Fantasy Core RPG Character Generation

FANTASY CORE RPG 
CHARACTER GENERATION
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.
(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Choose a class: 

Barbarian
Paladin
Knight
Ranger
Thief
Wizard

Abilities

Roll abilities based on class choice, which determines Normal, Prime, and Sub-Prime abilities.  Players may arrange the scores as they wish, but may not change them.

Normal Abilities: 10 + 1d4

Prime Abilities: 14 + 1d4

Sub-Prime Abilities: List as 10

● Strength (Str): Physical prowess.  Add bonus to melee attacks and damage.

● Dexterity (Dex): Coordination and balance.  Add bonus to ranged attacks, AC, and Reflex saves.

● Constitution (Con): Physical stamina.  Add bonus to hp and Fort saves.

● Intelligence (Int): Knowledge, training, practice, and learning ability.  Bonus starting spells for Wizards. 

● Wisdom (Wis): Experience, intuition, and empathy.  Add bonus to Will saves.  Bonus healing spells for Paladins. 

● Charisma (Cha): Forcefulness or persuasiveness of personality.

Ability                           Deficient

Score          Bonus         Abilities      Penalty

10-11             0               9-8              -1

12-13           +1               7-6              -2

14-15           +2               5-4              -3

16-17           +3               3                 -4

18                +4              

Characters should never start off below 10, but scores could be reduced from play.  A 3 in any Ability means the character is seriously disabled and cannot adventure.

Hit Points (hp)

● First level hp: Max HD + Con bonus.

● After first level roll HD + Con bonus or take ½ HD + Con Bonus, whichever is greater.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Most classes have restrictions on weapons and armor they may use.  Some classes may optionally use certain items, but lose some of their special abilities with them.  The Equipment list has further restrictions based on ability bonuses.  Using a non-proficient weapon gives the user no bonuses to attack (except for magic weapon bonuses).  Using non-qualified armor, the wearer will not be able to make any attacks and cannot run.  

   

Experience Points (XP)

The Ref should award XP for each group member for accomplishing tasks, as determined by the Ref and/or the players' own stated intentions.  It is recommended that the players should definitely have a hand in determining what their main goals are, while the Ref’s determine the minor ones on the way to those main goals.)  This should be graded based on the level of the characters and the magnitude of the accomplishment.  What is a major task for low-level characters is probably a minor one for high level ones (6^th and up).  A qualifying task involves some amount of risk, a possibility of failure (and consequences for failure), and/or use of strategy and ingenuity to accomplish. 

    

Award 1 XP for a minor task (such as puzzle-solving and successful negotiations), 2 for a tough task, and 3 for a major one.  No more than one major award (if that) should be given per adventure.  A major task should qualify as an accomplishment the characters could brag about to their peers without embarrassing themselves.  Very large tasks, like removing a corrupt king from power, should be broken down into a multitude of major accomplishments. 

Low-level example: obtaining the map to dungeon from an unscrupulous antiquities dealer (1 XP), defeating the ogre, toughest monster on level 1 (2 XP), solving the puzzle to find the ogre’s secret hoard (1 XP), clearing out level 1 of the dungeon (3 XP).  Typically though, simple business transactions or negotiations, encountering (average) wandering monsters, and minor set encounters, award no XP (but could still be lucrative).  If a group fails to accomplish anything in a session, but still makes an effort at doing so, award 1 XP.  Refs should not award XP for every encounter.  Players should not expect XP for every encounter. 

Level Advancement

Characters earn XP only via adventuring.  I’d recommend handing out XP at the end of an adventure session, but you could also hand them out after any XP-paying encounter, as you will.  Players pay XP to gain the next level, one level at a time.  They must also complete a number of major tasks in order to advance, even if they already have the XP to level up.  The cost may seem pretty low, but as detailed later, characters may also be using XP to influence events in the game and to save themselves when facing certain death.  Refs, it is also recommended that new characters be given the opportunity to earn a couple of easy XP up front.

Levels 2 – 5                             Levels 6 – 10

2^nd      17 XP/2 Major Tasks         6^th     31 XP/4 Major Tasks

3^rd      18 XP/2 Major Tasks         7^th     32 XP/4 Major Tasks

4^th      19 XP/2 Major Tasks         8^th     33 XP/4 Major Tasks

5^th          20 XP/2 Major Tasks         9^th     34 XP/4 Major Tasks

                                                10^th       36 XP/4 Major Tasks

Notes

● All calculations involving ½ level or two abilities averaged are to be rounded up.  Always at least +1, if more than 0.  Essentially skills increase by one, every odd level.

● Natural Roll: The number as rolled on the dice without modification.

● "Ref" is the game referee.  NPC is a Non-Player character controlled by the Ref.

● BAB is Base Attack Bonus.  Rd is Round.  AC is Armor Class.

● The DC’s for skill use are generally listed as either 12 for hard tasks, 18 for very hard tasks.  The Ref is free to set more variability in those numbers for different situations.  I would recommend not bothering to roll for anything less than DC 12.

● Untrained skills, namely Stealth, Charm, Negotiate, Intimidate, Climb, and Acrobatics, can attempted by any class.  However, only classes that with those skills listed for their class can add ½ level to their ability scores, and thus improve at them.  Trained skills, such as Lockpicking and First Aid, cannot be used by the untrained.