Character Creation Challenge 2024 - 16: Oguleth [Old School Essentials - Classic Fantasy]

 First OSE character of the Challenge

I bought pretty much the entire line of Old School Essentials (bare the sold out boxes) during the OGL panic last year. It's still near the top of my list of games I want to try, so will make an honest attempt to run (or worm my way into a game as a player) this year. But it's been a while since I made characters for actual old D&D and not retooled OSR games like Mörk Borg and Mothership.

I was considering doing this fast and dirty without much input about things like I did with Mörk Borg, but since there's some choice involved here based on previous actions I'll do a more thorough post.

As an aside, I am using the Classic Fantasy ruleset and not the Advanced Fantasy ruleset for this. If making 4 of this is fun, I might do an Advanced Fantasy batch too.

 

1. Roll Ability Scores

The game is based on rolling 3d6 in order of stats (so you can't choose where things go). Something I have used for similiar games in the past after picking it up somewhere, is to roll 2 sets of stats, and pick which one you want to use for your main character. The second set becomes the stats for your backup character that comes in if your main dies. If your main is dead, you get to roll another double and pick and then you can choose to retire your backup. So I will follow that system here. This will be the main guy, while the set I don't choose will become a backup character that I will make next. Just to get a feel for the thing. The book also states that any character that gets 0 stats over 8, or some really low ones (I'd say this is 5 and lower) and no higher ones (like 13 and higher) you get to reroll.

Set 1

  • Strength: 11
  • Intelligence: 16
  • Wisdom: 13
  • Dexterity: 12
  • Constitution: 12
  • Charisma: 8

Set 2

  • Strength: 8
  • Intelligence: 13
  • Wisdom: 11
  • Dexterity: 12
  • Constitution: 12
  • Charisma: 14

 Both playable, which is nice. Have to pick the set with a 16.


2. Choose a Class

While this set of stats can be an elf, it will not have prim req XP bonus. So Magic-User will be the name of the game.

 

3. Adjust Ability Scores

I can reduce non-primary characteristics (so everything but INT) to increase INT, by spending 2 points to increase INT by 1, and cannot reduce anything below 9. The difference between 16 and 18 INT seems to be 1 more spoken language. Doesn't seem worthwhile to drop other stats for that.

 

4. Note Ability Scores

  • Strength: 11 [Melee: None | Open Doors 2-in-6]
  • Intelligence: 16 [Spoken: Native +2 | Literate] (+10% XP modifier)
  • Wisdom: 13 [Magic Saves: +1]
  • Dexterity: 12 [No modifiers]
  • Constitution: 12 [No modifiers]
  • Charisma: 8 [NPC Reaction: -1 | Max Retainers: 3 | Loyalty: 6]

 Ability Scores not having much effect on the character, besides the XP modifier from the high INT.

5. Note Attack Values

Magic-User has never been big on this, [0] it is. I am going to use THAC0 as a DM because that's what I "grew up with", but it's just easier to not bother with the matrix here. And I can use these CCC characters as backup characters when I run the game, and I know those player don't want anything to do with THAC0.

 

6. Note Saving Throws and Class Abilities

Saving Throws

  • D: 13
  • W: 14
  • P: 13
  • B: 16
  • S: 15

Class Abilities

  • Magical Research
  • Spell Casting
  • Using Magic Items
  • Combat: Can only wield daggers. No armor or shields.
  • Spellbook: Sleep.

 As an aside, giving starting characters a smaller selection to choose from (3 or so) instead of DM picking or player choosing anything a good idea. Having the settlement's resident Wizard have an open selection when they are there (but not all!) might also be a good idea.


7. Roll Hit Points

3 HP to start, I am invincible!

 

8. Choose Alignment

Neutral. The old way of playing D&D is not about making the world a better place or anything.

 

9. Note Known Languages

  • Common
  • Neutral
  • Doppelgänger
  • Gnoll

Having a table to roll on makes the extra language selection better than players fishing for what would be useful. Will use that in my game for sure.

 

10. Buy Equipment

Rolling money, got a measly 40 GP.

  • Dagger
  • Backpack
  • Rations, Iron (7 days)
  • Waterskin
  • Tinder Box
  • Torches (6)
  • 12 GP
     

11. Note Armor Class

Unarmored, so AC is 9 [10].

 

12. Note Level and XP

Level 1, 0 XP.

 

13. Name Character 

Oguleth. Going oldschool.


Character Summary

Oguleth [Neutral]

Magic-User, Level 1 [0 xp]

HP: 3

AC: 9 [10]

 

Ability Scores

  • Strength: 11 [Melee: None | Open Doors 2-in-6]
  • Intelligence: 16 [Spoken: Native +2 | Literate] (+10% XP modifier)
  • Wisdom: 13 [Magic Saves: +1]
  • Dexterity: 12 [No modifiers]
  • Constitution: 12 [No modifiers]
  • Charisma: 8 [NPC Reaction: -1 | Max Retainers: 3 | Loyalty: 6]

Saving Throws

  • D: 13
  • W: 14
  • P: 13
  • B: 16
  • S: 15 

Class Abilities

  • Magical Research
  • Spell Casting
  • Using Magic Items
  • Combat: Can only wield daggers. No armor or shields.
  • Spellbook with the following spells: Sleep.

Languages

  • Common
  • Neutral
  • Doppelgänger
  • Gnoll

Equipment

  • Dagger
  • Backpack
  • Rations, Iron (7 days)
  • Waterskin
  • Tinder Box
  • Torches (6)
  • 12 GP

 

Opinions

The amount of nostalgia that hits when making such characters is substantial. While the basic D&D thing was never that big when I started playing, it was a constant still. And the DM for those games tended to be a bit of sadist, so the game usually devolved into weird stuff as we never got to succeed at anything or get anything. Making this character makes me want to remedy that situation even more.

As for the character, having a magic-user with 16 INT and more than 1 HP is a luxury. Will not go first, will not hire anyone or talk for the party. Like every spellcaster in OSR the name of the game is to avoid combat and get some level ups to be more useful.

Making the character made me think of some stuff that is needed for the campaign, despite it most likely just being some dungeon crawl:

  • A small settlement, a homlet or whatever with a limited amount of villagers. But should have a smith, a temple and a wizard's tower.
  • Available stuff should be basic, like basic armor, weapons and low level spellcasting services. A limited amount of hirelings. The good stuff should be found, not bought.
  • There should be some natural hindrance to get to and get back from the dungeon. It might take a day or two into the wilderness with random encounter rolls. And having to be safe, as in the settlement, to get the XP payout. Or some other friction, so going into dungeon and sleeping in safety at all times is a good idea.
  • Some form of hex-map for the overworld.
  • Dump it in some other setting, or make something from scratch? If the latter, make up some gods and some stuff also needs to go on the list.
     

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