[PF] Ideas for a 0 lvl prelude to a campain

[Yomega]

So the premise is that everyone in the world must participate in a trial to find those who have potential of being adventurers it is not meant to favor good over evil or chaos over lawfulness.

Each player begins with a 1st lvl commoner without the lvl 1 feat of there chosen race and must be young for there race (so no fluffing the stats for casters)

At this point this is an optional quest players may opt to take if they do they get to roll stats instead of a slightly weaker than average point buy and they are able to keep the medallion of the class they chose to have the bonus for at the beginning of the quest even if they choose another class

Im looking for opinions and advice on the system as it sits now and please bear in mind this is a very early draft.

Upon entrance of the trials you are directed to the qualifications required for entrance in the various guilds representatives of the phb classes are visible as well as representatives for the npc classes after speaking with representatives each has a medallion that can help you with this quest

From the varying guilds:

Barbarian: Double starting HP, rage once

Bard: 2 ranks in any one perform skill,1 bard cantrip useable 3 times,
countersong once

Cleric: cure light wounds or inflict light wounds 1/day, channel energy useable 3 times (must be same type as chosen cure/inflict)

Druid: summon natures ally 1 1/day, wild empathy useable once

Fighter: fighter bonus feat, fighter weapon, armor or shield proficiency (2)

Monk: Monks unarmed strike (1), stunning fist usable once

Paladin: Smite evil 1/day (1), detect evil (2)

Ranger: Rangers favored enemy (1), Rangers track (2)

Rogue: Sneak attack (1), Rogues trapfinding (2)

Sorcerer: Bonus cantrip, eschew materials (2)

Wizard: 1st lvl wizard spell usable 1/day, arcane school for the chosen spell (2)

Adept: 1 oroson useable 1/day

Antipaladin: Smite good 1/day (1), detect good (2)

Aristocrat: 2 skill ranks

Commoner: 1 point towards trial completion

Expert: Any 1 skill as a class skill

Warrior: +1/2 BAB

Alchemist: Bomb 1/day (1), Throw anything (2)

Cavalier: Cavaliers challenge (1), Mount (2)

Gunslinger: gunslingers deed feature (1), Grit feature except you begin the day with 0 grit, Gunsmith feature except the gun begins with the broken condition and cannot be used by anyone else and cannot be sold

Inquisitor: stern gaze (1)(3), monster lore (2)

Magus: 1 point in an arcane pool, 1 Magus cantrip (2)

Ninja: Sneak attack (1), poison use useable once (2)

Oracle: Oracles Curse Feature (1), 1st lvl oracle spell useable once

Samurai: Samurais challenge (1), Mount (2)

Summoner: summon monster 1 1/day, Summon minor monster usable 3 times, no arcane spell failure for light armor (2)

Witch: Witches familiar class feature except it only has 1 0 lvl and 1 1st lvl spell (3), Hex once


(1). This counts as 1 lvl towards gaining additional uses if the character would be entitled to additional uses
(2). Usable until the end of the trial
(3). Exept it can only be uesd once per day until you would gain it as a class feature at witch point your lvl counts as one higher for the use of that feature

The entrance requirements for each class are as follows:

All classes: require 2 points 1 in each of the good evil and chaotic lawful alinement category

Barbarian: require 3 points gained from physical based challenges plus 1 more point for each point gained by mental challenges, must have a combined damage dealt and received equal to twice your hp

Bard: require 2 point in a mental challenge and be able to tell an interesting tale regarding the trial

Cleric: require 3 points 1 of witch must be physical and 1 must be mental the one of your challenges must showcase your devotion to your god as well as your aliment points must match your dietys exactly

Druid: require 4 points in any challenge these points must not be completed in any way that degrades nature as well as one of the aliment points must be neutral

Fighter: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 in a mental challenge

Monk: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in any challenge one of your aliment challenges must be lawful the physical challenges must be completed without the aid of armor or shields

Paladin: require a total of 5 points at least 2 must be physical and one must be mental your aliment points must be both lawful and good and you must have shown selflessness and not caused harm to good for the duration of your trial

Ranger: require 3 points from physical challenges and 2 points from mental challenges

Rogue: Require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in a mental challenge and must have completed 1 challenge without getting hurt

Sorcerer: Require 2 points in mental challenges and 1 point in any challenge

Wizard: Require 4 points in mental challenges plus one more point for each point you have in a physical challenge

Adept: require 1 point in a mental challenge and 1 point from any other challenge

Antipaladin: require a total of 5 points at least 2 must be physical and one must be mental your aliment points must be both chaotic and evil and you must have shown selfishness and not avoided causing harm to good for the duration of your trial

Aristocrat: require 2 points from any challenges and must have succeeded in once knowledge skill check

Commoner: require 1 point from any challenge

Expert: require 2 points from any challenge although 1 point must have been attained using a skill only

Warrior: require 2 points from physical challenges

Alchemist: require 3 points in mental challenges 1 challenge must have been completed with something you have made yourself

Cavalier: require 2 points in physical challenges and 2 points in mental challenges as well you must not have allowed any of the targets of your challenge feature to escape

Gunslinger: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in any other challenge you must also have a working firearm at the end of the trial

Inquisitor: Require 1 point in a physical challenge and 2 points in any challenge 1 of the challenge must be completed by use of information gained from an enemy

Magus: require 2 points form physical challenges and 2 points from mental challenges 1 of the challenges must have been completed by means of magic

Ninja: require 3 points in physical challenges completing 1 challenge without being seen

Oracal: Require 3 points in mental challenges

Samaria: require 2 points in physical challenges and 2 points in mental challenges as well you must not have acted in a dishonorable way throughout the trial

Summoner: require 3 points in mental challenges 1 of with must be completed by something you control

Witch: require 3 points in mental challenges and your familiar must be alive at the end of the trial

[krackenjack]

Seems solid; that is basically what Nevewinter Nights does. I would give some enduring reward to the victors, like a social trait "Worthy of Adventure" or "Favored in Guild" that gave some minor fame related bonus.

[Yomega]

You think an extra reward outside of the bonus from the medallion is warranted? Perhaps if they exceed the minimum requirements?

Also you wouldn't happen to have a book reference to the Neverwinter thing I would love to see what they did

[Vhaidara]

NWN was a PC game. In the Shadows of Undrentide Expansion, your character stared with an item based on their class that, 1/day, gave you +3 or 4 to a specific skill check, and the item's description told the story of the test you completed to earn it.

[AMFV]

Dungeon Crawl Classics #0 looks like exactly what you're looking for. I've not played it so I don't know how good it is, or how much conversion it would take, but it's an adventure for level zero characters.

[Coidzor]

A mystery or something else that's less based around overcoming a combat challenge seems nigh-obligatory.

[Yomega]

A mystery or something else that's less based around overcoming a combat challenge seems nigh-obligatory.

I agree outside of the barbarian by physical or mental challanges falls alot more to "There is a room surrounded with curtains with a 20ft crevace in the center of the room, how do you get across?"

If you said "I jump" that would be a physical solution, if you swung across on the curtains that would proably be a mental solution.

[SamsDisciple]

I was watching this thread to see if anything else came up before commenting but that seems like it already passed but I did want to put my quick 2 cents in. I think that the bonus stat distribution needs to be switched, If adventurers are part of a guild then they are specifically trained for their duties and thus they receive the point buy (whether it is average, higher or lower depends on power level of the campaign.) If there is an adventurer who did not do this quest or who became say a commoner then self trained due to orc attacks etc. then their stats are much more random and worth doing the rolling.
As to the 0 level placement adventure I love it and am planning on incorporating it into my future campaign that I am lovingly crafting.

[Mutazoia]

So the premise is that everyone in the world must participate in a trial to find those who have potential of being adventurers it is not meant to favor good over evil or chaos over lawfulness.

Each player begins with a 1st lvl commoner without the lvl 1 feat of there chosen race and must be young for there race (so no fluffing the stats for casters)

At this point this is an optional quest players may opt to take if they do they get to roll stats instead of a slightly weaker than average point buy and they are able to keep the medallion of the class they chose to have the bonus for at the beginning of the quest even if they choose another class

Im looking for opinions and advice on the system as it sits now and please bear in mind this is a very early draft.

Upon entrance of the trials you are directed to the qualifications required for entrance in the various guilds representatives of the phb classes are visible as well as representatives for the npc classes after speaking with representatives each has a medallion that can help you with this quest

From the varying guilds:

Barbarian: Double starting HP, rage once

Bard: 2 ranks in any one perform skill,1 bard cantrip useable 3 times,
countersong once

Cleric: cure light wounds or inflict light wounds 1/day, channel energy useable 3 times (must be same type as chosen cure/inflict)

Druid: summon natures ally 1 1/day, wild empathy useable once

Fighter: fighter bonus feat, fighter weapon, armor or shield proficiency (2)

Monk: Monks unarmed strike (1), stunning fist usable once

Paladin: Smite evil 1/day (1), detect evil (2)

Ranger: Rangers favored enemy (1), Rangers track (2)

Rogue: Sneak attack (1), Rogues trapfinding (2)

Sorcerer: Bonus cantrip, eschew materials (2)

Wizard: 1st lvl wizard spell usable 1/day, arcane school for the chosen spell (2)

Adept: 1 oroson useable 1/day

Antipaladin: Smite good 1/day (1), detect good (2)

Aristocrat: 2 skill ranks

Commoner: 1 point towards trial completion

Expert: Any 1 skill as a class skill

Warrior: +1/2 BAB

Alchemist: Bomb 1/day (1), Throw anything (2)

Cavalier: Cavaliers challenge (1), Mount (2)

Gunslinger: gunslingers deed feature (1), Grit feature except you begin the day with 0 grit, Gunsmith feature except the gun begins with the broken condition and cannot be used by anyone else and cannot be sold

Inquisitor: stern gaze (1)(3), monster lore (2)

Magus: 1 point in an arcane pool, 1 Magus cantrip (2)

Ninja: Sneak attack (1), poison use useable once (2)

Oracle: Oracles Curse Feature (1), 1st lvl oracle spell useable once

Samurai: Samurais challenge (1), Mount (2)

Summoner: summon monster 1 1/day, Summon minor monster usable 3 times, no arcane spell failure for light armor (2)

Witch: Witches familiar class feature except it only has 1 0 lvl and 1 1st lvl spell (3), Hex once


(1). This counts as 1 lvl towards gaining additional uses if the character would be entitled to additional uses
(2). Usable until the end of the trial
(3). Exept it can only be uesd once per day until you would gain it as a class feature at witch point your lvl counts as one higher for the use of that feature

The entrance requirements for each class are as follows:

All classes: require 2 points 1 in each of the good evil and chaotic lawful alinement category

Barbarian: require 3 points gained from physical based challenges plus 1 more point for each point gained by mental challenges, must have a combined damage dealt and received equal to twice your hp

Bard: require 2 point in a mental challenge and be able to tell an interesting tale regarding the trial

Cleric: require 3 points 1 of witch must be physical and 1 must be mental the one of your challenges must showcase your devotion to your god as well as your aliment points must match your dietys exactly

Druid: require 4 points in any challenge these points must not be completed in any way that degrades nature as well as one of the aliment points must be neutral

Fighter: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 in a mental challenge

Monk: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in any challenge one of your aliment challenges must be lawful the physical challenges must be completed without the aid of armor or shields

Paladin: require a total of 5 points at least 2 must be physical and one must be mental your aliment points must be both lawful and good and you must have shown selflessness and not caused harm to good for the duration of your trial

Ranger: require 3 points from physical challenges and 2 points from mental challenges

Rogue: Require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in a mental challenge and must have completed 1 challenge without getting hurt

Sorcerer: Require 2 points in mental challenges and 1 point in any challenge

Wizard: Require 4 points in mental challenges plus one more point for each point you have in a physical challenge

Adept: require 1 point in a mental challenge and 1 point from any other challenge

Antipaladin: require a total of 5 points at least 2 must be physical and one must be mental your aliment points must be both chaotic and evil and you must have shown selfishness and not avoided causing harm to good for the duration of your trial

Aristocrat: require 2 points from any challenges and must have succeeded in once knowledge skill check

Commoner: require 1 point from any challenge

Expert: require 2 points from any challenge although 1 point must have been attained using a skill only

Warrior: require 2 points from physical challenges

Alchemist: require 3 points in mental challenges 1 challenge must have been completed with something you have made yourself

Cavalier: require 2 points in physical challenges and 2 points in mental challenges as well you must not have allowed any of the targets of your challenge feature to escape

Gunslinger: require 2 points in physical challenges and 1 point in any other challenge you must also have a working firearm at the end of the trial

Inquisitor: Require 1 point in a physical challenge and 2 points in any challenge 1 of the challenge must be completed by use of information gained from an enemy

Magus: require 2 points form physical challenges and 2 points from mental challenges 1 of the challenges must have been completed by means of magic

Ninja: require 3 points in physical challenges completing 1 challenge without being seen

Oracal: Require 3 points in mental challenges

Samaria: require 2 points in physical challenges and 2 points in mental challenges as well you must not have acted in a dishonorable way throughout the trial

Summoner: require 3 points in mental challenges 1 of with must be completed by something you control

Witch: require 3 points in mental challenges and your familiar must be alive at the end of the trial

You could always dig up a copy of the 2nd Ed "Greyhawk Adventures" book. There's a section in there for running 0 (zero) level characters. It should translate fairly easily.