Tag: Zero-Level Characters

As mentioned in Part 2 of this series, my knowledge of the D&D editions I grew up on is not actually complete. This is especially true of Advanced D&D 2nd Edition (2e).

There is a now-old jibe about how no one has read the 5th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) because most DMs (at that time) were older players who had played prior editions. The idea of “rereading a book you already know” caused issues because of rule changes. This is old news to me as I never read the 2nd Edition DMG when it came out.

As orisons were introduced in 2e Players Handbook—which I did read at the time—I decided to check the 2e DMG to see if it covered zero-level characters. Indeed, it did: more than half a page! Here is the introduction:

It goes on to cover Ability Scores and Proficiencies (weapon and non-weapon) which I am skipping here. It is worth reviewing the section on Hit Points:

Quite a range depending upon vocation. Basic D&D only had two categories: Normal Man (1d4) and Man-at-arms (1d4+3).

As I commented on Men Who Lived Deeper in the Shadows, in a fantasy roleplay campaign world, most people are rogues. I first got this idea from the blogpost, Hit Me Baby One More Time, and its description of 1st-level Thieves in B/X (e.g., 1981 Basic Edition D&D):

…At 1st level the thief looks almost like any other urban Normal Man…but it’s just an act. Even at 1st level he has abilities that set him apart from the general populace. The thief’s cunning and grace makes him an excellent combatant compared to the Normal Man (better attack matrix), and his wit, luck, and powers of observation make him immune to hazards that the NM would suffer (better saving throws)….

Working from that, a zero-level Rogue basically is a Normal Man; they do not have those abilities that set 1st-level’s apart. We also arrive at this conclusion by process of elimination: a Normal Man has neither the cantrip-only magic of the zero-level caster classes nor the improved combat ability of a zero-level Fighter.

All this leads me to a conclusion: as Rogues dominate the zero-level “tier”, they should likewise at 1st level.

Clerics had to wait for the AD&D Second Edition supplemental rulebook Player’s Options: Spells & Magic for cantrips, there named orisons.

In both editions of AD&D, Cantrip/Orison was a first-level spell. That was the cost for them. A first-level caster got four cantrips for the expenditure of a first-level spell. Thus the three grades of zero-level magic-user granting use of 1, 2, and 3 cantrips per day. This can easily be mirrored for clerics.

As you may have guessed, my musing on zero-level magic-users is based upon Old School concepts. These are appropriate cantrips (again, from AD&D’s Unearthed Arcana):

I concur with Aaron the Pedantic that Attack Cantrips Are The Worst. I do like modern systems’ inclusion of ritual casting. A practical definition of spell slots is the special preparations for when you need to cast a spell in a time-constrained situation. Every spell should be castable via multi-minute ritual—perhaps even attack spells. Being able to throw a Fireball or Lightning Bolt at a castle every 10 minutes is not that far from gunpowder siege cannon.

As is all-too-normal these days, two Web searches on the identical keywords yielded different results. My search for “zero-level magic-users” before I posted Part 1 did not surface their mention in AD&D’s Unearthed Arcana rulebook. Here it is:

I do not remember this passage at all. I only remember zero-level options for the Cavalier class; also in Unearthed Arcana, but it was included in the original Dragon Magazine #72 article on the class.

It is very close to what I was thinking.

In older editions of Dungeons & Dragons, there was the concept of a zero-level Fighter: not as good as a 1st-level adventurer, but better than Normal Men (also a term from older editions).

I got daydreaming about zero-level equivalents for magic-users, clerics, and rogues. People with perhaps insufficient potential to ever advance to 1st level but potential, nonetheless.

But what could they do that Norman Men could not? Something I want to explore via microblogging, here. So more to come.