Class Features
Level 0 Character
Role: Based on Choosen Profesion
Power Source: Based on Choosen Profesion
Primary Stats: Based on Choosen Profesion
Hit Points at 1st level: 10 + Constitution
Healing Surges at 1st Level: 3 + Con Modifier
Skills: Choose Two Trained Skills Based on Choosen Profesions Class List.
Armor:
Wizard: Cloth
Warlock: Cloth, Leather
Cleric: Cloth, Leather, Hide
Paladin: Cloth, Leather, Hide, Chainmail
Fighter: Cloth, Leather, Hide, Chainmail
Ranger: Cloth, Leather, Hide
Rogue: Cloth, Leather
Weapons: Simple Melee, Simple Ranged, if Choosen Profesion is able to use Military Grade Weapons, choose one to be proficient in. Wizards only get Dagger and Quaterstaff
You start with no Feats or Powers. You have on Basic Melee and Ranged attacks.
Based on Choosen Profesion you gain the following Abilities and/or Feats, those with abilities that can use Implements are proficient with the Implements of thier Class.
Wizard: Use of Cantrips, use of one At-Will Wizard Power as a encounter Power.
Cleric: Healing Word, Usable Once a Encounter
Warlock: Choosen Path, Gain Eldritch Blast, Encounter Power
Warlord: Choose Tatical or Inspiring, gain Benifets of the Path.
Rogue: Gain Thievery or Stealth as Trained Skill, gain 1d6 Sneak Attack.
Ranger: Choose Archery or Two-Weapon, gain Benifets of the Choose Path.
Fighter: Gain Proficiency in one extra Military Grade Weapon, gain Proficieny in Chainmail and Light Shield. Choose One or Two-Handed Mastery Talent
Paladin: Gain Lay on Hands Ability.
When the Player Levels up, they gain any class features of the class, if they already have a version its replaced by the Class's version. HP and Surges Stack.
Level 0 doesnt count as a lvl for determining +half-level abilities.
Im thinking ~500xp till they become full on Level 1 Adventures. After which XP resets and game moves on as normal.
Not bad. Still, If you're doing this, you might want to reward the players a little bit. And they should also have one at-will. Also, consider looking at the posts on the "Peon tier"
Could you elaborate on "reward" and I belive basic attacks are enough, after all they only have the most basic skills and knowledge, giving them At-Wills is more like Level 1/2 instead.
Consider making armor and weapon proficiencies as class, and having each class gain one class feature. "Path" specific features for Fighter, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Warlord, while Clerics and Paladins choose one Channel Divinity power, and Warlocks gain Shadow Walk. Every class should get one at will power, usable twice per encounter. Warlocks (again, a bit gimped, perhaps), would get Eldritch Blast.
Could you elaborate on "reward" and I belive basic attacks are enough, after all they only have the most basic skills and knowledge, giving them At-Wills is more like Level 1/2 instead.
Well, if they only need 500 XP to level, what's the difference between level 0 and level 0.5?
Potential problems are that Wizard "peasants" have more armor and weapon proficiencies than regular Wizards.
Consider making armor and weapon proficiencies as class, and having each class gain one class feature. "Path" specific features for Fighter, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Warlord, while Clerics and Paladins choose one Channel Divinity power, and Warlocks gain Shadow Walk. Every class should get one at will power, usable twice per encounter. Warlocks (again, a bit gimped, perhaps), would get Eldritch Blast.
Well, if they only need 500 XP to level, what's the difference between level 0 and level 0.5?
Still working on an acceptable amount of XP, and weapon and armor yea didnt realize I still had it like that....will be fixed..
That way only arcane characters get an at-will but that's fine since they are most disadvantaged by relying on basic attacks.
You might want to use the proficiency options of the real class but cut it down to the most 'basic' level which is simple for weapons and hide or chain for armor respectively (can't really count cloth armor here).
Give out HP and Healing Surges only on account of Con but one Healing Surge is the minimum everyone gets.
That way you shouldn't run into any issues when upgrading the characters to heroes.
Though your peasants would already manage small feats of fantastic flavour like divine challenge, healing word and a dim magic missile now and then but you could easily thing of them as innate talents that define the path lying before them.
Playing in that style I wouldn't worry about XP at all. Let them become level 1 when the prologue is over and they reach the proper teacher or story trigger to become real heroes. As an incentive for going through level 0 there is probably some treasure to be had which would fit them with better equipment than ordinary heroes start out with.
If you feel like it, you could even throw in an additional feat which is usually nice to have but doesn't cause troublesome issues.
Another approach to think about would be to give the characters exactly the benefits of their appropriate multiclass feats.
That way only arcane characters get an at-will but that's fine since they are most disadvantaged by relying on basic attacks.
You might want to use the proficiency options of the real class but cut it down to the most 'basic' level which is simple for weapons and hide or chain for armor respectively (can't really count cloth armor here).
Give out HP and Healing Surges only on account of Con but one Healing Surge is the minimum everyone gets.
That way you shouldn't run into any issues when upgrading the characters to heroes.
Though your peasants would already manage small feats of fantastic flavour like divine challenge, healing word and a dim magic missile now and then but you could easily thing of them as innate talents that define the path lying before them.
Playing in that style I wouldn't worry about XP at all. Let them become level 1 when the prologue is over and they reach the proper teacher or story trigger to become real heroes. As an incentive for going through level 0 there is probably some treasure to be had which would fit them with better equipment than ordinary heroes start out with.
If you feel like it, you could even throw in an additional feat which is usually nice to have but doesn't cause troublesome issues.
I like that Multi-Class feat idea..got the basic gear bit down, for HP/surges dont see 10 HP being much, ditto for 3 surges...
Perhaps a clarification is needed, only stats that would stack would be the 10 HP and 3 Surges, everything else is replaced, clean slate, IE they become full fledged members of said class...
As far as the hitpoints are concerned, it's probably okay if you want to add some durability to the party via additional hitpoints and surges. About being a big thing, it's like taking toughness twice und durable 1.5 times for heroic tier.
My foremost concern however is that it blurs character roles a bit. The defenders will have less of an edge over the softer characters if all get a static boost to HP and Healing Surges. It's probably not a big deal, just meant to point it out.
I think it wold be worth your time to check it out
I've also done the opposite, where players start multiclass or as monsters with an ecl value but had 0xp and had to earn the up to 3000 before their abilities changed. Not as much fun.
I have no idea how you'd do it in 4e though.