My Life As A Gamer: AD&D1e Character Generation, Part Three (The Stuff People Miss)

(Citing the Player's Handbook (PHB) and Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition as needed.)

(This is a series. The first post is here. Yesterday's post is here.)

I have generated my character's attribute scores, chosen a Race, chosen a Class, determined Alignment, and rolled Hit Points.

We're not done. A lot of little things remain, some of which are glossed over when they should not be.

Languages

My character is Human. He automatically knows "Common". (PHB p.34) He also knows the language of his Alignment, Neutral Good (ibid). A demihuman character would also know the language of his race, and both Druids and Thieves have Class-specific language (ibid)

His Intelligence (INT) score is high enough to permit additional languages, but they are not automatic; they must be acquired in play, as dictated (ibid), and availability of additional languages is at the Dungeon Master's (DM) discretion (p. 35). I write no others down; this is done.

Equipment

Player-characters are considered extraordinary (PHB p.35), explaining the unusual amount of coin available for equipping the character.

Rangers are a sub-class of Fighter, so I use the Fighter entry to determine my initial funds: 5d4x10 in Gold Pieces (GP). Again, I score just above average with four rolls of 3 which add to a sum of 12; I start with 120 GP.

I return to the Google Document that the DM shared when I joined up to see if he had any notes on available equipment. I find only "Only those in the PHB allowed", which works for me.

What I also find is a reminder: "Please consult the Weapon vs. AC tables when selecting weapons to be proficient in, or armor to wear." (PHB p. 38)

I also note that Rangers are intended to face "giant-class" creatures, so I take a moment to look at their entries in the Monster Manual to see what they typically wear or wield, and balance that against the role that Rangers usually possess as skirmishers and ambushers in combat and as pathfinders in travel.

While a Ranger can wear heavy armor, this is not intended as commonplace, so--as if I were playing a Thief or Assassin--I look to the lighter armor types. As Elfin Chain is well out of my budget, I will make do with Leather Armor and retain my full Movement Rate of 12 inches.

For weapons I have three Proficiency slots. I go with Longsword, Handaxe, and Longbow and I buy all three as well as arrows, quivers, clothing, containers, and so on. I am not utterly broke, but it is clear that I will not be able to just be idle once in play. I write down the Encumbrance Value of all my gear and find that I am well within the limits of my character's Strength (STR) score, not hampering my ability to operate.

I will need the cooperation of the other party members to make the most of what a Ranger can do, and I need to focus on scenarios that play to a Ranger's strengths as a pathfinder and skirmisher.

Rangers cannot deal in Hirelings, etc. until 8th level, or possess more wealth than can be carried or hauled by one's mount. I remember to focus on small, high-value items like gems and jewelry should I need to have to accrue significant wealth and keep it around for some reason.

I remember to write down all weapons I have and their effects (damage, attack mods, Speed, Space, etc.), and to note "Open Hand" as well; the last not a good idea to use if you are not a Monk, but sometimes it is all you have.

Vital Statistics

I reach for the DMG and turn to p. 12 to determine my Ranger's age. It's 20+1d4, and I score a one; 21 years old, which puts him at Mature. I now modify his attribute scores (p.13), adding one to STR and one to Wisdom (WIS), making them 15 and 16 respectively. This is not unlikely; several spells often employed, such as Haste and Wish, do age the caster.

Now those Dual Class rules (including for would-be Bards (PHB p.117)) don't sound so outrageous.

As death by aging is a possibility, maximum age is determined now (DMG p.15). My Ranger, if nothing else kills him, will die of natural causes at the age of 120. Not bad.

I check the Google Document for anything else. Just this: "Psionics are not allowed." We can skip that step this time (PHB p.110).

For Height and Weight, I turn to DMG p. 102

Height is 72 inches plus or minus 1d12. I roll first to see which way we go; the result says "plus", and the d12 tops out. So far, that's 84 inches, or seven feet. However, DMG p.12 states that this table is for NPCs and PCs are more variable; I repeat this, going "minus" this time and rolling 2d10; this scores a total of 9, reducing my Ranger's height to 75 inches (6'3"). I am well over the minimum required to use a Longbow or Longsword.

For Weight, we repeat this process. First, on the NPC table, we start at 175 lbs. and roll to go up or down; we go down by 6d6, scoring 25, and are at 150 lbs. The second roll, the PC adjustment, rolls that we add to this and we roll 1d20x10; this rolls low at 6, putting us at 210 lbs and my Ranger is a big slab of muscle and sinew.

Hair and Eyes are entirely at the player's discretion. Skin color is also, but I expect anything truly out of the norm would require the DM's approval. A look at the Google Document reads only "Be resonable", and so I shall. Soil-black hair, ice-blue eyes, Caucasian.

All he needs now is a name. I settle on "Turlough", record "birthdate" as instructed by said Document, and we're done.

Let's put this together into some commentary tomorrow.