Making an Awesome D&D Character

One of the biggest concerns I had when I was starting to get into role-playing games (RPGs) was looking like I didn’t know how to play. In scenarios where I was the newest entrant, I didn’t want to feel like I was slowing down the game to the annoyance of my group. While I can attest that was the furthest thing from truth and most groups are willing to help new players, I wanted to create a resource that would allow people to make characters you can be proud of when going into a gaming group.

In the next week, I will be publishing ways that you can elevate your role-playing game character creation from zero to hero.

To start exploring, click the link below or use our handy table to find the information you’re looking for.

Table of Contents

• • Step 0: Collect Information
  • Step 1: Classes
  • Step 2: Races
  • Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
  • Step 4: Ability Score Generation
  • Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
  • Step 6: Spellcasting

 

Reference Material:

• Dungeons and Dragons Character Sheet Helper

Making an Awesome D&D Character: Step 5

Table of Contents

• Step 0: Collect Information
• Step 1: Classes
• Step 2: Races
• Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
• Step 4: Ability Score Generation
• Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
• Step 6: Spellcasting

Skills & Proficiencies

Based on the total number of levels you have accumulated, your character gets more proficient with the skills and abilities they have started out with. This starts out as a +2 bonus to skills you are proficient with and goes up in tiers as you level with the highest being +6 at level 17. You can still use skills you are not proficient with though, but they will not be as powerful later in the game.

In addition to your proficiency, your skill modifier also has the associated ability modifier added with it. To determine your ability score modifier, take your score, subtract 10 and then divide by half rounding down. Alternatively, you can use this handy-dandy chart.

Ability Scores and Modifiers

Score	Modifier
1	−5
2–3	−4
4–5	−3
6–7	−2
8–9	−1
10–11	+0
12–13	+1
14–15	+2
16–17	+3
18–19	+4
20–21	+5
22–23	+6
24–25	+7
26–27	+8
28–29	+9
30	+10

Source: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Ability%20Scores#content

For example, if you are using Athletics which is typically a Strength-based ability, and your Strength is 13, your modifier would be +1. If you proficient in Athletics, this changes to +3 at level 1.

Below we will go into a brief primer about what each skill does and why you would want to pick it.

 

Skill	Primary Ability	Explanation
Acrobatics	Dexterity	The ability to escape grapples and keep your balance
Animal Handling	Wisdom	The ability to handle beasts including riding animals and change an animal’s mood
Arcana	Intelligence	Knowledge of magic resulting from arcane study
Athletics	Strength	The ability to break grapples, move heavy objects, and perform jumps
Deception	Charisma	The ability to deceive
History	Intelligence	Knowledge of historic events, places, and people
Insight	Wisdom	The ability to see through deception and sense another’s intention
Intimidation	Charisma	The ability to intimidate someone into cooperation
Investigation	Intelligence	Looking for clues or piecing together how something works
Medicine	Wisdom	First aid and ability to perform medical procedures
Nature	Intelligence	The knowledge of natural phenomenon and beasts
Perception	Wisdom	The ability to use your senses to perceive the material world
Performance	Charisma	Using instruments, your voice, or dancing to make money
Persuasion	Charisma	Using reason or emotional appeal (beyond deception and intimidation) to promote a behaviour
Religion	Intelligence	Knowledge of religious rituals and deities
Sleight of Hand	Dexterity	To use your hands delicately to steal, misdirect, or pocket an object
Stealth	Dexterity	The ability to avoid being perceived
Survival	Wisdom	The ability to forage, hunt, and track

Tool, Armour, and Weapon Proficiencies

There are other forms of proficiencies that don’t have a numerical benefit. With tools, they allow you to use your proficiency bonus when making certain checks.  With weapons, you get to add your proficiency when you’re trying to hit with the weapon, and with armour you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or Attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity, and you can’t cast Spells. (Source: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Armor#content)

Making an Awesome D&D Character: Step 3

Table of Contents

• Step 0: Collect Information
• Step 1: Classes
• Step 2: Races
• Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
• Step 4: Ability Score Generation
• Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
• Step 6: Spellcasting

Backgrounds & Backstory

A background when talking about D&D 5e is a mechanical term that describes what your character was doing before they took on their adventuring class. They are one of my favourite parts in the game because they can add so much flavour to your character with minimal effort. For example, you may be a fighter, but perhaps instead of being a soldier, you were guild artisan who is showcasing their wares. Instead of a wizard, you take the noble background and you are now a court wizard. It makes filling out a full character and their motivations so much easier.

A backstory on the other hand is the narrative account of how your character transitions from their background to their class. It also can detail any facet of your character’s life  you want to include like family, friends, enemies, romantic partners, magical events that happened, expeditions you may have gone on, etc. The only limit is your creativity and the amount of time you can put into it.

See below for some backgrounds that may suit what you have in mind.

Resource for Backgrounds:

• Backgrounds from the D&D 5e Wikia
• Player’s Handbook

Resource for Backstory:

• How to Create a Compelling Backstory from Geek & Sundry
• Twenty Questions to Help You Create a Backstory from Reddit user u/P03t35
• Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

Making An Awesome D&D Character: Step 2

Table of Contents

• Step 0: Collect Information
• Step 1: Classes
• Step 2: Races
• Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
• Step 4: Ability Score Generation
• Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
• Step 6: Spellcasting

Races

There are a three schools of thought when it comes to picking a race. You can pick the one that fits the flavour of your character, one that gives you the best mechanics in-game, and or a race have that has never been done before. Each of these have their merits. It comes down to play style and what’s important to you when you play. For example if your play style needs your character to be optimized for the best playing, then you may be best choosing a race that makes the most mechanical sense. If that’s less important, and story is more important, I’d recommend choosing flavour over mechanics.

Whether you’ve picked your class or need some help with races, you’ve come to the right place. Races in D&D can be overwhelming due to sheer number of Wizards of the Coast published races. Below, I will break down the ones in the System Resource Document (SRD), but will also list others and where to find my information on them.

Race Name	Mechanics	Typical Lore	Examples
Dwarf	Darkvision +2 Constitution and +1 Wisdom Resistant to poison and poison damage Automatically knows some Dwarven weapons such as battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer Gains proficinecy with Stonecunning to recognize origin or stonework. Some varieties such as the Hill Dwarf gain extra HP every level.	Known as stout and steady people, the dwarves are generally a lawful, well-ordered society with a sense of fair play and the benefits of society being just.	Glimi from Lord of the Rings Thorin Oakenshield from The HobbitBinwin Bronzebottom from Acquisitions Incorporated
Elf	Can see in the dark 60 ft as dim light +2 Dexterity and +1 IntelligenceProficiency in PerceptionThey don’t sleep and their minds are trained against charms. Knows how to use swords, bows, and a little bit of magic.	Elves are known for their love of freedom, their long lives, and their love of freedom, and self-expression. They value others freedoms as well.	Legolas from The Lord of the Rings Keyleth from Critial Role Elves from the Elder Scrolls franchise
Halfling	Fast and friendly: +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma. Can reroll natural 1s Harder to be frightened Can move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than theirs Can hide behind creatures larger than themselves	Halflings are about half the size of a human, but are often seen as a friendly and kind-hearted race. They are known for their honour to tradition, their enjoyment of life, and community.	Frodo, Sam, and other Hobbits from Tolkien’s fantasy books Willow from the movie with the same nameAcorn from The 13th Kingdom
Human	Generalists: they gain +1 to every ability	I believe you’re very well acquainted with this race	Think of any heroic human on Earth
Dragonborn	Strong and forceful, they gain +2 to Strength and +1 to Charisma Gain access to breath weapon and damage resistance determined by colour of dragon	Dragonborn are dragon-like humanoids who often see the world in extremes.	Similar to Argonians in the Elder Scrolls franchise
Gnome	+2 to Intelligence and +1 to Constitution Darkvision Better at resisting mind-affecting magics Can tinker to create various toys and tools	The gnomes are a fun-loving, mischievous race who value freedom as much as the elves do. They are connected with the forest or mountains they call home and often spend time tricking outsiders with fantastic illusions or working on new inventions to keep their minds active.	The Earthmen from The Chronicles of Narnia Dobby and Critter from the Harry Potter series Gnomeo from Gnomeo and Juliette
Half-Elf	+2 Charisma and +1 to another ability of your choice Darkvision Can’t be put to sleep by magic and has advantage against being charmed Gains proficiency in two additional skills	The union of an elf and a human or another half-elf, the half-elves fit in everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They are charismatic and skillful, but are not as long-lived as elves, and don’t quite fit in with humans.	Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI Tanis Half-Elven from Dragonlance Gardic from The Lady of the Lake
Half-Orc	+2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution Darkvision Proficiency in Intimidation When you’re reduced to 0 hit points, you can drop to 1 hp instead once a long rest When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you deal one dice additional damage	The progeny of an orc and a human or a half-orc and a human, half-orcs are large, imposing humanoids with features that resemble an orc: notably skin and tusks. In orc culture, they are often seen as puny and weak while in human culture they are less trusted or even feared for their bloodline. As such, they have to work harder to be trusted and are often given more dangerous tasks.	Harruq from the Weight of Blood Agronak gro-Malog from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Nicolas Jakoby in Bright
Tiefling	Intelligence +1 and Charisma +2 Darkvision Resistance to fire You know spells due to your infernal legacy	Either through the pairing of another tiefling or due to an infernal pact with a devil, Tieflings are often depicted with horns and a tail. Because they are so visibly entwined with evil, they are often avoided in social situations.	Balthazar from Constantine Crowley from Supernatural Jester from Critical Role

For more options or information, check out the following resources below:

• Player’s Handbook
• Dungeon Master’s Guide
• Elemental Evil Player’s Guide
• Volo’s Guide to Monsters
• Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
• Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
• Southlands Heroes
• Planeshift: Zendikar

 

Making an Awesome D&D Character: Step 1

Table of Contents

• Step 0: Collect Information
• Step 1: Classes
• Step 2: Races
• Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
• Step 4: Ability Score Generation
• Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
• Step 6: Spellcasting

Classes

So you have a rough idea of what you want to play. What fits best with what you want to play?

Here’s a brief summary of each of the classes in D&D. These classes flow over into other fantasy role-playing (RPGs) games and can be used to extrapolate for other systems.

Barbarian

A hardy and strong class that focuses into bringing itself into a rage that makes the character even harder to kill.

Claim to Fame: Able to take a lot of hits and deal some good damage.
Primary Class Ability: Rage

Bard

This versatile class is built around being able to do pretty much everything from combat, to spell-casting, and skill challenges. You’ve usually got what your group needs in a situation. If not, you can perform an oratory or sing a song to inspire them to greatness.

Claim to Fame: Jack-of-all-trades.
Primary Class Ability: Bardic Inspiration

Cleric

Being the mouth of a deity is no easy feat, but the cleric manages to do it with poise and grace. The pantheons in D&D lore are rich and detailed, but your character has chosen to devote themselves to one and spread their word across your DM’s campaign.

Claim to Fame:C omes in many different fervent flavours.
Primary Class Ability: Divine magic, and abilities granted by the deity.

Druid

While clerics are the instrument of a deity, druids often worship nature and protect it. The ability to turn into animals and cast spells certainly helps keep the baddies away.

Claim to Fame: can turn into beasts and cast divine magic.
Primary Class Ability: Wildshape and divine magic.

Fighter

Whether you’re a protector, a strategist, an archer, or want an occasional boost to your protective abilities, fighter could be the way you want to go. Fighters are known for their ability to solve issues by hitting things, but they are less known for their different fighting styles that you can customize your martial character into a sharpshooting crossbowman, or great sword wielding tactician.

Claim to Fame: Hitting things is pretty effective. |
Primary Class Ability: Action Surge

Monk

Whether you’re going for a boxer or a kung-fu martial artist, monks are wise and fast characters who use unarmed attacks and monk weapons in combat.

Claim to Fame: unarmed attacks are more effective with these characters.
Primary Class Ability: Ki abilities

Paladin

While clerics may be the mouth of a deity, paladins are their hands. Paladins are a mix of fighter and cleric so they come with the ability to shine in combat and have some divine spell-casting ability.

Claim to Fame: They can release a powerful blast of energy upon a hit in combat and are charismatic out of combat.
Primary Class Ability: Divine Smite

Ranger

Tracking through different terrains, favoured enemies to hunt and destroy, and maybe even making a few woodland friends along the way. Meet the Ranger. The ranger is a mix of a druid and a fighter and so has access to a few nature spells, and can also hold up in combat.

Claim to Fame: Getting the right favoured enemy or terrain really makes for happy group.
Primary Class Ability: Favoured Terrain & Enemy

Rogue

Typically known for their sneaking abilities and the sheer number of skills they gain, they are the only class that starts with a starting proficiency in thieves’ tools. Truly this class is too varied to really put into words.

Claim to Fame: High amount of skills and an excellent scout (until they get caught).
Primary Class Ability: Sneak Attack

Sorcerer

Sorcerers gain magic inherently through the magic within their bloodline. This magic becomes more and more powerful as you progress through the class with the ability to even twist the magic to suit your whims.

Claim to Fame: Able to take spells and change them to their benefit.
Primary Class Ability: Metamagic

Wizard

While sorcerers gain use of magic through force of personality, wizards use their intellect to study one of the nine schools of magic.

Claim to Fame: The Swiss Army knife of spellcasters.
Primary Class Ability: Arcane magic

Warlock

Warlocks get their spell-casting and abilities due to a pact with a powerful entity such as a demon or an arch-fey.

Claim to Fame: one of a kind spell-caster with easy backstory elements.
Primary Class Ability: Eldritch Invocations

For more information on classes, see below:

• Player’s Handbook
• D&D Basic Rules
• Xanathar’s Guide to Everything for advanced level 3 class options
• Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide