8
Ludo-narrative Dissonance
(i.redd.it)
If your character's starting off at level one, they're really only getting started with adventuring. You can let that be reflected in their backstory.
If you want to play a badass, starting above level 1 is allowed, though probably not recommended for new players still learning the rules of whatever system you're playing.
I'm still traumatized from the crit fail I rolled during a campaign five years ago.
I was playing a gunslinger, and made an admittedly foolish attempt to shoot a vermin crawling near my foot. I rolled a 1, and the DM ruled that meant I shot myself in the foot. I couldn't really argue with that outcome, but it was hard to come back from that. It was a harsh post-apocalyptic setting, which meant that the other characters were obliged to rib me for it incessantly, and my character could never seem to redeem himself afterwards.
I hate fumbles I hate fumbles I hate fumbles.
No, my basically competent character does not shoot themselves 5% of the time when they make an attack.
To be fair, if I was aiming literally anywhere else but down at a rat crawling over my foot, it probably would have been a misfire or a bad ricochet.