Rolling up a character as therapy

[billiambabble]

Hi.
I kind of crash into this forum every once in a while in an insomniacal flurry of very random posts (sometimes from my phone, which leads to terrible spelling and bad paragraph offences). So please forgive and indulge me.

Recently I've been laid up with a flu-cold-bug and have been ordered by friends to not go to work, not to do freelance map projects, postpone my house-move, and generally get my health and energy back.

So here I am, at my partners, mainly in bed, with various symptoms, awful attention span, and it just so happens that I have an emergency set of rules to hand.

To my shame, it's not Basic Fantasy, it's my spare copy of the red box basic rules -nothing to be ashamed of, I hear you say. But, I tell you what, the crummy 3 column small text layout, low levels, restrictive class/race rules made me really crave my Basic Fantasy rules - which is crazy, because often it works the other way around! Just thought I should share that.

Here's something else I wanted to share: my first randomly rolled PC in A long while. The stats dictated the choice of class. It's all good occupational therapy - just enough of a challenge to keep the brain thinking and happy. I'm not sure about the name, but hey.

Kelboor the Medium,
MU 1st lvl, Al: N
S 6 (-1) I 16 (+2) W 8 (-1)
D 10 (+0) C 13 (+1) Ch 14 (+1)
HP4,
AC9 or AAC 10
thAC0 19 or AB+0 (-1 melee / O missile)
Spells: Sleep, Read Magic
Languages: Common, Goblin, Orc, Alignment(N)
Equipment: Silver dagger (1d4), rope, 6 torches and tinderbox, rations, wineskin, small sack, 10ft pole, Wolfsbane.
(Spellbook in safe place - needs a mule!)
GP: 7
XP: 0 (+10%)

It was so much fun just rolling up one character really quickly.

I just had to say all this to people who'd understand without rolling their eyes too much.

[Solomoriah]

It is fun, isn't it?

BTW: You're converting AC from descending to ascending wrong, unless you're planning to use S&W rules. For BFRPG, subtract the AC from 20 to convert (in either direction). So 9 becomes 11.

[billiambabble]

AC 11. Of course! *smacks head*

At least I'm the computer now and I can look at the PDF. I couldn't remember what the base numbers were, and yup I think memories of S&W whitebox were confusing my brain (AAC...). D'oh. I certainly prefer the Basic Fantasy system to classic D&D when I imagine introducing new players - definitely makes more sense with less tables.

What's interesting, is that I almost never create Magic Users, but this time I let the ability rolls decide. After so many years of AD&D it's so strange to see "6" as an acceptable level for a Strength score.

On the subject of low level Magic Users, I think if I was a DM I'd certainly start them off with 1-3 extra scrolls (perhaps insisting that they were "non-transferable" to the Spell Book) - if only to create a little awe and respect from the other characters in the party.

Spell Books - I was always not quite convinced about the "teacher" idea - i.e. a high level MU back in town, waiting to top-up the PC up between adventures, or even an assumed safe place for the spell book itself (buried chests start to make sense - if you can protect the contents against the damp). For a moment, I thought that this could cause problems on long campaigns with distances, but I can see how a DM could really use this in a creative way to encourage the characters to go to certain locations (Gandalf is in Rivendell? Yoda's gone to Hoth!?). Not to mention the losing of the spell book, ye gods, a monster ate our mule!

I can never imagine MUs lasting long enough in a dungeon environment at low levels,not to mention the humiliation when hanging out with F/MU Elves. I mean, is their one spell enough leverage to convince a fellow first level Fighter or Cleric to take a crossbow bolt to the chest? Not to say a MU's knowledge doesn't make them an indispensable expert in a dungeon of strange sorcerous magicks. It's just that in the inn beforehand when the party ask "What can you do?" Let's hope the MU has Sleep, Charm or Magic Missile and not Light.
And then, of course, the other thing non-MUs may not understand ....

-Watch this! *casts the one spell he's taken two years to learn*
-Wow! Do it again!
-Erm, can we come back tomorrow?

Charm spells make me grin, I can imagine explaining to the meathead men-at-arms hireling that "It's not just about 'making friends with Bugbears', it's about getting them to do things for you, and possibly avoiding combat." This guy is mental, thinks the hireling, as he triples his fee (this time ignoring the Charisma bonus for his morale...).



-I've been enjoy dipping in and out of reading some of the PBM games, I don't think I could regularly commit to something like that at the moment, but they're great to read.

Thanks again.

[Solomoriah]

Even the dimmest fighters understand the quadratic advancement of magic-users; sure, he's useless now, but keep him alive long enough and he gets FIREBALL.

[billiambabble]

LOL! Damn straight!
Investing in the artillery of the future...

[Hywaywolf]

Trust me. The marketstone PBP game is a prime example of the usefulness of a first level M/U. If that one spell is sleep then its like throwing a hand grenade.

[SmootRK]

I used to do this all the time. Roll the dice, see what I come up with. Build a party out of several. Because I usually don't have much game going on, it serves to keep my hobby interest satisfied (at least a little).

Slightly related, I would often do character sheets of characters from literature or wherever, deciding upon their stats in the game system I am using.

I have not any of this in BFRPG, but I think when I have a period where nothing is going on, I will try this again. It worked well in the past.

[Solomoriah]

If you guys get real bored and roll up a bunch of parties, paste some names on them and email them to me for the Wandering Monsters supplement. You get therapy, I get NPCs... win/win.

[billiambabble]

If that one spell is sleep then its like throwing a hand grenade.

I can suddenly see that he/she is like a walking a-bomb -with 2d8 HD effected.

It's interesting to note that in 4e D&D MUs are cherished the most for area-effect powers - they are the mortar bombers of the party.


We should run a huge thread of NPCs and party stats!

Remind me, is there a supplement/download on generating higher level characters from scratch? I.e. magic items etc. (sorry, again am without BF rules to hand)

Smoot, making characters from literature is a real art I've never been able to master. I'm floored by the simplest questions like "What level is Robin Hood?". But then I guess that would depend upon the ambient levels of the campaign, especially if the merry men were all "normal men"/0-level, as a charismatic leader he wouldn't need to be too high in levels - unless he was like a PC who had attracted followers at 10th level. Interesting...
Any favourite characters you've adapted so far?

[Solomoriah]

There are official rules for NPC parties in the Core Rules. They are pretty stingy on magic (always easier to give than to take away).