Character Generation

The character creation process has not be changed to any great extent by the House Rules. This section acts as a recap and reminder of the fundamentals of character generation, as well as being a handy starting point to investigate the rest of this site. Comprehensive rules for character generation are presented in the Player's Handbook, with pp4-6 summarising the process.

The Character Concept

More important than any die roll, or any combination of skills and feats is the visualisation of who your character is. Consider the history of your character and think of a character background. The more you know about your character the easier it is for me to personalise the game for you. Among all the over-arcing plot threads, the great wars and the daring escapes the most memorable adventures are character driven ones. You tell me that your character is looking for his lost brother and I'll weave it into the adventures, I'll even make it relevent to the campaign. If you don't have a background you lose that element of play.

A good character background is one that works well in the campaign setting. So, talk to me about your ideas and I'll try to connect them with events in the history of the setting. Sometimes I'll put the kibosh on a background (no elven gods who have been polymorphed into kobolds, please), but sometimes I'll run with even the most outlandish idea if I think it will lead to some interesting adventures and good roleplaying opportunities. Try me.

Some prompts for thinking of a character can be found on p110 of the PHB. The Hero Builder's Guidebook and Unearthed Arcana are also quite a mine of ideas (some good, some bad) for coming up with a character background - see pages 37 and 100 respectively for a glut of tables to randomly generate a character background. Although I strongly suggest you don't use them, they may at least spark the imagination. I pontificate at length on the subject of Alignment elsewhere on this site, but if you want your character to have an alignment then taking the test on p48 of the Hero Builder's Guidebook is not a bad idea.

At the end of the day come up with a character you like, and a character you can roleplay. If you have a voice like a fog-horn and can't shut up for more than a minute without breaking out in a cold sweat then don't play a mute, mime-artist with no charisma. Everyone likes a challenge, but playing to your strengths may create more memorable and better loved characters.

Roll Attribute Scores

The six attributes common to all characters are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. The rules for these attributes are unchanged from pp7-10 of the PHB.

Roll 4d6, drop the lowest die and add the remaining three die rolls together. Repeat six times and assign to the attibutes. If your rolls are so abysmal that it meets the definition of a "low score" (PHB p8) then you can reroll all the attributes again.

If your attributes don't match your character concept then don't panic. Come to me and I'll have a look at them. It may be appropriate for you to reroll a certain stat, raise one at the expense of another, or just raise particular attribute. You will find me surprisingly lenient in such regards. In the final analysis your stats don't really matter that much. In the games I run your character is not going to rise or fall on a single die roll, how you roleplay your character is more important.

Choose your Race

The Player's Handbook presents a choice of seven different character races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-elf, Half-orc and Halfling (aka Hobbit). There is, of course, a significantly wider choice open to a player than those seven. Each race undoubtedly has a number of sub-races, and then there are other races not listed in the PHB. What is stopping you playing an orc, a bullywug or a gold dragon?

The GM is stopping you. Only a certain number of races will be available for players in a given campaign. I like to have more humans that anyone else in the party because I run in a human-centric world. Also the campaign setting will limit your choice - for example, on the world of Iourn elves are not available as PCs.

So check up on the campaign setting and check with the GM if you want to play something that is odd. Rules exist for playing any race you choose from level one, but doing so may not always be appropriate.

House Rules: No race has a particular favoured class. These rules have been completely removed from the game. As a result multi-class characters gain no XP penalty for having uneven levels in multiple classes.

See also the following:

• Races
• Playing Powerful Races

Choose your Class

Okay you are playing a half-orc, but what does that half-orc actually do? Does he follow the racial stereotype and hit things with his big axe while bellowing like a charging bull or is he a quiet, introverted type who prefers studying spells and pruning geraniums? The next choice before you is that of character class.

At first level you can only take a core class. There are eleven core classes in the PHB and they are all available in most campaign settings. Inexperienced players or die-hard traditionalists would be wise to stick to these eleven. However, there are twice as many again in other sources - and the number is growing almost daily.

As with races, it is up to the GM whether he allows a particular class into a campaign. The truth is if you can justify why you have that class in a suitably interesting fashion then I'll probably let you have it. But don't be surprised if I jump on every opportunity to exploit your choice.

Multi-classing

If you are generating a character higher than first level you may multiclass, using the rules presented on p59 of the PHB. First level characters may multi-class so that they are 'apprentice-level' in two classes. A first level character may have no more than two classes. These rules were originally presented on p40 of the version 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide. They do not appear in version 3.5 nor is there any hint that this option is open to the players.

Apprentice level characters gain some of the benefits of both classes at first level, and the remaining benefits of both classes when reaching second level. Follow the link below to see a complete reproduction of these rules, and an expanded table that includes every basic class in the game.

House Rules: I have completely dispensed with the rules that state multiclass characters gain less XP if they have "uneven levels." It is an artificial rule simply designed to stop players cherry-picking basic classes to become more powerful. Players who wish their characters to multi-class will need to give me a good game-related reason for it. If they can justify it then they can have it.

Prestige Classes

If you are generating a character at a level higher than first you might qualify for a prestige class. Prestige classes are highly specialist careers that only characters with certain skills, feats or abilities may select. Even if you do not qualify yet it may be worth your while to glance over them to see if you do want to multi-class into one eventually.

If the GM knows your intent he can make your acquisition of a prestige class believable and appropriate to the setting. For example, you are planning on becoming a Knight of the Chalice at seventh level; if the GM knows that he can work it into the campaign. Your character might meet the knights in an early adventure and strike up a friendship with some of them. Many sessions later your character is accepted into the order. Please note that selecting a prestige class is not for everyone. Sometimes sticking with your basic class to the bitter end will be better for you and better for your character.

See also the following:

• Classes
• Apprentice-level characters

Choose your Template

A template is a series of modifications that is layered onto your class and race. Templates represent some profound change that has come over your character that is unrelated to its class or race. For example, becoming a vampire or a werewolf means taking on the vampire or werewolf template that gives your certain advantages, and causes certain problems.

Unless a GM is running a very specific sort of campaign, templates are not an option at first level. Most carry an experience point cost that must be paid by the character, some of which can be quite steep. Characters that are generated beyond first level may have the option to select a template at character generation, however. In this case you should closely consult with your GM as to what is available. The GM reserves the right to laugh in your face.

Remember that having a template will radically alter the sort of character you are. This should be reflected in your character background and in the way you roleplay the character.

See also:

• Templates

Roll Hit Points

Ah, what every D&D player dreads. The thud of plastic on table-top that reveals Heart-Ripper McGraw the barbarian powerhouse has reached twelfth level and now has twelve hit points. I follow the standard rules - everyone gets maximum hit points at first level and then has to roll at each level thereafter. There are two points worth bearing in mind:

Certain feats can increase a woeful hit point total. These include: Toughness, Improved Toughness, Dwarf's Toughness, Giant's Toughness, Dragon's Toughness and Epic Toughness. The new rules for acquiring extra feats make getting one of these feats a little easier.

House Rules: If your character's type changes, and you are required to reroll your hit points then you must do so, but only accept the new total if it is higher than your old one. For example, Cosmo the sixth level cleric is bitten by a vampire and becomes of the undead. The player is required to reroll all his hit dice with d12s, but no longer gets bonus hit points from his Constitution. He rolls 6d12 (one d12 for each level) and compares this total to his current hit points. He only keeps that total if it is higher than his old maximum hit point total. When Cosmo reaches seventh level he simply rolls 1d12 for his hit points.

Select Skills and Languages

You will have a number of skill points available to spend on skills. The exact number will depend on your class and intelligence (or perhaps your race and intelligence in certain circumstances). There is a limited number of skills, and the game rules suggests pursuing one or two them at the expense of all others. This can be good advice if your character is designed to excel in a certain area - for example, a cavaliar is an expert horseman and so his Ride skill is going to be as high as it can be. However, I would urge a more organic approach if possible. Spend skill points on activities the character has been doing as well as the skills you want to be best at. Your will have a more better rounded character

Sometimes I give away skill points in addition to experience points if I think something has happened in the game that warrants it. This is because I am a generous soul at heart.

House Rules: The rules for languages and language acquisition have changed markedly. No-one is automatically literate in a language they can speak. Characters have to purchase proficiency in certain alphabets to be able to read and write. Please follow the link below for more information.

See also:

• Skills
• Languages

Select Traits and Flaws

I'm dubious about this, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for the time being. The Unearthed Arcana introduced the concept of Character Traits (aspects of a character's personality reduced to game mechanics) and Character Flaws (crippling disadvantages that beset the character). A player can select two traits at character generation. Traits have negative and positive benefits for a character and are alledgely there to encourage roleplaying. Flaws are wholly disadvantageous to the character. Players can select up to two flaws at character generation, for each flaw you take you can select a bonus feat. Personally, I worry that rules like this encourage players to create one-dimensional characters that are very good at one thing, but completely crippled at mostly everything else. It's a problem I have with GURPS and its a problem I have here. However, I'm willing to see how it works.

See also:

• Feats (including Traits and Flaws)

Select Feats

What a lot of feats there are…. which one shall I add to my character to day? There are hundreds of feats in the game and they seem to be breeding. The master list of feats brings together hundreds of the little buggers in one place for your edification and delight. In the selection of feats I would advise foresight. Think about what you want your character to do now, and what you want him to do in the future. Do you need a particular feat to qualify for a prestige class? Because I do not use miniatures or grids in my game, some feats are a little less useful than they may seem at first. If you are unsure how a feat functions then check before selecting it and you won't be surprised five sessions down the line when it doesn't do what you think it does.

See also:

• Feats

Equipment

Wizards of the Coast and I do not see eye-to-eye in regard to the amount of gold and magic that is sloshing around in your average D&D game. As far as starting equipment is concerned I have to say that it honestly depends on your character background. If your character is a rich noble then he has the best of everything, if he lives in a gutter eating dead pigeons then his options are less broad.

At first level everyone will have sufficient food, clothes and rations to get them through a week in the wilderness. Mundane equipment such as a flint or some rope is fine. Wizards get their spell-books, paper and ink. Everyone will have one or two weapons they can use in combat, and some armour that is no better than chain. Neither weapons nor armour will be of masterwork quality. Expensive weapons (such as composite bows) are only available if the character can make them himself. An average character will have about 20 gp in his pocket, some more and some less depending on their character background. Under no circumstances does any one start with a magic item.

In truth, I'm not particularly obsessed about equipment. I don't run dungeons so what the party is carrying isn't particularly relevent. If it's a special item that is expensive or alchemical then you would have to purchase it or find it, but I don't expect you to keep track of how much money you spend on flagons of ale. Spell-casters are required to keep track of material components that cost more than 1 gp. They will start the game with a finite number of such components and will have to buy or otherwise obtain replacements.

Characters generated at a level higher than first will have more resources, but again I will determine these at the time. Normally I allow "anything that seems reasonable." If that sounds a little woolly then it is. Rules for how much equipment some-one is allowed to buy really don't interest me. Frankly, I find it a bit tedious. Such things should never be the thrust of the game. Higher level characters never have magic items by right, unless they have made them themselves. Only the GM gives out magic items. They can never be bought.

See Also:

• Equipment

Characters Beyond Twentieth Level

Characters beyond twentieth level are called epic characters. Epic characters use a subtlely different set of rules for advancement. If you are generating an epic level character from scratch then please set aside an entire evening for the pleasure. On the whole I believe lower level PCs are more interesting. The amount of power a GM has to throw at epic level characters to give them a challenge is as ridiculous as the amount of magic available at these levels. But to take an adventurer from first to epic levels and roleplay every step of that journey is incredibly rewarding. At the rate I give out experience points it is also extremely unlikely.

See also:

• Epic Characters
• Divine Ascension