I was told from the start that it wouldn't be too serious, but I had an inkling that was the case anyway. Of the other party members we have a Ranger (or a Rogue, or some combination of the two?) who really loves traps, a Druid who is one PETA commercial away from becoming an eco-terrorist, and I honestly can't remember the third because I was rather tired, but I'm pretty sure "a fightery type". Possibly a Cleric, actually.
Anyway, I decided to go with a Wizard. Except, because the game started at 2500 XP (modified for high prime attributes!) with a generous attribute generation method (everything starts at 0, have 75 points to raise them one-for-one), maximum HP (at least at the start) and access to the Player's Option stuff where you get points to customise classes and all... anyway I went Fighter 2 dual-classed into Wizard 1. Strength 18/00 (using the "spend points to raise Strength percentile" option, not the standard method of "I totally rolled that at home"), and when I hit third level and my Fighter stuff comes back online, that'll include +2 AC when unarmoured (ie always), and Lucerne-Hammer Specialisation. Because I foresee a fair amount of dungeoncrawling such that I can't just declare we're all taking a nap every five minutes.
People wondered why I would utilise "the worst thing in 2Ed, the horrible punishing dual-classing". Later on I suffered 11 damage and was still sitting on 9 as opposed to "dead". And sure, only having 2 spells per day is rough (yes 2, he also decided Wizards get bonus spells/day for a high Int the way Priests do for a high Wisdom), but I can throw darts and still add Strength, so all is good.
My Long-Winded Character Backstory (because we're all making them in-character)
First Chronicle of Claudia Bigby
A Humble Beginning
As a proud descendent of the infamous Bigby bloodline (inventors of such spells as Bigby's Crushing Hand) , I always knew I would one day be a great mage - it is just the done thing for my family. It would be remarkable if I were not a great mage at some point. Not only that, but it would be my legacy to one day create a new Bigby's Hand spell. I was a realist, of course, I know arcane forces are powerful, complex things, and no wizard writes their own spell while in their infancy. No, even then I knew it would take years of adventuring, and sitting down to perform research afterwards - it would probably be when I was in my sixties, but nonetheless, you can't escape destiny. As such, I was enrolled into the Wee Jas Academy for Gifted Mages right from the start.
Before then, it must be said our household was a relatively poor one. We couldn't afford to keep all seven serving staff on hand at all hours, putting them on a rotating schedule, and frequently I would look out the window of our horse-drawn carriage at others riding donkeys and wonder why we had no donkeys for riding. I wasn't even allowed to put on dirty rags and go play that food-foraging game with other children, it was imperative that I remain indoors and work on my important life skills. Still, as much as I longed for those peculiar activities that seemed to be a luxury only for others who had such time to spare, I understood the importance of my duties.
At age fifteen, I was amazed at the majestic sight of the Wee Jas Academy - it was huge! I knew it would be larger than my house - ours was probably one of the smallest in the district, a mere three floor affair - but I wasn't expecting an actual stronghold. Towers pushed through the clouds, the walls were massive and lined with skulls (although I later discovered these skulls had been created wholecloth without the need for killing and skinning creatures), the statues so large that even the statue of a gnomish wizard was thrice my own height. I knew I was lucky that my family name carried such importance as to guarantee my admission, because it was obvious how exclusive it would be. Yet there I was, accepted without a second thought, and assigned to the West Tower, a section reserved specifically for newcomers, as "all must prove their worth". I would have accepted no different.
Unfortunately, it turned out that I was actually a terrible wizard, despite bloodline, upbringing, intelligence and destiny. What I did excel at was the array of elective physical classes such as weaponry, athletics, mountaineering and charioteering. Rarely a day went by without me engaging in such exercises, completely outperforming even older students (except when they reminded me of the value of magic, and proceeded to paralyze me, Haste themselves and such - that was rather the point, after all). Within just a few months, I was well-toned and tanned, rippling with muscles, and stronger than nearly any other student, even older students, even boys… even staff. But of course, all the time I spent engaging in the physical arts of lifting heavy things and punching hard things, I was neglecting my actual studies. Meditation never lingered on magic, but turned to daydream, and I rarely bothered to read the tomes and scrolls left by stuffy old wizards (the very kind I imagine I will be when this book is published!). I did write a lot, however, but then, rarely was it my assigned homework. Typically, my penmanship would be less to do with essays on magical theory, but more to do with poetry, or my own journal which is forming a basis for this book, or fanciful tales of legendary characters and the events of their lives. Indeed, this continued into a tendency not to study in classes, and for the first year I was unable to cast even the simplest of spells!
It was obvious that my problem was that of applying myself - after all, not everyone has the spark, but those that do have the spark still need to fuel it themselves. I had never relied on hand-outs or help before, making my own way, and there was no issue there of "not being good enough" or "lacking magical ability". No, it was laziness that saw me suffer, and that very same laziness is probably why we see so few adventurers today. All those pleading for help should try helping themselves, as I did there at the academy! Pick up your own sword and do something!
Having become an excellent warrior there, I would have served well as a servant, "meat shield" or pack mule. I could very easily have been assigned those duties to another, stripped of my status and hat, and forced into servitude and menial labour, were it not for my close friends: Rebecca Mordenkainen and Listelle Nybor. All of a similar age and status, we were a team. They, however, understood the importance of hard work, and applied themselves right from the start. I fell behind, but they never drifted away. Perhaps it was the incident were a bully kept shrinking Rebecca until I relocated their jaw with a hammer. Or perhaps it was just our very natures. At any rate, we made a good team, and they stayed with me. In the end, it was probably Nybor's Gentle Reminder (I had no idea it was cast by throwing old boots at the target!) that saw me sit down and actually study.
Despite my good friends, I still spent a lot of time in detention, which typically involved being sent out into a grove full of ducksnakes and bunnyraptors, having to survive a night - something I did just fine with the aid of the hammer I carried. Actually, detention was quite a lot of fun in that respect, far better than hall-cleaning duties, or having to hammer our nails to be used as spell components (or cure small leather strings to fasten component bags - the smell remains for hours). This enjoyment probably helped me stick around long enough (and on their end, my final willingness to study saved me from expulsion - I am aware that even liches have a limit to their patience!), that finally I did show that glimmer of magic. Some instructors were concerned that this was an innate slowness on my part, that it would take fifty years of training just so I could cast Fireball, so I understand they conspired to accelerate my training and graduation.
Indeed, I did end up graduating from the Wee Jas Academy on the same year as my good friends, certificate and everything, and was quickly pushed out the door. It was then that I knew I had my destiny before me: as a real wizard, I had to head out and show the world what I could do. No, not just show the world, but show myself - I had a duty to experience the world, be a proper adventurer, learn by doing, and master magic in the practical way. This promise I made, and that was what led to the wide travels detailed in future chapters.
What Actually Happened First Session
Long story short, a massive hole appeared in their temple of rat-hating, causing the interred corpse of their saint to fall to the lower levels. They suspect foul play. So we wandered down there and fought some dog-sized rats, killing them good and proper with minimal injuries. Then we discovered they dissolve in holy water.
And then we found a gathering of skaven rat-men skaven. Combat ensued, and some embarrassingly low rolls meant it took longer than it should, though we won in the end. And that was where the session finished because we were all kind of tired at that point.