level zero character creation for old school & 5e style ttrpgs

13 Aug, 2026

(Putting the useful stuff up top to save you time)

Here is my system to generate system agnostic level zero characters

• Generate ability scores (3d6 down the line or whatever you prefer)
• Roll on the occupation table below that corresponds to the highest ability score
• Equipment comes with the occupation, so now you can determine armor & attacks
• Roll hitpoints (1d8 for a 1HD creature or whatever you prefer)
• Repeat until you have enough characters per player, usually 3 or 4 depending on the adventure

Why I made this

I love a character funnel. I think they are an incredible piece of ttrpg technology. A funnel is my preferred way to start a campaign, also they make great one-shots, and! they are great for onboarding players from other play cultures, like story games, 5e, or wargames, to old school ttrpg style play. Starting a campaign with a funnel is great because it invests the players in the surviving characters and possibly provides a stable of familiar NPCs if there is a surplus of survivors. Because funnels are essentially a war game with extremely fragile units they get the storygame and 5e players thinking about smart tactics and keep them from getting too attached to characters.

This said, I’ve only ever played in a funnel one time. At Gencon many years ago a friend of mine had an extra ticket for a session of Sailors on the Starless Sea. I lucked into a life changing TTRPG experience. It was a full body con experience. I was hung over. The GM was a long haired haberdasher from LA who went by “The Reverend," or something like that. A DCC tournament was happening in the same room, so dejected grognads kept getting up to hit a huge gong with a mallet whenever their characters died. We TPK’d on the boss of the adventure. It was awesome. After the game ended I went straight to the Goodman Games booth and bought a copy of Sailors on the Starless Sea. And because i’m the forever-DM type I’ve not been able to play in a funnel a second time, but have run Starless Sea and others many times.

In the years since I have written and run my own funnel. It is very much a homage to Sailors. Perhaps I’ll share it here some day. I’m not really a DCC guy, so I modified character creation to fit my sensibilities. In DCC after rolling ability scores players roll on an “Occupations” table to get their starting equipment. With ten to 15 characters generated this way inevitably someone winds up as a scribe with 4 intelligence or a jester with 6 Charisma. These outcomes are funny and not very impactful on play, but for me undermine the tone and degree of verisimilitude that I prefer at my table.

To resolve this aesthetic quibble I use the following method:

• Generate ability scores (3d6 down the line or whatever you prefer)
• Roll on the occupation table that corresponds to the highest ability score

i.e. a character whose highest score was strength would roll on the strength based occupations table, etc. In the case of a tie let the player choose. Or don’t. This can also be used as a d66 table for starting occupations. I’ve also tried to have high rolls on the occupation table correspond to better or higher status occupations, and lower rolls go to more pathetic occupations with less starting gear.

Occupations & Starting Equipment

Strength based occupations

1. Fugitive. 10 feet of chain, ragged clothes.
2. Farmer. Pitchfork (as spear), straw hat, prize pig that follows them everywhere.
3. Woodcutter. Ax, kindling, flint.
4. Stevedore. Thick belt (+1AC), club, warm cloak. Knows how to swim.
5. Stonemason. Hammer (as warhammer), pitons, rope. Basic knowledge of building.
6. Caravan Guard. Spear, short sword, shield (+1AC), helmet (+1AC).

Constitution based occupations

1. Grave Digger. Shovel (as club), social stigma. Pet rat. Familiarity with skeletons.
2. Charcoaler. Shovel (as club), 1d4 pounds of charcoal. Fire resistance.
3. Shepard. Quarterstaff, pet sheep dog.
4. Tanner. Dagger, thick gloves (+1AC), bad smell. Basic knowledge of anatomy.
5. Miner. Pickaxe, lantern, pint of oil, 50 feet of rope. Basic knowledge of caves.
6. Butcher. Cleaver (as short sword), meat.

Dexterity based occupations

1. Rat Catcher. Club, 1d8 dead rats, rat bait, coat made out of rat skins. Pet cat.
2. Rope Maker. Dagger, 50 ft. of rope.
3. Weaver. Scissors (as dagger), 50ft of string in several colors.
4. Cobbler. Hammer (as warhammer), box of nails, 1d4 pairs of new boots.
5. Fletcher. Dagger, shortbow, 2d20 arrows, quiver, sack of feathers.
6. Pickpocket. Dagger, club, cloak with hidden pockets, 2d6 silver pieces.

Wisdom based occupations

1. Hermit. Staff, hallucinogenic herbs, loin cloth. Pet bird. Poor social skills.
2. Fairer. Hammer, horseshoes, nails.
3. Dyer. Dagger, 1d4 dyes, 1d4 sheets of colored cloth, dyed clothes.
4. Falconer. Well trained falcon, dagger, heavy gauntlet (+! AC), falcon hood.
5. Sacristan. Staff, holy symbol, healer's kit, incense, vestments.
6. Trapper. Ax, shortbow, 20 arrows, compass. Brace of dead rabbits.

Intelligence based occupations

1. Tax Collector. Accounting book, quill, 1d4 sheets of paper, bottle of ink, 10d6 silver pieces, social pariah status.
2. Astrologer. Spy glass, planetary charts, flowing robes, pointy hat. Pet ferret.
3. Chandler. Dagger, 1d20 candles, 1d4 bars of soap, small box of matches.
4. Scribe. Quill, ink, dagger, a few sheets of paper, scroll of magic missile.
5. Barber. Sharp razor (1d6+1 slashing), apron, comb, leeches.
6. Apothecary. Dagger, book of recipes, healer's kit, pint of oil, flask of acid.

Charisma based occupations

1. Mendicant. Bundle of rags tied to end of 10 foot pole, empty cup.
2. Crier. Hand held bell, fancy hat, buckled shoes, lantern, dagger.
3. Fortune Teller. Staff, deck of fates, palm chart, outlandish hat, 2d6 sliver coins.
4. Peddler. Staff, dagger, sack full of 1d20 small trinkets.
5. Limner. Dagger, paints and brushes, shield (+1 AC) with half finished heraldry
6. Performer. Lute, motley, makeup, 3 daggers (for juggling).

I’ve successfully used this as a foundation for a 5e campaign. The whole process for a creating a level zero character for a 5e funnel (or most any kind of d&D based system) is:

• Roll ability scores: 4d6, drop the lowest
• 1d8 + Con mod starting HP
• 10 + Dex mod starting AC
• Roll on occupation table for highest ability score
• Repeat until you have enough characters per player, usually 3 or 4 depending on the adventure

Leveling Up Survivors

The survivors of the funnel pick a character class and gain their first level. However, I found with 5e that the survivors who reached level one were significantly weaker than the average level 1 5e character, and were missing the “backgrounds” piece of 5e level 1 character creation. To compensate I invented a new background called "Survivor" You did not venture forth to seek riches, right wrongs, or get revenge. You fought because you had no choice. Most who you set out with died. You are one of the few who lived. In the danger and chaos you found something in yourself you did not know was there, and now choose to continue on the adventure that was forced upon you...

• +2 to one ability score
• +1 to a different ability score
• Pick any two skills
• Add as many languages as your Int mod score (i.e. with a 16 intelligence pick 3 languages)

I think for old-school/non-5e D&D systems simply using leveling up procedures should be sufficient to go from level zero to level one. This approach will yield level one characters with slightly higher HP and a few extra items, which seems fair for surviving whatever horrors you subjected them to in the funnel.

I hope this is helpful for folks writing their own funnel adventures! -LZC