Dungeons & Dragons: How to make a character
Whether for playing the game, or just for making your own stories, DnD is a great place to start learning how to create characters.
How D&D works:
DnD is game where one player runs the game (called the “DM” or “Dungeon Master”), usually following a guide to tell what happens, describing events outside of combat to the players and voicing the other people in the story. Each player has their own character they create. The characters stats and abilities are decided by the player from choices based on their chosen Species/Races, Class and Background.
For example, the players may be in a forest at night. The DM say’s the player’s hear movement all around, a player might then suggest they roll a “Perception” check to see if they sense any danger. All checks are done rolling a 20 sided dice (a D20). then the player adds their bouses to the number, and the DM (or the book) says if the number is high enough that player notices the villains sneaking around, behind.
Battles are played on a map with squares and players and the DM’s controlled enemies take turns to move and choose what actions to take. Kind of like chess, but much more fun!
How you make a character
You create a character by choosing 3 things.
- Race/Species
- Class
- Background
Species/Races
The World of Dungeons and Dragons is a great tool for learning about story telling and character development.
Most DnD campaigns are told in the world of “Toril” on the continent of “Faerun” such as the hit game “Baldur’s Gate”. However, many dnd stories, such as the “Dragonlance” series are set on different worlds. Dnd can have any number of planets/parallel universes.
Faerun is popular as it’s a worlds filled with innumerable different communities and cultures living together, usually in harmony. Most places in DnD have settings styled on the middle-ages, but since peoples can come from other worlds, you can integrate any kind of people or cultures of your own creation.
Classes
In DnD “Class” is kind of like your characters’ job, but in an adventuring sense, rather than for making a living. Your characters job is usually determined by background.
Classes are divided up into 12 from warrior types such as Fighters and Rangers, Magical types such as Wizards and Druids or unusual characters such as Bards (musical magicians) or Artificers (combining magic and machinery).
Classes have “Subclasses”, which wildly alter the characteristics of a class. For example, Fighters can choose different styles, such as “Bannerets” that empower allies or eldritch knights that can also wield magic and magically return their weapons when thrown. Sorcerers however, choose a “Sorceress origin”, the nature of their power, such as Storm Sorcery, with powers given from elemental gods, or Aberrant mind sorcerers, who gain psychic powers such as telepathy, usually gifted by beings from alien worlds!
Backgrounds
Simply your characters lifestyle up until the beginning of their adventure. Their are loads to chose from but you’re free to make your own. Within the game you must use the stats/abilities from one of the existing backgrounds.
Backgrounds include things like being a small village blacksmith, or circus entertainer. Maybe a pickpocket or apprentice wizard.
