Character Creation

Welcome to Heimaalin

Your first step in playing an adventurer in D&D: Wythe Edition is to imagine and create a character of your own. Your character is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a lineage (such as dwarf or gnome) and a class (such as fighter or wizard). You also invent the personality, appearance, and backstory of your character. Once completed, your character serves as your representative in the game, your avatar in the world of Heimaalin.

Once you have a character in mind, follow these steps in order, making decisions that reflect the character you want. Your conception of your character might evolve with each choice you make. What’s important is that you come to the table with a character you’re excited to play.

As a general rule, if a mechanic or rule is not listed here, the One D&D (or Fifth Edition D&D) rules are assumed to be used.

1. Choose a Lineage

Every character belongs to one of the ten free-thinking peoples in the world of Heimaalin. The Lineages section (left) provides more information about each option.

The lineage you choose contributes to your character’s identity in an important way, by establishing a general appearance and the natural talents gained from ancestry. Your lineage also increases two or more of your ability scores; be sure to note these increases and remember to apply them later.

2. Choose a Class

Every adventurer is a member of a Class. Class broadly describes a character’s vocation, what special talents they possess, and the tactics they are most likely to employ when exploring a dungeon, fighting monsters, or engaging in a tense negotiation. Additional information on the character classes can be found in the Classes section (right).

3. Determine Ability Scores

Bonus Proficiencies

Your Intelligence score grants you additional proficiencies when it reaches certain points. Conversely, if your Intelligence score drops below certain points, you lose certain proficiencies as well. The bonuses are cumulative: an Intelligence score of 17 will grant two additional Skill Proficiencies, Tool Proficiencies, or Languages.

An Intelligence score of 14 or higher grants one additional Skill Proficiency, Tool Proficiency, or Language.

An Intelligence score of 17 or higher grants one additional Skill Proficiency, Tool Proficiency, or Language.

An Intelligence score of 20 grants Expertise in one Skill.

An Intelligence score of 7 or lower results in losing one Skill Proficiency, Tool Proficiency, or Language.

An Intelligence score of 4 or lower results in losing one Skill Proficiency, Tool Proficiency, or Language.

Much of what your character does in the game depends on their six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each ability has a corresponding score.

You generate your character’s six ability scores randomly. Roll four 6-sided dice and record the total of the highest three dice. Do this five more times, for a total of six numbers. If you don’t like the idea of randomly determining ability scores, you can use the following scores instead: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

Now take your six numbers and assign scores to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Afterward, be sure to update to your ability scores to reflect the increases provided by your lineage.

After assigning your ability scores, determine your ability modifiers. To determine an ability modifier, subtract 10 from the ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down).

4. Describe your Character

Once you know the basic mechanical aspects of your character, it’s time to flesh them out as a person. First and foremost, your character needs a name. Next, spend a few minutes thinking about what they look like and how they behave in general terms.

Once you've done that, you can begin to flesh out your character’s personality traits. Choose your character’s ideals, the principles that guide their actions. Additionally, you will want to identify the things your character holds most dear, called bonds, and the flaws that could one day undermine them.

5. Create a Background

Background Features

Skill Proficiencies. Choose one Skill. Your character gains Proficiency with that Skill.
Feat. Choose one 1st+ level Feat. Your character gains that Feat.
Languages. Your character knows either Imperial Wythian or Central Lagonan, as well as one Language from your character's homeland.
Versatile Proficiencies. Choose one of the following options. Your character gains that feature.

Two additional Languages

One additional Language and one Tool Proficiency

Two Tool Proficiencies

Equipment. Your character gains 25 GP to spend on starting equipment. The character keeps any unspent GP as spare coin.

Every story has a beginning. Your character’s Background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your background is a collection of characteristics that represent the place and occupation that were most formative for the character before they embarked on a life of adventure. When you build a background, your character gains the features listed in the Background Features section (left).

Building a background also provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?

Feats

Feats are special features not tied to a single Class. A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capabilities. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides.

At 1st level, your character gains a 1st+ Level feat of your choice from the Feats section (left). At 4th level, your character gains an additional feat of your choice. You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat.

6. Choose Equipment

Every adventurer needs the proper equipment. As you build your character, you must purchase your starting equipment. In addition to the GP given to you by your background, you have a number of GP to spend based on your class. You decide how your character came by their starting equipment.

Weapons & Armour

Your Armour Class (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in battle. Things that contribute to your AC include the armour you wear, the shield you carry, and your Dexterity modifier. Not all characters wear armour or carry shields, however.

Without armour or a shield, your character’s AC equals 10 + their Dexterity modifier. If your character wears armour, carries a shield, or both, calculate your AC using the rules in the Weapons & Armour section (right).

For each weapon your character wields, calculate the modifier you use when you attack with the weapon and the damage you deal when you hit.

For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the Finesse property can use your Dexterity modifier instead.

For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack rolls. A melee weapon that has the thrown property can use your Strength modifier instead. When rolling damage with a ranged weapon, add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage.

Certain weapons and armours have Traits, non-magical properties that influence their price. For more information on Traits, see the Weapons and Armour Traits section (above).

Go Forth and Adventure

You now have most everything you need to build a character in Heimaalin. Whatever your character's path may be, best of luck!

~ Sigmund O. Beck, Chief Archivist, University of Acton