Chapter 2: Creating a Character

YOU CAN MAKE A CHARACTER FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS using the building blocks in this book. Your character is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a class (such as Fighter or Wizard), a background (such as Sailor or Acolyte), and a species (such as Human or Elf). You also invent the personality and appearance of your character. Once completed, your character serves as your avatar in the D&D multiverse.

GET READY

Before you dive into character creation, there are a few things to do to get ready, as explained below.

TALK WITH YOUR DM

Start by talking with your Dungeon Master about the type of D&D game they plan to run. If the DM draws inspiration from Greek myth, for example, you might choose a different direction for your character than if the DM is planning for swashbuckling on the high seas. Think about the kind of adventurer you want to play in this game. If you don’t know where to begin, look at the character illustrations in this book for inspiration.

CHOOSE A CHARACTER SHEET

You'll record the main details of your character on a character sheet. Throughout this chapter, we use the term “character sheet” to mean whatever you use to track your character's details, whether it's a printed character sheet (like the one shown on the following pages), a digital character sheet like the one on D&D Beyond, or plain paper. Choose whichever style of sheet works for you, and then embark on creating a character!

SESSION ZERO

Some Dungeon Masters start a campaign with a “session zero,” an initial gathering focused on creating characters and setting expectations, including topics to avoid as well as those to embrace. A session zero provides a great opportunity to talk to the other players and the DM and decide whether your characters know one another, how they met, and what sorts of quests the group might undertake together.

CREATE YOUR CHARACTER

Here are the steps to make a character; each step is explored in detail in this chapter:

Choose a Class. Every adventurer is a member of a class. A class broadly describes a character's vocation, special talents, and favored tactics.
Determine Origin. A character's origin includes two elements: background and species. How did the character spend the years leading up to a life of adventure? Who are the character’s ancestors? You can also choose your character's languages.
Determine Ability Scores. Much of what your character does in the game depends on the character’s six abilities.
Choose an Alignment. Alignment is a shorthand for your character's moral compass.
Fill in Details. Using the choices you've made, fill in the remaining details on your character sheet.

On the character sheet on the following pages, many spaces are labeled with a number that corresponds with one of those steps.

STEP 1: CHOOSE A CLASS