game where 500 foot falls aren't always deadly, and creatures the size of whales can fly on flimsy wings. Having an 800 year old, 1st level character is just another one of those D&D -isms that come with the game.

As for stat attributes, I could take them or leave them. The character seemed to get remade every time there was a new DM; sometimes I had them, sometimes I didn't, depending on DM whim. I think I still had them in the 3.5 arcane trickster version of the character (and compensating for that Dex penalty as a rogue really hurt the other stats, IIRC).

 

[No Name]

He could have started as a 20-something wizard but never made it to level 2. What ever interfered with his wizardry school back in the day is no longer an issue, so it's back to the books.

There are a lot of people out there (in the real world) who start college at 18, stuff happens, and they finish their bachelor's degree at 45. It's not unheard of.