In an audacious bid for power, the Cult of the
Dragon, along with its dragon allies and the
Red Wizards of Thay, seeks to free Tiamat from
her prison in the Nine Hells to bring her to the
Forgotten Realms.
The cult’s forces are sweeping from town to town,
laying waste to all who oppose them and gathering
a hoard of riches for their dread queen.
Never before has the need for
heroes been as desperate.
~~~
Welcome to Dungeons & Dragons, the greatest role-playing game in this mortal realm (or at least in my opinion)! For those who are unfamiliar (I know it's fairly popular, but I'd rather not assume EVERYONE knows), Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing system where dice are used to determine the outcome of your actions. Fortunately, the publisher of the game was generous enough to provide a free basic rulebook which provides the barebones of the system right here!
Spoiler: Setting
The setting of this piece is the high fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, on the western coast of Faerûn, known as the Sword Coast. Your characters are a group of adventurers heading toward the village of Greenest to investigate rumors of dragon cult activity. Your characters should be somewhat familiar with each other, whether they're lifelong friends or brought together simply out of personal gain. If you're having trouble coming up with a hook for your character, a sense of motivation for the adventure, just come to me and I'll help to the best of my ability!
Spoiler: Character Creation
And that brings us to character creation! The aforementioned Basic Rules have all you need to make a character, but it can be a bit of a read and does not have all of the race and class options. Now, I could take the time to type out every races and classes barebones details for you to use, however I do not desire to run into legal issues with the fine makers of this game. So, instead, I will provide a list of races and classes and give you the info needed for your CS on demand. That way, there's not one post containing half the book and I can sleep easy knowing there's not a courtroom in my near future.
Spoiler: Step 1: Race
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. These four are covered in the Basic Rules, however five other races and the dark elf subrace are only found in the full Player's Handbook which I have and am willing to provide info from. Some races have subraces, such as mountain dwarf or wood elf, which provide little bonuses.
One drawback I find with D&D is that it puts every race into a sort of personality box, except for humans, whose only defining characteristic seems to be their uniqueness. So feel free to write your character however you want regardless of race! I don't see anything wrong with a crude, turnip-farming elf or a dwarf who can't smith worth a damn. Make a dark elf that isn't evil for a change (god, I could go on about how the evil dark elf stories irk me). The fantasy genre is already so overburdened with rigid tropes, it's about time we see something different.
Anywho, the races are:
Dwarf (Hill or Mountain)
Elf (High, Wood, or Drow)
Halfling (Lightfoot or Stout
Human
Dragonborn
Gnome (Forest or Rock)
Half-elf
Half-orc
Tiefling
Spoiler: Step 2: Class
Class is the primary definition of what your character can do. It’s more than a profession; it’s your character’s calling. Classes give you bonuses that specialize you in certain talents. They are as follows:
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Warlock
Wizard
A quick side note on the difference between Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. A Sorcerer is born with or comes across their magic abilities, either through a draconic bloodline or interaction with Wild Magic. A warlock gets their magic through another being, such as a demon or a fey or a Great Old One. A wizard gets their magic purely through study and book-learning, the nerds.
Spoiler: Step 3: Ability Scores
Now to determine your Ability Scores. Your Ability Scores are your levels of natural talent in six broad categories:
STRength
DEXterity
CONstitution
INTelligence
WISdom
CHArisma
To determine your ability scores, you must roll four six sided dice and subtract the lower of the four die. For example, if I rolled a 6, a 5, a 4, and a 3, I'd remove the 3 and add the remaining three figures. To roll dice on the forum, use the code (without the space):
[roll]1d6[/ roll]
Use that code four times in a single text row, then copy that code five more times below the first one. Then hit post. Your results will be there once you hit post and will remain the same numbers even when you edit that post. Once you have your scores, assign them to the ability scores of your choice and add any necessary racial modifiers.
Next to your scores, in parentheses, type out the modifier. The modifier is determined by subtracting ten from the score and dividing it by two, rounding down. Be sure to put a positive or negative sign when appropriate.
Spoiler: Step 4: Describe Your Character
Now to describe your character. A proper description is important to the imagination involved in the game. You may write a description of your character's appearance or post a picture/illustration, or both!
Then, choose your character's alignment. This is a combination of two things: morality (good, neutral, evil) and attitude toward law and order (lawful, neutral, chaotic). This leaves nine different alignments.
Spoiler: Alignments
Lawful good (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Gold dragons, paladins, and most dwarves are lawful good.
Neutral good (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many celestials, some cloud giants, and most gnomes are neutral good.
Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Copper dragons, many elves, and unicorns are chaotic good.
Lawful neutral (LN) individuals act in accordance with law, tradition, or personal codes. Many monks and some wizards are lawful neutral.
Neutral (N) is the alignment of those who prefer to steer clear of moral questions and don’t take sides, doing what seems best at the time. Lizardfolk, most druids, and many humans are neutral.
Chaotic neutral (CN) creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Many barbarians and rogues, and some bards, are chaotic neutral.
Lawful evil (LE) creatures methodically take what they want, within the limits o f a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. Devils, blue dragons, and hobgoblins are lawful evil.
Neutral evil (NE) is the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. Many drow, some cloud giants, and yugoloths are neutral evil.
Chaotic evil (CE) creatures act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred, or bloodlust. Demons, red dragons, and orcs are chaotic evil.
Now, you may choose a background. Your character’s background describes where he or she came from, his or her original occupation, and the character’s place in the D&D world. Backgrounds include additional skills, features, equipment, and proficiencies to spice up your character. The book includes the following backgrounds:
Acolyte
Charlatan
Criminal
Entertainer
Folk Hero
Guild Artisan
Hermit
Noble
Outlander
Sage
Sailor
Soldier
Urchin.
You may also create your own background. If this is your desired course, I will be happy to walk you through it.
Your character must also have two personality traits, an ideal, a bond, and a flaw. The backgrounds come with several of these. You are also free to create your own.
Spoiler: Step 5: Equipment
And finally, equipment. Here, as always, you have a choice. You may choose the equipment packages provided to you by your class and background, OR you may purchase your own equipment using an amount of gold determined by your background and random dice roll. If you choose the latter, I will be happy to provide you with a full shop of equipment to purchase from, you need only to ask.
Once you have all of the details down, put them down on your character sheet, post, and await acceptance!
Spoiler: Character Sheet
Name:
Race:
Gender: (all accepted, don't be afraid to break the binary)
Class:
Background:
Alignment:
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
Proficiency Bonus: (this starts at +2)
Proficiencies:
Saving Throws:
Skills:
Passive Wisdom (Perception): (this is 10 + WIS modifier + proficiency bonus)
Other Proficiencies & Languages: (this is where you jot down weapons, armor, languages, and anything else you're proficient at)
AC:
HP: (class hp + CON modifier)
Equipment: (List any and all equipment you are starting the journey with)
Personality Traits:
Ideals:
Bonds:
Flaws:
Features: (be sure to list ALL features given to you by your race, class, and background)
Age:
Appearance: (if you choose to write a description, be sure to describe height, weight, eyes, skin, and hair)
Character Backstory: (give the bio of your character. The race, class, and background sections provide excellent details and questions to help you flesh out your character)
Spells: (be sure to put down what cantrips you know, what spells you know, how many spell slots you have, and what spells occupy those spell slots)
This has been in my drafts for about half a year now (and I've only now decided to streamline and FINALLY post it) so there is more than likely somethings I missed or didn't cover very well at all. If you are confused or need more info on anything, I mean ANYTHING, please ask, either here or in my inbox, and I'll be more than happy to give you what you need. And remember:
1. RPA Rules and Regulations apply. The applied then, they apply now, they apply FOREVER.
2. I am the DM and the DM's word is law. However, I am a very nice DM and am always open to suggestions, corrections, and polite disagreement. But if I am firm on an issue, I will brook no further arguments (heheh, firm).
3. Have fun and be yourself!
Yes to all of the questions! Particularly the Unearthed Arcana and Elemental Evil question, I meant to say in the original post that those options are allowed. Glad there's a bit of interest! And thank you for the offer, Bionicllama! I'd offer the same to players but I have only a physical copy.
I can easily find the stuff up if need be. I'll have my CS up after tomorrow when I get home from my D&D game tomorrow night, I can easily get a photocopy of my character to get her ability scores. Also can I make a second character? I play easier with multiple plus this one has a connection to mine.
Okay good! My character's squire who hasn't even appeared in encounters yet will be in this....and yes that's a hint to my character, she is a noble knight.
This is what I have so far, will finish the rest when I get home.
Name: Nikolai Arvim
Race: Half-Elf
Gender: Male (Pansexual)
Class: Paladin
Background:
Alignment: LG
STR:
DE
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Saving Throws:
Skills:
Passive Wisdom (Perception): (this is 10 + WIS modifier + proficiency bonus)
Other Proficiencies & Languages:
- Languages: Elvish, Common, Dwarvish
HP: (class hp + CON modifier)
Equipment: (List any and all equipment you are starting the journey with)
Personality Traits:
Ideals:
Bonds:
Flaws:
Features:
- Darkvision (60 ft)
- Fey Ancestory (Advantage against being charmed, magic can't put me to sleep)
Age: 23
Appearance: (if you choose to write a description, be sure to describe height, weight, eyes, skin, and hair)
Character Backstory: (give the bio of your character. The race, class, and background sections provide excellent details and questions to help you flesh out your character)
Spells: (be sure to put down what cantrips you know, what spells you know, how many spell slots you have, and what spells occupy those spell slots)
D&D: Tyrrany of Dragons (OOC)
Bookmarks