Lock Picks Taken... Gear Up Newbs... and Old Schoolers

Lock Picks Taken... Let's grab the loot and get outa here!

In an attempt to get my game back on track, I  have started blazing a pretty serious trail through the wilderness of character generation. The goal is to reduce the process to as few choices and rolls as possible while still preserving player agency. 

I need to do this for a few reasons. First, CharGen needs to be kind of fast, because... well dungeons are full of monsters and traps and shit. And they all want to kill the PCs. Second, my group has a pretty high attrition rate (I have to move a lot... so I am always looking for fresh blood). Given that there are many players and they have all experienced different D&Ds... editions and DMs each being different from one another. Finally, some of my new players are pretty much newbs who have little to no experience with the game. 

So, for my first original post in a while I have my starting equipment selection process to be used during CharGen. This reduces all of the equipment lists down to the essentials which sets up newbs with gear without them feeling (and being) lost and speeds the process up (back to the monsters and shit killing peeps... players may have to roll up a few new PCs every now and then).   

Most of the hacks I have used in my game have been inspired by someone else... this one is the same. In fact, I have pretty much ripped this one right off... thanks Zak. 

Joesky's Tax...

You have a Knife or Dagger, a Melee Weapon of your choice, and a Backpack. If you have any faith in any God or Godling, you may have an appropriate Holy Idol. You also start with 1d10+CHA cp in cash.

Roll 1d30 on this table until you get the same result twice or the table instructs you to do otherwise.

1. Shield or Helmet (+1 AC) or a Cloak

2. Leather Armor (+2 AC) or a Cloak

3. Studded Leather/Ring Mail Armor (AC +3), Leather Armor, or a Cloak and roll 1d20+10 for all further rolls on this table

4. Scale Mail (AC +4), Leather Armor or a Cloak and roll 1d20+10 for all further rolls on this table

5. Chain Mail (AC +4), Leather Armor, or a Cloak and roll 1d20+10 for all further rolls on this table

6. Banded Mail/Splint Mail (AC +5), Leather Armor, or a Cloak and roll 1d20+10 for all further rolls on this table

7. Plate Mail (AC +6), Leather Armor, or a Cloak and roll 1d20+10 for all further rolls on this table

8. Light Crossbow w/ 2d6 Bolts 

9. Roll under CHA on 1d20. If you fail, take any one thing and continue rolling; if you succeed, choose a number of things off this list equal to the difference by which you succeeded on the roll then stop.

10. Mirror or 10' Pole

11. 100 sp or or Thieves' Tools

12. 2d8 Torches and 3d8 Tindertwigs

13. Rope (50 feet)

14. Grappling Hook

15. Bedroll 

16. 1d4 hand fulls of Caltrops or 10' Chain

17. Melee Weapon +1 of your choice, it may be throwable

18. Short Bow w/2d12 Arrows or Sling w/ 2d12 Bullets

19.  Lantern with 2d4 Flasks of Oil, and Flint and Steel

20. 2d8 days Rations

21.  Hammer and 2d6 Door Spikes

22.  Wineskin (full of Wine or Water)

23.  Crowbar or Sledge Hammer

24.  1 Small Black Cylinder of the Unknown or 1d3 hand fulls of Dust of Petrification

25.  Gonnes: Blunderbuss, Musket, or Pistol (match or wheel lock) w/ enough Powder and Shot to fire 2d6 rounds

26.  1d3 pinches of Powdered Ogre Tusk (+1d4 STR for 1d6 rds, then make save or suffer 1d6 points of fatigue)

27.  1d4 Healing Poultices (heal 1d6+1, or allow a poison or disease save, requires 1d6 turns to take effect)

28.  Golden Signet Ring of unknown value with little secret compartment

29.  1d8 Thunderstones or 1d6 Heatstones 

30.  Piece of Jewelry worth 1d6x50 sp