Occupation

0 LEVEL

All characters start at 0 level. Most will die in a dungeon, alone and unknown. The few who survive eventually choose a class in which to advance.

All 0-level characters start with the following:

• 1d4 hit points, modified by Stamina

• 5d12 copper pieces

• 0 XP

• One randomly determined piece of equipment (see table 3-4)

• One randomly determined occupation

• Based on the occupation:

• Possession of one weapon and training in its use

• Possession of some trade goods

• A +0 modifier to attack rolls and all saving throws; note that 0-level characters use a crit die of 1d4 on crit table I

As the character earns experience points, their XP total advances. When their XP total reaches 10, they may choose a class.

OCCUPATION

Your character once toiled away at mundane tasks, and their family and peers still do. Whether alongside their family or apprenticed to a master, a character’s former occupation provides a set of skills. These skills may be useful to a character only as a fallback when they emerge crippled from the dungeon, but they are useful nonetheless. These skills also include training in a rudimentary weapon of some kind. Roll d% on table 1-3 to determine a character’s background. Unless noted otherwise, a character is human.

Note that a character’s occupation need not be determined randomly. If a player has a strong sense of the character’s background, they should feel free to use it. Starting trained weapon and trade goods can be determined thematically with the judge’s approval.

Demi-humans at level 0: Characters whose 0-level result includes a demi-human race must advance in class as that demi-human. For example, a dwarven miner levels up as a dwarf. 0-level demi-humans are able to utilize select racial traits as follows: dwarves have infravision and a base speed of 20’; elves are sensitive to iron and have heightened senses; and halflings have infravision and a base speed of 20’. Refer to the dwarf, elf, and halfling class descriptions for more information on these abilities. 0-level demi-humans speak Common plus their racial language, with additional languages gained as they level up. Just as all characters gain improved abilities and, sometimes, additional languages

when they reach level 1, demi-human

characters polish their natural talents

through adventuring.

Table 1-3: Occupation

† If a missile fire weapon (such as sling or dart), roll 1d6 to determine number of sling stones or darts.

* Roll 1d8 to determine farmer type: (1) potato, (2) wheat, (3) turnip, (4) corn, (5) rice, (6) parsnip, (7) radish, (8) rutabaga.

** Why did the chicken cross the hallway? To check for traps! In all seriousness, if the party includes more than one farmer or herder, randomly determine the second and subsequent farm animals for each duplicated profession with 1d6: (1) sheep, (2) goat, (3) cow, (4) duck, (5) goose, (6) mule.

*** Roll 1d6 to determine what’s in the cart: (1) tomatoes, (2) nothing, (3) straw, (4) your dead, (5) dirt, (6) rocks.