LEVEL 0 ADVENTURERS

PLAY YOUR BACKSTORY

D&D Level 0 The Dungeon Coach

Heroes are not born, they are made. Before your characters Medium Humanoid
were fighters, barbarians, sorcerers or warlocks, they probably
had much more in common with the average person on the Contact
street. Your wizard was not born with a spellbook in their Email thedungeoncoach@gmail.com
hands and they did not master the arcane overnight, there was Discord https://discord.gg/NpU932E
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a point before they could even really call themselves a wizard,
what was that like?
Resources for dungeon masters
You can have the whole group play as level 0 characters YouTube. The Dungeon Coach YouTube Channel
together, if part of their backstory is a shared origin. Or you I create weekly videos every Sunday to help make your
can run individual prequel sessions for each character or pairs games more creative and more fun!
of characters one-on-one before the campaign proper, and https://www.youtube.com/thedungeoncoach
learn how those elements interact in a session zero. Level 0
Custom D&D PDF Resource –Check out the other content
characters can also be used for quick and simple one-shots. I’ve published. I will keep making more and more of
For flashback adventures to learn more about the character’s my documents available online from my large list of
past, for side stories about the NPCs of your world, or to tell homebrew content!
‘what if?’ stories about other would be adventuring groups. https://the-dungeon-locker.creator-spring.com/

Playing at level 0 is a great way to ease into the mechanics

Support my work
of D&D, and learn about your characters more as concepts
Patreon. If you like the stuff I have here as digital resources
and personalities than a list of mechanics. With relatively few and want ALL of those and MORE, think about supporting
mechanical bells and whistles, these proto-adventurers can me over on Patreon!
get their first taste of the dangerous world without already
being a significant cut above the rest. I have many resources and you can get involved with what
I do over on my YouTube Channel too! Including Multiple
Starting at level 0, also gives every character a similar level Reward Tiers and a GREAT community!
of backstory to work with. It creates a bridge between the https://www.patreon.com/thedungeoncoach
passive player and the amateur novelist.
You start off with NO Class, I recommend to have your class
in mind and that could help sculpt the way you play them and
explain why you have what you do. BUT you could totally be
more vague and take this as an opportunity to DISCOVER
what class you will become, which is why all the “Pre-
Class Features” you take are extremely customizable. Both Credits
options can work!
Creator: The Dungeon Coach – Alan Bjorkgren
Editing, Interior Design and Layout
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Homebrew Crew
Nexus_2u, adbarnes81, Lemon
Graphics and Original Art
AvalonInk (www.avalonink.com )
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Copyright 2020, The Dungeon Coach, The Dungeon Coach, LLC

Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R.
Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos
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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by The Dungeon Coach and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

DM’S GUILD RESOURCE | THE DUNGEON COACH 1

How to Create a Level 0 Character
Attribute Scores
• Roll your stats in the same way that you normally would.
• Video on the “DC Method” if you are interested:
https://youtu.be/CTFOc7Cr1gA
Level Up!
Once you have reached 1st level most of the work of creating
the character has already been done now. Here are the list of
things to upgrade your character to 1st level.
Remove

Racial Traits • Remove the -1 to Ability Modifiers

• Replace your Starting Hit Points with your Classes normal
• Apply these traits to your character as normal starting hit point amount. Or if you want your 1st level
• Or use Point Buy Feat System, give them 3-5 Feat Points: characters to have more HP, let them keep their HP from
https://youtu.be/7ZY2sidYT9s level 0.
Ability Modifiers Add
• Temporarily reduce ALL Ability Modifiers by 1 (only while Add one the following to your current character:
at level 0) • 2 Skill Proficiencies
Hit Points • 1 Tool or Language Proficiency
• Pick 1 more Saving Throw from the 2 options your Class
• Roll 1d6 (reroll 1s) and add your Constitution modifier
would normally get
(overall minimum of 2 Hit Points).
• Class Features and Proficiencies from your Class
• Your Hit Dice is 1d6
Armor Class More Variant Options
• No Armor Proficiencies
Magic Ranged Attack
• AC is 10 + Dex modifier
If one of your casters really wants to choose a cantrip or 1st
Proficiency Bonus is 2. You select the following: level spell for their “Pre-Class Feat” but still want to be able
• 2 Skills to make attacks with “magic” then use this “Mini Cantrip”:
• 1 Saving Throw (or do a random 1d6 roll for which stat) ranged spell attack (using their spell modifier and proficiency),
• 1 Simple Weapon 60ft range attack, 1d6 damage (choose an element that makes
• 1 Tool or Language sense for them).
Starting Equipment
Baby Class Features
• The bare minimum of what makes sense: don’t over think
If you know they are going to be a certain class then you can
this part
give them more “mini feats” at 0th level that are similar to what
Pre-Class Feats. You get 2 points to spend on any other of they are about to get at 1st level… let me play with a feature
the following. that is similar but not as powerful. Barbarian dealing ONLY
• Skill Proficiency (1pt) 1 more damage per hit or a monk taking an additional hit as
• Martial Weapon Proficiency (1pt) a bonus action
• Proficiency in Light Armor (1pt)
• Cantrip (2pts) Background Features
• 1st level spell you can cast once per day (2pts) You gain one “Feature” from any selected Background. I
personally do not use Background Features rule as written.
I usually give my players 2 proficiencies of choice and 2 tool
or languages along with some sort of “flavor thing” from their
Background. I would personally give them a flavor feature if it
makes sense for them, but only if it comes naturally, I would
not go out of my way to make sure they have one.

Ruthless Level 0
You could have this be a very deadly session and have it be
very difficult to get out alive, each player could make two
character concepts and they choose which one enters the
session. IF they survive they are able to keep their “Pre-Class
Feat” BUT if they die they do not get any bonus and start the
game as a normal 1st level character.

2 DM’S GUILD RESOURCE | THE DUNGEON COACH