Creating The First Character

dunA few days after the decision to start up an AD&D 2nd Ed. game I start chatting with the new DM Oodja. I jokingly threaten to create a Psionicist. He laughs and says "You would, wouldn't you. Well, it would fit in nicely with the world." Crap, I start thinking about the Psionics rules in AD&D and the Complete Psion's Handbook and the Psionic combat. Ughh that makes my head hurt. I have to back peddle and fast.

I start talking about another character I'd like to play. A halfling, but he thinks he is a human. He's got a dwarf problem. I don't know why but the concept of a halfling insisting he's a human with a "dwarf problem" in a fantasy world with dwarves elves and all the rest entertains me.

I go on. So this halfling Tillam was raised by a human. The old guy never wanted Tillam to feel very different and Tillam never knew any other halflings so he just doesn't get that he isn't a human. Tillam's father is/was a well meaning clockmaker. But he wasn't very good with money so Tillam got to travel a lot often rather quickly.

This was a good chunk of Tillam's life until they got word that his uncle, a successful merchant in Varo, passed away. They move to Varo his aunt starts keeping the books and things settle down. Tillam picks up the trade of clockmaking but also branches out into locksmithing.

Ok so I've created a halfling Thief. But I don't want him to be a standard thief or a thief with a heart of gold. Oodja mentions that the complete books are available sources for the campaign. I look through them and latch on to the Troubleshooter kit.

(For those of you new to AD&D 2nd Ed. a kit is like a theme from 4E Dark Sun. To my knowledge they were introduced in the Complete books. All a kit is, is a way to customize your character from the time of creation. They have requirements, perks and hindrances)

Now to roll up the character. We are using the relatively friendly char gen rules. 4d6 drop the lowest rolled 6 times and arrange them how you like.

I get 8, 10, 12, 15, 15, 16

Because I'm going to be a Thief Dex is very important plus as a halfling I get a +1 to it. So is Int because I want to be a worldly kind of halfling. CHA also seems important because I want people to believe Tillam is a human or accept his brand of crazy, plus followers are more loyal if you have a higher CHA and you can retain more of them. To play a halfling I need at least a 12 Con. Wisdom should be my lowest stat. It will help explain why Tillam imprinted on a human and still believes he is one today. Leaving Str as my second lowest stat it also will have a -1 applied to it because I'm a halfling.

Meaning Tillam's stats are

Halfling from AD&D 2nd Ed Monsterous Compendium

STR 9         
DEX 17
CON 12
WIS 8
INT 15
CHA 15







I realized I've never actually played a halfling in this edition before so I read their race description it is very similar to the Hobbit source material. With one exception a strong relationship between the halflings and dwarves is drawn. So much so that there is a 15% chance of having infravision out to 60' and a 50% chance of having it out to 30'. Also If you make the 60' infravision check you have a 75% chance of knowing if a tunnel ascends or descends. Both are dwarf and gnome characteristics.

I rolled for it and successfully gained infravision out to 60' with a roll of 04.

Next up choosing proficiencies a kit and assigning my thief's skill points.

Begining a Return to AD&D 2nd Ed

A couple of weeks ago a group I game with began wrapping up our Traveller campaign. That DM will be having a baby soon. Meaning we needed a new game and a new DM. One man stepped forward and said. "I'd like to run a game in a campaign I created years ago. I've been working on it ever since."

We agreed and we were introduced to Varo. A gritty city state I can only describe as an amalgamation of Lankhmar and Venice. A world fleshed out the way only a librarian can. And a game that requires something with fragile heroes.


He wanted to run this game in AD&D 2nd Ed.

After a little cajoling and dealing we agreed. We are starting at 1st level (my requirement) with max hit points.

Now I need to make a character in a game system I haven't played in a while.

This will be fun.