C&C starting equipment generator

ckutalik · Post by **ckutalik** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:42 pm

I posted the following to my blog to supplement and revise the charts I had released previously in the 15-Minute C&C Character Generator ( http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2009/04 ... rator.html ). I was really looking for any and all feedback and/or constructive criticism from any of you fine folks.

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The Starting Equipment Generator is an optional character generation step to help C&C and AD&D first edition players and game masters quickly crank out the equipment for low to mid-level characters.

Note that these tables are geared toward levels roughly from first to sixth. For levels past this, I recommend that you pick up Mike Stewart's excellent Traveller-esque system for generating high-level C&C characters in Crusader #8.

First-level characters roll once on each of the the following charts without modifiers. Add one to each roll for characters starting over first. For each two levels over first, the player gets an additional roll on the weapons or adventuring gear chart. Example: Mogo the Mighty, a third-level character gets a +2 on each of his equipment chart rolls, and opts to roll an additional time on the melee weapons' chart.

Optional modifiers or free rolls can be based on results from the previous background charts at the GM's discretion. Example: Bruno the Battler rolls that he was conscripted into the army and displayed heroism on the battlefield. Based on Bruno's glorious martial exploits, the GM decides to allow him to either add +1 roll to his roll on the armor chart or roll an additional time on a weapon chart.
Armor (Roll d8)

Cleric, Ranger +1 to roll

Fighter +2

Knight, Paladin +3

Rogue, Assassin, Druid only class-appropriate armor

Magic User, Illusionist, Monk no roll

1 Padded/leather coat **

2-3 Leather armor **

4 Ring mail *

5 Hide *

6 Studded/laminar leather *

7 Scale mail/Cuirboille

8 Mail shirt

9 Chainmail hauberk

10 Full chain suit/splint mail

11 Breastplate

12 Plate mail

13 Full plate

14+ Magical armor (GM picks)

* 1 extra roll on weapon or shield chart

** 2 extra rolls on weapon or shield chart
Shield (Roll 1d6 only if extra roll indicated)

1 Buckler

2-3 Small Shield

4-5 Medium Shield

6 Large Shield
Melee Weapon (Roll 1d6)

Clerics, Magic Users, Illusionists, and Rogues hand weapon only

1-2 Hand weapon (dagger, hand axe, short sword, light mace, morningstar, staff, club)

3-4 Sword (long, broad, falchion, rapier, scimitar), battle axe, heavy mace

5 Spears, polearms, pike, lance,

6 Two-handed weapon (two-handed axe, two-handed sword, bastard sword, great scimitar)

7 Expert-made weapon, +1 damage (player picks)

8 Masterwork weapon, +1 to hit and damage (player picks)

9+ Magic weapon (GM picks)
Missile Weapon (Roll 1d6 if character gets extra roll)

Magic Users, Clerics, Rogues, Druids only-class appropriate weapons

1 Sling/Darts

2 Thrown (Hand axe, spear, javelin)

3 Light Crossbow

4 Short Bow

5 Heavy Crossbow

6 Long Bow

7 Expert-made weapon, +1 damage (player picks)

8 Masterwork weapon, +1 to hit and damage (player picks)

9+ Magic weapon (GM picks)

(one free batch of ammo assumed)
Adventuring Gear (Roll 1d6)

All packs come with backpack, pouch, bedroll, water skin, tinderbox, and one week of iron rations

1-2 Pack A (10 oil flasks, lantern, shovel, two caltrops, whistle)

3-4 Pack B (10 torches, four oil flasks, 10 pieces of chalk/charcoal, blank scroll, mirror, crowbar)

5-6 Pack C (five torches, five oil flasks, 50 ft. rope, grappling hook, wooden pole)

7+ Any from above, Magical misc. item (GM picks)
Mount (Roll 1d6)

+3 if Knight, Horse nomad barbarian

-2 if Monk

1-2 None

3 Mule

4 Pony

5-6 Light riding horse

7 Heavy horse

8 Light warhorse

9 Heavy warhorse

10+ Any from above, special mount or vehicle (GM choice)

(saddles and other riding gear assumed)
Class-based equipment

Fighter, Ranger: extra weapon roll, 10 gp starting

Knight, Paladin: 30 gp starting

Cleric, Druid: holy symbol, 10 gp

Bard: musical instrument, 5 gp

Thief: Thieves tools, 5 gp

Wizard, Illusionist, spellbook, 5 gp

Barbarian, Monk, 2 gp
Starting wealth(d6),

1 5 gold pieces

2-3 10 gp

4 15 gp

5 20 gp

6 40 gp

7 100 gp

8 200 gp

9 400gp

10 800 gp

11 1,200 gp

12 1,500 gp

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:14 pm

I'm confused. On the final starting wealth chart there are 12 options, but you seem to indicate only 1d6.

It also seems like these charts can be expanded to accomodate higher levels by giving expert and magic options and adding levels as well as class to a given roll on a table.

For example:

Shield (Roll 1d6 only if extra roll indicated, add 1 per PC level)

1 Buckler

2-3 Small Shield

4-5 Medium Shield

6 Large Shield

7-8 Expert Buckler

9 Expert Medium Shield

10 Expert Large Shield

11 +1 Shield (d6, 1-2, small 3-4, medium, 5-6 Large)

12-13 +2 Shield (d6, 1-2, small 3-4, medium, 5-6 Large)

etc...
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ckutalik · Post by **ckutalik** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:24 pm

Hmm, thanks perhaps I was unclear in the introductory text (will change, may thanks).

My intention in the third paragraph was to say that if you start a character under this system you get to add +1 to each roll on each chart for each level you start after first. You also get an additional free roll on a chart for every two levels you have over first.

So a fifth-level character would add +4 to all the rolls and would get two additional rolls on a chart of his/her choice.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:30 pm

Oh, I thought it had something to do with social strata, so that an upper-class character might get a +X on the roll, and a lower-class would get the reverse. Of course, looking again, the values are way too low for such a thing.
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ckutalik · Post by **ckutalik** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:57 pm

serleran wrote:
Oh, I thought it had something to do with social strata, so that an upper-class character might get a +X on the roll, and a lower-class would get the reverse. Of course, looking again, the values are way too low for such a thing.

It's designed to work in tandem with some kind of background like that. But it would have to be GM-adjudicated. Say something like "Ok so you are the son of a noble, you get a second roll on the starting wealth chart."

But do you think that the values are too low for characters over low level? I'm a bit of a skinflint as a GM so this is definitely the kind of feedback I was looking for.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:02 am

For characters above say, 3rd level, yes, I think the values are too low -- it might better reflect "cash on hand" and not actual wealth. For example, a knight of 10th level is likely to have a castle, and a wizard at that level has probably been making some potions for a while and that says nothing of a thief!
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ckutalik · Post by **ckutalik** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:11 am

serleran wrote:
For characters above say, 3rd level, yes, I think the values are too low -- it might better reflect "cash on hand" and not actual wealth. For example, a knight of 10th level is likely to have a castle, and a wizard at that level has probably been making some potions for a while and that says nothing of a thief!

It's designed to be capped at around 6th level, after that I thought I'd defer to Mike Stewart's system. But do you think it's too low for mid-level characters too?

If so, I'll bump up the values. Riffing off your remark about the castle perhaps crunchify the chart even to have more unusual wealth goodies like land ownership, unusual items, and the like.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:58 am

For the most part, yes, for a character up to 6th level, the values for wealth are a little low -- they are also not too bad for other characters (like a druid who doesn't really need to buy a lot) but a single chart for all the classes can be difficult to make -- for example, a 1st level fighter has a pretty good chance of, by the book, having around 200 gold. By 6th level, if he has not somehow managed to increase that amount, I would consider him destitute and a very poor fighter (and not just monetarily.) I'm not saying you need to change them -- I'm just voicing a perception.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:26 am

Not too bad, ckutalik. Generators can be hard to build, especailly if there needs to be a large amount of contingency involved (subcharts, modifiers to rolls, etc.) It seems you're trying to keep it in the simple nature of the game and that's a good thing!
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