Character Creation

To create a character, you’ll first need a character sheet to record all the information on.

  1.  Roll Ability Scores: Roll 3d6 for each of your character’s abilities scores: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma.  If you roll an 8 or less in every score or have a really low score in one ability, the referee may allow you to discard and roll again.
  2. Choose a class.  Select one class available, bring in mind the minimum ability score requirements of some classes.  The chosen class determines your character’s race – unless a demihuman class is selected, the character is human.
  3. Adjust Ability Scores: if you wish, you may raise your character’s prime requisites(s) by lowering other (non-prime requisite) ability scores.  For every 2 points by which an ability score is lowered, 1 point may be added to a prime requisite.  Only Strength, Intelligence, and Wisdom may be lowered in this way.  No score may be lowered below 9.  Some character classes may have additional constraints.
  4. Note ability score modifiers: Now that your character’s ability scores are fixed, make not of any associated bonuses or penalties
  5. Note Attack Values: The level progression chart for your character’s class lists your Thac0 score.  This indicates your chance of hitting opponents in combat, as determined by the Attack Matrix.  For quick reference, it is convenient to look up the values in the attack matric row of your character’s Thac0 and record them on your character sheet.  1st level characters have a Thac0 of 19, resulting in the attack values show below
1st level pc attack values
Attack Roll 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
AC Hit 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

6. Not saving throws and class abilities: Record any special abilities possessed by your character as a result of their class, as well as your character’s saving throws.  If your character has a spell book, ask your referee which spells are recorded in it.  The referee may allow you to choose.

7. Roll Hit Points: Determine your character’s hit points by rolling the die type appropriate to the chosen class.  Modifiers for high or low constitution apply.  Your character always starts with at least 1 hit point, regardless of Con  modifier.

Re-rolling 1s and 2s.  If your roll for hit points comes up 1 or 2 before applying any Con modifier), the referee may allow you to re-roll.  This is in order to increase the survivability of 1st level pcs.

8. Choose Alignment: Decide whether your character is Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic and note this on your character sheet.

9.  Note Known Languages: Your character’s class determines their native languages.  This always includes the common tongue and the character’s alignment language.  Characters with high INT may also choose additional languages from the list of languages available in the setting.

10. Buy Equipment: Your character starts play with 3d6X10 gold pieces.  You may spend as much of this money as you wish to equip your character for adventure, consulting the equipment list.  Your chosen class may restrict  your use of some equipment.

11.  Not Armour Class: Your character’s armour class is determined by two factors.

  • Armour: The armour worn determines your character’s base AC.
  • Dexterity

If your character has no armour, their base AC is 9

12. Not level and XP – your character begins play at 1st level with 0 xp

13. Name Character – Finally, choose a name for your character.  You are now ready for adventure!

Advancement

Experience: All characters who make it through an adventure alive receive experience points, awarded by the referee.  XP is gained from two sources: treasure recovered and monsters defeated.

Prime Requisite Modifiers: Characters receive and XP bonus or penalty based on their score in their class prime requisites.  This modifier is applied to the grand total XP a particular character receives at the end of an adventure.

Leveling Up: When a character gains enough XP to reach the next experience level, the player should consult the description of the character’s class and note any improvements in saving throws, attack probabilities, spells per day, and other class abilities.  If the character’s Hit Dice increase, a new Hit Die of the specified type should be rolled and the result added to the character’s maximum hit point total.

Maximum XP in One Session: Characters cannot advance more than one level in one session.  Any additional XP that would take a character two or more levels above their current level are lost, leaving the character at 1 XP below the total for the next level.

Level Titles: In some campaigns, characters gain the right to bear certain titles as they advance in level.  Such titles may be granted by the guilds, colleges, or temples that Pcs are associates of.  Level titles often vary greatly between campaign worlds, but the following lists may be used as inspiration.

  • Cleric: acolyte, Adept, Preist(ess), Vicar, Curate, Elder, Bishop, Lama, Matriarch (Patriarch).
  • Dwarf: Dwarven Veteran, Dwarven Warrior, Dwarven Swordmaster, Dwarven Hero, Dwarven Swashbuckler, Dwarven Myrmidon, Dwarven Champion, Dwarven Superhero, Dwarven Lord (Lady).
  • Elf: Medium/Veteran, Seer/Warrior, Conjurer/Swordmaster, Magician/Hero, Enchanter (Enchantress), Swashbuckler, Warlock (Witch)/Myrmidon, Sorcerer (Sorceress)/Champion, Necromancer / Superhero, Wizard/Lord (Lady)
  • Fighter: Veteran, Warrior, Swordmaster, Hero, Swashbuckler, Myrmidon, Champion, Superhero, Lord (lady).
  • Halfling: Halfling Veteran, Halfling Warrior, Halfling Swordmaster, Halfling Hero, Halfling Swashbuckler, Halfling Myrmidon, Halfling Champion, Sheriff.
  • Magic-User: Medium, Seer, Conjurer, Magician, Enchanter (Enchantress), Warlock (witch), Sorcerer (Sorceress), Necormancer, Wizard.
  • Thief: Apprentice, Footpad, Robber, Burglar, Cutpurse, Sharper, Pilferer, Thief, Master Thief.

High Level Play (optional rule)

Human character classes are listed as having a maximum level of 14.  This range of levels presents the best play experience, in terms of challenge and reward.  Some groups, however, may wish to continue play into the extremely high levels beyond.  This must be considered carefully, as demihumans PCs will be left behind, due to their strict level limits.  If the referee allows continued play into higher levels, the following guidelines – allowing human characters to advance to a maximum of 36th level – may be used.

Clerics: require an additional 100,000 XP per level beyond 14th and gain 1 hit point per level gained.  Spells of higher levels become available as the character advances.

Fighters: Require an additional 120,000 XP per level beyond 14th and gain 2 hit points per level gained.  Fighters of 20th level may make two attacks per round.  This increases to three attacks per round at 25th level and four per round at 30th level.

Magic-Users: require an additional 150,000 XP per level beyond 14th and gain 1 hit point per level gained.  Spells of higher levels become available as the character advances.

Thieves: Require an additional 120,000 XP per level beyond 14th and gain 2 hit points per level gained.  Additional skills become available to high-level thieves, including the ability to climb upside down or horizontally, voice skills such a mimicry and ventriloquism, and other skills of deception.

High-Level Attack Table
Class and Level
Fighter Cleric/Thief Magic user -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1-3 1-4 1-5 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
4-6 5-8 6-10 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
7-9 9-12 11-15 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
10-12 13-16 16-20 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
13-15 17-20 21-25 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2
16-18 21-24 26-30 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2
19-21 25-28 31-35 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2
22-24 29-31 36 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
25-27 33-36 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
28-30 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
31-33 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
34-36 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2