Alternative character creation and advancement rules for D&D

I've been playing tons of Bloodborne and Dark Souls in my spare time so it's time for me to impose another souls-borne-inspired blog post on you.  In DS/BB you get to choose a class for your character which determines your starting equipment and stats.  Some of the classes are objectively more powerful than others, some are geared towards beginner players and some are only good if the player is experienced and knows what they are doing.  Often TTRPGs worry a lot about balance between classes and will try to make them all pretty evenly matched at level 1, but I thought it might be cool to have classes that are less balanced for more variety of play experience.

The 'balance', or probably better called 'fairness', comes from classes being randomly selected instead of chosen by the player.  I've written up d10 classes, which I've decided to call 'backgrounds', along with rules for character creation and advancement.  As you'll see, ability scores are sometimes rolled with a different formula to 3d6 depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the background.  I have roughly based this off of LotFP but with the key difference that I'm using d8 skills instead of d6.  This is because skills are improved each level in a similar way to the CoC/Runequest roll-over mechanic, and using a d8 will make skill progression a bit slower.

The 'Hedge Knight' background is sort of like an easy mode while the 'Nobody' background is like a hard mode (similar to the 'depraved' class in DS).

Character Creation

Roll 1d10 to get your background then refer to the relevant tables for your abilities, HP, skills, starting equipment, saving throws and levelling speed. Attack bonus for level 1 characters is +1 unless otherwise stated.

1. Hedge Knight
2. Cutpurse
3. Cultist
4. Lord's Bastard
5. Galley Slave
6. Hermit
7. Merchant
8. Barbarian
9. Graverobber
10. Nobody

Character Advancement

Upon gaining a new level, your character will gain 1d6 + Con mod hit points and may improve saving throws. Any skill that your character has used in a dangerous situation since the last time you gained a level has a chance of being improved. Roll 1d8 for each of these skills, and if you get a higher result than your skill, increase the skill by 1. Do the same for attack bonus, which caps at +8.

Hedge Knight

You were once a knight but fortune has left you without a lord to serve or lands to protect. You wander the land subsisting with little more than your martial skills.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6+6 Con: 2d6+6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 3d6	1d8 + Con mod	Bushcraft 2-in-8 Attack +2 All others 1-in-8	Any two weapons Chain mail Backpack 2d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – good Breath – average Device – average Magic – poor	Very slow

Cutpurse

You were probably born on the streets. You have survived this long only by pilfering the valuables of wealthier folk.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6+1 Con: 3d6 Dex: 2d6+6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 3d6	1d6 + Con mod	Search 2-in-8 Sleight 2-in-8 Stealth 2-in-8 Tinker 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Dagger Simple clothes Backpack 1d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – average Breath – good Device – good Magic – average	Slow

Cultist

Regardless of where you came from, at some point in your life you were seduced by the promise of eldritch power.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 3d6 Con: 2d6+1 Dex: 3d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 2d6+6 Cha: 3d6	1d6 + Con mod	Languages 2-in-8 Search 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	One random spell book Robes Backpack 3d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – average Breath – average Device – good Magic – good	Average

Lord's Bastard

Even though you were born of noble blood you are of a lower social rank than your brothers and sisters and will never own land or inherit great wealth.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6+1 Con: 2d6+1 Dex: 3d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6+6	1d4 + Con mod	Architect 2-in-8 Languages 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Any one weapon Leather armour Backpack 5d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – poor Poison – poor Breath – average Device – average Magic – average	Average

Galley Slave

Years of gruelling toil have hardened you and now that you have your freedom, anything is possible.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6+6 Con: 2d6+6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 2d6+1 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 3d6	1d6 + Con mod	Bushcraft 2-in-8 Climb 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Club Simple clothes Backpack 1d4 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – average Breath – average Device – poor Magic – poor	Fast

Hermit

You have spent a considerable amount of time by yourself away from civilisation. While you have little to your name, you have learned much in your private studies.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6+1 Con: 3d6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 2d6+6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6+1	1d4 + Con mod	Bushcraft 2-in-8 Tinker 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	One random spell book Simple clothes Backpack 1d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – good Breath – poor Device – poor Magic – good	Fast

Merchant

You have travelled far and wide, making a living from ripping off customers and avoiding tax collectors.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 3d6 Con: 3d6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6+6	1d6 + Con mod	Languages 2-in-8 Tinker 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Any one weapon Decent clothes Backpack 4d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – average Poison – average Breath – average Device – average Magic – poor	Average

Barbarian

You are not from here. Your customs are mysterious and your language might as well be gibberish but you know how to survive in the wild.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 3d6 Con: 2d6+6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 2d6+1 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6+1	1d6 + Con mod	Bushcraft 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Axe or club Primitive clothes Backpack 1d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – good Poison – good Breath – average Device – poor Magic – poor	Average

Graverobber

Work begins for you at nightfall. You have lived off selling the nice things that people bury with their loved ones. It's not like they need them anyway.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 3d6 Con: 2d6+6 Dex: 3d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6+1	1d6 + Con mod	Climb 2-in-8 Search 2-in-8 Stealth 2-in-8 All others 1-in-8	Crowbar Dirty clothes Backpack 4d6 x 10 sp	Paralyze – good Poison – good Breath – average Device – average Magic – poor	Slow

Nobody

No one knows where you came from. You were born with nothing and have only ever had nothing your entire life, but you are destined for great things.

Abilities	Hit Points	Skills	Equipment	Saves	Levelling
Str: 2d6 Con: 2d6 Dex: 2d6 Int: 2d6 Wis: 2d6 Cha: 2d6	1d4	All 1-in-8	Wooden pole Wretched clothes Backpack One lucky silver coin	Paralyze – poor Poison – good Breath – average Device – poor Magic – poor	Very fast

Character Advancement Chart

Level	Saves			Experience Points Needed (Levelling)
	Good	Average	Poor	Very Slow	Slow	Average	Fast	Very Fast
1	11	14	16	0	0	0	0	0
2	11	14	16	3,000	2,200	2,000	1,750	1000
3	11	14	16	6,000	4,400	4,000	3,500	2000
4	11	12	14	12,000	8,800	8,000	7,000	4000
5	9	12	14	24,000	17,600	16,000	14,000	8000
6	9	12	14	48,000	35,200	32,000	28,000	16,000
7	9	10	12	96,000	70,400	64,000	56,000	32,000
8	9	10	12	192,000	140,800	128,000	112,000	64,000
9	7	10	12	384,000	281,600	256,000	224,000	128,000
10	7	8	10	576,000	422,400	384,000	336,000	256,000