Aquatic Ape

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OD&D + 0-Level Characters

A present to myself arrived on the doorstep today: the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. I will probably do a review of it at some point (what I've read so far is awesome), but one aspect that inspired me is the handling of 0-level characters. I like the idea of a dozen or so peasant mates banding together to explore a dungeon: 

*Hiccup!* "Barry, ai heard therz sum treshurez in this here dungin!" 

A few hours/days/weeks later most are dead. Shit, that escalated quickly.

Anyway, my Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers mini-campaign is winding down. I'm running a published adventure at the moment, and my Xamboola adventure has been successfully playtested. I'm kind of itching for something different. Earlier this year I ran an OD&D one-shot which turned into The Black Ruins. I'm a huge fan of OD&D. Although I was born over a decade after its release, I adore the ruleset. It's simple, malleable, and includes all the bits of D&D that I like. The other day I drew a map of an imagined city called Styro which is basically...I don't know...it's weird. But the idea of a classless game - or at least a looser definition of class - has been sitting with me recently, and DCC's 0-level characters has got the juices going a bit further. I've been considering running an OD&D hexcrawl/megadungeon game, where characters start off as worthless peons, and through adventure begin to hone their skills further. Each character would begin at 0 level, and...

• I'd probably use my Sandboxing tables to generate a prior profession, or use the DCC tables for ideas.
• Begin with1d3 hit points. 
• Gain a level at the conclusion of the first adventure and choose a class. Classes will be assumed to be fighting-man, cleric, or magic-user (probably human only). Additional class options are my OD&D Thief and Berserker (see my downloads section). Also, players can describe what sort of character they want, and I can create a template from that (I'm working on a Mentalist at the moment).
• Instead of gaining another hit die, 1st level characters would then roll 1d6 for hit points. If the total exceeded their 0-level total, they keep the higher. Otherwise they gain 1 extra hit point. Thus, a 1st level character could have anywhere between 2-6 hit points.

Oh, and I'd get players to roll at least 2-4 characters. I've been mapping out the first level of the Styro underworld too. I'm kind of excited for where this eventuates. More to come. 

Styro City Map (FREE DOWNLOAD).

Today, I've been thinking about cities, and doing them slightly differently in a fantasy game. I doodled the above map today. I like the idea of sci-fi meeting fantasy. The premise being a melding of ancient pyramidical and domed architecture, meeting modern conventions. Think elevator shafts, electronic "magic" equipment, etc. Clearly, there is a visible level above ground, and an undercity rife for exploration.

DOWNLOAD MAP

Points of Interest

Styro can be either an inhabited city, or a seemingly deserted locale. A large building can be located in the wilderness. Leading away from this building, and towards Styro are tall, stone-like creatures (of at least 20 feet in height). These creatures stand erect with arms straight against their sides. Fused to their either side of their heads are two silky cords which act to connect them all in a line extending miles, into the tip of Shaft II's antenna. The creatures do not speak, and may even appear as statues.

In actuality the creatures are psychic conductors. The two cords are known as psychic silk, which can be used to power buildings and technologies. Those endowed with psionic ability can tap into the "silk" and communicate with the connected buildings. 

Styro has a few large buildings, and the rest are fairly humble domiciles. Of note is the Ramid, Babel, the Silo, and the dual shafts.

The lower levels and monsters are not detailed. I may run my group through this adventure site (if they find it!), and do not wish to ruin any surprises. Depending on my ongoing enthusiasm I may release this as a proper adventure. Enjoy. 


1. Shaft I

• 120 feet deep, 6 feet wide.
• After 60 feet an entry into Gamma (Level 3) may be visible.
• A winch-wound shaft and basket enables descent.
• Service entries can be found on either side of shaft, for maintenance or surprising foes.
• The building housing the shaft has strange blinking lights within, and a perpetual rumbling noise.
• Opening the rumbling cages reveals sluggish creatures sitting in pits of putrid goo. The goo glows with a phosphorescence, and seems to power the infrastructure. 

2. Silo

• 40 feet high.
• Appears as an administration office — various abacus', merchants' scales, astronomical tools, and so forth can be found within.

3. Ramid (Temple)

• 80 feet high. Can be ascended by climbing its stepped sides.
• Has an unusual pole atop. 
• Inside is a catacomb of worship avenues, shrines, sacrificial altars, mission quarters, and channels of cut recesses within the floors. 
• The temple interior is divided into 3 levels, each 20 feet high.
• A crypt of monkey-sarcophagi.
• A shaft descends into Alpha (Level 1).

4. Shaft II

• 120 feet deep, 6 feet wide.
• At the bottom an entry into Zeta (Level 6) can be discovered, though the portal is locked. 
• Alternatively another descent into Shaft III can be discovered. Though descending this requires manipulation of an ensorcelled device. 

5. Babel

• A tower — 60 feet high at its pinnacle, 20 feet wide.
• Murals on most walls depicting a slave-people toiling to erect this structure. The exterior resembles the Empire State building somewhat. 
• The appointments within suggest a matriarchy society, led by Queen lineage. 

6. Domiciles

• Simple structures of varying sizes and shapes. Most are single or double-roomed, while others are rather palatial.
• Squarish or domed.
• A few will have treasure. 

7. Shaft III

• 70 feet deep, 6 feet wide.
• Getting up or down requires manipulation of an ensorcelled device (powered by the slugs or the Giant Rockdweller psychic silks). 

8. Alpha (Level 1)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

9. Beta (Level 2)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

10. Gamma (Level 3)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

11. Delta (Level 4)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

12. Epsilon (Level 5)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

13. Zeta (Level 6)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

14. Eta (Level 7)

• Vaulted ceilings 20 feet high. 

15. Theta (Level 8)

• This level is 60 feet high.

16. Iota (Level 9)

• This level is 40 feet high.