5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Character Creation 101

Are you interested in playing Dungeons & Dragons, but have absolutely no place to start? Do you look at a character sheet and feel daunted by the insurmountable task of SO MANY NUMBERS?!

In character creation there is a lot to keep track of, but this step-by-step guide will give you the basics of creating a character in 5th edition. It’s so much easier than it seems, especially if you go step-by-step, so don’t let what looks like a complicated process scare you away from learning a really fun way to game!

What's great about 5th edition is Wizards of the Coast had made it super digital-friendly. You can access, for free, pdfs for basic rules to the game for both players and the Dungeon Master and you can get character sheets, either printer friendly or editable pdfs as well, plus they have a lot more free resources on their website. With at least the character sheets and basic rules you can create characters in a limited number of classes and races, but for anything more you'll at least need the Player's Handbook. I've heard really great things about their starter set too if you're willing to pay a little for a super accessible campaign for up to 5 players and one DM. If all of this seems like a lot being thrown at you, don't worry. Step-by-step will start below!

Unsolicited advice: To be honest, in the edition I learned (3.5) I found spellcasting classes really daunting and so I usually just stuck with melee-based classes. They’ve made spellcasting a lot more accessible in 5th edition, but if you don’t want to deal with keeping track of spellcasting, stick with a melee-based class (though even some of these access spells or spell-like abilities, which is a great way to learn once you’ve gotten used to the system). Fighters are straightforward and tank-y, monks are badass and have some really cool special abilities, rogues are for sneaky smooth-talkers who sometimes like to play sociopaths!

Step 1! Select class and race!
This is the skeleton of your character.

For some races, you’ll have to choose a subrace, which offer different kinds of racial traits, ability score increases, languages, spells and other features.

Proficiencies add the proficiency bonus to different skills and attacks. These are different things your character is really, really good at in relation to their class and race (and their background, but we’ll get to that later).

Through your class and race your character will get several skills proficiencies and saving throw proficiencies.

Skills are actions your character can take in dramatic moments, like remember a really obscure piece of history, or leaping across a chasm in the heat of battle, or deceiving a city guard into believing those sacks of gold you’re holding are your life savings.

Saving throws are reactions to certain outside forces, like leaping away from cracking ice or fending off a psychic attack.

For now just check off the skill and saving throw proficiencies you get through your class and race.

Make note beside your ability scores of any ability score increases, which will be added when you roll your ability scores in the next step.

Record your class-based proficiency bonus, which is usually +2 at first level, above the ability score section.

Record things like any languages your character’s class and race grants, proficiencies in weapons, and different traits and features related to your class race.

You can also write in your character’s base moving speed in the top middle section, which will be how fast your character can normally move in battle. Now you have the skeleton of your character, which will be fleshed out in further steps.

Step 2! Roll your ability scores!
The ability scores and the modifiers are the building blocks of your character.

There are six ability scores. Strength is your character's physical might, dexterity is agility and reflexes, constitution is your character's stamina and vital threshold. Intelligence is book-smarts. Wisdom is street-smarts, like intuition or perceptiveness. Charisma dictates how well you character can interact or charm others with their personality.

Roll four six-sided die (d6), drop off the lowest rolls and record the number that is left. Do that five more times so you have six numbers in front of you.

I'll do an example series of rolls for ability scores here, just to show you:

So I rolled 4 d6 the first time and got a 2, a 4, a 5 and a 3. I drop off the two, because it's my lowest number, and get a total of 12. That's a single ability score!

My next one is a really decent roll; a 4, a 5, a 6 and a 3. I drop the three and end up with 15. I'll keep going.

2, 1, 6, 5, drop the 1 and get 13.

4, 4, 4, 6, makes 14.

6, 4, 1, 2 = 12

2, 1, 4, 5 = 11

So I end up with 6 ability scores: 12, 15, 13, 14, 12, 11. That's a pretty average roll for a first level character! Keep in mind, your average, run-of-the-mill commoner in D&D has all 10s, so my character is already more kickass than a normal person just by those roles!

Don't be scared of low rolls, either. Depending on where you put them they can have really fantastic roleplay value! I once created a halfling wizard with a 4 to strength. That's a tiny little noodle person who'd probably have trouble opening a heavy wood door! Hilarity ensues.

Now assign those scores to your abilities based on your class and roleplaying needs. Remember to add any racial additions previously noted. Now, in the block above that score, mark your modifier. Modifiers are the numbers that are applied to different roles to decide the outcomes of things like skill checks. The modifier table can be found in the Player's Handbook, or a lot of the free players' resources.

Step 3! Choose a background!
This is where we get more into the roleplaying and backstory aspects of your character.

The background is where your character comes from and likely influences the way they behave and the ideals they hold.

With different backgrounds characters receive additional skill and tool proficiencies, languages and background features.

Make note of everything, which may mean reshuffling skill proficiencies you received from your class.

To help you with the next section, you might want to pick your alignment. This is where your character sits on the axis of good to evil, and law-abiding (lawful) to rebellious against law and authority (chaotic).

Next pick two personality traits based on everything so far, something specific that sets your character apart, usually one negative and one positive.

Pick an ideal, something grand your character aspires to.

Pick a bond, something that ties your character to a person, place or thing.

Pick a flaw, something that would get to your character.

These all give you a place to roleplay from, from situation to situation.

I'll give some examples of a couple character I came up with at the end of the 101.

Step 4! Numbers!
Okay, you now have everything you need to really work on a bunch of aspects of your characters. Numbers are involved, yes, but I promise it's not as scary as it sounds.

Start on the left side with the skills and saving throws you have proficiencies in.

Add your proficiency bonus, above the ability scores, to the corresponding ability modifiers for every spot you’ve checked off. Again, these are skills and saving throws your characters are really, really good at.

Anything that doesn’t have a check can be filled in solely with the ability modifier, but those are things your character probably wouldn’t be attempting unless they really have to, so that isn’t necessary to keep track of except on a case-to-case basis.

Below your ability scores is your passive wisdom check, which is 10 + your wisdom modifier, and any kind of proficiency bonus if applicable. This is something the DM will generally keep track of and is used to decide if your character perceives things when they aren’t actively on the lookout, like seeing a watching elven scout standing between some trees just off the road.

On to the top middle section, leave your armor class for now. Your initiative is your dexterity modifier. This will decide turn order in battle.

Below that is your hit point maximum. This is the amount of damage your character can take before falling unconscious. Your hit point maximum is based on your class hit dice and your constitution modifier. To get your HP at level one, add the maximum amount of your hit die (1d10 for fighters, for example, so 10 HP) to your constitution modifier (a character with 15 in constitution would get a +2 modifier, so 12 altogether for this fighter).

At the bottom of that section is your hit dice. Your hit dice is a pool of potential hit points which your character can tap during short rests. These recharge at a steady rate after long rests. At first level you will have a 1 single hit dice corresponding with your class hit dice.

Step 4, subsection! A few spellcaster numbers!
If you’re not a spellcasting class, skip on to the next section. If you are a spellcaster it’d be a good idea to go your spell page and record a few numbers as well.

Each spellcaster accesses their spells in different ways, so it’s good to read up on exactly how to do so. Some require you to prepare spells, which means picking which ones you have access to ahead of time, whereas others are a little more off the cuff.

Your spellcasting class is whichever class you’re able to cast the bulk of your spells from. This gets a little more complicated when characters have racial spells, or multiclass, but what’s most important is just making notes of where everything is coming from so you don’t have to go digging for it and halting the action.

If we were talking about a level 1 wizard, the spellcasting class would be “Wizard.”

The wizard’s spellcasting ability is based on their intelligence score.

The spell save DC is what other characters, usually NPCs, will be rolling to protect avoid some or all of the effects of spells your wizard casts. Your wizard’s spell DC is a base of 8 plus your proficiency modifier (+2 at first level) plus your intelligence modifier. Let’s say this wizard has a 16 intelligence (which gives a +3 modifier), so the spell save DC would be a total of 13.

The spell attack bonus is what your wizard will roll with certain attacks where they have to try to hit a target, like with a lot of ranged spells. For wizards this is their proficiency bonus plus intelligence modifier, so +5 for our wizard with a 16 intelligence.

Step 5! Equipment!
For a lot of melee and ranged characters, equipment will decide on a lot of the attacks you have at your disposal, but we’ll focus on attacks and spellcasting in the next round.

Equipment can be as simple as accepting the options provided in the class and background sections, or working out equipment for yourself from randomly calculated gold with a table at the start of the equipment section in the Player's Handbook. Check with your DM to see what you’ll be doing.

One important, neglected number that will be decided based on your equipment is your armor class, located in the top middle section of the first page beside initiative.

Your armor class decides on if your character dodges or otherwise shrugs off an attack and receives no hit, like if a guards sword glances off a paladin’s shield, or if a rogue ducks under the swing of a longsword.

All characters get a base AC of 10 plus their dexterity modifier. Lets say my fighter has a 12 in dexterity, so she gets her +1 bonus for a total of 11. She is proficient with any kinds of armor and I got her chainmail, so this bumps her AC up to 16, though she gets a disadvantage on stealth checks.

Keep in mind that proficiencies with armor do not at your characters proficiency bonus to AC, they only allow your character to wear armor unimpeded.

Step 6! Attacks and spellcasting!
So this is where weapons bought in equipment come into play. Go to the box in the centre of the page.

For each weapon attack your character has at their disposal, write the name of the weapon attack.

The attack bonus is made up of your character’s ability modifier, and their proficiency bonus if they have a proficiency with that specific weapon. This is added to a d20 in combat to determine if your character overcomes the AC of the character they’re attacking and therefore does damage to them.

Damage is the weapon’s damage dice plus the appropriate modifier (either strength or dexterity depending on the weapon or class). There is also a corresponding damage type that it’s good to make note of, as some enemies are resistant to certain types of weapon damage.

For a couple of examples, let’s say my fighter bought a greatsword, a powerful melee weapon. The weapon attack name would be “Greatsword.” Her attack bonus is her proficiency bonus (of +2) plus her strength modifier (let’s say she has a strength of 17, so a +3 modifier). To every attack she makes with this greatsword she would add +5, which is a really decent attack bonus at 1stlevel. If she hits with her greatsword, the base damage is 2d6, plus her strength modifier of +3, which could deal a lot of damage! This is slashing damage, so some enemies may be resistant to that type of damage, which is why it’s important to have a couple of different types of weapons with different types of damage on hand, just in case.

For dexterity and ranged based example, let’s say she also has a longbow, which she is also proficient with. Instead of her strength modifier, she would add her dexterity modifier of +1, giving her a +3 attack bonus to hit on her longbow attacks. The longbow’s damage is 1d8 plus her dexterity bonus of +1. Her longbow causes piercing damage, different than her slashing greatsword. However, because the longbow is a ranged weapon, it specifies that her normal range is 150. She can hit enemies up to 600 feet, but any attacks beyond the normal range have a disadvantage to hit.

If your spellcaster has some favourite spells they cast in the heat of battle, it’d be good to make a couple notes for them here. Our wizard, for example, has a 1stlevel offensive spell called magic missile he’s fond of.

At first level he could use this spell twice a day if he wanted to, as he has two first level spell slots. He’d spend a single action to cast the spell, which requires a verbal and somatic component to cast it, so maybe a spell word and the ability to direct the spell with his hand. The spell sends three darts to hit a creature or creatures within a range of 120 feet, and they do 1d4 + 1 damage each. As a ranged attack, the spellcaster would be rolling a d20 plus their spell attack bonus, which goes against the enemies AC. A sample of what this could look like if you jotted down a few notes in the attacks and spellcasting would read, “Name: Magic Missile, Atk bonus: +5, Damage: 3 attacks, 1d4 + 1” with some notes below that say “Range: 120 feet, V,S components.”

Step 7! The actual fun, important stuff!
All of the above is the complicated number crunching stuff. The important stuff is what will help you roleplay a dynamic, interesting, flawed and fun character! Use some of the info you developed when you decided on in the background section to help flesh out your character.

By this point you may have already decided on what your character’s name is, and what they look like, but there’s plenty of space to fill that all in or make some notes for yourself. Some character sheets even have space for places where you can make notes to yourself about your character’s backstory, allies and organizations they have relationships worse, for better of for worse, other features and traits, treasure they’ve received, and even a place where you can draw your character’s mugshot, or conscript one of your artsier friends into doing so!

Your character’s race may have an effect on their basic characteristics, like height, weight, eye and hair colour, but in the end the sky’s the limit! Talk it out with your fellow players, create a character you’ll have fun roleplaying, and enjoy!

Congratulations! You have a full formed character on the pages or screen in front of you! Don't you feel proud! I'd suggest writing some OC fanfiction involving angst and weird butt stuff. You've earned it!

Example Characters!
I love campaigns that are narrative- and roleplay-heavy with really dynamic, fun and weird characters, so I'm going to share a couple character ideas set in a world I've made for D&D campaigns, Malex. This'll give some examples of how the background system works, and how a characters' class and race could effect their relationships and the way they're roleplayed.

We'll start with a young wizard.

Xenios
Xenios is a 20-year-old, neutral good Coastlander who was born and raised in Port-of-Utopia, the human capital of Malex. He has light brown skin, typical Coastlander-silver eyes, and wavy black hair that he rarely pays any attention to. Beyond being skilled in the study of the arcane arts, particularly in the School of Evocation, Xenios is also an aspiring astronomer (sage background). While he is endlessly fascinated by the night sky (personality trait 1, somewhat positive), h e is also a renowned eccentric at the Arcane Academy. People tend to avoid his quarters as he avoids the finer points of social niceties, like wearing clothes (personality trait 2, negative). He claims they're an annoyance that he just forgets to put on, but this is slightly less excusable during his rare sojourns to the dining hall or more frequent trips to the archives.

Xenios plans to name every star in the sky (ideal), which is why he intends to travel to the Red Wanders in the east to set up a small observatory. He was taken in by the Arcane Academy as a child, gladly given by parents who feared the powers their strange little child possessed (bond). While he cares deeply about the plight of magic users, he's easily distracted and, when he gets interested in something to study he often forgets others are there (flaw).

Next, his companion, a member of the city guard in Port-of-Utopia, and a fighter dedicated to a warrior goddess.

Ilyana
Ilyana is a 26-year-old, lawful good Lowlander. She has red hair, forest-green eyes, freckles and swarthy skin from years of living on a farm. She was born in a small farming community miles southeast of Port-of-Utopia, but after years of bad harvest her mother disappeared from the family farm, and her father was forced to sell the farm and take Ilyana and her two younger sisters to seek work in the city. Physically powerful and strong-willed, she found her way into the city guard through the city's temple of Apexion, the warrior goddess (soldier background). Ilyana cuts an imposing sight, tall and muscular wielding an enormous double-handed greatsword she named "Pretty Lady."

Ilyana takes herself as seriously as she takes her work (personality trait 1, negative), and she puts on a silent, brooding type exterior. She's extremely distrustful of city-folk (flaw), although among common people she's kind, caring and dedicated to their protection (personality trait 2, positive). She loves her father and her sisters dearly, and she also has a paramour in the city, a young woman her age, though she keeps these lives very separate (bonds). She wants to raise high in the temple of Apexion so she can extend her grave, pragmatic protection to the downtrodden throughout Malex (ideal). Ilyana was horrified to be asked by the High Priestess of Apexion to escort Xenios to the western-lands, although her superiors tell her the young wizard's calculation of the stars is of the utmost importance to an ancient human prophecy, and he must be kept safe at all cost. Difficult, because as a pompous, weirdo magic-user she certainly doesn't much care for him.