So I seem to be making some progress on my spreadsheet-based Labyrinth Lord character generator. Crom only knows why I thought it would be easier to make a generator rather than just roll up the PCs for my Big Stupid Dungeon Party, but figuring out how to call an array has opened up vast new worlds for me to conquer. Anyhoo, I wanted to share this stat set with you, the fourth proto-PC I successfully generated.
Str 9 -
Dex 10 -
Con 9 -
Int 9 -
Wis 12 -
Cha 10 4 retainers, morale 7
I think that’s about the least interesting stat rolls I’ve every seen, but the neat thing about these plain vanilla stats is that, under LL's rules, you can still be anyone. So here’s the query of the day for you, my esteemed readers: If these were your rolls, what class would you pick and why? Your choices are Fighter, Magic-User, Cleric, Thief, Dwarf [fighter], Halfling [fighter], and Elf [fighter/magic-user]. And yes, you are starting at first level.
Using the time-honored method of going with your highest stat would suggest making these rolls into a Cleric. But the reason to use that rule of thumb is for the prime requisite bonus to experience and a 12 doesn’t get you jack or squat in that regards. A long term thinker might go with Cleric anyway, in hopes of somehow scoring a Wisdom boost in play. Personally I lean towards Fighter, because when in doubt I tend to play a guy with a sword or axe or something. I’d also consider playing a Halfling with this set, since the hobbits of the Lord of the Rings pretty much personify ordinary people in extraordinary situations.
A Return to the Stars
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After a veeeeerrrryyyy long, and mostly unplanned, hiatus, Stuart and I got
together to play more Stargrave in recent days. It was good! It was also a
bit ...
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Hobbit for sure, for two reasons.
ReplyDelete1. Nothing stands out, this is as ordinary as you can get.
2. Hobbits RULE! :)
Wow. None of those stats are even so bad that you can go with the old "totally incompetent in his own profession" standby for comedic effect.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably go with the Cleric. Mostly because the Cleric is what I usually end up playing anyway, so I'd have a starting point. But he's so totally average. Statistically you expect something like that to show up every once in a while, but I swear I don't think I've ever rolled a character that average before - not even with the "3d6 assign in order" method (where I was almost always guaranteed at least a 7 in some crucial stat for comedic effect).
I'd go with Fighter, but a very cowardly and selfish one. He's average he's nothing special, and he's wise enough to know that. Definitely the kind of fighter who's happy to let someone else take the risk.
ReplyDeleteI'd go with Fighter as well. A party can always use another man in the shield wall, and that leaves a slot open for someone who does have an extraordinary intelligence or wisdom score.
ReplyDeleteFrom a purely utilitarian, a first level PC survival/grinding to 2nd level (with no Monty Haulishness or "story" driven bloated XP award) POV I would argue you DON"T take a fighter with this character because you WILL be expected to do LOTS of frontline fighting in a paryt of 5 or less (which is most times from my experience). Might I suggest taking a magic-user? NOT having a STR, DEX, CON modifier in that situation is not nearly as negative. The character as a magic-user is not really hamstrung anymore than a first level mage with 18 INT because INT offers no bonus or penalty to spellcasting in Classic D&D (excuse me if this is not true for LL)
ReplyDeleteXP bonus ya say? Sorry, you won't be getting that with any class you take in this instance. Besides whadda I care bout losing out on a coupla lousy hundred xp from no PR bonus? In all honesty, if that what makes the difference between surviving first level or not for a player....well, then he and I have very different experiences with surviving low level old school style (ie, roll high+lots of hirelings+ roll damn high on your saves!. But the completely average fighter with no con, dex or str bonus? YIKES! Those rolls add up since his class BRINGS them into play several dozen times a session in total(every hit roll attempt, damage roll made , every hit avoided, every hit taken); where as not so for a magic-user. Instead, I have the complete luxury of knowing I have the maximum number of spells available to a mage of my level and they WILL always work (barring unusual circumstances), so nyah,nyah mr. "you must roll to hit and be worth your while for a healing spell from the party cleric" fighter.
P.S.- Anybody who disagrees with my assessment of the foregoing situation without a logical, coherent and forceful argument for his/her own point of view is a big, stinky, poopyhead! ;)
--King "Now where'd I put my damn axe?" Kull
Do you use Tablesmith? I've got a full-featured suite for OSRIC/LL that generates pretty much anything you might ever need - including PCs, NPCs, groups of henchmen, tribes of humanoids, treasure, random encounters, dungeons, settlements etc. If you don't use TS, the tables are in .txt files and can be easily ported into Excel or another program.
ReplyDeleteI think that I'd be going with Thief, all things being equal -- possibly playing up the retainers as not entirely feeling secure about the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteHe/she would be a Thief of the most cautious and contemplative variety, though, playing up on Wisdom being the highest stat.
I'm of two minds...
ReplyDeleteOne would be to go with a demi-human... probably an elf or halfling... because they get more cool stuff to start off with, and don't have to rely on their ability scores as much. The halfling's stealth, missile bonuses, and groovy saving throws, or the elf's ability to cast spells in armor would make up a lot for the low ability scores.
My other thought would to be a magic-user.
Why?
Because magic-users rock on toast!!!
I have a house rule: you raise your highest stat to 13, and lower your lowest stat to 7. So this character would have Wisdom 13, and Str, Con or Int of 7, which would give them a bit more individuality.
ReplyDeleteI rolled up an even more boring character the other night (for BFRPG). He ended up with 9s for everthing expept intelligence 12. Same effect as yours: all average stats.
ReplyDeleteI chose a Magic User and I am really looking forward to playing him.
I'd go demi-human if I was going purely for bonuses and extra stuff. Halflings get the missile and stealth bonuses in LL, yes? I'd probably go for that.
ReplyDeleteD&D BECMI had rules for exchanging stats, 2:1 and with several other limitations IIRC...but still.
ReplyDeleteHow´s the situation in LL?
Oh, and I suggest making him an Archer.
If it was AD&D, I suggest elven fighter/thief/magic user so that they can get the demihuman bonuses and be average in so many things.
ReplyDeleteI'd pick a class off the front line where stat bonuses and hp have a bigger effect.
I would be a magic-user, and wear a pointed hat with WIZZARD written on it in sparkles and glitter.
ReplyDeleteFirst,this is truly an awesome blog.
ReplyDeleteI usually default to thieves, since my first "real character" was a thief. But for this character, I might go with a fighter or a dwarf, just for survivability. They can use the best armor, and get the best hit dice. Dwarves are limited to one- handed weapons, which makes a shield an obvious choice. This is the fun of LL, since you really can run any class you want.
Your blog and others really have me stoked to run some old- school goodness soon. Rock on!
Do you use Tablesmith? I've got a full-featured suite for OSRIC/LL that generates pretty much anything you might ever need - including PCs, NPCs, groups of henchmen, tribes of humanoids, treasure, random encounters, dungeons, settlements etc. If you don't use TS, the tables are in .txt files and can be easily ported into Excel or another program.
ReplyDeleteHoly shmoly! I haven't used Tablesmith in a while, but I'll take everything you can send me. Shoot it to jrients at the gmail dot com.
True fact: As I type this I'm downloading your Weird Science PDF in another tab.
I've gotta go with M-U, for the reasons others have stated. A 1st-level M-U with a 9 INT is going to be just as good as one with an 18. It might be a bit different in AD&D if you're using the "knowable spells" rule, but for LL, M-U is a good choice.
ReplyDeleteThief. Why? Cause I like to say "Thief"...not rogue. Often misclassified as a "rouge". Hrmph. What the hell's a rouge anyway? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThieves are cool man. Just the thought of the Grey Mouser makes me jump around, arms waving erratically, like a highly-sugared child.
For B/X or LL rules, I'd totally go with an Elf. Because if you're just average enough to be capable of anything, you might as well be the one who can do almost everything!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite PC i ever rolled had an 11 for every single stat, and I made him an Elf (or at lease our campaign's equivalent using the same rules). The great thing about him was that he was easily imported to any game I sat in on. Every DM would say, "Oh, i prefer to see the stats get rolled myself," I'd say, "They're all 11. Every last one." And the DM would say, "Oh... well, that's fine... are you sure you don't want to try again?"
Heavenly. If you add up all the experience he earned by starting over at level 1 in a dozen or so campaigns, I do believe he'd rank as the most experienced PC of my 20-odd years of gaming.
M-U
ReplyDeleteMost likely to die quickly so you can roll up something more interesting.