How do I make a good D&D character? Good question! In this article, we will explore the character-making process. By the time we’re done, you will understand the thought process behind the creation of a D&D character.
Basically, creating a good character for Dungeons and Dragons is more than just making a lot of good decisions. You have to think about the big picture. You have to take into consideration your race, class, background, and a lot more.
Let’s jump in and give you seven solid steps to make a great D&D character.
Step #1: Roll Your Stats
First, you want to generate your ability scores. There are many ways to do this, but I would suggest using the 4d6 method. Basically, you write down results of rolling four six-sided dice and drop the lowest die of each set. You’ll be rolling for strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Write down the results. Now, work on putting your results into the character sheets.
Your ability scores will determine if you get bonuses in certain things like combat or maybe checking for traps. This is why you’ll want to roll your stats first. You’ll be able to adequately choose a race and class that go well with the stats you’ve rolled for your character.
Step #2: Pick Your Race
The race of your character is very important. It will impact the rest of the decision making process. Some races are better at certain things and some races will make you work harder to make a good character. For example, if you want to make a good archer, you might want to go with a halfling or a wood elf because they usually have good dexterity scores which effects archery in the game.
If you want a general, all-around race, go with a human. They have a lot of options because they can be anything. The other races are very specialized, so pay attention to their abilities and bonuses so you can make a good character. Certain races can add or subtract from ability scores, so keep this in mind. (You can also find good high elf names if you look around!)
Step #3: Pick your class
Knowing your DND classes will also help you make a good character. It will determine the weapons you will be able to use and more. The more powerful the class, the more restrictive it will be. For example, the Wizard class can be very powerful but it has a very low hit point maximum at start and are very easy to kill. You have to be very careful when you are playing a Wizard.
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On the other hand, a Fighter class would have a high hit point maximum and would be able to take a lot of damage. The Fighter class can still be restricted by what weapons it can use, but the class is better at fighting than the Wizard class no matter what weapon it uses. The class of your character will have a big impact on the rest of your character creation.
Step #4: Create Your Backstory
This step is intimidating for some players, but it doesn’t need to be. With online RPG generators like LitRPG Adventures, you can create a 400 to 500 word D&D character backstory with the click of a few buttons. The advanced character generator has over 800 combinations for races and classes, so you’re sure to get the backstory you want.
A character’s background will give you some insight into how your character will act. It might give you some hints on why your character is doing the things he or she is doing. A backstory can also be used to help develop interesting role play opportunities for you to play out in a dungeon crawl or other adventure.
Step #5: Visualize Your Appearance
Your character’s appearance isn’t as important as the factors above, but it can still be fun and help to really flesh out your character in your mind. With online RPG generators like LitRPG Adventures, you can create a detailed character appearance. You’ll get a few sentences about their appearance that you can use.
One thing that is important to remember is that your character’s physical appearance can make a difference in a role playing situation. A barbarian that looks like a raggedy hobo will have a hard time intimidating the local lord. But the lord will be very scared of a barbarian that looks like a hulking warrior. The appearance of your character should help to set the scene for the role playing situations you will encounter.
Step #6: Look at all your choices
After you have made your decisions, go over them again. Do they all go together? Does your character have abilities that suit his or her class? Does your character have a backstory that makes sense with his or her class and appearance? If something seems off, go back and change it.
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Step #7: Play with your character
The only way to really know if you have a good character is to play with it. Try a few solo games or a few games with a group. See how your character does. This is the most important step of all. You can spend hours making the perfect character, but it is only worth the time if you will actually use it.
Take the time to make a character. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to making a great character.
D&D Character Backstory Generator
As mentioned above, you can use LitRPG Adventures to create your own character backstories. My DND Character Creator is powered by GPT-3 from OpenAI and members also get access to our growing library of RPG content. We’ve got thousands of character backstories already generated that members can read for free.
