Today I ran a Labyrinth Lord one-shot and used the following short-cuts for character generation.
First, *roll 3d6 in order* for your abilities.
Then, *pick your class* – you get to choose between Fighter, Wizard, or Cleric.
Your basic equipment depends on the class you picked:
+-----+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | 1d4 | Fighter | Wizard | Cleric | +-----+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | 1 | you’re a *bandit*; you own | you’re a half-naked *shaman*; | you’re a *hermit*; you own a | | | leather armor and a club, a | your chest and arms are | thin blanket to wrap yourself | | | longbow, and twenty arrows | covered in tatoos, you wear | into, a sling, and a staff | | | | twenty amulets and charms, you | with some bells on it acting | | | | have several bone fetishes, | as your holy symbol; your eyes | | | | a lizard familiar, and your | glitter madly | | | | spellbook is inscribed on | | | | | conserved leaves and dried | | | | | bark | | | 2 | you’re a *runaway*; you took | you’re a *student* of the | you’re a *priest*; well | | | your uncle’s militia equipment | arcane arts; you wear a pointy | dressed, fresh haircut, and | | | and ran away from home; you | hat and a black cloak, carry a | you own a silver holy symbol, | | | own leather armor, a shield, | staff, a large spellbook with | a shield and a mace, but no | | | and a longsword | an ancient leather binding, | armor | | | | and you have a raven familiar | | | 3 | you’re a *guard*; you own | you’re a babylonian *mystic*; | you’re an *inquisitor*; you | | | chain mail, an excellent | you have black, curly hair | wear chain mail, wield a | | | helmet, a shield, and a | and if you’re male, you have | crossbow in your left hand | | | longsword | a huge braided beard and walk | and a mace in your right hand, | | | | around with a bare chest; if | you have three bottles of holy | | | | you’re female, your eyes have | water in your backpack and | | | | the longest eyelashes and a | four wooden stakes in your | | | | mesmerizing gaze; your spells | shoulder belt, as well as | | | | are inscribed on clay tablets; | garlic and a big silver holy | | | | your familiar is a hawk | symbol hanging around your | | | | | neck | | 4 | you’re a *knight errant*; | you’re a *rune caster*; you | you’re a *paladin*; you own | | | you own a horse, a lance, a | own a set of magically imbued | a white horse, a longsword, a | | | longsword, a battered shield, | runes, dice, fortune telling | flail, a steel shield, shining | | | tarnished plate armor, and a | cards, and a crystal ball; | armor, and a helmet with a | | | dented helmet; your tabard and | your familiar is a ferret | fancy visor; you carry a holy | | | your shield bear your coat of | | banner of your church | | | arms | | | +-----+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
You also get to roll for useful dungeoneering equipment:
+-----+--------------------------------+ | 1d4 | Dungeoneering Equipment | +-----+--------------------------------+ | 1 | rope, grappling hook, pole | | 2 | hammer, spikes, extra blankets | | 3 | six torches, chalk | | 4 | a lantern and two oil flasks | +-----+--------------------------------+
Other useful stuff:
+-----+--------------------------------+ | 1d4 | Useful Stuff | +-----+--------------------------------+ | 1 | *glutton*, start with extra | | | rations, apples, cooked eggs, | | | and bacon | | 2 | *vain*, start with a mirror, | | | razor, soap, perfume, kohl, | | | and lipstick | | 3 | *superstitious*, start with | | | an amulet or charm of dubious | | | origin | | 4 | *drinker*, start with two | | | bottles of particularly strong | | | booze | +-----+--------------------------------+
Your background:
+-----+--------------------------------+ | 1d4 | Backstory | +-----+--------------------------------+ | 1 | *urban youth*, you grew up in | | | the streets of a big city | | 2 | *woodsman*, you grew up in a | | | remote forest hamlet | | 3 | *street urchin*, you grew | | | up on a graveyard and in the | | | sewers | | 4 | *farmer*, your parents worked | | | the fields | +-----+--------------------------------+
Your recent past:
+-----+--------------------------------+ | 1d4 | Event | +-----+--------------------------------+ | 1 | an uncle just died and left | | | you an *inheritance*; start | | | with 100gp | | 2 | you committed a *shameful | | | deed* and had to leave town; | | | start with 20gp | | 3 | you just escaped a *robbery*; | | | start with 0gp | | 4 | you decided to be an | | | *explorer*; start with a mule, | | | a map, a shovel, and a 20gp | | | debt | +-----+--------------------------------+
I think my players liked it.
#RPG #Old School #Keep It Short
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Excellent! The tables are perfect :D
– greywulf 2009-12-15 11:11 UTC
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Thanks. 😄
– Alex Schroeder 2009-12-15 12:47 UTC
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Superb !
– Anonymous 2009-12-15 18:05 UTC
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Another bit I found online regarding character creation: “3.5 characters take forever to make because of the number of choices, in 1st Edition it takes forever because nothing makes any sense. You just have to memorize it all. I knew I should have used Labyrinth Lord instead.” – rmckee78, Circle of Dar Janix, Expedition to Stonehell: Session 1
Expedition to Stonehell: Session 1
– Alex Schroeder 2010-02-06 10:14 UTC
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Updated tables available as a PDF.
– Alex Schroeder 2010-06-28 00:30 UTC