Topic: Dungeons and Dragons, Character Creation
This week, in route to our eventual short D&D Adventure, we create a Character for my mom. She chose some interesting options for her character, which I'm proud to see, so lets find out what kind of character she created.
Tutorial:
Before you begin, you will want the following:
Dice of various types, Ideally 4 D6 Dice
Character sheet
Scratch paper
Player’s Handbook, or Rule Book PDF via ...
Topic: Dungeons and Dragons, Character Creation
This week, in route to our eventual short D&D Adventure, we create a Character for my mom. She chose some interesting options for her character, which I'm proud to see, so lets find out what kind of character she created.
Tutorial:
Before you begin, you will want the following:
- Dice of various types, Ideally 4 D6 Dice
- Character sheet
- Scratch paper
- Player’s Handbook, or Rule Book PDF via D&D Website
- Pencil and Eraser
How to Build a character.
- Choose a Race
- Choose a Class
- Determine Ability Scores
- Flesh out your Character’s Story and Personality
- Choose Equipment
1) Race & Class
Typically decided on your own, not absolutely necessary for it to make sense, so long as it makes sense to you at the end of the day.
Keep in mind that Some classes give special abilities, added Ability scores, and even special interactions. Choosing a Race is Very Important.
If you Race is what you are, then Class is what you’re a professional in.
Be certain that your concept for your character is solid and well understood, as it will help figure out how to fill in your character sheet and how to score stuff
2) Ability Scores
Key scores that outline your character
Average score is 10. Above is better than others, below is weaker than others
- Strength – Running, Jumping, Punching things in the face
- Dexterity – Agility, Grace, balance, efficient in movement
- Constitution – Health, Pain thresh-hold
- Intelligence – Recalling information
- Wisdom – Perception, aware of your surroundings, common-sense
- Charisma – Self-confidence, personality around others
Take 4 D6 dice, roll and lowest score gets removed. The added number is an ability Score. Repeat for total of 6 times, then place as you wish in your character’s ability scores
Alternatively, you can use a “Standard Array” if you just want to get in to the action. Thus no rolling, but more standardized numbers, ie: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, & 8
Each Ability Score is really just a modifier at the end of the day. As an example, lets say you needed to swing a sword, and you have a strength score of 15, then you get a +2 to your roll. This mean that what ever to score, you get a +2 to that roll, regardless what you rolled. So if you rolled a 14, it becomes a 16 because your modifier is +2.
You’ll keep track of this as well with your character sheet
3) Features, Proficiencies, and Filling in your Sheet
With your character’s race and class in place, you can start filling in some more of your character sheet. Under “Features & Traits” we can start adding any features of your race and class. Some Races & classes will give you additional Ability Scores, while others will give you special Features for your race. Best to write them all down, if it you don’t understand them just yet.
You can add your character’s speed as well, IE smaller character take longer to walk places naturally, while taller characters take less time.
As well, you can calculate your Hit Points. This is different for each class, so reference the Player’s Handbook as necessary.
Hit Dice: If you have a moment to rest, this can be rolled to see how much health you gain back
Hit Points (Starter): Differs, but is the basic starting hit points.
His Points (Later Levels): This is how you determine what additional hit points you’ll get.
Proficiency
Every class has a Proficiency Bonus at certain levels. Think improvement in skills. These can be added to your classes weapon bonuses, depending on what weapons or armor you might be proficient in. Every class is different in what kind of weapons they’re proficient in.
Saving Throws
These are basically your defense against things, IE: Dodging, Resisting Spells, Overcoming certain situations. Based on the thing happening to you, it’s how you determine if you get hurt by it or not. Every class has two Ability Scores that they can add their Proficiency bonus to.
Skills
Every Class has a list of skills that they can be good at naturally. You can pick two to start with, which would reflect your character. These will act similar to your saving throws: you can add your proficiency modifier to your Ability modifier when using these skills. You may get more skills later on as you level up, but you can also get some from your Background.
Background
This provides some additional skills, proficiencies, features, and even some starter equipment based off who you are before you started adventuring. Typically, these reflect your status before you were adventuring, like being a Noble would mean you might know an additional language, have a degree of nobility when you walk around, even some nicer clothes and money to start off with. This will vary depending on the background.
Along with backgrounds, they give you a sort of outline for your character as well. These include Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws. Think of them as quick little Roleplaying ideas/flair. There are some already offered in the handbook, and you can even roll for them, but you can also make up your own. These are meant to be guides for how you interact with the world and how to Roleplay in general. Not hard and fast rules, but options.
Alignments
As previously mentioned, your Alignment can be a quick way you look at the world or how you’re looked at. Some groups treat this as gospel while others are more relaxed about it.
Passive Wisdom (Perception)
Consider this like your natural ability to know what’s going on around you. IE: Someone whose sleathed, pick-pocketing you, traps, and so forth. Basically your ability to know what’s happening around you.
10 + Perception Skill Modifier.
Inspiration
This an optional rule that can be used by your Dungeon Master. Ideally, for good roleplay or good actions, you can get an additional modifier point for your next roll. You can’t pre-load it with numbers, but your DM will decide if it’s useful or not.
Initiative
This Score help you to figure out who goes first in a fight or battle. Ideally, this decides to order in which you do stuff in, but atleast who will start first. Typically, this is just your Dexterity Modifier, but you may have special abilities or items that change it later on.
Dexterity Modifier + Bonuses from Feats/Abilities
4) Equipment & Attacks
For your basic or starter selection of equipment, you get two different options. The first is a basic starter set, which lets you choose between some basic items that you might have on you. Or, you can roll for your starter wealth, which is decided by your class. You can do both if you want, or one or another, depending on your Dungeon Master. If you choose the basic start options, you can always talk to your Dungeon Master as well if you need to change anything. IE, if you’re a gnome, you might not be able to wield a large sword, so you might choose a half or short sword instead.
Armor Class:
Based on the type of Armor you wear will decide what a monster needs to roll to hit you. Typically, when playing, you’ll be given the option to dodge an attack with a saving throw; if you fail that, then it depend on your armor whether you take damage or not when getting hit. Higher score, more difficult it is to hurt you, but some armors aren’t ideal for some classes. If you’re not proficient in that armor class, you may end up with a negative modifier or unable to cast spells.
Based on your armor type + Dexterity modifier, determines your armor class, and thus, what kind of roll someone must do in order to do damage.
Weapons:
These come in various flavors and have rules for each of their damage type. Typically, the bigger the weapon, the bigger the dice you need to roll to figure out how much damage they can do. They’re broken up to a few different types, include Simple Melee, Simple Ranged, Martial Melee, and Martial Ranged weapons. Think Simple as anyone could use these, verses Martial which requires some level of skill to use. Melee require strength to use, while Ranged uses Dexterity.
Your attacks will take in to effect with your Proficiency Bonus, your Ability Bonus, and any additional bonuses you might have. A fighter for example, might have a proficiency in swords and have a fighting style the focuses on swords. So he would add his Proficiency Bonus, his Strength modifier, and his feature bonus for his fighting style.
5) Additional Attacks
If you’re a spell caster, or a class with additional abilities, you may be able to learn a spell when starting out.
