Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 UweB Nov 10, 2014 10:15:23	Hi all, well my first post is going to be rather large.  Sorry about this but I was a DM many years ago, started in 1982. I'm newly back using 5e and I came up with what I think is an interesting idea and was wondering if you guys could help me flesh it out.   It involves the concept of apprenticeship.  Allowing a player in my group to create a character for the future who will get his start as an apprentice to a current character in the campaign.  As I said, it's pretty long and still in a formative stage but, I'd love to hear what you think:   Apprenticeships Apprenticeships allow Players to have the opportunity to go deeper into a new character's personality by providing a means for acquiring initial training from one of the current player characters or even from themselves if they are interested in making another character of the same class.   Imagine a player with a PC who is a fighter.  In the future, when the fighter dies or retires, or even if the players decide they want to run a different campaign for awhile, the player will have to roll up a new character to start with.   Apprenticeship allows players to prepare for that future event in advance by creating a new character who will become the apprentice of a willing current PC.    Now assume that the player wants to create a new character who is a cleric or a rogue. He can create a personality and a background for a young character approximately 11 or 12-years old for a human or an equivalent maturity / strength level for a different race. When he has his character's personality worked out, he will give him modest ability scores that reflect the immaturity of the new character. Maybe no score higher than 8 or 10.   This new character could then become an apprentice of another player character within the group who is of the new class. For example, someone who is already playing a rogue could take this apprentice under his wing and train him up to become a first-level rogue.   The player who wants to become the apprentice can role-play with the proposed mentor and get him/her to agree to provide training. They may create a contract where the apprentice has to keep a house for the character in a town or come along on adventures while carrying supplies or minding animals. The safety of the new apprentice is the responsibility of the new mentor.  When the apprentice reaches 1st level, he is free to go out into the world and seek his fortune. He becomes an actual character of the player who wanted to become a rogue and disappears from the game until there is an opportunity to bring him in.   Options for bringing an apprentice into the existing game: 1) in the event of TPK, it's easy.  Start at 1st level with a new group 2) if the character of the owning player (the fighter in this case) dies, then the player can choose to play the apprentice from that point forward.  Assuming enough time has elapsed since the apprentice was sent on his way upon attaining 1st level, the former apprentice could join the group at any level desired with an appropriate background explaining how he attained the new level.  For example, a 6th level party might take on a new adventurer who was previously an apprentice who is at any level from 1 to 6.   A player can even create his own apprentice if the new character is intended to be of the same class.   This does not apply to any class that relies primarily on innate abilities such as sorcerers and warlocks. Apprenticeship rules:    PCs must be of at least 4th level to take on an apprentice.   Upon completion of apprenticeship, the new character will be 1st level of the same class as the Mentor. This implies that a   Player Character can mentor his own apprentice including role-playing the activities involved.   Apprentices can be taken on adventures provided the apprentice agrees to it.  Apprentices can not fight unless there is no other alternative. Mentors should be extremely careful to care for the safety of the apprentice. These types of things can be negotiated between the Apprentice PC and the Mentor PC.   If an apprentice is left behind, the daily costs of the apprentice must be paid by the Mentor. The apprentice can take on a job of his own and provide for his own support or might even have family money that would cover the expenses for the PC.   Apprenticeship takes 2d4-months of face-to-face training. For each absence of 1 week or more by the mentor, double that time must be added to the training before completion.
#2 bawylie Nov 10, 2014 10:18:17	I like it. Upcoming DMG will have further rules regarding cohorts, followers, & apprentices.
(Reply to #2) UweB	bawylie wrote:
#4 bawylie Nov 10, 2014 11:08:49	I don't work for WOTC.    But I agree that we can and should reward XP for multiple behaviors, especially nom combat behaviors.