Character creation walkthrough

### Step 2: Theme and Class

There are a multitude of character classes to choose from, grouped around six major themes. Each theme represents a wide range of options, and can be further customized in hundreds of different directions.

To begin building your character, select one of the classes below, and note its beginning class features and proficiency trainings. Write the class name at the top of the character sheet where it says "Class". The class will provide you with two class features - write both of these down under the two 'Level 0:' blanks in the "Class Features" section of your sheet. Each of these class features also provides you with a per-encounter feat or a daily feat. If it's a per-encounter feat, write it under the 'Rank 1:' line in the "Per-Encounter and Daily Feats" section of the sheet. If it's a daily feat, write it under the "Daily:" line.

These two class features will also provide you with bonuses to one or two of your defenses - we aren't ready to fill in our defenses yet, so for now, simply write the total bonus provided in the 'score' column next to the defense in question.

The class will also provide you with a list of options to choose from for your third class feature. Pick one of these styles, and write it down under the third 'Level 0:' blank in the "Class Features" section. Then note what per-encounter feat or daily feat it gives you, and write that in the appropriate line of your "Per-Encounter and Daily Feats" section.

Once you've chosen your theme, class and style, it's time to fill in your proficiency training. For each skill, weapon, or armor proficiency that your class gives you training in, put an 'X' in the box to the left of that proficiency's name. If you gain training in a proficiency that is already trained, put another 'X' in the box to the right of the proficiency, under the column labeled 'Expert'. If your class says that you can perform magic using a particular skill, circle the 'X' that you made in the training column to the left of the proficiency's name.

Click on one of the choices below to begin creating your character.

#### Martial Hero

Choose a Fighter class if you want to be good with all kinds of weapons, and fight best with your own strength and skill. There are four Fighter options: Warrior, Guard, Scout, and Marshal.

#### Arcane Hero

Choose a Wizard class if you want to cast arcane magic spells that control the fundamental forces of nature. There are four Wizard options: Evoker, Abjurer, Conjurer, and Artificer.

### Step 3: Abilities

Look at your skill and weapon proficiencies, and especially your spellcasting skill. This should determine what ability scores you should prioritize. You have 6 numbers to place into your ability scores: an 18 (+4), a 16 (+3), a 14 (+2), a 12 (+1), an 11 (+0), and a 10 (+0).

In general:

* Fighters probably want the 18 (+4) in their Strength ability score.
* Rogues probably want the 18 (+4) in their Dexterity ability score.
* Wizards probably want the 18 (+4) in their Intelligence ability score.
* Sorcerers probably want the 18 (+4) in their Charisma ability score.
* Barbarians probably want the 18 (+4) in their Constitution ability score.
* Priests probably want the 18 (+4) in their Wisdom ability score.

This is not always true, however. Decide for yourself where you want your abilities, and then write the first number - the 18, 16, 14, 12, 11 or 10 - under the 'score' column. Then write the corresponding bonus - +4, +3, +2, +1, +0 or +0 - under the 'modifier' column.

Once you have all your scores and their corresponding modifiers allocated, it's time to choose a background and a race.

Click here to choose a background from the list available, and write the background's name in the 'Background' blank at the top of your sheet. Each background lets you choose one of your ability scores to raise by +1 - if that raises an ability from 11 to 12, raise its modifier from +0 to +1; otherwise, do not change its modifier. You cannot choose to raise your 18 score. The background also provides you with an additional skill proficiency - check that proficiency's 'training' checkbox, or check its 'expert' checkbox if the training checkbox was already filled in.

Next, click here to choose a race from the list available, and write your race's name in the 'Race' blank at the top of your sheet. Each race gives you several advantages. You will note that one of the rows is labeled 'Ability bonus' - ignore this row, as this method of character creation assumes that your ability bonuses are already factored into the numbers you chose for your ability scores.

However, directly under that row is a row labeled 'Proficiencies'. You may choose any one of those proficiencies to gain training in now - simply choose which one you want, and check the 'training' checkbox, or the 'expert' checkbox if the training checkbox was already filled in.

Then, write in your race's size, speed, and maximum hit points in the appropriate boxes in the upper left-hand corner of the sheet. Once you have your character's hit points, divide this number in half, rounding down. This is your character's "bloodied" value; write that in the box next to your Max hit points box. Then, divide your bloodied value in half, rounding *up*. This is your "reserve value"; write that in the box below your Max and Bloodied hit points boxes. Finally, add 5 to your Constitution modifier. Cross out all 'Vitality' boxes except this number - so if your Constitution modifier is +2, leave 7 boxes open and cross out the remaining 6.

While you're choosing your race, take a look at the list of racial per-encounter feats at the bottom of your race's feature block. Choose one of these powers, and add it to your sheet on the "Racial:" line under "Per-Encounter and Daily Feats".

### Step 4: Proficiencies

Now, it's time to finish filling out your proficiencies. Before you continue, you get to pick one more proficiency of your choice. This can be any weapon, armor, shield, or skill proficiency that you like. Check that proficiency's 'training' box, or its 'expert' checkbox if the training checkbox is already filled in. Then look at your Intelligence score. If it is 15 or higher, you may pick *another* proficiency to train in, following the same procedure.

For each proficiency, look at the ability abbreviation in parentheses next to its name. If it says (Con), put your Constitution modifier into the 'Check' column. If it says (Str), put your Strength modifier into the 'Check' column, and so on. If it lists two or more abilities, choose the higher one and put that into the 'Check' column - so if a proficiency says 'Str or Dex', you may choose the higher of your 'Strength' modifier or your 'Dexterity' modifier. If the checkbox to the left of the proficiency name is checked, add +3 to the value that you put in the 'Check' column; and if the Expert box is checked, increase the value in the 'Check' column by another +1.

For example: If you have a Constitution score of 14 (+2), you would put '+2' into the "Check" column next to the Endurance skill, because Endurance has (Con) next to it. If the [ ] box to the left of 'Endurance' was checked, you would put '+5' into the "Check" column next to Endurance instead; if the [ ] Expert box to the right of 'Endurance' was checked, you would put '+6' into the "Check" column instead.

Now look at your Intelligence modifier. For each point of Intelligence modifier you have above +0, you may choose one additional Language for your character to know. Write these in under 'Known Languages' at the bottom of the sheet.

Once you have filled out each proficiency, go back up and look at the three lines labeled 'Melee Damage Bonus', 'Ranged Damage Bonus', and 'Magic Damage Bonus'. Look back at your two class features - if one of them specifies a different way to compute one of these bonuses, use that. Otherwise, put your Strength modifier into the Melee Damage Bonus box, your Dexterity modifier into the Ranged Damage Bonus box, and leave the Magic Damage Bonus box blank.

Next, it's time to decide what kind of equipment you want. You are allowed to pick one weapon and one type of armor of your choice. Note your armor's defense value, which will be based on one of your armor's proficiencies. Add that to the armor's base defense, and put that into the 'Armor' box in the 'Defenses' column at the top of your sheet. Then, note your armor's check penalty. Subtract that value from the 'check' value of your Endurance, Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery skills, and put the result into the 'adjust' column. Then subtract it from your Reflex defense, and put that result into the 'adjust' column.

Next, you may choose either a second weapon or a shield. If you choose a shield, note your shield proficiency's Defense value and compare it to your armor's. If your shield's is higher, you may replace your armor's Defense value with your shield's. Whichever you use, subtract your shield's check penalty from your adjusted Endurance, Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, and Reflex, and then add your shield's shield bonus to your Armor, Reflex, and Fortitude.

### Step 5: Feats

Now go back to your character class and your chosen style, and look at the list of at-will feat options for each of your class features. Choose two at-will feats from among those three lists, and write their names in the 'Level 0:' blanks in the 'At-Will Feats' section of your sheet.

The second page of your sheet has six large boxes for feats. Fill out the first one - if your primary weapon is ranged, write 'basic ranged attack' after 'Feat:'; otherwise, write 'basic melee attack'. Compute your attack check value based on the weapon's accuracy bonus and your proficiency modifier, and fill out the rest of this 'feat' section from the weapon's statistics.

Now look at the description for each of the five at-will, per-encounter or daily feats that you have gained. For each of those feats, fill out one of the 'feat' boxes on the second page of your sheet, computing all the numbers as you did for your main weapon.

### Leveling Up

Once you reach 1,000 experience, you will reach level 1. When you reach level 1, you will be able to choose a new class feature, and you will gain the ability to perform your per-encounter and daily feats more often. Also, each of the proficiencies that is labeled 'Expert' will gain +1 to their base check value - this will also adjust your modified check value. If you have expertise in the armor you're wearing, your armor check penalty will also decrease by one, which will increase the 'adjusted' values of your Reflex, Endurance, Athletics, Acrobatics, and Stealth - but never above their base values. Expertise in the shield you are using will also decrease its check value and thus increase your 'adjusted' Reflex, Endurance, Athletics, Acrobatics and Stealth by 1 (but never above their base check values), and expertise in your shield will also increase your armor, reflex, and fortitude defenses each by 1.

Once you reach 3,000 experience, you will reach level 2. When you reach level 2, you may pick any proficiency and gain training in it. Then, you may pick any ability score that is 17 or less, and raise it by 1. If your race is not human, you may instead raise an ability score that is 19 or less, if it is one of the three ability scores listed in the 'Ability Bonuses' section. Some races only list a single ability score, and say "and +2 to any other score that is 16 or lower" - if you chose one of those races, you may *only* increase the first ability score listed past 18, to a maximum of 20 (but may raise any of your other scores if they are 17 or less). Whenever you increase an ability score to an even number, increase its modifier by +1, then increase each proficiency, damage bonus or defense based on that ability modifier by 1.

At 6,000 experience, you will reach level 3. At level 3, you will choose another new class feature, and you will gain the ability to perform your per-encounter feats more often.

At 10,000 experience, you will reach level 4. At level 4, you pick any proficiency and gain training in it, then pick an ability score just as you did at level 2 and increase it by 1.

At 15,000 experience, you reach level 5. At level 5, you gain another new class feature, and you will gain the ability to perform your per-encounter or daily feats more often.

At 21,000 experience, you reach level 6. At level 6, you pick any proficiency and gain training in it, then pick an ability score just as you did at level 2 and 4, and increase it by 1. Then, note each proficiency that you have expertise in, and increase its check by 1 just as you did at level 1.

At 28,000 experience, you will reach level 7. At level 7, you will choose another new class feature, and you will gain the ability to perform your per-encounter feats more often.

At 36,000 experience, you will reach level 8. At level 8, you pick any proficiency and gain training in it, then pick an ability score just as you did at level 2, 4, and 6, and increase it by 1.

At 45,000 experience, you reach level 9. At level 9, you gain another new class feature, and you will gain the ability to perform your per-encounter or daily feats more often.

At 55,000 experience, you will reach level 10. At level 10, you pick any proficiency and gain training in it, then pick an ability score just as you did at level 2, 4, 6 and 8, and increase it by 1.