Why do all RPG's start you off as level 1?

[magritte]

Other than BG2, I can't think of a D&D based game where you didn't start at level 1 and yet, it often makes no sense. In BG3, for example, we're expected to believe the Temple of Shar sent out a rank novice to recover an artifact of huge importance to them. Wyll has sold his soul to have a few paltry tricks as a level 1 warlock. Karlach has supposedly been off fighting the Blood Wars on the outer planes but she's level 3 when we meet her which would get her slaughtered by even the weakest of demons. It doesn't make any sense.

Granted, it's a widely used trope and BG3 isn't the worst offender. Exactly why the council chooses Shepard to be the first Human Spectre when the gameplay shows him to be inadequately trained and poorly equipped was never clear to me, for example. I get that character progression is part of the RPG experience, but do we really always have to start as rank amateurs? Why couldn't BG3 start with the characters at say, level 5? Low level D&D isn't all that thrilling anyway because of the limited number of abilities and lack of variety in monsters--why not start the characters off with a decent repetoire of skills?
The only thing I can think of is that it allows you to slowly introduce your characters abilities as they progress, but you could probably do that with a well designed tutorial section.

Oddly, often games in other genres have the opposite problem where the character is inexplicably skilled from the start. Exactly why does Gordon Freeman, post-doctoral fellow in physics, have the ability to just pick up an assault rifle and start mowing down US marines?

[Zeel Ara]

You could have figured out the answer in one tenth of the time it took you to write that.

Or maybe I'm giving you too much credit.

[The Yeen Queen]

Because part of the game is the growth of power? As for characters like Wyll and Gale, they outright say at one point that the parasite has weakened them. The same or similar could easily be said for other characters. Shadowheart has her memory literally erased on a regular basis and had this done before being sent on this mission. Lae'zal literally was a novice. Karlach's engine isn't working right outside of the Hells. If you're playing the Durge, you literally just had Orin poke holes in your brain.

If you actually pay attention to the story, there's no mystery about it. And these aren't exactly hidden details.

[Koopa]

wyll literally has dialogue about this try speaking to him

[Kafik]

Originally posted by magritte:

Oddly, often games in other genres have the opposite problem where the character is inexplicably skilled from the start. Exactly why does Gordon Freeman, post-doctoral fellow in physics, have the ability to just pick up an assault rifle and start mowing down US marines?

Because he shoots three gun competitions in his spare time.

[Srecko]

For starters, it's a video game. :)
Secondly, some companions do mention how their powers are nowhere near where they should be. Most notably Gale and Wyll. Maybe it's due to tadpole influence or whatnot. Perhaps it is actually explained in the game, but I'll admit I didn't really 100% every possible conversation or note.
Finally, you shouldn't really underestimate a level 1 character. That's not really a simple commoner you're talking about. Level 1 Fighter is your standard army soldier. He/She went through all the training to become a competent warrior.

[Hellsteeth30]

The contrivance for this game is the tadpole.....mostly.

Durge, stab in the brain.

Shadowfart has her brain drive formatted on the reg.

There's various reasons but it's mostly the 'pole.

[ahsanford]

Old goldbox D&D games were series-style like BG was. You started off at reasonable starting level for the higher level difficulty each new game represented.

- A

[ahsanford]

And few people beef about Geralt of Rivia starting at L1 in each Witcher game, right?

It is what it is.

- A

[Ericus1]

For the record, Wrath of the Righteous starts off the party characters at varying levels, appropriate to the point in time where you acquire them and to their backstory and character. It has its upsides and downsides, mainly as to how well that character ends up being put together.

And by everything holy are its UI and QoL features a HELL of a lot better than the garbage Larian has thrown at us, as I am rapidly discovering as I play more through BG3.
I want to burn at the stake whatever jackass did the inventory system.

[seeker1]

Well, the post-origins are usually not found at lvl1. Halsin usually starts ~lvl 7. Also Minthara. Jaheira at ~lvl 9. And Minsc will always be lvl 12 when you find him, even if your party is lower level.

P.S. a very popular mod makes you lvl6 the moment you step off the Nautiloid. Just so you know.

[Ryzilynt]

Originally posted by magritte:

Other than BG2, I can't think of a D&D based game where you didn't start at level 1 ....

When you roll a new D&D character it starts at level 1.

BG2 was an exception because you could carry characters over from the first game.

[Quillithe]

My personal favorite might be Deus Ex where the superhuman augmented counter-terrorist guy mostly doesn't have augments and can't aim a weapon at all

[Draknalor]

Originally posted by magritte:

Wyll and other characters do say, if you talk and listen to them, that they were more powerful before, but that the tadpole changed them, drained them of their power

[Sentient_Toaster]

Originally posted by Ryzilynt:

Originally posted by magritte:

Other than BG2, I can't think of a D&D based game where you didn't start at level 1 ....

When you roll a new D&D character it starts at level 1.

Depends on the group. Some groups like to start everybody at level 3, so that everybody has a subclass (unless they really insist on multiclassing already, and even then, they'd have to pick classes that don't start subclasses at level 1).

For a group including completely new players, though, starting at level 1 is reasonable just so that they have fewer rules and class abilities to learn at once.

[DontMisunderstand]

RPGs start you at level 1 because that's the best way to let the player actually play the role they want to play.