A new beginning

 I've been blogging here for a while now, but I think it's time to move on to a new blog with a new title. There's a lot of dragons and flagons and flagons with dragons and dragons with flagons out there. It's also come to my attention that there's a facebook page called The Dragon's Flagon which produces 5e materials (which, probably needless to say, I have nothing to do with, and I could not possibly care less about 5e.) All in all, a lot of duplication and a lot of potential confusion, and I've been kind of looking for an excuse to start anew anyway.

So, you can find my future posts at Gelatinous Icosahedron. If you're interested, add the new blog to your reading list. Or don't. I'm not the boss of you.

Peace out.

Abstraction, fighters, and multiple attacks

 As I work on the long-delayed playtest draft of Goblins & Greatswords, I've been pondering the combat system, specifically as it relates to fighter-type characters. 

Fighters, as combat specialists, should naturally be more effective in combat. In most editions of D&D, this manifests primarily in terms of being able to use any weapon or armor, higher hit points, and better chances "to hit." Since combat is abstract, though, a single attack roll doesn't represent a single swing, but rather the sum of everything a combatant does in a round. It could mean one good solid blow among a lot of feinting and parrying, or it could mean a couple glancing slashes with your weapon, an opportunistic head-butt, and a kick to the knee. Fighters should be better able to perceive and capitalize on these opportunities, and so, in my opinion, should have the potential to do more damage per round.

Of course, better attack rolls do accomplish that, but the effect is overall rather trivial. A fighter who has an attack roll 4 points better than the cleric will do, on average, 20% more damage per round over the course of a fight.

AD&D gives the fighter a boost with multiple attacks, which are not only somewhat abstraction-breaking but also rather clunky in their execution. In order to avoid huge jumps in damage potential, there are "half steps" -- 3 attacks per 2 rounds and 5 attacks per 3 rounds, which means you have to remember whether you attacked once or twice last round.

Basic D&D of the BECMI line has multiple attacks at level 12 and above if the fighter can hit his target with a roll of 2, which is also quite wonky in my opinion, as well as having enormous stretches of little or no improvement followed by big sudden jumps. Also, I and many others would consider a campaign somewhat broken if PCs are regularly hitting foes 19 times in 20.

What I'm thinking of instead is to tie extra damage to the attack roll itself. At certain levels, a fighter gains the potential to roll an extra damage die for whatever weapon he's using if his attack roll is "x" higher than the minimum needed. Say, at character level 4, if the attack roll 4 or more higher than needed, an extra damage die is rolled. At level 8, a roll 8 or more higher than needed gets a third die, and at level 12, a roll 12 or more higher than needed gets a fourth die. These are only examples; you could tweak the levels and the thresholds for additional damage dice as desired. You could also grant other classes similar benefits at larger level jumps, e.g. maybe at 5th and 10th or 6th and 12th, or you could even give them at the same levels as fighters, relying on their poorer attack roll progression to make the benefits kick in less frequently.

In this scheme, armor never becomes obsolete as it tends to do at high levels in D&D. Even if a relatively low number is needed to hit at all, having better armor may keep the attack from surpassing the required roll for one or more extra damage dice, which is a fairly big deal. 

Additionally, you could allow the player to apply the extra dice to other opponents within range, so long as the attack roll is good enough to hit them at the required threshold -- easy to judge if he's fighting a gang of monsters with the same AC, and only marginally more complex in a mixed group. 

I'm thinking of applying this not only to characters, but also to monsters which traditionally have multiple attacks. Instead of an owlbear rolling three attacks for 1d8 damage, it rolls once, doing 1d8 on a basic hit, 2d8 on a roll 4 higher than needed, 3d8 on 8 higher, and in any case, the extra 2d8 "hug" on a natural 20. A giant who normally does 4d6 could have its damage broken down into d6 increments, easily wiping out several lesser opponents with a single good attack roll.

Obviously, more analysis and some play-testing are in order, but I'm cautiously optimistic about this method.

Character creation challenge day 31

 Day 31 - The Finale!

System: B/X

Desired class: Fighter

Ability scores rolled: 8, 9, 11, 9, 8, 8

Starting gold: 80 gp

No high scores at all here, but we can still make a playable character out of them. Let's start by dropping Wisdom to 9 so we can bump Strength up to 9 and avoid that penalty. Fighter hit points on d8 -- 6, -1 for low Con = 5.

Aulf Colford, 1st level fighter

Strength 9

Intelligence 9

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 9

Constitution 8 (-1 hp per die)

Charisma 8 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 4       Hit points: 5        Alignment: Lawful

Chain armor, shield, mace, sling, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 6 torches, tinder box, 8 gp left.

Height: 5'7"        Weight: 160 lbs.     Age: 21

Aulf never let a lack of talent stand in the way of trying something, and an adventuring career is no exception. He finds humor in his missteps, but also possesses a gritty determination to learn and progress past them. Some say he is overly optimistic, but he laughs at them, too.

It seems oddly appropriate that my grand finale of the Character Creation Challenge should be a fellow with no high abilities at all, two even garnering penalties, yet who still stands a good chance of success as a dungeon-crawling adventurer as well as brimming with roleplaying potential. That's the wisdom I take away from this challenge: Don't succumb to cookie-cutter notions of what a character or a class should be. Don't throw up your hands and throw out a set of stats that seems mediocre or even subpar; find a way to make an interesting and fun character from them, and play it for all it's worth. 

Character creation challenge day 30

 Day 30

System: B/X

Desired class: Magic-user

Ability scores rolled: 15, 12, 15, 8, 14, 7

Starting gold: 110 gp

Very good scores here, which would make a superb fighter or cleric, but we're after a magic-user, so let's take 2 points from Strength and bump Intelligence to 13. I could raise it to 16, but having bonuses in Strength and Wisdom is kind of cool too. Hit points on d4 result in 2, +1 for Constitution =3. Rolling d12 for spells gives us a 4, hold portal.

Alessa the Studious, 1st level magic-user

Strength 13 (+1 to melee attack and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 13 (+1 bonus language)

Wisdom 15 (+1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 8 (-1 to missile attacks, +1 to AC)

Constitution 14 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 7 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 10        Hit points: 3        Alignment: Lawful

Spell: hold portal

Dagger, silver dagger, backpack, lantern, 5 flasks of oil, tinder box, large sack, mirror, wolfsbane, 27 gp left.

Height: 5'6"        Weight: 160 lbs.        Age: 29

Knowledge is power, and Alessa craves the power that comes from knowledge of magic -- not to control others, but to be independent of them. Plain and socially awkward, she'd rather be studying dusty tomes by herself, but her mentor has decreed she go forth and gain practical experience, and that means learning to get along with an adventuring party, something that causes her no end of anxiety. 

I think this is the first character I've rolled to have no average scores -- everything is either above or below, which does make for an interesting character. Hold portal is not the most glamorous spell, but it's sure to have its uses if one is clever enough to look for opportunities. Fortunately, Alessa is also sturdy for a magic-user, so if it comes to it, she can contribute in other ways, maybe using her strength to bash down doors so the fighters are left free to leap into the breach.

Character creation challenge day 29

 Day 29

System: B/X

Desired class: Elf (alternate: magic-user)

Ability scores rolled: 15, 12, 9, 12, 3, 9

Starting gold: 160 gp

Yikes, a natural 3! And in probably the worst possible spot, too. Well, let's see what we can make of this. There's no room for adjustment with these abilities, so I'll have to use them as-is. A d6 for hit points comes up 4, which is adjusted down to 1. Is this a character or an ice sculpture? A d12 for starting spell comes up 11, sleep, which definitely helps.

Indirion Star-shadow, 1st level elf

Strength 15 (+1 to melee attacks and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 12

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 12

Constitution 3 (-3 hp per die)

Charisma 9

AC 2       Hit points: 1            Alignment: Neutral

Plate armor, shield, spear, short bow, 20 arrows, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, mirror, wolfsbane, rope, 24 gp left.

Spell: sleep

Height: 5'2"        Weight: 95 lbs.        Age: 59

Strong, but sickly and lacking endurance, Indirion laments his frailty. Adventure is his way of coping, either living to the fullest despite his fragile health or ending his miserable life as gloriously as possible. Unusual for an elf, he is taciturn and grim in his outlook.

This may be the only character I've rolled up during this challenge whose viability I doubt, and he highlights one of the few real flaws in B/X D&D as I see it. Hit points are far too important to a character's survival to be crushed under a penalty so out of proportion to the die. A penalty of -3 is a big enough deal on a d20, being 15% of the die's range. Against a d6, it's a full 50% burden, producing an average of only 1.5 points per die, assuming no roll reduced to less than 1. And if your hit die is a d4, you get only 1 hp per level, full stop, no need to roll at all. 

Character creation challenge day 28

 Day 28

System: B/X

Desired class: Halfling (alternate: Cleric)

Ability scores rolled: 6, 10, 11, 8, 13, 15

Starting gold: 130 gp

That 8 in Dexterity would disqualify a character from the halfling class, but it looks like we can take care of that with the ability adjustment rules, taking 2 from Wisdom and bumping Dexterity to the minimum of 9. Halfling achieved. Hit points on d6 are 3, +1 Constitution bonus =4.

Callie Fairmeadow, 1st level halfling

Strength 6 (-1 to melee attack and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 9

Constitution 13 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 15 (+1 to reactions, max. retainers 5, retainer morale 8)

AC 4       Hit points: 4        Alignment: Neutral

Special abilities: -2 to AC vs. large creatures, +1 to missile attacks, hide outdoors 90%, hide indoors 2 in 6.

Chain armor, shield, short bow, 20 arrows, 3 silver arrows, spear, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, lantern, 4 flasks of oil, tinder box, 9 gp left.

Height: 3'0"        Weight: 62 lbs.     Age: 33

Callie's older brother was a well-known halfling adventurer who disappeared several years ago. Now she's of age, she is determined to carry on the adventuring tradition in his memory. Normally merry and carefree, she is prone to occasional bouts of melancholy, worrying she doesn't measure up.

Another very non-typical player character, having no high scores in the traditional prime requisites, and in fact a low score in one of her class's PRs. She has the Charisma to hold a small stable of retainers together, and to serve as a party spokesperson in non-combat encounters, and even with average Dexterity, she's got the halfling missile bonus to make her a fair shot in ranged combat.

Character creation challenge day 27

 Day 27

System: B/X

Desired class: Halfling (alternate: fighter)

Ability scores rolled: 15, 7, 10, 17, 13, 12

Starting gold: 100 gp

Hot dice again today! Not only do the stats qualify for the class, they're good enough for the 10% XP bonus (St 13+, Dx 16+.) There's nothing that can be done with them point-exchange wise, so let's move on to hit points. A d6 roll yields 6, +1 for Constitution = 7. 

Andobras Hayfiddle, 1st level halfling

Strength 15 (+1 to melee attacks and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 7 (can read and write simple words)

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 17 (+2 to missile attacks, -2 to AC)

Constitution 13 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 12

AC 3      Hit points: 7        Alignment: Lawful

Special abilities: -2 to AC vs. large creatures, +1 to missile attacks, hide outdoors 9/10, indoors 2/6.

Chain armor, short sword, short bow, 20 arrows, backpack, standard rations, water skin, rope, 11 gp left.

Height: 3'3"        Weight: 58 lbs.        Age: 38

Andobras, Andy to his friends, is a strapping young halfling and doer of odd jobs that require strong arms and nimble fingers. Like any young halfling, he was entranced by stories of adventure and danger as a child; unlike most, he's never outgrown them and settled down to a respectable trade. Eager and with the bravery born of naivete, he'd love an opportunity to make a name for himself in one of those stories.

Character creation challenge day 26

 Day 26

System: B/X

Desired class: Thief

Ability scores rolled: 12, 11, 16, 14, 11, 8

Starting gold: 120 gp

These stats would make a decent to very good character of any class, but since we're going for a thief, let's take 2 points each from Strength and Intelligence and bump up Dexterity to 16. I could go for the coveted 18, but that would mean losing a Wisdom bonus, and I rather like the notion of a wise thief. Hit points on d4 come up a 1, so this character better avoid getting hit at all until at least 2nd level.

Finnys "Two-penny" Mercer, 1st level thief

Strength 10

Intelligence 9

Wisdom 16 (+2 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 16 (+2 to missile attacks, -2 to AC)

Constitution 11

Charisma 8 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 5       Hit points: 1            Alignment: Neutral

Thief skills: Open Locks 15%, Find/Remove Traps 10%, Pick Pockets 20%, Move Silently 20%, Climb Walls 87%, Hide in Shadows 10%, Hear Noise 1-2 on 1d6.

Leather armor, short bow, 20 arrows, short sword, backpack, thieves' tools, standard rations, water skin, lantern, 4 flasks of oil, tinder box, 10' pole, 5 gp left.

Height: 5'2"        Weight: 106 lbs.        Age: 17

Orphaned when her parents died of fever when she was 11, Finnys soon found herself on the streets, where her common sense and uncanny intuition quickly earned her a place of respect among a gang of urchins. Tends toward stoicism, with a very subtle sense of humor. Remarkably honest for a thief; she's not a very convincing liar, so avoids it whenever possible.

Character creation challenge day 25

 Day 25

System: B/X

Desired class: Dwarf (alternate: magic-user)

Ability scores rolled: 8, 9, 9, 8, 16, 6

Starting gold: 110 gp

This is probably a character most players would beg the DM to let them throw out and reroll, and many DMs would let them. Three low scores, no high prime requisites ... many would consider this a disaster of a character. And yet I'm going to flesh him out anyway, because even these scores have potential for fun. There's nothing I can do about that low Strength score, but that's not as big a deal as it might seem. A d8 roll nets him a big fat 8 hp, which bumps up to 10 with Con bonus. He may be weak, clumsy, and far from the life of the party, but he's hard to kill!

Hurgard Hammersong, 1st level dwarf

Strength 8 (-1 to melee attack and damage, -1 to opening doors)

Intelligence 9

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 8 (-1 to missile attacks, +1 to AC)

Constitution 16 (+2 hp per die)

Charisma 6 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 4      Hit points: 10            Alignment: Lawful

Plate armor, battle axe, hand axe, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 12 iron spikes, hammer, grappling hook, 0 gp left.

Height: 3'11"        Weight: 155 lbs.        Age: 43

"Not quite good enough" is the story of Hurgard's life. He doesn't have the strong arm for smithing or the steady hand for gem-cutting, but he's as sturdy as an ox, and as steadfast. Somewhere there must be a place where a dwarf such as himself can be appreciated, and just maybe it's in the strange, unorthodox, topsy-turvy world of adventuring. At least he hopes so.

In the grand scheme of things, a -1 to hit and damage in melee is not really that great a handicap. With his battle axe, Hurgard is still hitting almost as often as average, only 10% less than someone with a 13-15 Strength, and dealing out up to 7 points of damage on a successful attack, which isn't too shabby. More often than not, when things go south, he's going to be the last man standing, too. 

Character creation challenge day 24

 Day 24

System: B/X

Desired class: Fighter    

Ability scores rolled: 12, 8, 8, 14, 11, 11

Starting gold: 100 gp

Oh so close, but not quite a bonus on Strength, and nothing we can point-swap from, either. Still, even with two low scores and only one high, I think this can be a good character. A 1d8 roll for hp gives 3. Definitely not a strong front-line basher; I'm thinking more of an archer or crossbowman-type fighter.

Essemer Highshaw, 1st level fighter

Strength 12

Intelligence 8 (can read and write simple words)

Wisdom 8 (-1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 14 (+1 to missile attacks, -1 to AC)

Constitution 11

Charisma 11

AC 4       Hit points: 3        Alignment: Neutral

Chain armor, long bow, 20 arrows, hand axe, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 0 gp left.

Height: 5'10"        Weight: 175 lbs.        Age: 24

Serving in the town militia just isn't a reliable path to fame and fortune, and if the opportunity for greater adventure comes along, Essemer will jump at it. Truth be told, he likes good drink and bawdy tavern songs more than stalking monsters through dank caves and dark forests, but if that's the price that must be paid, he'll pay it, and wildly exaggerate it over a round of ale later. 


If we've learned anything this month, it's that fighters don't have to be dull, or strong enough to bench-press a draft horse.

Character creation challenge day 23

 Day 23

System: B/X

Desired class: Cleric

Ability scores rolled: 15, 12, 8, 15, 10, 14

Starting gold: 90 gp

Here I've rolled well in everything but the prime requisite ability of the randomly-determined desired class. There are only enough points in abilities that can be lowered to raise Wisdom to 12, which means there's little point in raising it above 9. Two points from Intelligence will do the trick. A d6 for hit points yields 5.

Arice of Westfold, 1st level cleric

Strength 15 (+1 to melee attack and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 15 (+1 to missile attack rolls, -1 to AC)

Constitution 10

Charisma 14 (+1 to reactions, max. retainers 5, retainer morale 8)

AC 4       Hit points: 5        Alignment: Lawful

Chain armor, war hammer, sling, backpack, holy symbol, standard rations, water skin, 7 gp left.

Height: 5'10"        Weight: 175 lbs.        Age: 21

Daughter of a moderately prosperous family of artisans, Arice is blessed with a warrior's physique. She could have been a terrific fighter, but she felt called not just to fight, but to fight for a higher cause, and so she entered the service of her church. Intense and driven, she shifts easily between the roles of the kind, charitable healer and the fierce defender of the faith.

Just have to say, this challenge has given me a whole new appreciation of the versatility of the B/X system, especially contrasted with the rather rigid and often nitpicky requirements of AD&D. With B/X, you can play to type, or you can buck the stereotypes without hopelessly crippling your character and your enjoyment of the game.

Character creation challenge day 22

 Day 22

System: B/X

Desired class: Fighter

Ability scores rolled: 11, 15, 7, 11, 5, 10

Starting gold: 90 gp

Not gonna sugar-coat it, this is a rough batch, especially with that 5 Constitution, but let's see if we can make some semblance of a silk purse from this sow's ear. For starters, let's take 4 points from Intelligence and bump Strength up to 13, so at least our fighter has some oomph behind his attacks. Rolling d8 for hit points and subtracting that Con penalty leaves him with 5, which isn't half bad, considering.

Orin Ploughwright, 1st level fighter

Strength 13 (+1 to melee attacks and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 11

Wisdom 7 (-1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 11

Constitution 5 (-2 hp per die)

Charisma 10

AC 5        Hit points: 5            Alignment: Lawful

Chain armor, pole arm, short bow, 20 arrows, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 2 gp left.

Height: 5'6"        Weight: 145 lbs.        Age: 20

With his family falling on hard times, Orin has turned a farm tool into a polearm, taken up the family hunting bow, and spent his life savings on a mail hauberk in hopes of striking it rich as an adventurer. Shy and honest to a fault. Weak lungs limit his stamina, but he's got the strength in his arms to swing a weapon to good effect.

Despite that one glaring weakness, I think he's a viable character. With a good initial hp roll, his Con penalty turned out not to be too much of a liability at 1st level, though it's pretty much inevitable it will handicap him in the long run. With that in mind, making him a polearm wielder makes sense; if the party has a couple of tougher front-line fighters, he can stay out of the thick of things sometimes while still contributing some fairly hefty damage.

Character creation challenge day 21

 Day 21

System: B/X

Desired class: Dwarf (alternate: Thief)

Ability scores rolled: 10, 9, 9, 11, 10, 11

Starting gold: 100 gp

Well, I've managed to roll the Joe Bauers of RPG characters -- utterly average in every way. This is absolutely not a bad thing! While there are no bonuses to bolster his rolls, there are no penalties to tip marginal successes into failure, either. The only hard-and-fast requirement for a B/X dwarf is Constitution of 9 or higher, and he makes the cut there, so let's press on. Dwarves roll 1d8 for hit points, giving him 5 -- average again!

Suric Naughtsson, 1st level dwarf

Strength 10

Intelligence 9

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 11

Constitution 10

Charisma 11

AC 4        Hit points: 5            Alignment: Lawful

Special abilities: Infravision 60', detect sloping passages, traps, shifting walls, and new construction 1-2 on 1d6

Chain armor, shield, war hammer, sling, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, grappling hook, rope, 12 iron spikes, hammer, 2 gp left.

Height: 4'0"        Weight: 150 lbs.        Age: 40

Unremarkable middle sibling in a family of nine, Suric would have liked nothing more than to live out his life making mining equipment in the family forge. Alas, he was pressed into a dwarven army unit, and found himself alone when everyone else was wiped out in a battle with orcs far from his home. Now he's committed either to finding his way home again or, failing that, making the best of things in his new environs. 

Come on, how could you not have fun playing this guy?

Character creation challenge day 20

 Day 20

From here on out, I'm going to be randomly rolling for a class before rolling ability scores, and then making the best of that combination. In the event of rolling a class with ability score requirements (e.g. demihumans) a backup class will be rolled, and used in the event of the scores not qualifying for the first class.

System: B/X

Desired class: Elf (alternate: cleric)

Ability scores rolled: 8, 13, 12, 14, 10, 16

Starting gold: 150 gp

The dice smile upon me today! That initial 8 isn't ideal, but everything else lines up perfectly, and we can bump that up to a 9 by knocking 2 points off Wisdom. Elves roll d6 for hit points, yielding 5. A d12 on the list of 1st level magic spells gives a 9, read magic.

Naeve Whisperbrook, 1st level elf

Strength 9

Intelligence 13 (+1 language)

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 14 (+1 to missile attacks, -1 to AC)

Constitution 10

Charisma 16 (+1 to reactions, max retainers 6, retainer morale 9)

AC 3       Hit points: 5        Alignment: Lawful

Special abilities: Immune to ghoul paralysis, find secret doors 1-2 on 1d6, infravision 60'.

Starting spell: read magic

Chain armor, shield, spear, long bow, 20 arrows, 2 silver arrows, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, rope, 39 gp left.

Height: 5'5"        Weight: 110 lbs.        Age: 38

With aspirations of someday being a leader of her clan, this very young elf has been sent forth to live among other folk and learn of their ways. Eager, naive, and more than a bit out of her depth, but charming and a quick student.

Not only did the dice roll favorably for ability scores, this character came up quite wealthy, too, with more than enough to buy some good armor and the coveted longbow. The roll for spells was less kind, so she'll have to prove herself as a warrior before earning her magic-user stripes. At least she'll have access to spells from scrolls. 

Character creation challenge day 19

 Day 19

System: B/X

Desired class: Thief

Ability scores rolled: 15, 12, 14, 5, 10, 7

Starting gold: 70 gp

Today, the dice are handing me a set of scores wildly unsuited to the desired class, but B/X allows for exactly this, so here we go! There's actually plenty to work with here, and it would be easy to raise either Strength or Wisdom to 18 without much down side, but this guy doesn't want to smash skulls or commune with the divine, he wants to jimmy locks and stick daggers in backs, so what can you do? If we shear off 4 points of Wisdom, 2 of Intelligence, and 2 of Strength, we can boost his dismal Dexterity up to a 9 -- solidly mediocre! Rolling d4 for hit points gives us 3.

Lago the Misguided, 1st level thief

Strength 13 (+1 to melee attack and damage rolls and opening doors)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 9

Constitution 10

Charisma 7 (-1 to reactions, max retainers 3, retainer morale 7)

AC 9          Hit points: 3            Alignment: Neutral

Thief skills: Open Locks 15%, Find/Remove Traps 10%, Pick Pockets 20%, Move Silently 20%, Climb Walls 87%, Hide in Shadows 10%, Hear Noise 1-2 on 1d6

Short bow, 20 arrows, dagger, thieves' tools, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 1 gp left

Height: 5'9"        Weight: 175 lbs.        Age: 20

Disowned by his family for laziness, unwilling to take up a fighter's life due to cowardice, Lago instead (somewhat imprudently) opted for a life of crime. He'll soon find out the life of an adventuring thief is anything but easy, but at least he's not likely to steal from his teammates (did I mention he's a coward?)

Even setting aside the challenge of narrowly avoiding a penalty in his prime requisite ability, Lago was a fun exercise in justifying WHY, exactly, a would-be adventurer would pass up a promising career as a top-notch fighter or cleric to be a mediocre thief. Ah, B/X, is there anything you can't do?

Character creation challenge day 18

 Day 18

System: B/X

I'm going to try something a little different today. I'll choose a class before rolling for ability scores, and then see how I can make things work with whatever I roll. Without further ado ...

Desired class: Fighter

Ability scores rolled: 14, 13, 12, 9, 11, 9

Starting gold: 90 gp

Hmm, that worked out rather well. Scores are rock-solid, and there's an opportunity to sacrifice 4 points of Intelligence to bring Strength up to 16, good enough for a +2 bonus in melee and +10% XP. As much as it pains me to burn Int points, let's go ahead and do that. Hit points on d8 results in 8, so jackpot again.

Sarn Aleford, 1st level fighter

Strength 16 (+2 to melee attack and damage rolls and opening doors)

Intelligence 9

Wisdom 12

Dexterity 9

Constitution 11

Charisma 9

AC 3          Hit points: 8            Alignment: Neutral

Plate armor, battle axe, hand axe, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 12 iron spikes, hammer, 5 gp left.

Height: 5'11"        Weight: 200 lbs.        Age: 22

Coarse and uncouth son of a woodsman. A wild, intense young man who works, fights, and celebrates hard. 

I had hoped to roll ability scores that wouldn't fit the standard template for the chosen class, but sometimes the dice are just contrary like that. Nonetheless, we've got a good sound character who would be especially suitable for a beginning player. As a side note, I never realized just how big a bite missile weapons take from a character's starting gold, and how if you pass on those, you can really armor up on even a modest starting gold roll. 

Character creation challenge day 17

 Day 17

System: B/X

Ability scores rolled: 9, 11, 14, 11, 16, 10

Starting gold: 100 gp

Let's imagine that I've rolled these scores -- very solid, respectable scores. Not hard to imagine, because I just did. Now, imagine that I have my heart set on playing a magic-user. Through the miracle of Moldvay-edition D&D, I can do exactly that! The d4 says 3 hit points, but a hale and hearty Constitution bumps that up to 5 -- as good as an average 1st level fighter!

Tallie Greenfallow, 1st level magic-user

Strength 9

Intelligence 11

Wisdom 14 (+1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 11

Constitution 16 (+2 hp per die)

Charisma 10

AC 9        Hit points: 5        Alignment: Neutral

3 daggers, silver dagger, backpack, wolfsbane, lantern, tinder box, 5 flasks of oil, mirror, standard rations, 2 water skins, large sack, 10' pole, 10 gp left.

Starting spell: light

Height: 5'4"        Weight: 150 lbs.        Age: 27

Born and raised a farm girl, Tallie had dreamed all her life of learning magic. Despite her lack of any strong talent, she impressed a local hedge-witch with her determination, and was taken on as an apprentice. Extremely hard-working, but also a worrier, prone to stressing over details.

As with most beginning magic-user characters in old school D&D, Tallie poses a challenge to play, forcing reliance on player skill much more than character skill and stats. She does have an edge with a few extra hit points, and if she survives, will end up being considerably more durable than average. Her average Intelligence score is not much of a hindrance at all in play; it only really matters when XP are tallied up at the end of an adventure. Not needing much in the way of armor and weapons enabled her to carry some unusual and specialized equipment, so if her party comes up against a wererat or medusa, at least they won't be totally without options. The light spell, which I rolled randomly, is a decent multi-purpose spell, with utility and combat uses.

Character creation challenge day 16

 Day 16

System: B/X

Ability scores rolled: 17, 7, 10, 7, 13, 7

Starting gold: 110 gp

I guess at some point I had to roll something completely stereotypical, and this guy is definitely a bruiser of a fighter. A d8 for hit points yields 4, plus Con bonus for 5.

Kurragh of Grimshire, 1st level fighter

Strength 17 (+2 to melee attacks and damage and opening doors)

Intelligence 7 (can write simple words)

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 7 (-1 to missile attacks, +1 to AC)

Constitution 13 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 7 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 4       Hit points: 5        Alignment: Lawful

Plate armor, pole arm, dagger, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, large sack, tinder box, 4 flasks of oil, rope, 14 gp left.

Height: 6'3"        Weight: 230 lbs.        Age: 25

After a (mostly) uneventful stint in his local lord's army, Kurragh has mustered out and is looking for a new career. Not particularly bright or inspiring, he's still a capable fighter, loyal and stoic. In a fight, he's disciplined and efficient rather than flashy and explosive, a result of his military training. 

With that 17 Strength, I really wanted this guy to be a tough customer who can deal out some serious hurt. Swords are way overdone in D&D, but a polearm is a great weapon for a big brawny soldier, so Kurragh is a halberdier, dishing out d10+2 on every successful attack. He's got some low scores mixed in to give him some good role-play potential as well. 

Character creation challenge day 15

 Day 15

System: AD&D 1e

Ability scores rolled (4d6, drop lowest): 14, 16, 8, 17, 10, 10

Starting gold (2d4 x10): 60 gp

Let's do that AD&D thing again. Looking at these scores, and consulting the PHB, they're good enough to qualify for the illusionist class, which is one I haven't done before. Illusionists require a minimum Intelligence of 15 and Dexterity of 16 -- check on both. They roll a d4 for hit points, in this case yielding 3.

Letany Copperhair, 1st level illusionist

Strength 14 (weight allowance +200, open doors 1-2, bend bars/lift gates 7%)

Intelligence 16 (know spells 65%, min. spells/level 7, max spells/level 11)

Wisdom 8 

Dexterity 17 (+2 missile attacks & reaction adjustment, -3 to AC)

Constitution 10

Charisma 10

AC 7            Hit points: 2            Alignment: Neutral good

Spells known: audible glamer, detect invisibility, hypnotism

Staff, 20 darts, backpack, bullseye lantern, 5 flasks of oil, tinder box, silver mirror, standard rations, 2 water skins, 8 gp and 10 sp left.

Height: 5'8"        Weight: 140 lbs.        Age: 29

A daughter of a minor noble, Letany ran away from an arranged marriage and fell in with a traveling theater troupe where her talent for illusion was valued. She conceals her true surname. Feisty and fiercely independent, a life as an adventurer would suit her well.

Illusion appeals to me as a player (and DM) because I've come to prefer subtler magic. It's a great avenue of expression for creative thinkers to contribute to a successful adventuring party without blasting things with magic missiles and fireballs. I don't really get the crazy-high Dexterity requirement (you can be a thief with a 9, and it's their prime requisite!) but it does give our illusionist character a little bit of an edge defensively should she be unable to avoid being a target for enemy attacks. 

Character creation challenge day 14

 Day 14

System: Labyrinth Lord with Advanced Edition Companion

Ability scores rolled: 8, 14, 7, 16, 12, 5

Starting gold (3d8 x10): 90 gp

I wasn't going to do Labyrinth Lord characters in this challenge, for the reason that LL is nearly identical to B/X. Then I remembered the Advanced Edition Companion, which adds some AD&D-style options to the basic game. Naturally, I want to do something I couldn't do with LL alone, and after poring over the book, I'm going with a multi-class half-elf magic-user/thief. I'll use the advanced hit dice option, so the character gets 1d4 hp for the magic-user class and 1d6 for the thief, both halved. Rolling a 4 and a 2, the character starts with 3 hp, less 1 point for Con penalty. The rules specify the player of a magic-user may choose two 1st level spells, but I'm going to roll randomly and see what the dice give me.

Perlock the Sly, half-elf 1st level magic-user/1st level thief

Strength 8 (-1 to hit and damage in melee, -1 to forcing doors)

Dexterity 14 (-1 to AC, +1 to missile attack rolls and individual initiative)

Constitution 7 (-1 hp per die)

Intelligence 16 (+2 languages, able to read and write)

Wisdom 12

Charisma 5 (+1 to reactions, max. retainers 2, retainer morale 5)

AC 6        Hit points: 2            Alignment: Neutral

Spells known: protection from evil, ventriloquism

Thief skills: Pick locks 17%, Find/remove traps 14%, Pick pockets 33%, Move silently 23%, Climb walls 87%, Hide in shadows 18%, Hear noise 1-2 on 1d6

Leather armor, short sword, crossbow, 30 quarrels, thieves' tools, backpack, crowbar, 5 days rations, water skin, silk rope, large sack, 12 gp and 5 sp left.

Height: 5'4"        Weight: 135 lbs.        Age: 26

Raised by his gruff, elf-hating uncle after his mother died shortly after giving birth and his elven father rejected him. A sour and surly outcast who resents those who are comfortable in their own skin, but has a secret soft spot for other misfits. Tired of eking out an existence using his diverse skills for odd jobs, he'll jump at the chance to join a dungeoneering expedition.

LL divides earned XP evenly between classes, with bonuses from high prime requisites applied separately to each class's pool. Perlock gets +5% to his magic-user XP, but will advance considerably faster as a thief, with +10% XP. As I said above, I rolled randomly for starting spells, and ventriloquism is quite a happy accident for this particular class combination. Curiously, there are no clarifications on armor and weapons allowed for a MU/Thief, but as the F/MU notes allow armor and weapons as a fighter, it seems reasonable that the MU/T can use the armor and weapons of a thief.

Labyrinth Lord, I've noticed, has a fair number of little idiosyncrasies that set it apart from B/X, but it's a familiar enough that one could forget and apply a long-memorized B/X rule instead and nobody would notice. AEC strikes a decent balance between AD&D's fiddly minutiae and B/X's simplicity, though in my opinion it hews a little too closely to AD&D at times, such as the ability score requirements for advanced races and classes. 

Character creation challenge day 13

 Day 13

System: Goblins & Greatswords

Ability scores rolled (3d6 in order): 9, 16, 9, 6, 15, 13

Starting silver (2d6 x10): 70 sp

Lucky day 13, and it's time for another fantasy heartbreaker character! Goblins & Greatswords is even more fast and loose as regards classes and ability scores than even B/X. There are no prime requisites, for one. This set of scores looks like the makings of a quick, agile warrior, which is just what he'll be. Warriors roll d8 for hit points, giving a result of 7. Looking now at the equipment lists and the starting silver, I don't know what I was thinking, giving a paltry 2d6x5, so I'm revising that to 2d6x10.

Trastor Rellos, 1st level warrior

Might 9

Agility 16 (+2 to Combat Rating)

Fortitude 9

Wit 6 (speaks native language fluently, rudimentary read/write, -10% to XP earned)

Presence 15 (+1 to reactions, max. retainers, and retainer morale)

Spirit 13 (+1 to saves vs. magic and non-class magic item use)

Defense: 11           Damage Reduction: 2          Hit points: 7

Combat Rating: +4 (base 2 +2 Agility modifier)    Secondary Talent: Navigator

Mail armor (Damage Reduction 2,) quarterstaff (Damage 1d6, Defense +1,) backpack, bedroll, 10 days rations, 2 water skins, 50' rope, tinder box, 6 torches, large sack,  3 sp and 2 cp left.

Height: 5'10"        Weight: 165 lbs.        Age: 25

After serving for several years as a guard and deck hand on a coastal trading vessel, Trastor has put ashore to look for new prospects, and would welcome a place in an adventuring party. Merry and swaggering, tends toward overconfidence but his years as a marine guard have taught him the value of cooperation and teamwork.

Trastor's not going to be a heavy hitter due to his average Might, but Combat Rating (boosted by high Agility) is used both offensively and defensively, making him a skilled fighter nonetheless. A quarterstaff seemed a good choice for weapon, suiting his fighting style and his background.

Character creation challenge day 12

 Day 12

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 7, 10, 16, 9, 14, 11

Starting gold: 80 gp

It occurs to me that I haven't made a thief character yet, and even though the ability scores here really don't fit the standard RPG ideal of the thief, B/X is the kind of game that allows you to try pretty much whatever the hell you want to try. In real life, sometimes your passion is not the same as your talent, and sometimes your situation dictates your vocation. Let it be so with this character. Rolling a d4 yields 2, plus Con bonus for 3.

Bram Fletcher, 1st level thief

Strength 7 (-1 to attack, damage, and opening doors)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 16 (+2 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 9

Constitution 14 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 11

AC 7          Hit points: 3        Alignment: Neutral

Special abilities: Open Locks 15%, Find/Remove Traps 10%, Pick Pockets 20%, Move Silently 20%, Climb Walls 87%, Hide in Shadows 10%, Hear Noise 1-2 on 1d6

Leather armor, short sword, sling, thieves' tools, backpack, rope, 10' pole, standard rations, water skin, 12 iron spikes, hammer, 10 gp left.

Height: 5'6"        Weight: 145 lbs.        Age: 18

Bram grew up an orphaned street urchin. With no talent for fighting and no faith in religion, he turned to petty thievery. Having run afoul of the law one time too many, he's now turned to the semi-legitimate world of adventuring for his livelihood. Tends toward cynicism and sarcasm, but capable of fierce loyalty to those who treat him with respect. 

Obviously this character is not going to be a combat monster, nor the classic cat-burglar, but if you like a challenge, he could be a roleplayer's dream. 

I swear to Bob ...

 ... if I see one more gaming blog preaching to me about politics, I'm going to take a machete to my blog roll. Games or get the fork out!

That is all. 

Character creation challenge day 11

 Day 11

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 13, 6, 12, 13, 9, 10

Starting gold: 80 gp

Once again, there are a few ways I could go with this set of scores, but the one that appeals to me right now is a halfling. Low intelligence is always an interesting challenge to portray while maintaining the character's dignity. Hit points on d6 come up a 6. 

Trillium High-hearth, 1st level halfling

Strength 13 (+1 to melee attacks and damage, +1 to opening doors)

Intelligence 6 (can write simple words)

Wisdom 12

Dexterity 13 (+1 to missile attack rolls, -1 to AC)

Constitution 9

Charisma 10

AC 5          Hit points: 6        Alignment: Lawful

Special abilities: +1 to all missile attack rolls, -2 to AC vs. larger than man-size creatures, hide outdoors 9/10, hide indoors 2/6

Leather armor, shield, short bow, 20 arrows, hand axe, backpack, standard rations, water skin, 6 torches, tinder box, rope, 0 gp left.

Height: 3'0"        Weight: 63 lbs.        Age: 55

After spending the first couple decades of her adulthood in farming, Trillium has at last heeded the call of adventure. Wealthy and successful adventurers, after all, can afford to behave eccentrically and indulge their younger relatives, which are two causes dear to her heart. Despite a lack of analytical intelligence, she possesses a decent amount of common sense and usually makes good decisions, though not always quickly.

Character creation challenge day 10

 Day 10

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 11, 15, 13, 8, 14, 9

Starting gold: 110 gp

I'm going to take this one in a direction that's really not immediately obvious by looking at the scores. How about ... a dwarf. I could mess with the ability scores and get his Strength up to bonus levels, but I'm going to be stubborn and keep his high Intelligence and Wisdom instead. Rolling d8 for hit points and adding Con bonus yields 6.

Hafnir Icebeard, 1st level dwarf

Strength 11

Intelligence 15 (+1 language spoken)

Wisdom 13 (+1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 8 (-1 to missile attack rolls, +1 to AC)

Constitution 14 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 9

AC 5       Hit points: 6            Alignment: Neutral

Special abilities: Infravision 60', detect slopes, traps, shifting walls, and new construction 2/6

Bonus language: Dragon

Chain armor, shield, spear, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, lantern, 5 flasks of oil, tinder box, 10' pole, 12 iron spikes, hammer, 18 gp left.

Height: 4'0"        Weight: 140        Age: 52

Son of a dwarf archivist, Hafnir grew up around books and scrolls, and took a particular interest in records of lost dwarven treasures. His dream is to recover as many as he can for the glory of his clan.

Why play a character who's only average in his class's prime requisite but has high scores in other abilities? Because it's different, it's fun, and it's a challenge! Surely not all dwarves are brawny bruisers, not even all dwarves who pursue an adventuring career. This is one of the best things about B/X; it anticipates and allows for the possibility of someone playing a character who isn't mightily endowed in a stereotypical class stat. He may advance in XP and levels at a slightly slower rate than stronger dwarves, but Hafnir won't be at a great enough disadvantage to take the fun out of playing him. 

Character creation challenge day 9

 Day 9

System: Ambition & Avarice (I apparently downloaded a playtest copy of the rules at some point and promptly forgot about it. Came across it again a couple days ago, and it looks pretty interesting, so let's make a character!)

Ability scores rolled (3d6 in order): 10, 8, 15, 10, 11, 13

Starting silver (5d6 x100): 1,000 sp

A&A separates race and class in different ways from other fantasy RPGs. Hit Dice are tied to the character's race rather than class. It also offers a wider variety of standard character races and classes than many similar games. With that in mind, I'm looking at doing something unusual: a lizardfolk shaman. Lizardfolk get a d8 hit die, and the rules specify maximum hp at 1st level, so 8, with a bonus of +2 for high Constitution. Armor Class is ascending, from a base of 10.

Slizzarth Stone-tooth, 1st level lizardfolk shaman

Strength 10

Dexterity 8 (-1 to hit and damage with projectile weapons, -1 to AC)

Constitution 15 (+2 hp per die, rest die 1d10)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 11

Charisma 13 (+1 to reactions)

AC 10      Hit points: 10    

Special abilities: Hold breath up to 15 minutes, -3 bonus to climb and sneak rolls, sense depth below surface of water, Identify Disease, Remedy

Spells known: detect magic, dragon's breath, shadow walk

Leather armor, spear, backpack, grappling hook, holy symbol, rations (10 days,) 2 water skins, large sack, shovel, 469 sp left.

Height: 6'1"         Weight: 175 lbs.        Age: ???

Raised from a hatchling to fill the role of tribal shaman, and sent out in the world to gain experience and new perspectives. Gets along remarkably well with the non-scaly folk.

This is a system I'd definitely like to play at some point. The classes are more specific in terms of social roles and such than I'd like, but that's something that can be worked around. I don't see why someone with the skill set of a knave should necessarily be in the service of nobility, or the ranger need to be employed by local authorities as essentially a forest lawman. 

Character creation challenge day 8

 Day 8

System: Goblins & Greatswords

Ability scores rolled (3d6 in order): 5, 8, 14, 18, 9, 15

Starting silver (2d6x5): 25 

Even though my fantasy heartbreaker rules are still in flux, I wanted to try out the character creation procedure. I also rolled my first natural 18 of the Character Creation Challenge so far, which is balanced by a couple low scores; all in all, they look interesting. The rules as I've written them allow for a 2-for-1 point exchange to adjust scores, but I don't feel any need to tinker with these. Also, though there are abilities that are more useful to certain classes, there are no prime requisites as such. These rolls, though, seem to be especially suitable for a mage character. Hit points for all classes except warrior types are 1d6, giving a result of 4.

A G&G mage chooses any two of four lists from which he may learn spells to cast: Mind, Matter, Nature, and Mystic. To establish this character as a down-to-earth (at least by magical standards) hedge mage, I'll go with Matter and Nature as his areas of expertise.

Thymus Mandrake, 1st level mage

Might 5 (-2 to melee damage and feats of strength)

Agility 8 (-1 to Combat Rating, -1 to movement)

Fortitude 14 (+1 to hit points recovered from healing, +1 to saves against pestilence and poison)

Wit 18 (+3 languages, +3 spells memorized, +30% to earned experience points)

Presence 9

Spirit 15 (+1 to saves vs. magical attacks, +1 to spell intensity*) 

*Spell intensity refers to any parameters of a spell which are expressed in numbers, potentially including range, duration, and damage.

Defense 9 (base 10, -1 Agility penalty)    Damage Reduction 0 (unarmored)     Hit points: 4

Combat Rating: 0 (+1, -1 penalty from low Agility)    Secondary Talent: Apothecary

Club, dagger, backpack, 4 empty glass vials, healer's kit, lantern, tinder box, 3 flasks of oil, rations, 2 water skins

Spell lists: Matter, Nature

Spells known: mist, beast speech, featherweight, liquid transmutation

Height: 5'9"        Weight: 170 lbs.     Age: 25

Thymus comes from a long line of hedge mages (and a tradition of botanical names.) Good-natured, practical, and inquisitive, he is loath to do harm to other living things, but enjoys the thrill of discovery that comes with adventuring.

Many of the stats and terms here are left undefined, but hopefully give a feel for the game system nonetheless. With a little effort and a little luck, I hope to have a basically complete rule set ready for playtesting in the next month or two.

Character creation challenge day 7

 Day 7

System: Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS)

Ability scores rolled: 5, 10, 13, 12, 13, 15

Starting gold: 110 gp

ACKS is very similar to classic (B/X and BECMI) D&D, with some AD&D influences thrown in. Abilities are 3d6 in order, with 2-for-1 point trading to raise prime requisites. These scores seem good enough for a bard character, one of the "campaign classes" listed after the four core classes in the rule book. With both Dexterity and Charisma as prime requisites, it makes sense to sacrifice a couple points of Wisdom to bump Dex up to 13 and get the 5% XP bonus. An ACKS bard rolls 1d6 for hit points, with a result in this case of 6. 

Cerith Rainsong, 1st level bard

Strength 5 (-2 to melee attack and damage rolls)

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 11

Dexterity 13 (+1 to missile attack rolls, AC, and initiative)

Constitution 13 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 15 (+1 to reactions, number of retainers, and retainer morale)

AC 3  (ascending, from base of 0)     Hit points: 7        Alignment: Lawful

Leather armor, short sword, dagger, sling, lyre, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, mirror, lantern, 3 flasks of oil, 8 gp left.

Special abilities: Inspire courage 50' radius (+1 attack, damage, morale, and saves against fear for allies)  once per day per level.

Proficiences: Adventuring, Performance (instrument,) Loremastery, Arcane Dabbling, Healing, Mystic Aura

Height: 5'0"        Weight 105 lbs.        Age: 22

A former street urchin whose talent for music saved her from a life of petty thievery. Light-hearted and optimistic, with a streak of mischief.

This one took a while, due to having to pore over the proficiency lists. I can hardly believe I once liked this sort of skill system in my game! It really drags out the character creation process, and a beginning ACKS character only gets two proficiencies plus Intelligence bonus (besides free ones from certain classes, such as the bard.) I've evolved so far past those old preferences that I highly doubt I'd be keen to play ACKS as written, despite its classic D&D pedigree.

On the plus side, I really like this iteration of the bard class, which manages to be flavorful and useful without kludging in spellcasting. The Inspire Courage ability seems pretty straightforward and fitting, and the Loremastery and Arcane Dabbling skills make for a character who gathers trivia and odd knowledge like an intellectual packrat. I'd just prefer they be built in as a class feature rather than through the proficiency system. 

Character creation challenge, day 6

 Day 6

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 15, 8, 12, 8, 15, 7

Starting gold: 140 gp

Touching base with good old B/X again before I decide where to go next. This set of rolls has an unmistakably dwarfish vibe to it, and hey, I finally get to do some point trading. I'll take two from that 12 Wisdom and bump up her Strength to 16. (Female dwarves seem a bit underrepresented, so let's go with that.) A d8 for hit points yields 6, adjusted up to 7 for high Constitution. 

Signi Deepdelver, 1st level dwarf

Strength 16 (+2 to hit, damage, and open doors)

Intelligence 8 (-1; can read and write simple words)

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 8 (-1 to missile fire; +1 to AC)

Constitution 15 (+1 hp per die)

Charisma 7 (-1 reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 3         Hit points: 7        Alignment: Lawful

Special abilities: Infravision 60', detect slopes, traps, shifting walls, and new construction 2/6

Plate armor, shield, war hammer, hand axe, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, large sack, lantern, tinder box, 5 flasks of oil, 12 iron spikes, hammer, 21 gp left.

Height: 4'1"        Weight: 146 lbs.        Age: 44

Boisterous and energetic daughter of an iron mining family, embracing the adventuring life with gusto, even if it means associating with elves. 

Out of the characters I've created so far this month, I'd vote Signi most likely to survive her first outing. One thing I do love about B/X is that characters rolled by-the-book are not world-beating supermen or -women; they tend to have a low score or two ... or three, in this case. I find characters without flaws rather dull, personally. Signi has some weaknesses counterbalancing a couple impressive strengths, which in my opinion would make her a ton of fun to play.

Character creation challenge day 5

 Day 5 

System: Mentzer-edition D&D (BECMI) plus PC1: Tall Tales of the Wee Folk

Ability scores rolled: 11, 8, 14, 16, 11, 6

Starting gold: 90 gp

Despite its flaws, I have fond memories of the Tall Tales of the Wee Folk supplement. One of its oddities is an AD&D-like nitpickiness about ability scores for various classes/races, so I had to browse the minimum/maximum ability tables to see what sort of creature would fit the scores I've rolled. Of the ones who qualify, I like the hsiao*, the wise owl clerics first introduced in the Master Rules set, the most. Per PC1, a beginning hsiao character has a base AC of 8, 1d8 hit points, and three attacks per round for 1d2/1d2/1d2. Like clerics, hsiao don't get their first spell until gaining a level of experience. They cannot wield weapons, wear normal armor, or turn undead, but they are able to fly at up to 210'(70'.)

*Pronounced "sh-HOW"

Shreearrk Moon-eyes, Hsiao

Strength 11

Intelligence 8 (-1; can read and write simple words)

Wisdom 14 (+1 to magic-based saving throws)

Dexterity 16 (+2 to missile fire (n/a,) -2 to AC)

Constitution 11

Charisma 6 (-1 to reactions, max. retainers 3, retainer morale 6)

AC 6         Hit points: 7        Alignment: Lawful

Modified backpack, holy symbol, standard rations, 2 water skins, 43 gp left. Equipment-wise, there's just not a lot a hsiao needs. 

Height: 3'2"        Weight: 38 lbs.    Age: 50

Left the nest to journey among other folk, to promote the cause of Law and to study other creatures' relation to it. A nimble flyer. Her shrill voice and superior attitude toward non- (or less) Lawful beings irks some.

Character creation challenge day 4

 Day 4

System: AD&D 1e, method 3 (ability scores in order, but roll six times for each, taking the best roll)

Ability scores rolled: 16, 13, 12, 13, 13, 17

Above average in everything, yet still just shy of qualifying for the paladin class (needs at least 13 Wisdom.) I could go with a fighter, but I think I'll be a bit fancier this time. Let's try an elven fighter/magic-user. An elf character gets a bonus of +1 to Dexterity and a penalty of -1 to Constitution, which in this case has almost no effect of any consequence. Multi-classed characters roll hit dice for their classes and take the average; rolling d10 for fighter and d4 for magic-user and averaging them, this character has 3 hit points at level 1. I can't find any clarification on starting gold for multi-classed characters, so I'm just going with the better of the two, which is 5d4x10 for the fighter, resulting in 120 gp to spend.

Istarsiel Oaksblood, 1st level fighter/1st level magic-user

Strength 16 (+1 melee damage, weight allowance +350, open doors 1-3, bend bars/lift gates 10%)

Intelligence 13 (Maximum spell level 6, chance to know spells 55%, min/max spells/level 6/9)

Wisdom 12 

Dexterity 14

Constitution 12 (System shock survival 80%, Resurrection survival 85%)

Charisma 17 (Max. henchmen 10, Loyalty base +30%, Reaction adjustment +30%)

AC 4          Hit points: 3        Alignment: Neutral good

1st level spells known: read magic, shocking grasp, protection from evil, write

Special abilities: 90% resistance to sleep and charm; +1 to hit with bows, short sword, long sword; infravision 60'; detect secret doors 1/6 passive, 2/6 active

Chain armor, small shield, spear, short bow, 2 dozen arrows, leather backpack, 2 water skins, standard rations, tinder box, rope, 7 gp and 16 sp left.

Height: 5'8"    Weight: 135 lbs.    Age: 163

After a stint patrolling the borderlands between elf and human territories, he has chosen to spend a few decades among humans. Hides his fascination with human, halfling, and even dwarf societies behind haughty, formal politeness.

AD&D demi-human characters, with all their special bits and bobs, are way more fiddly than humans!

Character creation challenge, day 3

 Day 3

System: AD&D 1e, method 1. (4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired. I desire to use them in the order rolled.)

Ability scores rolled: 15, 9, 16, 15, 5, 8

Right off the bat, I run afoul of a bit of AD&D fiddliness: According to the Player's Handbook, a character with Constitution of 5 or less can only be an illusionist, but the illusionist class requires a minimum Intelligence of 15 and Dexterity of 16. OK, I'll swap that 5 with the second 15. With Dexterity 5 or less, the character can only be a cleric, and I've got that 16 in Wisdom. Good enough. Let's keep things simple and stick with a human character.

Starting gold in AD&D is dependent on class, and for clerics, it's 3d6x10, oddly enough the same as in B/X. The roll yields 140 gp, which is pretty darn good. Clerics in AD&D get a d8 hit die, giving the character ... 1 hit point. Ouch. Even with a bonus from Con, that's only 2. The dice giveth, and the dice taketh away.

Serys Veron, 1st level cleric

Strength 15 (Weight allowance +200, Open doors 1-2, Bend bars/Lift Gates 7%)

Intelligence 9 

Wisdom 16 (+2 to magical attack saves, Bonus spells: 2 1st level, 2 2nd level)

Dexterity 5 (-1 reaction/attack, +2 AC)

Constitution 15 (+1 hp/die, System shock survival 91%, Resurrection survival 94%)

Charisma 8 (Max. henchmen 3, Loyalty base -5%)

AC 5        Hit points: 2        Alignment: Lawful good

Splint mail armor, large shield, footman's mace, leather backpack, hooded lantern, 4 flasks of oil, tinder box, 2 water skins, standard rations, iron holy symbol, 34 gp and 10 sp left.

Height: 5'6"        Weight: 140 lbs.        Age: 21

Youngest daughter of a large farm family, entered into the service of the holy order in exchange for the order's blessings on the farm. Clumsy and shy, but pious and devoted to the faith.

Holy forking shirtballs! Definitely a lot more involved and time-consuming than the elegant simplicity of B/X character creation. A marked divergence from the vaunted old school simplicity, but on the other hand, while there's a ton of fiddly stuff to look up, there aren't a lot more choices to make than in B/X -- none of the feats, builds, and options that could make or break a character before play even begins in later editions of the game. One thing I dislike is the lack of combat adjustments for Strength, even within spitting distance of the peak (for non-fighters, anyway.) That +1 attack and damage bonus she'd receive in B/X would improve her combat effectiveness a fair bit. Ah well, such is AD&D.

Character creation challenge, day 2

 Day 2

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 8, 14, 10, 12, 12, 16

Starting gold: 40

This guy could plausibly go a couple different ways, but the obvious one is magic-user. The stats are solid but not eye-popping -- except that big ol' 16 in the final spot. Magic-users also have no use for a lot of weapons and armor, which works out well with that meager amount of starting gold, so M-U it is. A d4 for hit points gives him 2. Rolling d12 on the list of 1st-level magic-user spells comes up 11 -- Sleep. Jackpot!

Victor the Solemn, 1st-level magic-user

Strength 8 (-1)

Intelligence 14 (+1)

Wisdom 10

Dexterity 12

Constitution 12

Charisma 16 (+1 reactions, max. retainers 6, retainer morale 9)

AC 9         Hit points: 2          Alignment: Lawful

Spell: Sleep                Bonus language: Orcish

Dagger, backpack, 6 torches, tinder box, standard rations, 2 water skins, 11 gp left

Height: 6'2"        Weight: 150 lbs.     Age: 31

Orphaned by a monster attack while traveling with his family as a child, and taken in as an apprentice by a local hedge wizard, he's now ready to strike out on his own as an adventuring magician. Tall, gaunt, and soft-spoken; says little, but when he does, people listen.

This guy would be incredibly fun to play, provided I could keep him safely on the sidelines during most combat situations. Though he's very fragile, his high Charisma would allow him to keep some loyal retainers by his side, and he'd make a great party spokesman during role-playing situations. 

Character creation challenge, day 1

OK, so, I came across this post, and it seemed like a fun thing to try. I'll mostly be using the B/X rule set, but a few others might sneak in too, maybe 1e AD&D or my own fantasy heartbreaker, Goblins & Greatswords. Naturally, I'll be rolling the dice and following where they lead, so hopefully I'll get some surprising results from which to build interesting characters.

***Disclaimer: I am aware that this is a very low-effort sort of "challenge," but I've always loved rolling up new characters. If you don't like it, feel free not to read it.***

Day 1

System: B/X by the book

Ability scores rolled: 13, 10, 6, 12, 8, 9

Starting gold: 170 (!)

There's not a lot to be done with these rolls as far as point-trading per B/X rules. They're serviceable but not spectacular, which happens to be my favorite sort of character to play. As-is, they'll make a decent fighter, nice and simple for the first post of the challenge. Rolling d8 for hit points gives a 6, -1 for low Constitution. A B/X character needs little or no background, but I like to give him just a bit as a foundation to build on during play. With his outstanding starting money, an origin in the mercantile trade seems like a good fit.

Arn Lodwick, 1st level fighter

Strength 13 (+1)                    

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 6 (-1)

Dexterity 12

Constitution 8 (-1)

Charisma 9

AC 2         Hit points: 5      Alignment: Neutral

Plate armor and shield, hand axe, crossbow and 30 quarrels, backpack, standard rations, 2 water skins, hammer, 12 irons spikes, large sack, rope, mirror, wolfsbane; 20 gp left.

Height: 5'7"     Weight: 220 lbs.   Age: 17

Second son of a moderately successful merchant; with little talent for the trade, he left to try his luck as an adventurer. Strong but overweight and easily winded; a bit naive. 

And there you have it. About ten minutes' work, including shopping for equipment, yields a character ready to hit the dungeon to seek his fortune or to meet his doom!