Homebrew Campaign Ideas: Level 0 Start!

[StabintheDark]

Our regular gaming group got to talking about the power levels between PC's and NPCs, and how much it must suck for a emerging wizard, fighter or any other class to get started. Spells in general require quite alot of work if you think about someone not having gold for the spell component pouch and a book to record spells in.

Imagine how much more valuble your first level 1 spell would be to your character if it was written on a scrape of wood for the first year till you could scrape up enough money to buy a real spellbook? Or having to learn to steal by actually lifting a coin purse with a real chance of being caught, because it was your first time trying it.

So, with their blessing I have started the group off on thier adventures as level 0. Our group consists of..

Human Bum: A year ago entered this plane of exsistance with no knowlage of who he was, or how he got here, total amniesa. Planed character progression Sorcerer.

Half-Orc Farmer: Lives on the outskirts of a town, came into the city to sell his surplus crop. planned character progression Fighter/Brawler or Monk

Goblin: lives on the fringes of society in the sewer, probably going to be the first to die as he is playing as true to goblin as possible. Planned character progression: Knife Master Rogue

Doll Construct: Yes, I know, but the story is sound and the player is not a powergamer, so I have allowed it. Planned character progression: Sorcerer.

NPCs: Princess, and bodyguard, Story hook and a way to throw enemys at them that would one shot the party.

So long story short. The first two sessions are over, the party has made it to the woods away from the goblin forces that are attempting to track them down. Ultimate goal, get the princess to safety whatever that is, that allows her to time to plan to retake her kingdom and to allow the PC's the option to join her forces (if they want# and to advance in PC levels #plan to start back up at level 5)

So, has anyone run a level zero game, how did you deal with CR, and what modifications were made to the system to capture the feel of the PC's lack of experence?

[Mudfoot]

You might try Learning Curve: Apprentice-Level Characters or The Genius Guide to Apprentice-Level Characters.

But otherwise, they're essentially 1 APL below a 1st level party (as further modified by equipment), so you can reduce the opponents by 1/3 or 1/2 to compensate.

Otherwise it's very much a matter of what classes they are. I infer that instead of "level 0" they're NPC classes like warrior, adept or expert (commoner might not do well) and that they have normal attributes like 15- or 20-point buy.

Level 1 can feel pretty close to level 0 if the players don't optimise their equipment. IMC the PCs weren't "adventurers" when they started so didn't have adventuring gear or an adventuring mindset (no 10' pole, tanglefoot bag, lantern, cold iron arrows, etc) and that made some things a whole lot harder (and more 'realistic'). And because there isn't a BBS in Bellis with optimisation guides about what gear to buy or feats to take, and because some of them didn't want to waste their money on weapons and potions, this situation persisted for a while.