I'm A Level1 Fighter, What Does That Mean?

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In a world where players may come to the table with five page backstories before even rolling stats, it's necessary to establish what exactly it means to be a level 1 character. I'm using AD&D 1E in particular because the wealth of guidance provided in the PHB and DMG translates into a ton of both implicit and explicit instruction as to what the world should look like if playing the game as written.

Best case scenario, I can argue with people who stumble here about our interpretations of what the abilities, mechanics, and flavor all represent, and I can easily get on the same page with people who jump in on my games by copying and pasting what I wrote on the class they're playing.

The Fighter

We have something to learn from the title of the level 1 Fighter: "Veteran." It goes at odds, perhaps, with the age range presented by the Human Fighter at character creation: 16-19 years old. But when considering that teenagers in the Middle Ages were conscripted in times of war, it seems to be entirely plausible that a young Fighter may have served in armed conflict for the presiding Lord of the territory. In fact, this puts some other things into place.

How is it your Fighter came to be trained in a variety of martial weapons? War. If not formerly a soldier serving the local Lord, mercenary work would explain it just as well. Chaotic sorts may have their expertise explained by being a successful bandit or pirate.

Regardless, there can be no doubt that the level1 Fighter is beyond the capabilities of the majority of humans and demihumans in prowess. The Fighter is a step above any non-leveled human or demihuman on THAC0 (or the attack matrix if you will). While demihumans and humans generally have a d6+1 of HP at most, the Fighter has potentially up to a d10+4. The Fighter has the smallest penalty for using weapons they lack proficiency with compared to all others, and the Fighter even surpasses the Paladin and Ranger in the number of starting weapon proficiencies. (Sidenote: the Ranger and Paladin surpass the Fighter in nearly every other capacity) Finally, the ability to equip himself with all manners of armor suggests familiarity with how to effectively make use of them while minimizing the disadvantages.

Between the title and the abilities of the Fighter, we have established that the Fighter is not some "fresh off the farm" yokel who managed to save up for a sword, but a warrior that is beyond that of his peers.

Because of that, the Fighter should have some knowledge of other Fighters in the area that he developed his skills in, particularly when it comes to the more prominent Fighters. The Monster's Manual highlights how just about every large (20+) group of humans/demihumans/humanoids will be headed by higher-level Fighters. Whether it's a Captain, a Lieutenant, or a Lord, the Fighter should know of at least a few higher-level Fighters in his region. This becomes pivotal when the question of training comes along, and can be a great resource when a party is in need of aid. It's a built in entry point into patron play.

For fun, here's a little table to see where your Fighter's training came from:

2d6
2, Pirate
3-4, Bandit
5-9, Conscripted soldier for local Lord
10-11, Mercenary 
12, (another d6) 1, Dishonored Squire 2-4, Failed Ranger, 5-6 Failed Paladin

Looking Ahead

The Fighter becomes a killing machine with time. He will look at most potential opponents (1HD or less) as mere nuisances unless in large numbers, since he will have the ability to cut through swathes of them with relative ease. But this is an obvious facet that anyone playing 1E will recognize.

Perhaps less appreciated is his propensity for becoming a ruler. The Fighter has the ability to establish a "Freehold" and become Lord of a section of land, automatically attracting soldiers and revenue in the process.

We know, from the DMG p183, that strongholds that can be found are more likely to be ruled by a level9+ Fighter than anyone else (when character type is indicated, there's a 44% chance). Thus, it would follow that the lands are dotted with very able warriors who have retired to a life of Lordship.

This is something that the Fighter can look forward to: ruling a castle, commanding an army, collecting taxes from his land's inhabitants, and deciding whether to continue going on perilous quests for gold and glory, or to live a safer life as a Patron to the upcoming generation of adventurers.

Next: Paladin or Ranger?

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