A 0-Level Adventure for Ravenloft (Yes, you read right)

[Five]

In my spare time I have been poking away at an idea that I've been brewing in my head for a while now. It's slow but I'm in no rush.

The basic idea is that it will be an adventure for one 0-level character, with various optional "jump points" for other players. This is not an original idea, as you old school gamers might remember that Aaron Allston wrote one entitled "Treasure Hunt' (aka N4: http://www.dmsguild.com/product/17058/N ... _0_45346_0). I've been wanting to pay homage to both it and Ravenloft for a while now and so decided to sit down and attempt to script an adventure for...whoever. But with my brain being what it is, it might end up a long one.

The Player Character will start off with stat rolls and nothing else (for they have no memory of their past life) and one hit die has to get them as far as it can take them, for the entire adventure will take place primarily in Vorostokov (with Sanguinia as it's sandbox counterpart), and will be based on a very gritty bottom line of ideas developed through Wilderness Survival Guide (http://www.dmsguild.com/product/17007/W ... _0_45346_0) and other survival literature and experiences.

I plan on writing it with the 5E ruleset (as a middle ground for players), but I'm 2E-raised so I will be subletting that ruleset throughout the text of the adventure.

As the character struggles to survive the unforgiving elements of eternal winter and Gregor Zolnik's brutal regime, they will naturally level up. But given that they have no starting class, I want (need) to invent an experience point allocation system that can guide the PC into a unique class, one that will be exclusive to each individual player of this module. For my idea is to do away with character classes (for this individual) as we know them. In the course of survival they will be "doing whatever it takes", and this will mean that the character will be utilizing the various special features of one, many, or all of those classes found in the PHB. And I aim at presenting opportunities that will provide the doorway to explore each feature (it's ultimately up to the player to walk inside). Basically, the character will potentially be multi-classing throughout their experiences in the Frozen Reaches, but I want to assign XP to the special features of each class.

I would just like to probe you all (whoever is reading) as to whether or not you have any ideas on how to break down the XP rewards. As the character will be 0-level the reward system needs to start small, but become incremental at the same time.

I'll be honest, I'm stuck here with this right now. I'm thinking a tier-based (percentage?) system right now, where so many actions will build up to a "buy" (and where successful actions count as double), but I just can't quite get it out of my head and onto paper...

Thanks in advance

[Hazgarn]

Not sure if this the kind of thing you're looking for, but Eclipse: The Codex Persona was a free d20 product I found a while back for building characters by picking features a la carte rather than from a pre-set class. It might be something to look at for ideas along the lines of what you're trying to do.

[IrvyneWolfe]

I ran a one on one game for my wife and the first adventure was essentially a long 0-level experience (For the record I've used the same adventure idea more than once, but it worked best in a 0-level situation). The characters are part of an expedition to a previously missing mansion. They slowly unravel the mystery of the place, all while tension mounts as others on the expedition go missing. When the last scion of the long lost noble family shows up (coinciding with the group having successfully translated his journal proving him to be a madman and murderer) as a zombie lord and all the missing people as zombies the heroes will act like they're teens in a horror movie. Players know even a single zombie can bring them down easily and are appropriately freaked. During the resulting scramble to survive the heroes would develop the abilities they would eventually use to become members of normal classes. Including dramatic reveal of my wife's character being a sorcerer.

[Skyrock]

Each and every "build your own class" system for D&D and its likes I have seen has either been so broad as to be basically non-existent (d20 Modern, True20 etc.), or not very functional at all.

The closest thing I can think of is the Factotum class of D&D 3.5. Its defining feature is a limited pool of inspiration points, which can be spent each encounter to briefly emulate other class features like bonus damage, attack bonuses, turn undead or single spellcastings. It is typically second-class to a specialist in its field even if it pumps all its IP into a single direction, but incredibly versatile and a well-balanced Tier 3 jack-of-all-trades master-of-none in a single unified class.

[Five]

Not sure if this the kind of thing you're looking for, but Eclipse: The Codex Persona was a free d20 product I found a while back for building characters by picking features a la carte rather than from a pre-set class. It might be something to look at for ideas along the lines of what you're trying to do.

Man, I wasn' t expecting 197 pages out of a free download! Ha.

Thanks for that. There's got to be something on there I can use..

[Five]

Each and every "build your own class" system for D&D and its likes I have seen has either been so broad as to be basically non-existent (d20 Modern, True20 etc.), or not very functional at all.

The closest thing I can think of is the Factotum class of D&D 3.5. Its defining feature is a limited pool of inspiration points, which can be spent each encounter to briefly emulate other class features like bonus damage, attack bonuses, turn undead or single spellcastings. It is typically second-class to a specialist in its field even if it pumps all its IP into a single direction, but incredibly versatile and a well-balanced Tier 3 jack-of-all-trades master-of-none in a single unified class.

I vaguely remember reading about that class. Seemed interesting at the time.

And yeah, I have yet to come across a custom class builder that ran smooth either. But I see that as a challenge. Hopefully I can stitch an easy to use one together.

I need to dig up and revisit Player's Option: Skills and Powers (http://www.dmsguild.com/product/16863/P ... er-2e?it=1). Part of the answer may lie in there.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I was a player in a pbp campaign that used this:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews.p ... s_id=18175

We tweaked it a bit to match PF, and allowed the players to bank XP and spend it mid-game as needed. (once you used a skill or feat, or class feature, or whatever for the first time, it was locked in and paid for in XP) It was kind of crazy, but fun. The system seemed pretty balanced, though we made no concerted effort to break it, since we were focused on the roleplaying aspects. My character was a changeling (doppelganger) created by a magical ritual that blended the life essence of an entire town together and split it back out into several individuals who each had a cross-section of the memories and abilities of each of the town's inhabitants. These individuals were bound into service as spies for a cabal of evil wizards. It was great fun to pull on the past aspects of The Agent's component people and suddenly be proficient in something that was needed in the present.

[Five]

I was a player in a pbp campaign that used this:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews.p ... s_id=18175

We tweaked it a bit to match PF, and allowed the players to bank XP and spend it mid-game as needed. (once you used a skill or feat, or class feature, or whatever for the first time, it was locked in and paid for in XP) It was kind of crazy, but fun. The system seemed pretty balanced, though we made no concerted effort to break it, since we were focused on the roleplaying aspects. My character was a changeling (doppelganger) created by a magical ritual that blended the life essence of an entire town together and split it back out into several individuals who each had a cross-section of the memories and abilities of each of the town's inhabitants. These individuals were bound into service as spies for a cabal of evil wizards. It was great fun to pull on the past aspects of The Agent's component people and suddenly be proficient in something that was needed in the present.

That does sounds like a fun gig. Did you play a cap to the number of ability/skill buys or was it just straight pay? And glancing over that book, it was a parallel XP system, correct? I have yet to fully read it or the other suggestion (Eclipse), so I may have the two mixed up.

And I think you may have touched on something there. I think the key to this hypothetical system may be that it should be more story-based than straight rules. Obviously there needs to be suggested guidelines, but that leap of faith should probably be based from more of a storymode ledge. Less thought, more play that way. huh.

Either way it looks like I have options. Between 2E, 3/3.5/Pathfinder, I should be able to cobble a system for 5E. Given time...

Thank you to all. I appreciate it.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

That does sounds like a fun gig. Did you play a cap to the number of ability/skill buys or was it just straight pay?

there was no need. The abilities were on a sliding cost scale, and got more expensive fast. So, while you could theorectically "go wide" and get a lot of cheap, low-level abilities, you wouldn't have enough XP left for high-level stuff. I spent most of the campaign saving up to get 3rd level spells so I could cast Shrink Item. (Sounds silly, I know, but a crucial spell for a changeling spy. I couldn't afford a bag of holding and needed a way to carry around any clothes or weapons I'd need for my different guises.) Every time I had to buy another hit die or a saving throw bonus to avoid dying, it pained me.

And glancing over that book, it was a parallel XP system, correct?

Not sure what you mean. There were no levels, you just spent XP on inidividual abilities.

[Five]

Eclipse: The Codex Persona uses levels to award character points (CP) and skill points (SP), reminiscent of (by quick read) 2E's Player's Option: Skills and Powers. Buy the Numbers tracks two XP totals,, XP earned and unspent XP, and has a rating called "Effective Level".

My admittedly poor memory must've blended the two into that response. I thought I read that XP ran as normal for character levels, but from that amount the player could purchase skills and abilities...which is an idea I am currently tinkering with. I just need to balance the purchases with a cost that is down to earth, to keep the character balanced with the "regular" characters.

I may use attempts and successes as skill rewards, and straight XP buys (story/adventure-driven) for special ability "unlocks". For example, character gains a Strength (Athletics) buy by spending XP gained through physical exertion. Say 5 XP per 1 mile run, 5 XP for every 50 foot climb, etc. And when they gain 100 XP they can buy Athletics. These amounts are, right now, for the sake of argument. Same goes for correctly identifying tracks (following nets you some XP, to represent character focus), fire-building (attempts equal some XP, success double), and foraging successes will lead to an eventual Wisdom (Survival) buy. Using weapons (inflicting damage) and wearing armour (absorbing damage, repairing, as well as movement in) will lead to competency, etc, etc.

It's really something I've been meaning to do way back when with the nonweapon proficiencies of 2E but missed my chance. And I hope I can create an easy to use/play system that truly rewards PCs for putting effort in, especially on skills. Obviously the adventure is going to be skills/ability checks-heavy (it's survival for the stranger in a strange land!), the piecemeal class features buys are just indicative of the character's unique journey, or, "awakening".

Right now, with the above, I see the idea's con as a tracking nightmare for the DM, but a simple checklist should ease things up on them.

I am, however, open to further suggestions while I work on this.

[Five]

For spits and giggles, here is the rough draft for the PC's introduction to the adventure:

A tugging on your leg causes your eyes to open, and they eventually focus on a fur-covered figure hunched over your feet. He is trying to get your boots off.

Your sudden movement causes the ugly, ice-crusted scavenger to look up with a start. In a flash, his wildly-bearded face turns into a malicious sneer and he drops his grip on the boot, unsheathes a thick-bladed knife from his hip, and viciously thrusts it at your face!

Yeah, I'm a big fan of Robert E. Howard.

[Five]

Oh, and one more thing. The PC will start off with no spoken languages as well. Well, none that will initially be of any use in Vorostokov or the Frozen Reaches.