How to Make A Good D&D Character (For Newbies)

Before you can start playing the most popular board game in the world, you need to learn the process of D&D character creation. While most of the details written in this D&D character creation guide can be found in the player’s handbook, we have managed to group a few guidelines to make it easier for newbies to understand how to create a good D&D character and fill out the D&D character sheet.

Dungeon masters, who are usually more experienced players, usually help their fellow dungeon warriors create a good D&D character; however, if they do not, you can follow these instructions to set up your character for a D&D campaign. If you find this process difficult and confusing, you can use character generators to create your character online. However, I recommend going through this article to make future D&D character creations easier. 

D&D Character Creation

If you are starting with dnd character creation and are confused about how to create a D&D character that helps you enjoy the game and defeat goblins, the army of dead dragons, etc., then continue reading the guide when we explain all the aspects that you need to consider when creating a D&D character.

1. Character Concept

Whenever I begin making a character that I want to invest any prolonged period in, I always attempt to come up with the elevator pitch of a character idea. It’s easy, to the point, and provides you a place to start creating the rest of the character.

If you are dealing with producing this elevator pitch, I suggest learning more about the setting you will be playing in. It can be hard to develop something brand-new if you have absolutely no restrictions, so determining all the creative constraints of the setting can help in reducing the possibilities.

Brainstorming with other players is another way to help create this. Social media is a fantastic location to get character ideas. Attempting to drill down to where character ideas originate from resembles attempting to explain colors to a blind person; you understand it exists, but it’s hard to explain.

2. Choose a Race

The next step in DnD character creation is to choose the race of your character. The race is your character’s species. Your character’s race helps determine your physical look and provides you with natural talents.

Pick among the following races:

Dwarf – Page 18
Halfling – Page 26
Gnome – Page 35
Human – Page 29
Elf – Page 21
Dragonborn – Page 32
Half-Elf – Page 38
Half-Orc – Page 40
Tiefling – Page 42

3. Character Background

Next up is your D&D character’s background. I have played with players whose character backgrounds are usually 2 to 3 lines. While there are other players who put a lot of attention to their character background. While it is not necessary to create a long character background, it definitely makes the character more understandable and enjoyable to play with. 

As a dungeon master, I require to develop a story. Nevertheless, that story is fascinating to the gamers if I can engage them. Being able to play into the character’s background helps significantly with that. Yes, you can develop a story where the gamers’ characters are just asked to do something great or spend a lot of their lives in services. However, if you use a background with some moral dilemmas, the gamers will be forced to provide their character’s depth. As a player, you want a background that helps you make choices in-game. And likewise, if there is a downturn in the campaign, you want something to do.

Don’t exaggerate the background

Exaggerating your character’s background affects how the game flows and can make the campaign dull and unenjoyable. Having backgrounds where your character has exaggerated abilities or has done something extraordinary in their life is not only difficult to incorporate in the campaign created by the dungeon master, but it also unhinges the story and can be frustrating for the players playing with you.

4. Choose a Class

Class is your character’s occupation and determines what actions your character can carry out. Your character gains some unique class functions and proficiencies centered around their picked vocation. You can check out the first couple of paragraphs of each class’s section to understand what each of them are.

Pick one of the following classes:

Barbarian – Page 46
Cleric – Page 56
Bard – Page 51
Druid – Page 64
Fighter – Page 70
Ranger – Page 89
Monk – Page 76
Paladin – Page 82
Warlock – Page 105
Rogue – Page 94
Sorcerer – Page 99
Wizard – Page 112

5. Generate Ability Scores

Before you can start making ability checks and conserving rolls, you require your ability scores. Once you have created your ability scores, make sure to add those racial modifiers you get from the race you selected in Step 2.

A. Roll for Them

This is the most typical method I have seen, and the one I personally use. The core of this is that you utilize the dice to identify what your ability scores are. The most typical method is to roll a 4d6 dice 6 and roll it 4 times and add the three highest rolls you have received. For example, If you roll two 5s, a 4 and a 3, you will only add the two 5s and one 4 and get a total of 14.

Personally, I let gamers roll two various sets of numbers utilizing the 4d6 dice and combine their highest rolls. After the two sets are rolled, I then let the gamers choose which set they want to use for their ability scores. I do this to represent edge case rolls, like rolling all ability scores listed below 10 or all of ball games are completely typical. I have also seen the rolling order for stats determine what ability score they are associated with, leaving the choice out of the player’s hands.

B. Standard Array

There exists a magic list of numbers that D&D calls the Standard Array. This is a list of numbers that you can utilize for a character’s ability scores. This selection is:

15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

Take each of the numbers and appoint them to the ability scores of your option. This is my strategy of choice when developing pre-generated characters as it keeps everybody at about the same skill level, and it’s quicker. This strategy is more steady versus the danger that comes with rolling.

C. Point Buy

A system that I typically see used by people who enjoy turning character development into a game of optimizing some abilities is the ability to pick your ability scores utilizing a pool of points. You start with 27 points, and each ability score deserves a various quantity of points detailed here:

15 – 9 pts.
14 – 7 pts.
13 – 5 pts.
12 – 4 pts.
11 – 3 pts.
10 – 2 pts.
9 – 1 pts.
8 – 0 pts.

You can create a whole range of ability scores by “purchasing” each ability score. I personally do not like this system as much, not because of the math included, but because of the mentality that this kind of ability score generation can create. I comprehend the desire for min-maxing your scores, and that it is a variation of fun, it just isn’t what I take pleasure in having at my table.

D. Embrace Low Scores

From my experience playing, I get upset when I do not roll a score below 10. Yeah, I love a low score. This goes back to having character flaws, but this is constructed right into the system. Do you wish to be running the huge, brute Barbarian? Offer him a low Dexterity and laugh when he stops working an acrobatics check, or dread when you require him to utilize that balancing to save a teammate. Low ability scores create tension and drama. It will give you a sense of delight if you overcome the odds of having a low score. Accept failure. Accept the low ability scores.

6. Equipment

There might be some confusion about why I awaited equipment until after ability score generation. I select to do it this way as a few of your ability scores will help determine what equipment you pick to take. While each class has a list of devices they can pick from, you can alternatively roll for beginning gold and purchase everything you choose to start with (another reason selecting a background initially is practical). All information on the devices and starting gold starts on PHB pg 143.

If you are a Fighter but have chosen that your main ability score is Dexterity, you may want to pick up a finesse weapon. If you don’t like the beginning devices a class begins with, then taking the purchasing path gives you more range, but you need to keep your class’s proficiencies in mind.

That needs to be everything! It appears like a lot, but ideally, this guide will help you learn the process of developing a character, not simply filling out the kind.