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:
BarbarianPaladin
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 (6th 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
2nd 17 XP/2 Major Tasks 6th 31 XP/4 Major Tasks
3rd 18 XP/2 Major Tasks 7th 32 XP/4 Major Tasks
4th 19 XP/2 Major Tasks 8th 33 XP/4 Major Tasks
5th 20 XP/2 Major Tasks 9th 34
XP/4 Major Tasks
10th 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.