Creating a Character

Every character belongs to a race, one of the many intelligent humanoid species in the D&D world. The most common player character races are dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans, with some races having subraces, such as mountain dwarf or wood elf. Races provides more information about these races, as well as the less widespread dragonborn, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs, tieflings and much, much more.

The race you choose significantly contributes to your character’s identity by establishing a general appearance and granting natural talents from culture and ancestry. Each race provides specific racial traits, such as special senses, proficiency with certain weapons or tools, proficiency in one or more skills, or the ability to cast minor spells. These traits often align with certain class capabilities (see step 2). For example, the traits of lightfoot halflings make them exceptional rogues, while high elves tend to excel as powerful wizards. However, playing against type can also be enjoyable—half-orc paladins and mountain dwarf wizards, for instance, can create memorable characters.

Additionally, your race increases one or more of your ability scores, which you will determine in step 3. Be sure to note these increases and apply them later. Record the traits granted by your race on your character sheet, including your starting languages and base speed.

Every adventurer is a member of a class. Class broadly describes a character's vocation, what special talents he or she possesses, and the tactics he or she is most likely to employ when exploring a dungeon, fighting monsters, or engaging in a tense negotiation. The character classes are described in Classes .

Your character receives a number of benefits from your choice of class. Many of these benefits are class features—capabilities (including spellcasting) that set your character apart from members of other classes. You also gain a number of proficiencies: armor, weapons, skills, saving throws, and sometimes tools. Your proficiencies define many of the things your character can do particularly well, from using certain weapons to telling a convincing lie. On your character sheet, record all the features that your class gives you at 1st level.

For every class, including those beyond the melee types, see the class list .

Much of what your character does in the game depends on their six abilities: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, and CHA. Each ability has a score, a number you record on your character sheet.

To generate your character's six ability scores, roll four six-sided dice (d6), discard the lowest roll, and add the total of the remaining three dice. Repeat this process five more times to generate six numbers. If you prefer not to roll or want to save time, you can use the standard set of scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Assign these six numbers to your character’s abilities—STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, and CHA—based on what best suits the character you have in mind. Afterward, adjust your scores based on the bonuses provided by your chosen race.

Once your scores are final, determine each ability’s modifier using the following table. Alternatively, calculate the modifier by subtracting 10 from the score and dividing by 2 (rounding down). Record the modifiers alongside the corresponding ability scores on your character sheet.

Once you know the basic game aspects of your character, it’s time to flesh them out as a person. Your character needs a name. Spend a few minutes thinking about what they look like and how they behave in general terms.

Using the information in Backgrounds , you can flesh out your character’s physical appearance and personality traits. Choose your character’s alignment (the moral compass that guides their decisions) and ideals. Backgrounds also helps you identify the things your character holds most dear, called bonds, and the flaws that could one day undermine them.

Your character’s background describes where they came from, their original occupation, and their place in the D&D world. A background gives your character a feature (a general benefit), proficiency in two skills, and may also grant additional languages or tool proficiencies. Record this information, along with the personality details you develop, on your character sheet.

There are many ways to play a character, choosing an alignment helps you make decisions in many situations that come up. Dungeons and Dragons as a whole leans towards mostly good heroes but feel free to discuss with your Dungeon Master if another alignment is suitable for the adventure.

Alignments broadly describe ethical attitudes and ideals. It is a combination of the morality (Good, Evil, or Neutral) and the attitude towards order (Lawful, Chaotic, or Neutral) that all sentient beings have in Dungeons and Dragons.

Races all have an innate alignment that should be thoughtfully considered when putting together a character.

• Lawful Good (LG): They try to do the right thing as expected by society. They fight for justice and protect the innocent without hesitation.

• Neutral Good (NG): They do the best they can. They work within the rules but are not bound by them. They are kind and help others.

• Chaotic Good (CG): They act as their conscious directs with little regard for the expectations of others. They are a rebel who uses their means to fulfill the greatest good they can.

• Lawful Neutral (LN): They act in accordance to law, tradition, or personal codes. They are someone who follows a disciplined way of life and isn’t swayed by the demands of others whether it be to help or be tempted into acts of evil.

• Neutral (N): They prefer to avoid moral questions and they do not take sides and simply do what they think is best at the time.

• Chaotic Neutral (CN): They follow their whims and value their personal freedom above all else. They prefer to live on their own wits and merits.

• Lawful Evil (LE): They methodically take what they want within the limits of their traditions, codes, or order.

• Neutral Evil (NE): They are untroubled by the harm they cause as they pursue their desires.

• Chaotic Evil (CE): They act with arbitrary violence, spurred with their hatred or bloodlust.

Your class and background determine your character's starting equipment, including weapons, armor, and other adventuring gear. Record this equipment on your character sheet. All such items are detailed in Equipment .

Instead of using the gear provided by your class and background, you can purchase your starting equipment. Your class determines the amount of gold pieces (gp) you have to spend, as shown in Equipment . That chapter also includes extensive equipment lists with prices. If you like, you can also choose one trinket at no cost (see the trinket table at the end of Equipment ).

Most D&D characters don’t work alone. Each character plays a role within a party, a group of adventurers working together for a common purpose. Teamwork and cooperation greatly improve your party’s chances to survive the many perils in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. Talk to your fellow players and your DM to decide whether your characters know one another, how they met, and what sorts of quests the group might undertake.

As your character goes on adventures and overcomes challenges, they show their merit and experience. When the DM determines that merit has reached a threshold, perhaps after completing the first major part of a quest, your character advances in capability. This advancement is called gaining a level. When your character gains a level, their class often grants additional features, as detailed in the class description. Some of these features allow you to increase your ability scores—either increasing two scores by 1 each or increasing one score by 2. You can’t increase an ability score above 20. Additionally, every character’s proficiency bonus increases at certain levels.

Each time you gain a level, you gain one additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your CON modifier to the roll, and add that total to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up). When your CON modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained.

Tiers of Play

The following illustrates the four tiers of play. These tiers don’t have specific rules associated with them but provide a general description of how the play experience changes as characters gain levels.

• First Tier (Levels 1–4): Characters are apprentice adventurers, learning the features that define their classes, including major choices such as a wizard’s Arcane Tradition or a fighter’s Martial Archetype. They face relatively minor threats, often endangering local farmsteads or villages. Some DMs joke that this is the survival horror portion of your adventuring life as you are quite weak at this point, but don’t listen to them.

• Second Tier (Levels 5–10): Characters come into their own. Spellcasters gain access to 3rd-level spells like fireball and lightning bolt, crossing a new threshold of magical power. Weapon users gain the ability to make multiple attacks in one round. These adventurers face dangers threatening cities and kingdoms. These levels are where adventures tend to spend a lot of their time.

• Third Tier (Levels 11–16): Characters achieve power that sets them above the ordinary populace. At 11th level, spellcasters gain access to 6th-level spells with previously impossible effects. Other classes gain features that make them even more formidable. These heroes often confront threats to entire regions or continents. This is approaching upper tier play and many DMs will keep players in this range and it makes for more fun and engaging play.

• Fourth Tier (Levels 17–20): Characters reach the pinnacle of their class features, becoming heroic (or villainous) archetypes. Their adventures might decide the fate of the world or the multiverse. These levels can often be tedious as there is so much you have to keep track of, so they are generally kept for players who have some experience under their belt.