Character creation (also character generation or character design) is the process of defining a game character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics or descriptive terms.

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2answers
58 views

Can skill points be used to buy arbitrary wises?

In Burning wheel character creation you get a bunch of general skill points and a larger number of skill points to use on skills listed in lifepaths (I'll call these normal skill points). The general ...
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2answers
64 views

Which ability modifiers apply to which Defenses?

I'm creating a level 1 character. When I got to the 'filling out the character sheet' part I really didn't understand what modifiers there were for Defenses or how they were applied. I am new to ...
3
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1answer
67 views

How do the Sorcerer Bloodline Feats work?

Me and one of my players are going over the characters. We noticed that the bloodlines provide bonus feats but it isn't stated what level they can get it. Thus I am not sure on how they acquire the ...
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1answer
350 views

How do I build an 4e essentials character?

I'm having trouble interpreting the 4th Edition Essentials books. How do I determine how many powers a level 1 paladin/cavalier gets? The book never comes out and says it. With skills and feats, it's ...
2
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9answers
379 views

Survivalist NPC build?

How can I best optimize an NPC so that instead of having perfect power attack or sneak attack, they're just really hard to kill? I can think of thief acrobat and perhaps exemplar or dungeon delver, ...
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votes
3answers
293 views

What is the term for a mean character role-played by a nice player?

Contradictory character seems to mean a character who defies stereotypes or exhibits traits that contradict one another, in a literary sense. I wish to distinguish what I mean from round characters. ...
10
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2answers
1k views

Character creation walkthrough

It has been a long time since I last played RPGs and I have forgotten so much about how things like character creation work. I am using the Pathfinder core rule book for all of my characters currently ...
12
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4answers
1k views

Character Build - “Bad Luck” Theme

I'm trying to build a character who suffers a strange and inexplicable stigma that attracts misfortune to all the people around him. (In South America it's called "mufa"; in colloquial language, ...
4
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1answer
47 views

Do you have to take the Advantage “Free access to any Discipline” to use Psychic Powers as a Mentalist?

I've just started playing Anima: Beyond Fantasy and I'm particularly intrigued by the Mentalist, but I'm wondering if you need to take the Advantage "Free access to any Discipline" before you are able ...
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2answers
206 views

Legends of Anglerre chargen questions

I looked over Legends of Anglerre's explanation of quick character generation and it doesn't seem to exactly explain what power scope is covers. What characters does it allow? Additionally, I am not ...
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2answers
162 views

What are some good chance/luck-themed spells for Sorcerers?

I'm building a gambler-themed Spellscale Sorcerer, and I was wondering if anyone knew of any good luck-themed spells. I know there's things like Unluck and the various Prismatic/Rainbow spells (the ...
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10answers
582 views

What are the advantages and disadvantages of develop in play (DIP) compared to develop at the start (DAS) character generation?

Originally, Are you really DIPpy?1 What are the advantages and disadvantages to developing your character in play (DIP) compared to developping at the start (DAS)? What experiences have you had with ...
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2answers
207 views

How do I interpret “add +1/3 to natural armor bonus”?

I am new to Pathfinder and am building a Half-Orc Druid. Half-Orcs Favored Class Options The following options are available to all half-orcs who have the listed favored class, and unless ...
8
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2answers
182 views

Do Powerful Build and Monkey Grip Stack?

The Character in question is a Large half-Minotaur Goliath who is using monkey grip. Normally a Large Goliath could wield a Huge weapon with no penalty. Monkey Grip allows you to wield a weapon 1 ...
4
votes
1answer
108 views

How many wounds does a Rogue Trader character start with?

I do not seem to be able to see where in the RT core rulebook you can work out how many wounds a character starts with. During character creation there are modifiers to it, mostly through career path, ...
4
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2answers
232 views

Can Technomancers use software and complex forms simultaneously?

Currently, I am delving into playing a Technomancing Rigger, but part of his whole deal is the hacking bit (because seriously, why the heck not?!). While reading complex forms, I hit a beehive of ...
4
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3answers
125 views

Would this Technomancer concept be plausible?

I haven't played Shadowrun quite yet, but I've been reading the 4E core rulebook and I have been trying to build a character. I've been working on a Technomancer, but for character fluff I was ...
15
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4answers
298 views

Good techniques for getting player-character backgrounds integrated into the game?

So I'm starting a new campaign for an existing gaming group soon, and I'd like to actually incorporate character backgrounds that the players will be creating (eventually). These aren't epic-novels or ...
11
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5answers
972 views

Character build for Gandalf in D&D3.5?

In my groups next campaign I am hoping to be a PC instead of the DM and I want to play a character who is like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I began looking at options; he would ...
1
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0answers
95 views

What 4e character options allow a player to substitute ability scores? [closed]

There are a number of D&D 4e character creation options that allow players to substitute one ability score in place of another under certain conditions. Here are some examples: Auspicious ...
6
votes
1answer
117 views

How does two weapon fighting calculate the offhand attack?

I am making a character who uses two weapons at once, but this is the first time that I have attempted to make a dual-wielding character. He will have 2 attacks/round from his BAB. Two-weapon fighting ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views

Is gaining Fly as a class skill with the Feather Subdomain supposed to replace gaining Knowledge (Nature) with the Animal Domain?

I'm creating a cleric of Erastil and I'm thinking about choosing the Good domain and Feather subdomain. Should the Fly skill be the only class skill gained or is it supposed to supplement the ...
7
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5answers
539 views

Domains for a Sorcerer with Domain Access

Domain Access from Complete Champion p52 allows a sorcerer to take a cleric domain for the price of forever losing one L1 and one L2 spell known. The sorcerer gets the domain power, but can cast the ...
0
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1answer
271 views

Is there any way to reduce Metapsionic Costs?

I Already know of the Torc of Power Preservation and Earth Power and Metapower. If it Matters the Character in Question(Though it isnt made yet.) is Level 10, has a Flaw which means he has 5 open ...
5
votes
1answer
108 views

Do Psicrystals get Feats?

Ive been looking at the uses of Psicrystals lately and have been wondering why I keep seeing references to them getting feats. I have not read anything to support the idea. They technically dont have ...
8
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3answers
269 views

How do new characters get equipment?

Last week I bought the Pathfinder Beginner Box and as the GM I am preparing the first adventure for my friends. I'm pretty sure they will want to create their own characters instead of using the ...
5
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1answer
141 views

Stats for character in Apocalypse World

I can't find anywhere how you generate the stats for the characters in Apocalypse World. Is it even part of the rules or can you just write whatever you want. If so, why would I put -2 in something ...
6
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1answer
121 views

What does a Template mean by Hit Dice?

If a template references Base Creature Hit Dice(For Special abilities and such.), What exactly does it mean. Does it only count for Hit dice that are given via Race(Ex. Gnolls 2 racial hitdice) or ...
6
votes
2answers
200 views

How to play a Dwarven Gutbuster?

I haven't been able to find a way to create a classic dwarven battlerager that is official. I want to build a dwarf that wears spiked armor, spiked gauntlets, spiked everything, that charges enemies, ...
10
votes
4answers
682 views

Character generation for the dresden files “case file” adventures

I was thinking of running the Dresden Files RPG, and I wanted to try it out and get my feet wet before I did a real long-term campaign. So I tried to run the "neutral grounds" case file (A free ...
8
votes
3answers
711 views

What type of Bonus does a Ragechemist's Strength Mutagen Provide?

This recently came up while my group and I were discussing potential builds for the next game we would be playing. A Ragechemist (Ultimate Combat) gets the following at first level: Rage Mutagen ...
3
votes
2answers
288 views

Methods of adding more touch spells to a Duskblade's spell list?

I want to play a duskblade, because their ability to channel touch range spells presents a way to use spells in melee combat. but their short list of spells(Coupled with very few touch range damage ...
11
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3answers
566 views

How can I get a character with the lowest hit points possible?

A friend of mine has asked me to help him create an escort mission for his April Fool's game (actually held this weekend, because, you know, scheduling). The players will be escorting a tenth-level ...
2
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2answers
461 views

Are there female minotaurs?

I wonder... Do the minotaurs in 4e have females of the species? Or do they just use humans to reproduce themselves? Or are they born in the void and come out of nowhere? I've never seen any female ...
8
votes
4answers
258 views

Pelor's Blackguard (4e)

We're just starting a campaign, and a player wants to create a very distinct character... a Pelor's Blackguard. Yes, a PELOR Blackguard. Is that possible to create Blackguard that follows Pelor in 4e? ...
20
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15answers
828 views

How to: Create a good backstory for how the party got together?

I'm making a list of things to do for character creation for my first game as DM, and one things I've often heard is to have at least some reason for the players to have come together for their ...
9
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1answer
453 views

What are the steps for creating an animal companion?

I'm having some issues statting out a badger Animal Companion for a 6th level Ranger in D&D 3.5. Can anyone provide step by step instructions that I can follow whenever I create an animal ...
2
votes
2answers
371 views

What feats are useful for a Dragonfire Adept build?

I'm building a Human Dragonfire Adept (from Dragon Magic) with the Draconic template (as presented in Races of the Dragon), as well as a feat for Draconic Tail, but I need a bit of help picking out ...
9
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3answers
4k views

Character wealth by level for 4E?

I know that the DMG addresses this slightly on page 143 by stating that a character's wealth is equal to: One magic item of character level +1 One magic item of character level One magic ...
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4answers
499 views

Is there a reason to ignore/adjust the Wealth By Level chart?

While reading this Cohort Question I was kinda struck by a quote in there and instead of asking an unrelated question in that area I figured it would be good to make a separate question. The quote ...
9
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1answer
348 views

Starting wealth for Complete classes

Does D&D 3.5e have official random starting wealth tables for the classes given in the Complete supplements? I know there's a table for the core classes in the Player Handbook, but I can't find an ...
2
votes
2answers
168 views

Useful mental frameworks during character creation [closed]

This post on Greywulf's Lair explores the concept of a one axis sliding scale for character building: One thing that all of these choices brings is the idea of a sliding scale. With 4e D&D, ...
4
votes
1answer
354 views

How do I calculate my attack bonus?

My stats are: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 6. Main Hand Weapon, Frost Bastard Sword Off Hand Weapon, Flaming Bastard Sword I am playing a Human, Fighter 7. I need to work out what my ...
6
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5answers
1k views

How do you make a wizard who doesn't need a spellbook?

I know what you're thinking: "Dude, just play a Sorcerer". Well, I ask this question because of two main reasons. Wizards get some extra spells for specializing, and my DM says sorcerers are rare. I ...
1
vote
1answer
149 views

Is there a way to mix Unarmed Strike Damage with Natural Attack Damage or vice versa?

I want to maximize my damage output on my character by Finding a way to add his Unarmed Strike Damage to his Natural Attacks. If there are ways to do this I would also Like to know at what levels it ...
2
votes
1answer
112 views

Does a Geist's Threshold restrict “flavor text” traits?

I don't know how much this matters, but does a Geist's Threshold limit what kind of effects death had on him that aren't directly tied to combat? For example, if a character died in a drunk motorcycle ...
7
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3answers
148 views

Introducing a complex game world to players unfamiliar with its fiction whilst still hitting the ground running with character creation?

I am preparing to start up a Hellfrost game using the Savage Worlds system. Although I've run Hellfrost before, it has always been for people who are already familiar with its fiction and fluff. In ...
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3answers
523 views

Rules for multi-classing in D&D Next?

I am participating in the D&D Encounters current season, which is being run with the recommended D&D Next ruleset. I am fond of the striker classes from 4e that combine martial with magic and ...
8
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5answers
346 views

What systems use interesting questions to inspire character backgrounds?

In another question, it was suggested that the game "Dread" has a number of questions to make players really consider their character's backstory and personality. However, I'm planning to run a ...
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2answers
244 views

Rules for physical appearances based on charisma and race

I remember reading rules about how to determine physical attractiveness based on charisma and race, but I'm not sure which book. Does anyone remember where this was? By the way, I'm not talking about ...

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