You are killed by... A Gerbil!

[Creamsteak]

90 Point Buy is 15 in every attribute, or 12, 12, 12, 18, 18, 18...

A little too frivilous on protecting them?

1st level characters are tougher than you think, they might not be able to withstand a really solid hit, but for the most part they can soak after a good strike long enough to be stabilized.

Here's my advice anyhow:

Have a cleric.

Single opponents are easier to beat than large groups of monsters.

Nothing templated, a Half-Dragon flying creature (bat?) is a deadly encounter, despite what the CR might seem to imply.

Try to avoid ranged opponents, they have a much better chance of out-tacticing their opponents just incidently.

Try not to use damaging traps if your involved in a dungeon crawl, as a trap is life or death at this level.

And in turn, my advice for killing them without being too tough at first level is to do the exact opposite.

 

[haiiro]

Straight point buy with 90 points will produce remarkably good characters: from a min-maxer's standpoint, that's 4 18s, a 10 and an 8, which is pretty scary. IMO, that's too many points - but it will help a lot when it comes to their survival rate.

I've run straight point buy in 2e and 3e games, and usually go with 78-82 points (3 18s and 3 8s with 78). YMMV.

 

[Capellan]

How do I not kill a 1st level party? How do I challange them, without splattering them? Or making them fight rats and skeletons and such?

1st level PCs, 90 point buy (Point by point, essentially). Party makeup: Paladin, Cleric, Monk, Thief, PNPC Mage.

There's something wrong with rats and skeletons?

As a 1st level party with a Cleric, you owe them skeletons. It's the only thing the Cleric has a better than 50% chance of turning, and even a decent shot at destroying

I believe there are 2 key concepts to successful 1st level adventures (from a game mechanics POV, anyway - plot is a whole 'nother matter):

- rest & recuperation: don't put them on a clock, where every second counts - they need to be able to retreat. Likewise, don't put them somewhere so isolated that they can't get healing from the local church

- little hits: avoid opponents that can do big damage in one hit. Orc warriors with great axes - even 1st level ones - are a bad idea, since they can kill a mage or rogue outright with a single blow. Use smaller, weaker attacks, to whittle them down. There's still a feeling of risk, but no-one is going to go from unhurt to dead in one hit.

 

[Destil]

Not the ghoul!

Individual monsters in the CR 2-3 range should be fine. A ghoul, a bugbear, a mephit, a warg, etc. They won't be able to fight more than a few encounters like this before resting, but no one should die unless they are really unlucky or really dumb.

In fact, if your characters have a chance to rest between encounters, you need to use things with an EL higher than their level in order to challenge them.

I'd stay far away from a ghoul with a 1st level party (one without elves, no less). They can wipe the floor with a large group of 1st levels. Easily. In fact, I think a number of these are bad, because 1 critical hit can kill a 1st level party member with most of these. I'd also avoid Weapons with a crit multulplier higher than x2. You're just asking for troubble, unless you want to fudge dice rolls.

Unless you want to get them geared up for a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil / Toomb of Horrors style PC grinder.

 

[Xarlen]

Wow! Lot of responses! Thanks.

Yes, I don't like skeletons and rats. Because it's just so... Measely, and there's No plot to it other then 'Go Wack these'. There's no real challange, it's just going through the motions. I don't believe in three rats attacking; they should only attack when there's 200 of them, and they're a Swarm.

Well, the Paladin is a little harsh. +6 to hit, 2d6+6 damage for his Greatsword.

The PCs will probably be working for a church. It's probably going to be an outside adventure, but I'm not sure, just yet. I don't plan on doing a dungeoncrawl, but I'm not sure what intrigue I can get in.

I plan on implimenting some villains in the campaign, and this might be useful, but... Hmm. One I plan on using will be a fighter (who eventually becomes an intelligent skeleton). So I can see them coming to blows and he gets away and slowly... I have a second or third adventure allready planned.

For the moment, I'm not sure what the adventures are. I havn't gotten all the PCs worked up and their motivations and backgrounds, so I just want to PLAN right now. But I've got nothin'.

I could, for instance, see the party trying to do missionary work. And end up dealing with some hostile natives, who aren't neccessarily lethal, but certainly territorial (likely after the LAST missionaries that came through).

 

[Xarlen]

I'll also say that I'm not planning to use THAT many monsters (Atleast at first). Monsters are not supercommon. I plan on weening them onto Humanoids. They will eventually meet some rather nasty Gnolls.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Wow! Lot of responses! Thanks.

Yes, I don't like skeletons and rats. Because it's just so... Measely, and there's No plot to it other then 'Go Wack these'. There's no real challange, it's just going through the motions. I don't believe in three rats attacking; they should only attack when there's 200 of them, and they're a Swarm.

How DARE YOU!

PCs are in an inn, overhear the cook arguing with the 8 year old stableboy. He's claiming he won't go back into the barn because of the 'giant rats' in there. She starts cuffing him on the head, typical punish-the-kid-for-stories thing.

PC, the good-hearted souls that they are, offer to help out the cook, who says they should pay no heed, they have a couple of rats in the barn, but everything id a giant to an 8 year old. The kid starts to cry, and the party takes pity, and will help the kid defeat the treacherous rats! He hops up and down and claps his hands.

Go out into the barn, and as the daylight pours in, 3 rats scurry for cover. PCs walk in with the kid and begin searching for the rats. (pray they fail their spot checks). As the investigate a pile of barrels at the back, they're suddenly attacked from above (jumping down from the hayloft) by the rat's parents, a pair of
dire rats. Kid suddenly screams and takes off, and a fight ensues.

Afterwards, PCs come back, and with combat and interaction, earn about 300xp. Paranoid DMs might drop a hint of lycanthropy (especially for newbies who don't know better), especially good if one got infected by that disease dire rats carry.

No challenge... bah! You should see my 4 dire rats and a wererat take out a level 4 party...

 

[Xarlen]

Yes, yes, we've all played Baldur's Gate.

Just one of the PCs is annoyed that a party can be attacked by dogs and killed (This happened in another game he was in). Being the type of gamer who likes things a little more... I don't know, Epic, or just more threatening then some little measely rodents and skeletons, he just doesn't like it. And I understand that. I would rather have them dealing with something more dangerous, or atleast more Interesting then a rodent infestation.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Start him off at higher levels. Honestly, if he's going to be a bit sniffy about being killed by a dog, tell him to go walk in the street and take a look at some dogs. They are not to be messed with. 300lbs of dog with big jaws, trained to hurt you. Hm.

 

[Capellan]

I would rather have them dealing with something more dangerous, or atleast more Interesting then a rodent infestation.

I dunno. The gnome PC in my CotRE campaign thinks dire rats are quite dangerous (& interesting ... in a scary kind of way).