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# Character Creation

## Determine Ability Scores

There are six key ability scores that factor into everything that your character does in the game: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These abilities and their uses are described in detail in later chapters.
Ability scores are generated randomly by rolling four 6-sided dice and recording the total of the highest three dice on a spare sheet of paper. You continue to do this until you have a total of six numbers.
Choose where you’d like to assign these numbers by recording each next to an ability score.
After that’s done, modify your ability scores to account for any additional bonuses your character gained from their background.
The final ability scores will determine your ability modifiers, which can be seen in the Ability Scores and Modifiers table.
To figure out your ability modifier without the table, subtract 10 from an ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down). Record the modifier next to your ability scores.

## Variant: Standard Ability Array

Instead of rolling dice to determine your six ability scores, you may choose to use the following scores instead: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

## Variant: Ability Score Point Buy

With the Narrator’s approval, you can use the following method to create ability scores.
You have 27 points to spend on ability scores. The cost of each score is shown on the Ability Score Point Cost table. This approach to ability score generation limits the highest score to 15 before the application of ability score increases from other sources.

TABLE: ABILITY SCORE POINT COST

SCORE | COST
--- | ---
8 | 0
9 | 1
10 | 2
11 | 3
12 | 4
13 | 5
14 | 7
15 | 9

# Gear Up for Adventure

Your character begins the game with starting equipment determined by their background and class. Starting equipment includes everything from weapons and armor to general tools and items. Be sure to record your starting equipment on the character sheet.
If you’d like to have more flexibility in the gear your character starts the game with you can alternatively use your class’ gold pieces (gp) to buy your own.
Be sure to keep in mind that your character has to carry everything you buy! Strength scores determine the maximum amount of equipment characters can carry. Avoid going over a total weight in pounds greater than your Strength score times 15, and be mindful of any bulky items that weigh over 40 pounds or are larger than 2 feet across.
If your character is going on a journey, they will also need to carry food and water with them (or whatever it is they eat and drink). You can carry a number of days’ Supply equal to your Strength score, in addition to your equipment, weapons, and armor.

## Defense

Your Armor Class (AC) represents your character’s ability to avoid sustaining damage in battle. Numerous things affect your AC in various ways, such as armor, traits, features, Dexterity and more.
Unarmored, your character’s AC is 10 + their Dexterity modifier. While wearing armor, utilizing shields, or taking advantage of traits and features, the AC calculation will differ based on the circumstances. For equipment the details of AC calculation are available as part of an item’s description, and the criteria and effects of other options are listed in your character’s class, heritage, or culture.
When your character is subject to more than one way to calculate their AC, you can choose which one to apply.
One of the key things to remember when making your character is that not everyone can use armor and shields. Your character must be proficient with armor and shields in order to use them with any efficiency, and there are certain drawbacks from struggling to use either without knowing how to properly do so.

## Save Difficulty Classes

Some of your attacks and spells may force your target to make a saving throw to resist it. You have two saving throw difficulty classes (DCs), one used for combat maneuvers, and the other for spellcasting.
Maneuver save DC \= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.
Spell save DC \= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

## Offense

Weapons are the bread and butter of any savvy adventurer, even those who use them as only a last resort.
Weapon attacks are made by rolling a d20 and adding your proficiency bonus (as long as your character is actually proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier. Weapon damage is calculated by rolling the weapon’s damage die and adding any applicable modifiers.
Melee weapons use your character’s Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls.
Meanwhile, ranged weapons use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls. Some weapons with the thrown property, such as javelins, allow you to use your character’s Strength modifier instead.
All attacks also indicate the type of damage they deal. A sickle deals slashing damage while a heavy maul deals bludgeoning damage. Damage types, besides being cool aspects of your character, also come into play as some situations may call for one type of damage type over the other.
Some special attacks (basic combat maneuvers that you use to grapple or shove a creature) instead do an amount of damage called basic melee damage. This is equal to 1 + your Strength modifier.

# Beyond the First Steps

the activities of your character and their party members gains them experience points. As these accumulate a character will eventually gain a level when they’ve acquired a certain number of experience points as seen on Table: Character Advancement.
At tier 0 (levels 1st–2nd) your characters are novices. They are taking their very first steps towards destiny, perhaps traveling further from their homes than ever before. The obstacles and foes they face are only slightly more perilous than what commoners contend with, albeit more frequent.
When your character gains a level their class offers additional features, and at certain levels their proficiency bonus increases. Leveling up will eventually provide the opportunity to increase your ability scores; however no ability score can surpass 20.
As part of the process, each level provides your character with an additional Hit Die. You may either roll this die or take the average result of the die (rounded up), add your Constitution modifier, and increase your hit point maximum by that amount.

# The World and You

The challenges your characters face and the adventures they take can be classified into five main tiers of play. Tiers of play help give you an idea of what to expect involving the scale of the challenges you face and how the world generally reacts to you.
At tier 0 (levels 1st–2nd) your characters are entirely new to adventuring, just beginning to learn how dangerous the world around them can really be.
At tier 1 (levels 3rd–4th) your characters are coming into their own as adventurers and learning the basic elements of their classes. Threats are small in scale and scope.
At tier 2 (levels 5th–10th) your characters are regional heroes. They are accessing new levels of martial or magical power and can use skills, features, and magic that attract attention and acclaim.
At tier 3 (levels 11th–16th) your characters are masters of their craft, well beyond the abilities of other people and even other adventurers. Spells can bend the definition of what’s possible while martial characters taking to the battlefield can and have turned the tides of massive battles.
At tier 4 (levels 17th–20th) your characters have reached a point where the challenges they face are of world-changing size and proportion. At this tier, your character’s actions have the potential to fundamentally alter the lives and wellbeing of those that rely on (or fear) them.

TABLE: CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT

EXPERIENCE | LEVEL | PROFICIENCY BONUS
--- | --- | ---
0 | 1st | +2
300 | 2nd | +2
900 | 3rd | +2
2,700 | 4th | +2
6,500 | 5th | +3
14,000 | 6th | +3
23,000 | 7th | +3
34,000 | 8th | +3
48,000 | 9th | +4
64,000 | 10th | +4
85,000 | 11th | +4
100,000 | 12th | +4
120,000 | 13th | +5
140,000 | 14th | +5
165,000 | 15th | +5
195,000 | 16th | +5
225,000 | 17th | +6
265,000 | 18th | +6
305,000 | 19th | +6
355,000 | 20th | +6