Radiance RPG: Build 0 Level PCs While Playing the 1st Adventure

Triworld is a three world campaign setting that uses the Radiance RPG rules. This month looks at using Radiance's 0 level option to build characters, teach the rules, and introduce the world as the first adventure is actually being played.

O Level PCs in Radiance

Starting PCs at 0 level in Radiance is easy. The characters have -2 XP. They pick a race and a minor theme award as well as a deity. Attributes are determined, some derived stats are figured, and the adventure begins.

I modified the Radiance rules for Create a Character starting on page 8 of the Radiance Players Guide as follows:

1. No change but I provided details about Hurricane Bayou.
2. Roll 2d6/2 (list the half, treat as rounded up) plus 6 for each attribute in order. After earning 2 XP and picking a class, add +6 to your Prime Attribute and 2d6/2 to the others (if left with a half, round up).
3. Select a race. Select 2 racial abilities after earning 1 XP.
4. Starting level is 0. Go to level 1 after earning 2 XP.
5. Select a class after earning 2 XP.
6. Note your class abilities after picking a class at 2 XP.
7. No change.
8. Vitality starts at 3, goes to 4 at 1 XP, and 5 at 1st level.

Also, no gear or gold pieces are given out at character creation. Starting gear will be recovered during the adventure.

The only house rule that directly modifies the Radiance rules is letting 0 level PCs start with 3 Vitality (half of 1st level) rather than 1. I felt 1 was too low and I liked the idea of them earning an extra point for each XP earned.

I also allowed the PCs to earn some abilities at -1 XP, again so they could learn as they go.

0 Level Play

In the actual playing of Radiance, starting at 0 level worked really, really well. I started by emailing a short introduction to the world.

Player Handout for Hurricane Bayou

The starting location for our first Radiance RPG campaign is Hurricane Bayou, a rotting settlement in the middle south. A powerful river connects Hurricane Bayou with towns north and eventually with the rolling hills and lake of the middle north. Meanwhile, sailing ships from all the lands converge on Hurricane Bayou.

Hurricane Bayou is a human town with strong influence by the grippli. Atlan and halflings find the town well suited to their needs. Lizardfolk serve as guides into the swamps as do pygmies.

Warmech also have had a profound influence on the town in recent years, leaving the civil war in the east behind and settling in as cheap labor, bouncers, enforcers, and watchmen. Warmech that deserted and ended up in Hurricane Bayou are rarely pursued and few would be employers ask any questions about their past.

To hone in on Hurricane Bayou and bring it to all its glittering, rotting life, the first adventure introduces 0-level PCs to a local danger, the haunted former sanitarium called the Demon House. The Demon House is located on the dead end road called Queen Street and no locals will walk in its shadows. The PCs wake up prisoners in the Demon House and must escape or die trying.

The Demon House attracts evil. A variety of horrific villains have taken up residence in the rotting pile of gables and turrets. Attempts have been made to burn it down, tear it down, or wall it off. All attempts fail and those attempting to stop its influence meet a grisly end. Locals avoid even standing in its shadows and the loss of life it inflicts is seen as a necessary evil of living on Queen Street, no different from dealing with enforcers and the local gang.

Queen Street is tucked just behind glittering Market Boulevard and more than one well to do nobleman or shopkeeper has wandered onto its sordid cobblestones to find illicit pleasure that many times ends in a mugging or murder. Even PCs that would normally never set foot on Queen Street could be snatched right off of Market Boulevard and drawn into the Demon House to serve its current masters as playthings to be torn apart and eventually discarded. Of course, the PCs may just prove much more dangerous than mere playthings.

Other Player Handouts for 0 Level

In addition to a character sheet, I gave the players copies of all the races to look through and pick. After that, I passed around the themes and they picked one. Finally, I handed out the deities and the players each chose one as well. In future games, I plan to hand out a glass bead for each faith point a PC has; these can be placed on the deity sheet and handed in as needed to activate boons.

Armed with those three sheets of rules, each player had everything they needed to start at 0 level. They received all of the basic race abilities, picked a minor ability for theme, and had one faith point to spend on a basic boon of their deity. In future games, I will give out a glass bead for each fate point and have the players put them right on the deity printout to turn in as each fate point is used.

The Demon House

I introduced the Demon House as a quest. Escape from the cellar was worth 1 XP and would include finding some gear along the way.

Once the PCs were free, they would have a choice. They could escape clean and live at 0 level. Or risk their lives trying to rescue more captives and become adventurers.

This second quest was called simply enough decide to become adventurers and was worth another 1 XP as well as more gear and all starting gear based on choices made during character creation.

I included five townies as additional prisoners. One of these townies became a PC (since a player missed the first game). Others offered abilities or access to factions the PCs might have an interest in.

Some classes require certain special requirements be met before going up in level. I tried to include the option to perform all of these special requirements during the adventure so all classes would be available.

The blackguard and warlock classes are both evil. Each class requires anyone advancing a level to sacrifice a sentient good creature. I consider these classes to be much more useful as NPCs and I was happy to see that the players concurred. If they hadn't, they might have chosen to sacrifice one or two of the townies and I was hoping the campaign wouldn't go down that road. The option is there, though, for groups that want a much darker game.

Trap Door

I included a weak shadow as a monster in case one of the players wanted to play a shadowcaster (shadowcasters have to defeat a shadow to gain a level in the class). Even so, it was level 3 and quite deadly. I included a trapdoor in the cellar that used to be a coal chute. If pried open, sunlight would flood in and kill the shadow.

The chute was trapped. I told the PCs that a trapdoor in the ceiling was locked. When they opened it and tripped the trap, I explained that I had told them it was a trap door. I found it amusing.

Future Columns

Going commando in power armor. I needed to clarify what the commando theme could and could not do. I created my own power armor along the way. Swamp and city building. Getting more from each XP earned. Creating the character you want right at the beginning.

Shine on,
Charlie