For many players, this is an arduous, tedious, and even boring task, but come to think of it, we’re going to bring to life a character that will give us many hours of play and pleasure, so let’s do it thoroughly and make its characteristics coincide as closely as possible with the way we want to play.

We think it’s a great way to start playing Dungeons & Dragons, as you fill in the tab that imagination flies, starting to see what feats your adventurer will be able to pull off.

We’ll follow the steps given in the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Guide, so we won’t have any problems adding or editing values in our file.

Before we start reading and following the guide, we need to have, if we want to be precise, an idea of the type of character and how we’re going to play with him/her, for example whether our adventurer is going to be a great dwarf warrior, a forest elf explorer or a human wizard with impressive spells . In this way, we can better and more quickly route the filling of the character file.

It’s important to remember that, being a cooperative game and not knowing what adventures we’re going to get ourselves into, we can talk to other players so as not to carry the same character types and make the adventure more affordable since where one character can’t act, we’ll have the option of this one is ideal.

1. Choosing a Race

There are many races in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, and our adventurer must belong to one of them, which will determine their identity. When choosing a race, we must remember that it determines the character’s general appearance and the talents inherited from his culture and lineage. It gives the character racial attributes and determines or helps in the next step, class choice.

Each race and its attributes sympathize better with some classes than others, but this shouldn’t classify our character if we don’t want him to be a D&D archetype. Not necessarily our High Elf should be a powerful wizard, however easy he is, we can make our mountain dwarf the group wizard without hampering play.

Races will increase our characteristics, at least one, but we’ll do that later. For now, we’re writing it separately. We’ll note the attributes of the chosen race on the character sheet, including language and speed.

Races to choose from in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Dwarf

• Strong and sturdy, with a great capacity to be a warrior.
• Constitution upgrade to +2
• Common dwarf language
• Vision in the dark, with dim light and darkness, you’ll be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or dim light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Dwarf resistance, the advantage in short salvation against poison, resistance to poison damage.
• Affinity with stone.
• Skilled with battle-axe and hand-axe, war-hammer and light-hammer, and with craft tools of your choice.
• Speed 25 feet and is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
• Sub-race to choose from:

Hill Dwarf

• Enhance Wisdom
• Dwarf stamina, maximum hits increase by 1, plus 1 each time you level up.

Mountain Dwarf

• Improves Strength
• Skilled in light and medium armor.

Elf

• Elegant, beautiful, and delicate features, travelers, explorers…
• Dexterity improved by +2
• Common and elven language.
• Vision in the dark, with dim light and darkness, you’ll be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or dim light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Iron line, advantage in short salute to avoid being spelled out, a spell will never put you to sleep.
• With 4 hours of meditation, it will be the same as sleeping 8 hours for a human.
• Proficient with the ability to perceive.
• Speed is 30 feet.

Sub-race to choose from

Elf High

• Intelligence enhancement +1
• Elven weapons training.
• Notions of Magic.

Forest Elf

• Wisdom enhancement +1
• Elven weapon training
• Nature mask, hide in dark places with a natural phenomenon, rain, snow, foliage, etc….
• Speed increases to 35 feet.

Dark Elf (Arrow)

• Charisma enhancement +1
• Vision in Superior Darkness, Radius increases to 120 feet of vision.
• Sensitivity to sunlight, disadvantage when racing in direct sunlight.
• Research weapon training.
• Notions of Magic Drow, You know Dancing Lights trick, with level 3 you know Feeric Fire, with level 5 you know the spell Darkness, the aptitude for magic is Charisma.

Halfling

• Tiny, they avoid detection, are relatively harmless, and have survived centuries of war and strife.
• Skill enhancement +2
• Common and medium language.
• Fortunately, by taking a 1, you can reroll the roll and use the new result.
• Courageous, an advantage in the salvation role of being afraid.
• Medium agility, movement in spaces occupied by larger creatures.
• Speed 25 feet.

Choice of subraces:

Lightfoot Halfling

• Charisma enhancement +1
• Stealthy for Nature, you can hide behind a larger creature.

Chunky Halfling

• Constitution enhancement +1
• Heavy resistance is an advantage in short salute against poison, and it is resistant to poison damage.

ELDER

• Elder, human race.

Human

• The young breed in the multiverse of common races, they are the most diverse, there is no typical human.
• Enhances all +1 features
• Common language and language of choice.
• 30 Feet of speed.

Dragonborn

• Born of dragons and with a humanoid appearance. Body full of bright metallic scales.
• Strength enhancement +2 and Charisma +1.
• Common draconic language.
• Choose a lineage and this will give an attack and resistance for the type of dragon you come from.
• Breathing attack and damage resistance.
• Speed 30 feet.

Gnome

• Tiny bodies, enjoying life exploring, investigating, creating, and playing.
• Intelligence enhancement +2
• Common language and Gnome.
• Vision in the dark, with dim light and darkness, you’ll be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or dim light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Gnome Cunning, Advantage in Salvation Spins Against Magic in Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
• 25 feet of speed.

Forest Gnome

• Skill enhancement +1
• Innate Illusionist, You Know the Little Illusion Trick, You’ll use intelligence as a magical ability.
• Talk to Bestezuelas, Talk to little beasts with sounds and gestures.

Rock Gnome

• Improved Constitution +1
• Know Artificer and Handyman.

Half-Elf

• Mixture of two races, human and elf, but not as robust as the former or as thin as the latter.
• Charisma enhancement +2 and two characteristics of choice in +1
• Common language, elf, and another to be chosen.
• 30 feet of speed.
• Vision in the dark, with low light and darkness, you’ll be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or low light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Iron line, advantage in the short salute to avoid being spelled out, a spell will never put you to sleep.
• Competence in two skills of your choice.

Half-Orc

• Barbaric mores and savage fury, a blend of two races, human and orc.
• Improved Strength +2 and Constitution +1
• Common Language and Orc.
• 30 feet of speed.
• Vision in the dark, with dim light and darkness, you’ll be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or dim light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Skilled at Intimidation
• Tireless stamina, when hit points are at 0 without dying instantly, you recover 1 point, to regain this ability you’ll need to take a long break.
• Wild Attacks, in melee attacks with a critical result, you’ll be able to reroll the damage die and add it as extra damage.

Tiefling

• Descended from humans but with an infernal heritage, as its two prominent horns and long tail indicate.
• Improved Charisma +1 and Intelligence +1
• Common and infernal language.
• 30 feet of speed.
• Vision in the dark, with dim light and darkness, you will be able to perceive up to 60 feet as if there were bright light or dim light respectively. Without distinguishing colors.
• Infernal resistance, resistant to fire damage.
• Infernal bloodline, you know the trick of Thaumaturgy, with level 3 you can evoke Infernal Repression, with level 5 you can evoke Darkness, for this you’ll use Charisma as a magical ability.

2. Choosing a Class

The class is roughly the special talent that a character has, this will mark the good work of the same and what tactic will be used at the time of exploring, attacking or arguing with other characters or monsters.

It determines the vocation that exists within the adventurer and how to interact with the world.
Choosing the class will give our character the class traits, capabilities that differentiate our character from other classes.
He will also get skills, these will define what kind of things our adventurer will be able to carry and do especially well.

• Weapons
• Armor
• Skills
• Saving throws
• Tools

It is possible to create an adventurer with several classes, the so-called multi-classes, but they will level up separately, being a warrior of level 3 and a mage of level 5, being the character level 8 as a whole.

Level

As a general rule, the characters will start with level 1 and 0 PX experience points, after living adventures, they will acquire experience that will allow them to raise their level and with it the skills that the class allows them.

It is also possible to start with more advanced levels, that will depend on the DM who as a connoisseur of the adventure will know if we need to have characters of higher levels to be able to have options to at least survive.

Hit Points and Hit Dice

The PG Hit Points tell us how tough our character is in combat or in other situations. The life of our Character, although this is fully recovered with long rests.

These are determined by the Hit Dice, each class has its specific die D8 D10, or D12, the PG value of the adventurer will be the maximum value of the die and to this, we will add the constitution of the character. We will write down the PG Hit Points and the DG Hit Dice in the Character sheet.

The DG Hit Dice will also be used to rest and be able to recover from the loss of PG Hit Points, we will roll the hit dice, as many as we want but we can not use them until we rest for a long and continuous rest, and we will add the Constitution modifier, that result will increase the Hit Points.

Proficiency Bonus

Your class determines what you are proficient at both in some skills such as tools, saving throws, weapons, etc.
It is, let’s say, what you have specialized in.
At level 1 the proficiency bonus is +2.

Dungeons & Dragons: The Twelve Classes of Adventurers

Barbarians: fierce warrior who will jump into combat without delay.

Hit Dice D12

• Main characteristic Strength
• Proficiency in Strength and Constitution saving throws
• Proficiency in light and medium armor, shields, simple and martial weapons.

Bard: Inspirational artist whose music will enliven combat.

Hit Dice D8

• Charisma main characteristic
• Proficiency in Dexterity and Charisma saving throws.
• Proficiency in light armor, simple weapons, hand crossbows, short swords, long swords, rapiers.

Warlock: Conjurer thanks to a pact with an extraplanar entity.

Hit Dice D8

• Main characteristic Charisma
• Proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
• Proficiency in light armor, simple weapons.

Cleric: Religious who uses magic in the service of a higher being.

Hit Dice D8

• Main characteristic Wisdom
• Proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
• Proficiency in light and medium armor, shields, simple weapons.

Druid: Priest of an Ancient Faith, with the help of natural elements he can adopt their forms and powers.

Hit Dice D8

• Main characteristic Wisdom
• Proficiency in Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws.
• Proficiency in light and medium armor, shields, staffs, scimitars, daggers, darts, clubs, sickles, slings, javelins, spears, and maces.

Ranger: Your contacts and knowledge of nature help you to be the perfect fighter in this hostile environment.

Hit Dice D10

• Main characteristic of Skill and Wisdom
• Competence in Strength and Salvation skill strikes
• Competence in light and medium armor, shields, simple and martial weapons.

Fighter: Master of combat.

Hit Dice D10

• Main characteristic Strength or Skill
• Competition in the salute functions Strength or Constitution
• Competition in All Armor, shields, simple and martial weapons.

Sorcerer: Magic is innate in him, the fruit of a gift and lineage.

Hit Dice D6

• Main charisma characteristic
• Competition for salvation drives the Constitution and Charisma.
• Competition in light crossbows, canes, daggers, darts, slings

Wizard: A student of magic, with great skill in its use.

Hit Dice D6

• Main feature Intelligence
• Competence in Intelligence and Wisdom salvation bands
• Competition in light crossbows, canes, daggers, darts, slings

Monk: Master of the martial arts, body, and mind united to achieve perfection.

Hit Dice D8

• Main characteristic of Skill and Wisdom
• Competence in Strength and Salvation skill strikes
• Competition in simple weapons and short swords.

Paladin: Sacred warrior.

Hit Dice D10

• Main characteristic of Strength or Charisma
• Competition in Wisdom and Charisma Salvation bands
• Competition in All Armor, shields, simple and martial weapons.

Rogue: Stealth and deception, villainy to overcome obstacles and enemies.

Hit Dice D8

• Main characteristic of the skill
• Competition for salvation works Skill and Intelligence
• Competition in light armor, simple weapons, hand crossbows, short swords, long swords, and rapiers.

3. Determining Functionality Scores

Every character will be able to do different things, but will be subject to his or her characteristics:

Strength, Skill, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each has a value that we need to score, and the book offers us three ways of doing this:

1. The first form is random, we’ll roll four 6-sided dice and keep the three with the highest value, we’ll repeat this exercise 6 times, one for each characteristic and once we’ve obtained the results, we’ll distribute them between each characteristic. Depending on the class we’ve chosen, we must give the highest values to our character’s most important characteristics.
2. As a second option, the book gives us 6 pre-generated values to distribute among the characteristics; 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 will give us a balanced character with no very strong or very weak points.
3. In the third option, we’ll have to place the values we want according to certain points we can spend with a fixed ceiling.
   They give us 27 points to spend according to the values we choose:
   – If we take an 8 the cost is 0 points, a 9 costs 1, a 10 costs 2, an 11 will cost 3, a 12 costs 4, a 13 is worth 5 points, a 14 costs 7, and a 15 will cost 9 points.
   – For example, if we choose 15, 15, 15, we will have already spent all 27 points and can only use 8, 8, 8 for the last three characteristics.

After assigning the scores to our character, we’ll add the racial advantages to the characteristics.

• If our race is human, we must increase all characteristic values by 1.

Next, we’ll determine the characteristic modifiers; the book will give us a table that will give us this modification. Although we can calculate it mathematically with the following formula Characteristic value – 10, then we’ll divide it by 2 rounding down: VC 8-10 = – 2 … – 2: 2 = – 1 VC 8 MC-1

For example, a characteristic with a value 8 will give us a modifier of -1, a 14 will give us a modifier of +2, and an 18 will give us a modifier of +4. This modifier will be added or subtracted when we need to do something, be it an attack or an ability, with a characteristic.

To set the final hit points, we need to look up the Constitution modifier and add it to the hit points we’ve momentarily underlined.

4. Character Description

In this section we will begin to give a more personal aspect to our character, the first thing we must do is, if we have not already done it, give it a name, each race section gives us some examples of names although it can be the one we want.

There are also different web pages that will do this job for us, we only have to put the race and the characteristics we want and it will give us a special name for our character. For example: the Wizards.

We will also choose the Appearance and the way they behave, we must take into account the characteristics to define the appearance, a PJ with a lot of strength can not have a skeletal body but a good musculature.

You must choose an Alignment, what kind of morals the PJ has and the ideals of the same, this will mark the moral compass of the character and how he has to act in front of the situations in the adventure.

The character’s Bonds and Defects will also be important when choosing what to do in moments of the adventure.

The background will give life and meaning to his existence, it will tell us where he comes from, his original occupation and his place in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. This will give us a couple more skills, some language and equipment that we will initially carry.

The character’s characteristics

It should be noted that a character that is very strong but not very intelligent will behave differently from one that is more cunning but not very strong.

Each characteristic will give the character the way of being and behaving, if he is charismatic he will be confident when speaking or intimidating; with a good wisdom he will have his senses set on what is going on around him; dexterity will make the character slender, etc…

5. Choosing equipment

Thanks to the class and the background we will be given a piece of initial equipment, which may contain weapons, armor, and other useful items.

If you are not satisfied with the equipment you can start the adventure by buying the equipment you want, depending on the class of the character the book gives us some gold pieces to buy what we need, the book comes with a list of everything we need and its value in gold pieces.

But be careful, we can not take what we want equipment, our strength limits the weight of what we carry, this value in weight will be our strength multiplied by 15 in pounds.

Armor class

This will be the ability to avoid receiving wounds in combat.

If not wearing armor this ability is 10+ dexterity.

The PJ must be proficient in armor and shields to be able to wear them effectively. In fact he will receive penalties if he is not proficient and wears them in the same way.

Weapons

To use the weapons we will have to roll 1d20 and add the bonus for competence and the modifier for characteristic.

• Melee weapons: we will modify them with strength, although depending on the weapon like a rapier we will be able to use dexterity.
• Ranged weapons: We will use dexterity, although a throwing weapon like a hand axe we will be able to use strength.

6. Forming the Group

The formation of the group can be totally random, although for the successful achievement of the adventure, it is preferable that each character is of a different class, so teamwork will be much more necessary than if anyone can or cannot do things equally.

The adventures are cooperative and although each character has its own personality and way of acting if all the players want to reach a successful outcome they must collaborate, so it is interesting that each PJ is different so it will be equally necessary a great warrior that a fantastic mage, depending on the time and situation of the adventure.

After Level 1

Each adventure, situation, attack, encounter with something or someone or simply moving in the right direction will give us Experience Points PX. These PX will be used, at the end of the session, for the progression of the PJ.

When we have enough PX to level up we will be able to acquire more skills and bonuses for our PJ, we will need 300PX to go up to Level 2, with 900PX we will go up to Level 3, etc…

The PJ will increase their level and bonus by competence, from level 5 will be +3, at level 9 will be +4, with level 13 is +5, and a maximum of +6 from level 17.

The classes will also give us higher skills with higher levels, the same as the mages will be given more ability to use magic.

The same happens with the Hit Dice, we will get more as we raise the level of the character. The Constitution modifier will also add +1 as we level up.

Game steps

The steps of the game are differentiated by the levels of the players. So, if the PJs have level 1 to 4 they will be apprentice adventurers, from 5 to 10 they begin to have their own entity within the adventure, from 11 to 16 the characters will be already superior to ordinary people, from level 17 they get to be at the peak of their class and be archetypes of heroism, their adventures will be life or death and the Multiverse itself will depend on it.

Now, in a basic way, we already know how to create a character for the most important role-playing game in the Dungeons & Dragons world. Thank you for reading these lines, we hope you find them helpful.