Creating the Player Character

CREATING THE PC

Players Handbook	-	-	-	AD&&D
Starting From Scratch	-	-	-	-

1. Method V
<the first PC that a player makes cannot be a paladin (of any of the 9 kinds), illusionist, or assassin: LTH, Starting From Scratch>

3.
Note class details.
Barbarians choose a homeland in the World of Greyhawk (or another setting).

4.
Choose alignment.
Choose patron deity. (Greyhawk setting)
[Greyhawk, Deities by Alignment] [Greyhawk]
Choose deity (LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE) (Demi-Human Deities)
Optional: Roll for Traits (DMG.11, DMG.100)

5.
Backstory: Roll on the tables in Dragon #96.
T1-4: Homeland. Roll twice, and use the result that is closest to Hommlet. Half-breeds use the human table 50% of the time.
Barbarians: Homeland works differently for barbarians.
Human table, Greyhawk campaign (Note extra languages at this step). (You may revise your alignment at this step).
Non-human tables, Greyhawk campaign (Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Half-Orcs)
Choose weapon proficiencies.
    Choose weapon proficiencies for each character class if multi-classed
    No bow specialization; use the archer class instead.
    Clerics can use the weapon of their deity
Choose non-weapon proficiencies.
    Choose non-weapon proficiencies for each character class if multi-classed
Choose or roll for languages (you may choose some, and dice for others). Chess is considered to be a language.

6.
Check to see if the character begins with a special item.
    10% chance, and roll d6. 1-2 plate mail, 3-4 dagger +1, 5-6 random potion.
    If the character can't use the item, he does not have it.
    Divide starting gold (if used) by 2 if the character has a special item.
Check to see if the character begins with any magic items. (DMG, Dragon #45)
    10% chance for a single-classed character, 1 item from Table I.
    20% chance for a multi-classed character (2 classes), 2 items from Table I.
    30% chance for a multi-classed character (3 classes), 2 items from Table I.
        10% chance for a multi-classed character (3 classes), 3 items from Table I.
Remember that 10% of all magic items have a quirk.
Roll on the tables in Dragon #105 (disregardng the majority of the text) for your starting equipment.
Most characters might have a handful of coins, that is it.
Upper Class characters roll on the wealth table.
    Roll 3 times, and take the result that has the lowest GP value.
T1-4: The Temple of Elemental Evil. In this campaign, all characters begin with a mount (light riding horse or pony), and full tack (assume large saddlebags for horses, small for ponies)
    T1-4: begin with light riding horse + tack (saddle blanket, saddle, large saddlebags, bit & bridle: #47). 42 gp.
    Roll 2d8 for your horse HP. AC 7. Up to 300 pounds = Move 24. Up to 500 pounds = Move 12.
T1-4: if under 5', begin with pony + tack (saddle blanket, saddle, small saddlebags, bit & bridle: #47). 32 gp.
    Roll 1d8+1 for your pony HP. AC 7. Up to 200 pounds = Move 12. Up to 300 pounds = Move 6.
Clerics begin with a wooden holy symbol.
Druids begin with oak leaves.
Fighters begin with at least 1 weapon (If your character has no weapon by now, then roll on this table)
Magic-users and illusionists begin with a spellbook. (100 pages, 20#, 1 page per level of the spell)
    Magic-users and illusionists: A clear crystal or mineral prism -- 5 gp -- (or a yellow tinted piece of mica -- 1 gp -- for illusionists) & components for the spells in their spellbook, if needed.
Thieves begin with a set of thieves' tools.
Encumbrance: to start, just note down the ENC of weapons & items that are 10 pounds or more (e.g. armor).

7.
1st Edition AD&D unfairly discriminates against fighters and thieves and monks because they don't have spell-casting ability.
To fix this, ALL PCs can cast spells. Go to the article in Dragon #72 to determine your bonus starting spell.
Magic-users & Illusionists: Determine your initial spells. Read Magick (or Read Illusionist Magic) and Cantrip for free. 1 Offensive, 1 Defensive, 2 Miscellaneous.
Cantrip is Now a 1st level spell, that allows you to pick any 4 cantrips that must be used within the duration of 1 hour.
All know Read Magick or Read Illusionist Magic.
At 0 level, the above 2 spells are the only ones which can be used. However, you still have your other 1st level spells in your spellbook. Look forward to achieving level 1!
Clerics and druids have access to the Orison spell, which is like the Cantrip spell. Any 4 orisons that must be used within the duration of 1 hour. Look forward to achieving level 1!

8.
Note down your L1G (Level 1 goal). This is the same as your L2G (the amount needed to achieve level 2).
0-level characters are exactly the same as 1st level characters, with these exceptions:
    1. THACO
    2. Saves
    3. Limited spell use
Note that you do gain XP for GP when selling items, whether magical or mundane. Like all XP, this is evenly divided among all party members.

9.
Calculate AC. Shields now provide a -2 bonus (not -1).
Great helms provide a -1 AC bonus, but cut Perception in 1/2.
Helmets provide a -1 AC bonus if the attacker is mounted or taller than the character.
For PCs only, level 0 HP = CON score.
Begin with 1 LP (Luck Point). Passive: These automatically kick in to negate a critical hit or a failed saving throw.
Begin with 1 HP (Hero Point). Active: The player chooses when to use these, turning a miss into a hit or making an unsuccessful die roll a success.
Note THACO. 20.3 (the 3rd 20 on the table). A (non-natural) 20 is required to hit AC 2, AC 1, AC 0, etc.
Note Saves.

10.
Determine if your character is psychic (humans, elves, half-elves only). Requires an 18 in INT, WIS, or CHA. 1 eighteen = 2% chance, 2 eighteens = 4% chance, 3 eighteens = 6% chance.
Determine if your character is a dreamer (humans, elves, half-elves only). Use the chances for psionics above.
Keen-eared? (10% chance for humans, d6: 1-3 = HN 15%, 4-6 = HN 20%)

11.
Name your character, if you have not done so already.
Find or make an image of your character (optional).

Image --> roll d00 (Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Paladin, Magic-User, Illusionist, Thief, Assassin, Monk)
Image, Demi-humans --> acccess the ROGUES GALLERY directory. Choose or randomly generate an image.

NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH (optional)
A. Create a pool of starting money. Note that multi-class characters roll for money once for each class. Set this total aside.
B. Then, total up the cost of all of the free equipment (including magic items) that the PCs have.
Subtract B from A. (A-B = shortfall)
The shortfall number is deducted from monetary treasures found in-game. Optionally, extend this to gems and jewelry, but never to magic items.

PLATINUM STANDARD (optional)
Use PP as the default coin, instead of silver pieces. This is an abstraction. In the game world, the PCs are dealing with silver dollars and other coins all the time. At the game table, a platinum abstraction makes things easier for both the players and the DM. The downside is that the minimum cost of any item is 1 PP! This can explained away by over-charging merchants, taxes, and tips. The key to this is abstraction, and if this abstraction is used, then be fair and don't hit the PCs with taxes in addition to their monthly living expenses (DMG.25). Divide the MLE (Monthly Living Expenses) by 2 as well.

AARAKOCRA (Fighter, Cleric, Thief, FT)
CENTAUR (Fighter, Ranger, Cleric, Druid, CF, DF, CR)
ELF, AQUATIC (Cleric, Fighter, Mariner, Thief, Assassin)
ELF, BEACH (1/2 aquatic elf, 1/2 other elf) (Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Mariner, Thief,, Thief-Acrobat, Assassin, Magic-User)
ELF, SNOW (Fighter, Ranger, Druid, Magic-User, Thief,)
GOBLIN (Fighter, Shaman, Magic-User, Thief,, Assassin, Thief-Acrobat, Witch Doctor, Fighter/Shaman, FT, Fighter/Witch Doctor, Shaman/Thief)
HALF-DRYAD (Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Magic-User, Thief,, Bard)
HALF-ELF, AQUATIC (Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Mariner, Thief, Thief-Acrobat, Assassin, Magic-User)
HALF-OGRE (Cleric, Fighter, CF)
HALF-SATYR (Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Magic-User, Thief,, Bard, FM, RM, FT, Ranger/Thief, MT)
KOBOLD (Shaman, Fighter, Magic-User, Thief,, Assassin)
ORC (Shaman, Fighter, Magic-User, Thief,, Assassin)
WINGED FOLK (Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magic-User, Illusionist, CF, CI, CM, DM, Druid/Illusionist, FM, FI)
ULDRA (Fighter, Ranger, Cleric, Druid, Thief,)
XVART (Shaman, Fighter, Magic-User, Thief,, Assassin)

VOCATIONS (CLASSES)
Official classes: all multi-classing options are noted in the class statblock (add #s to the URL)
Unofficial classes: No multi-classing unless noted.

BUREAUCRAT
Bureaucrat (human)
Politician (human)

CLERIC
CLERIC (gray elf, hill dwarf, mountain dwarf, dark elf, gray elf, high elf, valley elf, deep gnome, surface gnome, half-elf, hobbits (all), half-orc, human)
    The Role of Clerics +
    Clerics && Homelands +
    Undersea Priests +
    Special Powers for Clerics +
DRUID (gray elf, high elf, valley elf, wild elf, wood elf, half-elf, hobbits (all), human)
    The Druid & The DM +
Barbarian Cleric (human)
Nun (Friar) (Cloistered Cleric) (human, half-elf, half-orc)
Shaman (non-human) (shaman/fighter, shaman/thief)

ENTERTAINER
Entertainer (Juggler, Acrobat, Troubador) (human, elf, half-elf, dwarf, gnome, hobbit) (Juggler/Acrobat/Troubador, Juggler/Acrobat, Juggler/Troubador, Juggler/Thief, Juggler/Fighter, Troubador/Fighter, Troubador/Druid, Juggler/Assassin, Acrobat/Thief, Acrobat/Assassin, Juggler/Magic-User, Juggler/Illusionist)
Jester (human, half-elf, gnome, hobbit, dwarf, elf)
Puns +

FIGHTER
FIGHTER (all races/species)
Followers for Upper Level Fighters +
Barbarian (human)
Ranger (dark elf, gray elf, high elf, valley elf, wood elf, half-elf, human)
Archer (human, elf, half-elf, half-orc, orc, gnoll, hobgoblin,
Archer-Ranger (human, half-elf)
Berserker (human, half-orc)
Bounty Hunter (human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, hobbit, half-orc)
Duelist (human, half-elf)
Hunter +
Mariner (human, elf, half-elf, half-orc)
Guard (Sentinel) (human, half-elf)

FIGHTER / KNIGHT
Knight (Cavalier)
Paladin (LG)
It's not easy being good +
Myrikhan (NG) (human)
Garath (CG) (human)
Lyan (LN) (human)
Paramander (N) (human)
Fantra (CN) (human)
Illrigger (LE) (human)
Arrikhan (NE) (human)
Anti-Paladin (CE) (human)

MAGIC-USER
MAGIC-USER (Wizard) (dark elf, gray elf, high elf, valley elf, wood elf, half-elf, human)
Spell strategy for hostile magic-users +
ILLUSIONIST (deep gnome, surface gnome, human)
Alchemist (human, half-elf, elf)
Diviner (Oracle) (human, half-elf, elf)
Incantatrix (human, half-elf)
Necromancer (Death Master) (human, dwarf, half-orc)
Witch Doctor (non-human)

THIEF
THIEF (all races/species)
    The Thief: A Special Look
ASSASSIN (all races/species, except for hobbits)
    Assassin's Guilds +
    The Assassins Run +
Bandit (human, half-orc, half-elf) (dwarf, elf, hobbit)
Charlatan (human, elf, half-elf, gnome)
Ninja (Taxman) (human, elf, dwarf, hobbit)
    Genin (human)

MONK
Monk (revised)
Defining and re-aligning the monk
Battle Dancer (human)
Escrimador (human)
Samurai (Hapki-Do) (human, gnome, hobbit, elf, half-elf)

OTHER
Accountant (human)
Beastmaster (human, hobbit, half-elf)
BARD (human, elven, half-elven, hobbit, dwarf)
Diarmuid's Last Jest +
Dreamer (human, elf, half-elf)
Hopeless (human)
Jock (all species)
Merchant (human, half-elf, demi-human)
Magic for merchants +
Psychic (Psionicist) (human, half-elf)
Savant (human, elf, half-elf)
Scout (all species)
Scribe (human, demi-human, crossbreed)
Smith (human) (dwarf and gnome smiths are more powerful)
Timelord (human mutant)
Witch (human, elf, half-elf)

ADVANCED METHOD (Optional, Unfinished)

The major difference in this method is that the PC uses the DMG.100-102 tables. Step A covers ability scores, Step B covers facts and traits.
The remainder of the method is pretty much the same as the standard method.

Gary Gygax strongly warns against "Step B", with good reason. See page 11 of the DMG.
Considering Gary's wisdom, the following 3 conditions are needed.
1. Free Will. All PCs have Free Will.
2. Role-playing or Not: If you don't want to role-play a certain trait, then don't.
3. Every 2 levels (starting at level 2), a character can drop a negative trait. We can all become better than ourselves.

Each participant in the campaign created by the referee must create one or
more game personas. The game persona of each participant is called the
PC in order to differentiate it from personas created by the
referee, called non-player characters. The DM is advised to
limit player characters to one per participant at commencement of the
campaign, though as play progresses, additional player characters may be
added in a judicious manner. Each player develops the abilities of his or
her character through random number generation (by means of dice
rolling) to determine the basic characteristics of the persona, the abilities.
The player then decides what race the character is, what the character's
class is, the alignment of the character, and what the character's name is
to be. The character will speak certain languages determined by race,
class, and alignment. He || she will have a certain amount of gold pieces
to begin with, and these funds will be used to purchase equipment needed
for adventuring. Finally, each character begins with a certain number of
hit points, as determined by the roll of the die (or dice) commensurate
with the character's class. Class determines the type of die (or dice) rolled.
All characters begin at 1st level. All of this is completely explained in the
following paragraphs.

An Explanation of the Usages of the Term "level": The term level has
multiple meanings in this game system. Although substitute terminology
could have been used in ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,
common usage of the term level to include multiple meanings is prevalent
amongst existing players, so the term has been retained herein. The
usages for level are:

1. Level as an indication of Character power: A player character begins
the game at 1st level, i.e. the lowest possible level for a player
character. The higher the level number, the more powerful the
character is.

2. Level as used to indicate the depth of the dungeon complex beneath
the ground: The 1st level of a dungeon is the first layer of the
underground complex of tunnels, passages, rooms, chambers, and so
forth. It is the 1st level beneath the ground. Beneath the 1st level is the
2nd, below that is the 3rd. 4th, Sth, etc. The higher the number, the
lower the dungeon level (and the more hazardous its perils).

3. Level as a measure of magic spell difficulty: The magic spells
available to some classes of characters are graded by difficulty factor
- which, incidentally, reflects the spells' effectiveness to some
extent. 1st level spells are the basic ones available to beginning
characters. They are generally the least powerful spells. Next come
2nd level spells, then come 3rd level spells, and so on. The highest
level of any type of magic spell is 9th level, spells usable only by 18th
level magic-users - lesser magic-users can possibly employ such
spells under certain circumstances which are explained hereafter,
but only at considerable risk.

3. Level as a gauge of a "monster's'' potential threat: Relatively weak
creatures, monsters with few hit points, limited or non-existent
magical abilities, those which do little damage when attacking, and
those which have weak, or totally lack, venom are grouped together
and called 1st level monsters. Slightly more powerful creatures are
ordered into 2nd level, then comes 3rd. 4th, 5th, and so on all the way
up to 10th level (the highest, which includes the greatest monsters,
demon princes, etc.).

It was initially contemplated to term character power as rank, spell
complexity was to be termed power, and monster strength was to be
termed as order. Thus, instead of a 9th level character encountering a 7th
level monster on the 8th dungeon level and attacking it with a 4th level
spell, the terminology would have been: A 9th rank character encountered
a 7th order monster on the 8th (dungeon) level and attacked it with a 4th
power spell. However, because of existing usage, level is retained
throughout with all four meanings, and it is not as confusing as it may now
seem.

NOTES BY GARY GYGAX

Just a quick FYI:

I did a horror spinoff of AD&D where the players were all yound teenagers, Boy Scouts, and their stats were based on their own estimates of what they possessed when that age. Of course there were no scores above 15, and most were in the 8-10 range. It worked well, and we had a lot of fun with the adventure in a huge onl seemingly abandoned mansion;)

Cheers,
Gary

I would advise the player to develop a thief character that was of his own creation, albeit it one that was modeled after a fictitional hero. If the PC stats were good enough, I'd then point out that the character could begin play as a fighter, and then be switched to thief later on so as to have a dual class one akin to the Gray Mouser.

Unabashed plug: This difficulty highlights the drawback of a class based RPG. Because I was unsatisfied with having disappointed players, the LA game system's skill-bundle base allows for the creation of just about any kind of character the player (of GM) wants, and at the same time retains archetypes.

Cheerio,
Gary