Building a Character

Building a character can be just about as simple or complicated as you would like it to be. The vast quantity of customization and how each part interacts with the whole can lead to a host of entirely unique builds even within a single class. However, most of this content is optional, and a basic character can be created for most classes fairly quickly without much effort. This page outlines the steps involved in creating a character, and all of the customization options available if you are looking for a more in-depth character creation process.

Note: Due to the inherently poor balance of the edition this campaign world is based on, different builds and classes can have wildly different power levels. By itself, this is not typically a game-breaking issue (though there are some builds out there that are), but it can create friction in a party with vast differences in power levels between characters. It is recommended (especially for more experienced players and those looking to optimize their build) to get a gauge of the power level of the rest of the group and aim for something in that ball park. If a build comes out far stronger than the party average, some extra effort will be needed in play to not "steal the show", and allow your group-mates a chance for their characters to shine as well. Similarly, if your build comes out far weaker than the rest of the group, you may want to work with the DM to find a way to bring your character closer to parity lest you find yourself not able to contribute meaningfully to the game. The overriding goal in all of this is for everyone to have fun, and that should be taken into consideration when making your character. Most people do not enjoy playing a character far weaker than the rest of the group (though if you do, by all means go for it!), and similarly most people do not like having one group mate who is strong enough to make the rest of the party feel redundant. If you have any concerns with this, do not hesitate to bring them up to the DM.

Character Creation Process

Part 1 - Base Coat

At this stage, you choose the broad strokes of how your character is going to shape up. Since your choice of Race, Class, and Ability Scores are all interrelated, hold off on filling in details until you've selected all three.

Starting Advice

Start by scanning over this page and perusing some of the different options available to you. Once you've done that, get an idea of what kind of character you want in 5 (or even 10) levels. If you have a game plan in mind, you can make choices that lead to that end goal, rather than arbitrarily choosing. Also take a look at some of the different Prestige Classes, as these are higher level classes that often have specific requirements that must be met before they can be taken.

Stats

By default new characters use the following standardized stat distribution: 16, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8. Different groups are welcome to use other varieties of rolls/arrays/point buys, so long as the method of determining stats is consistent (talk with the DM about what method is in use for an existing campaign). Where each score is placed is your choice, though your class, race, and overall desired character traits should be taken into account before choosing. For information on what each score does, see the Ability Scores article. Most classes also have class features or mechanics that are affected by ability scores, and are detailed in their respective class descriptions.

Rolling For Stats

While the stat standard stat distribution is the standard for new characters, Sometimes players prefer to roll for stats. If you'd rather roll, use the 4d6 drop the lowest method (roll 4d6 and add the highest 3 dice for each score). If all 6 scores are below 18, replace the lowest value with an 18. Note that rolling for stats has a much higher variance than the standard array, and statistically will usually result in a lower set of stats.

Race

After you obtain your stats, before you assign them to ability scores, choose your character's race. At the same time, you should choose a class, since a character's race can affect how well they perform in each class.
You can play a character of any race and class combination, and there are very few combinations that cannot keep up with their more typical counterparts.
Your character's race gives you plenty of cues as to what sort of person they are, how they feel about characters of other races, and what their motivations might be. Remember, however, that these descriptions apply only to the majority of each race's members. In each race, some individuals diverge from the norm, and your character could be one of these. Don't let a description of a race's characteristics keep you from detailing your character as you like.
You can find more information on what options you have and what each race has to offer in the Character Races article.

Age

While the rate at which people age is different for each race, the effects are largely the same. Most characters are assumed to be Adults (at least biologically speaking), but the option stands to create a character well into middle age, or even in their twilight years. The rate at which each race ages is covered in their respective pages, while the effects of age on a character can be found on the Character Age page.

Class

Your choice of a class delineates some of the most important aspects of your D&D character. With a class comes a specific role in the party, essential mechanical attributes, and a host of special abilities that define the character.
You can find more information on what classes are available and details for each on the Character Classes page.

Archetypes and Alternate Class Features

Many classes offer more variety in the form of Archetypes. Each class Archetype replaces one or more standard class features with Alternate Class Features. Multiple Archetypes can be chosen for a class, but only if they do not replace any of the same default class features. Details of the Archetypes of each class and their respective Alternate Class Features can be found at the bottom of each class description.

Part 2 - Layering

Once you have the base of your character chosen, you can start filling in the specifics of how each choice defines your character. You'll need to have the specifics of your selections (ability scores, race, and class) on hand as a reference to continue.

Ability Scores

Choose where you would like to place each Ability Score, then apply any adjustments to those scores from your Race and Age. Your Ability Modifier is determined by the Ability Score table found on the Ability Scores page.

Class Features

Many classes will have choices that must be made, such as choosing domains for a cleric or picking starting spells and a familiar for a sorcerer/wizard. Look through your class description and identify any customization options you need to pick.

Traits

Characters can add up to two traits during character creation. Traits are aspects of a character's personality, background, or physique that may make them better at some activities and worse at others. A full description of traits, and the bonuses/penalties they provide can be found on the Traits page.

Feats

All characters start with at least one feat at 1st level. Some races (such as Human) may also provide a feat, and some classes provide feats (usually restricted to a smaller pool of choices). A player may also take up to two Flaws at first level to gain an additional feat for each. More information can be found in the Feats article.

Skills

Mark which skills are considered class skills (primarily from your class description, but also potentially your race and feat selection) and allocate your skill points as you see fit. At this point you can also fill in the ability modifiers for your skills, and add any bonuses from your race, template, class, or feats to the miscellaneous column (be aware further choices such as feats and armor may change these values). More information about skills is available on the Character Skills page.

Languages

Characters begin the game with a selection of known languages they can speak (and read/write provided they are not illiterate). Add automatic languages from your race or class to your list of known languages, then choose additional languages from your available bonus languages (again from your race or class) up to your Intelligence modifier. You can also learn additional languages by putting ranks into the Linguistics skill.

Alignment

Choose your alignment. Some classes strongly recommend certain alignments, otherwise you are free to pick what you please. Wildly differing alignments within a party can cause tension and controversy, but this is not an inherently bad thing, so long as all parties are on board with it. It should be noted that regardless of alignment, players should work together towards a common goal (even if they go about it in very different manners). Talk with the DM (or more importantly, your group-mates) before picking an alignment that may interfere with the rest of the group's ability to have fun. Detailed descriptions of alignment can be found on the Alignment page.

Equipment

Determine your starting gold from the Player Wealth page, then choose your starting equipment. Typical starting load-out includes one to two weapons you are proficient in (typically you want at least one ranged and one melee weapon), the best armor you can afford and wear, a shield (if you can/plan to use one), and a few mundane useful items (thieves tools, torches, a backpack, bedroll, rope, tarp, etc.). Fill out the AC items block on page 2 of your character sheet with the specifics of your armor and shield (if any).

Crafting and Starting Equipment

Some skills (namely the Craft skill) and feats (Item Creation Feats) allow a character to craft mundane or specialized equipment on their own. Any item a character has the reasonable ability to craft (meaning they could successfully craft it by taking a 10 on their check to do so) can be purchased by that character as part of their starting equipment at half the listed price.

Part 3 - Detail Work

At this point, most of the decisions for your character have been made, and most of what's left is filling in the details of your character sheet. This section will go through the sheet top to bottom for completeness.

Character Info

This section contains all the descriptive information of your character. If you haven't chosen a character name yet, now is the time to do so. Norms for size, age, height, weight, eyes, hair, and skin are given with your race as a starting point. Deity is optional for most classes; details on the different deities in Astora can be found in the Deities & Religions Category.

Ability Scores

This section should be complete, but double check to make sure that any modifications from your race, class, or feats are accounted for.

Hit Points

Your hit points represent how much physical punishment you can take before going Unconscious, and are determined by your class, then modified by your Constitution. The Hit Dice of your class represents what size die you roll each time you level up. A first level character starts with the maximum possible roll, i.e. a 1d8 class would have 8 hit points. Add your Constitution modifier to this value, and any other hit point bonus you may have (such as a favored class bonus) to get your total hit points, then write it down. You can keep track of your current hit points in the wounds/current HP box, counting down from your total as you take damage. The Nonlethal Damage box allows you to separately track temporary/nonlethal damage, counting the damage up. See the Injury and Death article for more details on how nonlethal damage operates.

Damage Reduction

Any Damage Reduction you might have from any source goes here. Note that Damage Reduction from multiple sources does not stack, and only the largest bonus applies. Damage Reduction reduces all damage taken from certain attacks, and is uncommon to see at level 1. More info can be found on the Damage Reduction page.

Speed

Speed dictates how fast your character can move with a Move Action, represented in feet and squares (a square is 5 feet to a side, meaning your movement in squares is your movement in feet divided by 5). Your speed is determined by your race, and modified by your armor and/or equipment load. Find the movement rate of your race, then adjust it if necessary by what is stated under your armor description. Check your class features and feats, as there are some that can also effect a character's speed. If you have any other less common forms of movement, such as Flight, swim, climb, or Burrow speeds, you can put them here. The temp modifiers box allows you to add any intermittent or transient bonuses to your movement, such as spells cast by an ally or an ability that gives you a short term increase to your speed.

Initiative

Your Initiative represents how quick you are to act in combat, and helps determine turn order. Your Dexterity modifier is the primary source of initiative, but there are feats and some class features that may affect it as well.

Armor Class

Armor class is a marker of how difficult you are to hit in combat. Fill in any bonuses provided to your armor class, along with your Touch and Flat-Footed AC. Details of AC and what each bonus entails can be found on the Armor Class page.

Saving Throws

Saving throws are how you resist the effects or damage of spells, some special abilities, and Environmental Effects. Your base save is provided by your class and level, and the Ability Modifier for each save is listed below the save (Constitution for Fortitude Saves, Dexterity for Reflex Saves, and Wisdom for Will Saves). Check your class features and feats for any bonuses, and your race for any conditional modifiers (many races provide bonuses to saves against specific types of effects).

Base Attack Bonus

Base attack bonus is a function of class and level, and is added to any attack roll or Combat Maneuver Check you make. Check your class table for your BAB.

Spell Resistance

Spell Resistance is extremely uncommon at this level, but if you do have any it likely comes from your race.

Combat Maneuvers

Your CMB and CMD represent your Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense values. They operate in the same fashion that an attack bonus and AC work, with one being used as a modifier to a Combat Maneuver Check and the other used as the value that needs to be beaten. More information can be found in the Combat Maneuvers article, but for now we'll just fill in the numbers. your Combat Maneuver Bonus (or CMB) is the sum of your Base Attack Bonus, Strength Modifier, Size Modifier (0 for medium creatures), and any other bonuses that may come from your class or feats. Your Combat Maneuver Defense (or CMD) is the sum of your Base Attack Bonus, Strength Modifier, Dexterity Modifier, Size Modifier, any other bonuses that may come from your class or feats, plus 10. Put these two numbers down together on your sheet.

Attacks

List your attacks here. This can include your weapons, natural attacks (or unarmed strikes), or ranged/melee touch attacks (often needed for spellcasters). The details of these attacks can be found in the Actions in Combat article, under Attack.

Skills

This section should be mostly filled out by this point. Add your armor check penalty from your armor and/or shield to each ability it applies to (denoted with an asterisk next to the key ability, and doubled for Swim), and make sure you have applied any bonuses from your race, class, or feats.

Languages

Any languages your character knows goes here.

AC Items

You can list any armor or shields you use here, as well as any magical items that provide bonuses to your AC. The spell failure chance for each item is the percent chance that most arcane spells you attempt to cast while wearing it will fail. It is recommended to avoid this chance by not wearing armor as an arcane spellcaster, though some classes (like bards) can ignore it from certain sources.

Gear

Here you can list any other equipment you purchased. Record your weight capacities here (determined by Strength, modified by size).

Money

If you have any money left after purchasing your initial equipment, put it here.

Feats

You can list any feats you have chosen here.

Special Abilities

Any abilities granted to you by your race, class, or feats can go here for reference.

Experience Points

We use the milestone method of leveling, where the entire party levels together at set points determined by the DM, so experience points are not used in this setting.

Spells

If you are a spellcasting class, you can list your known spells here. Spells available to each class can be found in the @spells article. The spell save DC for each spell level is the ability modifier for the ability that governs spellcasting for your class, plus the level of the spell, plus any save bonuses you may have from your race, class, or feats.

Part 4 - Finishing Touches

The last bits to put down have no designated space for it, or detail some possible pitfalls and confusion that may arise from some more niche attributes.

Size

Most characters are medium or small, thus occupying a 5 ft space on the field and having a reach (melee range) of 5 ft, allowing them to attack anyone in adjacent squares. If a character is large, they instead occupy a 10 ft space, and have a reach of 10 ft.

Favored Class

Each character has a favored class, chosen at first level. Anytime a character gains a level in their favored class, they gain their choice of 1 additional hit point or 1 additional skill point. Some features, such as the Half-Elf Multitalented special quality may allow a character to have more than one favored class, gaining the above bonus when they take a level in any of their favored classes.

Level Adjust

Some races are have significantly more powerful bonuses, and are balanced by what's called a Level Adjustment. This means that the effective level of your character is treated as your class level plus any level adjustment. This will lower your class level relative to the rest of the party, and slow down your character advancement. If you want to play a race with a level adjustment, it is recommended you work with the DM to adjust the racial bonuses to a point that an LA is no longer needed. Note that races from D&D 3.5 are typically slightly weaker than their Pathfinder equivalents, and a LA +1 3.5 race would typically be acceptable without much, if any, adjustment.

Racial HD

If you are looking to play a race with Racial Hit Dice, talk with the DM first. Racial HD are a poor attempt at balancing races, and it is better to tone down the bonuses of that race instead.

Power Resistance

If you encounter this as a level 1 character, I'm impressed! This is the same as Spell Resistance, but primarily affects psionic abilities and powers. You can see the Magic and Psionic Interactions article for information on how psionics and magic interact with each other.

Backstory

Now would be a great time to start working out your character's backstory. You'll need to work with the DM to fit it into the campaign world, but you can get a general idea for their story. Are they an orphan raised on the streets? A noble who shirked their familial responsibilities for adventure? The possibilities are limitless, and building a character backstory can help you get into their shoes and understand what makes them tick, enhancing your ability to role-play at the table. Plus, a written backstory bears with it the reward of a Hero Point (see Hero Point Rules, Character Story). If you are at a loss on where to start with this, feel free to use the DM or other players to get the creative juices flowing.

Part 5 - Starting at Higher Levels

If you are entering a campaign at a higher level than first, you will want to level your character appropriately before beginning. See Leveling Up to learn more about the process of increasing levels, and see Player Wealth for information on starting gold for higher level characters.