DnD for Dummies
Part 1: Character Creation
When you are asked to join a Dungeons & Dragons adventure, it is rare to go as the persona you present in day-to-day life. Instead, you’re given a plethora of options for race and class, and are asked to give your Dungeon Master (DM) a backstory by the end of the week.
If you’re lost and don’t know where to begin, I’m here for you!
There are a few ways to start thinking about this problem:
- What does your party need?
- What does your heart and soul want?
- What would be fun?
What does your Party need?
If you’re creating characters with everyone else in the party, they can give you fun tips on where to go with your character. Party composition (how a group is organized based on class) will depend on the kind of game your DM wants to run.
A more easy-going adventure won’t depend on perfect stat arrangement, but rather on how characters get along. For this kind of game, make sure that your character can establish a rapport with at least one other member of the party, through shared ideals, gods, race, or backstory details.
A more intense adventure (one more based on survival or monster-vanquishing) will need careful arrangements of stats. Take care to note what each class requires for use, and if this is a first time endeavor, pick an easier class to learn, like Fighter, Wizard or Barbarian. Many Races in DnD have stats or abilities that can help with specific classes.
What does your Heart and Soul want?
What did you want to be when you were a kid? What characters did you want to be, to dress up and pretend to be them? Who do you envy, what parts of them do you want to emulate?
Is there any part of yourself that you wan to explore, that never gets to go out and play?
This character can be your chance to try on different genders, different mannerisms, to be a little more dramatic than usual, to do something new or unusual.
What would be fun?
What character concepts have you thought of that you think would knock people’s socks off? Is there a character that this group of friends finds entertaining?
You and the DM can also create a character made for their world, one that holds secrets, or carries the plot, or has aspects unique to the campaign.
Communication is what makes any group sing, and character creation is no exception.
For additional character creation tips, the official DnD site is https://www.dndbeyond.com/
