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I am trying to pick up D&D for the very time and need some help for my very first character creation. Here are the choices I made;

Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
Ability Scores (rolled, 4d6 drop lowest): (17+2) Str, 12 Dex, (17+1) Con, 9 Int, 16 Wis, 11 Chr
Armor Class: 15 (12 + Dex Mod + Con Mod)
Hit Points: 16
Hit Dice: 1d12
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Background: Entertainer (Gladiator) Custom* (PHB pp. 125–7)

  • Personal Traits:
    • I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. (Soldier)
    • I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. (Soldier)
  • Ideals: I must earn my glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Outlander)
  • Bonds: Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. (Soldier)
  • Hermit: I like keeping secrets and won't share them with anyone (Hermit)

Saving Throws Proficiencies: Strength, Constitution

Skills Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Survival

Other Proficiencies & Languages:

  • Languages: Common, Orc
  • L/M Armor
  • Shields
  • S/M Weapons
  • Navigator's Tools
  • Smith's Tools

Equipment:

  • Trident (1d6 P) (Thrown (range 30/60), Versatile(1d8)) (from background)
  • Warhammer (1d8 B) (Versatile 1d10)
  • Handaxe ×2 (1d6 S) (Light, thrown (range 20/60))
  • Javelin ×4 (1d6 P)(Thrown (range 30/120))
  • A small, weightless stone block (trinket 37)
  • Costume
  • Explorer's Pack: Backpack, Bedroll, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of rations, Waterskin, 50 ft Hempen Rope
  • 15 GP

Features & Traits:

  • Grudging Acceptance
  • Darkvision
  • Relentless Endurance
  • Savage Attacks
  • Rage ×2
  • Unarmored Defense
  • By Popular Demand

My questions are:

  1. Is this a legal build?

  2. What do I put in the initiative block?

  3. What are the mods for Skills and Saving Throws

  4. What do I put in the Passive Wisdom (Perception)?

  5. What do I put in attacks & Spellcasting?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to the site! Unfortunately, there are some problems with this question. We prefer each question to be a single question (if you see what I mean), so you may need to split this up. That said, the answer here is probably that you need to read the PHB. It has a great step-by-step guide on character creation that should answer all of these questions. \$\endgroup\$
    – Miniman
    Dec 17, 2014 at 4:03
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    \$\begingroup\$ Oh. I thought these questions were simple and small enough to fit into one. I do have the Player Hand Book, but I couldn't find this information. \$\endgroup\$
    – szrrizvi
    Dec 17, 2014 at 4:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour and the help center; they're a useful introduction to the site. On a Q&A site like Stack Exchange (as opposed to a forum), "simple" and "small" get trumped by "separate" because each answer needs to get equal attention and be rated on its individual merits. \$\endgroup\$
    – BESW
    Dec 17, 2014 at 4:12

1 Answer 1

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Most of these questions involve the use of ability modifiers. You can find the table that tells you the modifier for any given ability score on page 13.

  1. It's a bit late, but off the top of my head...

    • Your ability scores are much too high for the standard point buy. They may be legal if you're using a different means of generating ability scores (such as rolling for them).
  2. Initiative is described on page 177 as a "Dexterity Check." This means that you roll a D20 and add your Dexterity modifier.

    With a 12 Dexterity, your modifier is +1.

    For purposes of the character sheet, you just write the +1 into the initiative box.

  3. Each skill has an associated ability. To make a skill check, if you are proficient, you roll D20 + ability modifier + proficiency bonus. If you are not proficient, you roll D20 + ability modifier.

    So your medicine skill (wisdom) would be D20 +3 +2 . On your sheet, you would write +5 in the blank. Your stealth skill (dexterity) would be D20 + 1 . It would be written as +1.

    Skill checks are described on page 174.

    Saving throws are similar. If you are proficient, write down the ability modifier for that ability plus your proficiency bonus. If you are not proficient, simply write down your ability modifier.

  4. Passive checks are described on page 175 as:

    10 + all modifiers that normally apply to the check.

    For you, this would be 10 + your wisdom modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

  5. You write down your attacks. For each weapon you have, write down the weapon name, your attack bonus (generally strength modifier plus proficiency modifier for melee and dex modifier plus proficiency modifier for ranged), the damage the weapon does (including strength or dexterity modifier), and the damage type (i.e. slashing/piercing/bludgeoning).

    As a barbarian, you have no spellcasting to write down.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The trident comes from the entertainer's Gladiator variant background. \$\endgroup\$ Dec 17, 2014 at 5:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you. I tried reading the PHB but it is quite detailed and I might have missed a few things. For my ability scored, I rolled 4d6 and dropped the lowest one. The rolls were, 17 17 16 12 11 9. My max hp is 16 (12+ConMod). The trident is from Gladiator variant background. I did a customized background (instructions on page 125-127) with the Entertainer - Gladiator as the base. \$\endgroup\$
    – szrrizvi
    Dec 17, 2014 at 5:28

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