Character Creation

So you wish to dive into the world of the NicheD20 tabletop RPG and as a player you need to create a character. The following is a series of tasks that should be done to create your character:


 * 1) Get a character Sheet.
 * 2) Determine Ability Scores and Choose a Race
 * 3) Calculate Ability Modifiers
 * 4) Choose a Class
 * 5) Allocate Skill Ranks
 * 6) Choose Feats
 * 7) Determine Starting Hit Points
 * 8) Choose Equipment
 * 9) Determine Saving Throws
 * 10) Determine Initiative, AC, and Attack Values
 * 11) Description and Personality

Character Sheet:
From a piece of paper or a notepad document, to a well laid out spreadsheet or similar design a character should be documented to help keep track of the various parts that go into a character.

Determine Ability Scores and Choose a Race:
The baseline of a character is their ability scores. They outline the strengths and weaknesses of a character by governing various aspects of a character’s functionality. The race a character picks is important in this step generally as the Race can further push these abilities beyond their initial setup to help determine what the strengths of a character will be. First when generating ability scores the GM should choose a method of determining your six starting attributes, generally chosen between Point Buy, Rolled, or Stat Array.

Once This has been chosen you should choose a race. Each Race will outline a series of ability score bonuses and penalties. The table below outlines a few example race stat modifiers. It should be noted in this system choosing a race has 2 steps, first you select a race, then you select their lineage as for example elves are high elves, wood elves, and dusk elves each with their own distinct ability score bonuses, traits, and feats they may select. Overall this step is very important to the roleplay flavor of your character as well as potential growth via their feat choices as they level. Finally add +1 inherent bonus to an ability score of your choice. In this system at each level a character receives a number of points to distribute between their attributes up to a maximum value, usually gaining 1 point each level plus an additional point each even level allowing for a character to more easily spread out points between 2 - 3 attributes. Note where this stat has gone, as these inherent bonuses cannot exceed half your level rounded up, meaning until 3rd level you cannot go beyond a +1 inherent bonus.
 * Rolled stats can be a fun but less balanced approach, as rolled stats can include the highest of highs and lowest of lows. This method should only be chosen if players are alright with discrepancies between their characters from someone rolling well and someone rolling poorly being in the same adventuring party.
 * 3d6 can be utilized for statistics but can easily land characters with scores all near 10, making a game feel potentially underpowered.
 * A common method is 4d6 dropping the lowest rolled value. This is similar to the above method but raises the average by a few points. This still ends up with random stats, but puts a small safety net to reduce how many 3s a character might end up with.
 * Point Buy is a somewhat tried and true method. It ensures your stats all fall into a line and everyone is playing on a more even playing field, while still giving power to the player to adjust themselves as they see fit.
 * Point buy assumes all your stats start at 10, from where you are given a number of “points” to spend on stats, where raising a stat slowly costs more and more.
 * Stats can be lowered below 10 to gain additional points to spend elsewhere; though this is risky as lowering stats below 10 is generally detrimental for most characters.
 * A single stat cannot be reduced below 7 or above 18 using this method.
 * The amount of points you have is determined by the gm between the following:
 * Gritty Fantasy: 10
 * Low Fantasy: 15
 * Standard Fantasy: 20
 * High Fantasy: 25
 * The following table displays the cost of an attribute against the point buy calculator.

Determine Ability Modifiers
An ability modifier is the value taken from an ability score. Almost every stat or action involves an ability score modifier in some way, from attacks to skills.

The formula to determine an ability score's modifier is (Ability Score - 10) / 2. Universally always rounding to a lower number will then give you the resulting ability score. The reason is 10 is considered the base starting point of a 0 modifier, making values below 10 granting a negative modifier, while values 12 and above granting a positive; with 11 also granting a 0

Below is a set of example ability scores and the expected modifiers you would have:

Choose a Class:
A character’s class represents their capabilities in combat. This isn’t directly a profession as much of an indication of training, style, or source of power. While some classes are a representation of dedication to the study of martial ability and magic, while others are characters who were born with innate magical abilities, or divinely blessed.

If this is a new character your first class will start at 1st level. When selecting your first class determine what you would like to play, a martial, magic, or hybrid class.

Martial: A character strongly dedicated to standard weaponry such as swords, bows, shields, or other such equipment. While it is possible for the class to gain minor access to supernatural abilities or even a tiny amount of magic equivalent abilities, they will likely never have any true casting. A martial class is best indicated both through their class type and their possession of a stamina pool that allows them to exert themselves to perform greater feats of martial prowess.

Notable martial classes include: Barbarian, Fighter, Rogue.

Magic: A character who has strong ties to the magic of arcane, divine, or nature itself. Either through natural ties or great study a magic character may still have some access to martial weaponry but tend to usually lack the flexibility to dedicate themselves to this path, choosing instead to combine spells and magic talents to create magical effects both beneficial and destructive. All magic classes have access to something known as a spell pool; while some spells may not immediately cost a character resources the more powerful the spell or effect the more spell points a character usually must invest into the spell.

Notable magic classes include: Druid, Priest, Wizard.

Hybrid: A hybrid character blends the line between martial and magic usually encouraging a character to wield both martial equipment and spells with class features that help grant a more direct benefit for doing so. Hybrid classes usually exist at an in-between having less direct bonuses to their attacks or access to feats than a full martial, but also a little less power or versatility in their magic compared to a full caster. Hybrids instead meet in the middle using magic to grant them additional bonuses to their martial capabilities, and usually being more capable in a frontline position than most magic classes. Hybrid classes possess a mystic pool, allowing the hybrid class to use both stamina and spell point abilities, with a pool that progresses separately from the usual stamina or spell point pool a class would have.

Notable hybrid classes include: Magus, Battlemage, Champion

Once you’ve selected your class you will need to note down any class features they possess; this is generally important as many classes have additional benefits if it is your first level in a class, or at least first level in a martial or magic class.

Allocate Skill Ranks:
Now that you’ve selected a class you are given your skill ranks per level. This is usually either 2+intelligence modifier or 4+intelligence modifier. If your modifier would be a negative you still will at minimum gain 1 skill rank per level. A single skill cannot have more skill ranks in it than your character’s level, as such even if a character had 8 skill ranks to allocate, they would need to allocate those ranks among 8 skills at level 1 as each cannot go above 1. Once a skill has a rank in it, it is considered a trained skill, granting the character a +2 bonus to the related skill. In addition note your class’s features as some classes may grant additional skill ranks in a specific skill, usually this skill is thematic or vital to the operation of the class.

Choose Major Perks, Minor Perks, and Feats:
1st level for a character involves many choices and some of the most important ones happen at this step. While a class will determine your advancement, most classes are open enough in their way to be played that you can still make important decisions at this point that will change how you play it versus another.

Major Perks: You gain a single major perk, this usually involves a major stat replacement for a core function of a character or may add a stat in a place where it usually would not be. For example a character could select Force of Personality to use their charisma modifier in place of wisdom for will saves. The character would still want some wisdom for their reactions per round or any wisdom based skill checks, but this major use of wisdom would be lost and granted to charisma instead. Alternatively a character could choose Insightful dodge granting themselves their Wisdom bonus to their AC while unarmored; this would be a major character decision to be a character who relies on their ability to avoid incoming attacks rather than absorbing damage through their armor.

Minor Perks: You gain 2 minor perks as part of character creation. These usually are more limited, but likely still important replacements that range from allowing a character to use a different stat than normal for certain skills, to the weapon finesse perk allowing a character to use certain weapon types with their dexterity modifier to hit rather than strength, usually allowing that character to focus more heavily into their dexterity.

Feats: A character gains 3 feats at their first level, in addition to any feats their class may also grant them. Sometimes a character’s race or even major perk may grant the character an additional feat slot, but bare minimum a character selects the following:


 * Skill Feat: A skill feat is a category of feat that grants a character additional prowess and versatility in a skill. At first level a character must select a single skill feat, and usually this choice would be in a skill that is important to your character’s function; such as for example stealth for a rogue, or concentration for a caster. Many skill feats also grant additional bonuses based on how many ranks a character has in a skill, granting additional bonuses as they level.
 * Racial Feat: A racial feat is a feat that only your race or lineage may take. These usually represent a focus on a physical trait or cultural training you may have that would be beneficial to your progression. Additionally a character may choose mixed heritage or mixed blood race feats; these feats must be selected at first level, and cost a feat, but grant a character access to additional options in their feats as they level, and allow for unique combinations such as a Human-Elf hybrid, or simply a hybrid between Wood elf and High Elf.
 * Any Feat: This slot may be taken up by any feat of the character’s choice that they qualify for, general, martial, combat, race, skll, and so on. This is usually an important feat slot as it can help a character progress in many different ways and grants a lot of flexibility.

Determine Starting Hit Points:
A character starts with maximum hit points at 1st level. This is the maximum possible value of the listed hit dice of their class (usually a d8, d10, or d12) plus their constitution modifier. For levels beyond first it is suggested to do average(rounded up) for hit points though some groups may decide to do maximum or rolled for their hit points. It is never recommended to do rolled for first level as this creates the issue that a character could have 0 or fewer hit points with a bad enough roll and constitution modifier, but also makes it very easy for a character to be killed in a single hit at first level.

Table-Average Rounded Up Values:

Chose Equipment:
All character start with 100 gp and, each character begins play with a single battered suit of armor and two battered weapons they are proficient with. (Battered items function as a non-magical, non-masterwork version but scrap for 4d6 gold). From here the character should allocate their starting gold into basic starting equipment, such as rations, ropes, and other equipment they feel could help as an adventurer, or the appropriate setting for the campaign. Battered equipment cannot benefit from item enhancement or masterwork upgrades, including enhancement gems and seals.

Determining Saving Throws:
Saving throws are determined through a point allocation system. As a character levels they are given a number of points to spend with a maximum value for each save. A character has a Reflex, Fortitude, and Will saving throw, and must allocate points into it accordingly.

At first level a character gains 4 points to spend amongst their 3 saving throws, with a maximum of 2 in a single save. For each level after 1st a character gains 2 additional points; the maximum is detailed on the character advancement chart, but the formula for the maximum saving throw value for a single save is 2 + 3/4 of the character’s level. This maximum is simply the base save bonus your character has and does not limit other factors such as ability score modifiers, and other bonuses to saving throws.

With this system a character can choose to attempt to equally as possible distribute their points, for example having 2, 1, 1 across their saves, while another could choose to do 2, 0, 2 for their saving throws. This is up to personal choice and a character’s confidence in their saving throws based on their stats.

From here a character adds the appropriate ability modifier, Dexterity for Reflex, Constitution for Fortitude, and Wisdom for Will. This of course may be different based on certain major perk changes; and even some minor perks granting bonuses situationally.

Determine Initiative, AC, and Attack Values:
All of these numbers are determined by the decisions made in previous steps, usually determined by your class choice, equipment choices, and ability scores. Consult the Combat Rules page for a more detailed breakdown of how to determine these values.

Description and Personality:
From here the mechanical side of the character has been determined, but you still need to determine important details such as name, age, appearance, and overall personality. These are important as these may be useful in how your character interacts with the world around them, and helps a player determine how a character would act in certain situations.