Character Creation: Getting Started

Welcome to the campaign! This page will describe the steps needed to make a character using this RPG system. If you need additional information, ask your DM.

Click on the **"Back"** and **"Next"** buttons at the top or bottom of the page to navigate through the character creation process. You don't need to follow these steps in order, but doing so may help smooth the process along. To create your character, you'll need to select or design the following things:

* ***Class*** -- Your character's combat role in the party. Determines most of your abilities.
* ***Ancestry*** -- Your character's genetic traits. Determines your physical traits and innate skills.
* ***Culture*** -- Your character's cultural background. Grants a couple of skills or abilities, gives suggestions on possible alignments, and determines what languages you know.
* ***Background*** -- Your character's lived experience. Grants a couple of skills or proficiencies, as well as a unique ability.
* ***Backstory*** -- Your character's history, as described by you.
* ***Ability Scores*** -- Your character's base statistics for physical and mental abilities.
* ***Ability Score Increase*** -- Boost your key abilities further and gain an additional minor trait.
* ***Skills and Other Choices*** -- All classes offer some customization options, which should be locked in before play begins.

## Do You Have a General Concept?

Some players like to come up with a backstory or character idea, then pick their class and traits to go with it. If this is you, then by all means, come up with different ideas! Read the ancestry, culture, and class options if you like, and read any information about the campaign that you have, until you are struck with inspiration on some level. Jot down a couple of ideas, and see which one appeals to you most.

Other players might prefer to pick class and traits first, and develop a backstory afterwards. This is also perfectly valid! If this is you, proceed onwards.

## Tips for Character Creation

Examples include "failing a tournament as a child", "an old school rival I haven't seen in years", "the secret I have which I never tell anyone", "the thing I treasure most", etc.
These things are what make role-play come alive and what create meaningful in-character experiences.
[original 'knife' article]

Here's a few tips that can help you make a character that will be fun for you to play, and fun for the rest of the party to interact and adventure with.

* Make a character that can be shaped by new experiences, not one that has been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt.
* If you're struggling to make a character you can role-play, make a character that shares a key similarities with yourself.
* Use your backstory to give the DM the opportunity to create meaningful experiences for you and your character - "knives", as it were.
* Choose a character that you want to explore, not one that you feel obligated to play.
* ^ This goes for your class too. Choose a class you think is fun, even if someone else is already playing that character class.
* Come up with a couple of ideas for your character BEFORE you settle on one. If you end up disliking the character or the group, or the character ends up dying, this will help you through that experience.
* Don't intentionally make a character that will clash with the rest of the party.
	+ It's hard for the DM and the players to come up with reasons for the party to stay together on adventures. Make a character that is NOT a lone wolf. That sort of character is a classic in stories, but in RPGs it is difficult to create a fun shared experience if one or more party members keep wandering off by themselves, or refuse to enter social situations.
	+ This is not to say you can't have angsty characters, or even "strong-silent" characters - just remember that the line between "interesting" and "killjoy" is fine and easy to cross with that sort of thing.
* Have the character's goals align with "being an adventurer" or "traveling" in some way. It's hard for a character to find reasons to stay with the party if their motive is something like "Find a home and settle down" or "join a famous college and learn all I can".
	+ Downtime is built into the D&D ruleset. Feel free to have your character enjoy crafting, reading, bartering, performing, or any other hobby - there will be ample time for your character to do those activities!

 Classes
 Equipment
 Worldbuilding