Character Creation . DnD 5E

OOC

Please confer with the DM on a character concept before starting creation. See also: Rules Changes

Using Fantasy Grounds

You can primarily use any solution for your character sheet (e.g., D&D Beyond, Google Doc, paper). We will need to build your character in the Fantasy Grounds campaign, so you can primarily use Fantasy Grounds if you wish. At a minimum, your character in Fantasy Grounds will need Abilities, Saves, AC, Initiative, Speed, HP, Skills, Languages, Weapons, and Spells. You're free to manage other aspects of your character (e.g., inventory) elsewhere.

I'm happy to build your character in Fantasy Grounds by referring to what you've already created elsewhere. I'm also happy to launch the Fantasy Grounds server so that you can create your character yourself. Finally, I'm happy to give you a one-on-one tutorial in Fantasy Grounds. (You can also find lots of tutorials online.)

Character Choices

We use "Variant: Customizing Ability Scores" (PHB 13) ("point buy"). We use "Variant Human Traits" (PHB 31). We use Feats.

Beyond the Player's Handbook, the following sources are pre-approved:

• Ancestry & Culture (see below)
• Blood Hunter (by Matt Mercer)
• Deep Magic (Kobold Press)
• Eberron: Rising from the Last War
• Elemental Evil Players Companion
• Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
• Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica
• Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
• Mythic Odysseys of Theros
• Plane Shift: Amonkhet
• Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
• Volo's Guide to Monsters
• Xanathar's Guide to Everything

If you wish to use another source, please confer with me.

We add two skills:

• Computers (Int) measures how well you perceive, understand, and manipulate any computer or computer-like system.
• Tradecraft (Dex) measures how well you perform certain clandestine activities, including: planting, finding, and disarming bugs and traps; surveillance; and other intelligence gathering and analysis. Sleight of Hand still applies to picking pockets. Survival still applies to tracking.

During creation, when you choose skills based on you background, class, or other source, you can choose one or both of those skills instead (if you think it makes sense for your character). You have 1 professional specialty (double proficiency in 1 skill).

We use the optional Firearms rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide (p. 267-268). Firearms are Martial Ranged Weapons. If you have proficiency in Martial Ranged Weapons, you have proficiency in Firearms (if you think it makes sense for your character).

Ancestry & Culture

• This is a 3rd party supplement that creates two categories for racial traits: Ancestry (essentially DNA) and Culture (essentially cultural/normative influences). The creators apply their categories to the PHB races, plus orcs.
• For example, for an elf, Darkvision is part of Ancestry while Elven Weapon Training is part of Culture. So you can mix and match. The child of an elf and an orc might have elven Ancestry traits but was raised in an orc settlement and thus have Orc Culture traits, like gaining Powerful Attack instead of Elven Weapon Training.
• There are also rules for even more granularity. That same child might have picked up some traits from each Ancestry and/or Culture.
• This eliminates the need for Half-Elf, Half-Orc, etc., and I'm removing such species from Edgewar. (Instead, you might hear an NPC identify as "elf-kin" or "orc-ish," if they have diverse ancestry or culture but closely identify with one.)
• I use "species" in place of "race."
• You don't need to use the supplement. You can create a character using the vanilla PHB rules. However, please consider a backstory is coherent in both Ancestry and Culture.
• You don't need to buy the supplement. Rather, I can loan my PDF copy to you, or simply help you with the categories during character creation. Of course, if you want to buy the supplement to support the creators, I encourage it. (I even have a one-time discount code for a friend. Just ask!) See: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/314622/Ancestry--Culture-An-Alternative-to-Race-in-5e?term=ancestry+culture

Misc

• After the first session, you have the option to make changes to your PC.
• Periodically throughout the campaign, there are opportunities to respec or change characters. If you're interested, talk with the DM.
• You'll probably start with the R3M Trooper Standard Kit. You can add or remove gear from it.
• We don't track experience. We use story milestones for leveling up.
• We don't track encumbrance or non-magical ammo.
• We mostly don't track treasure/money. (You're usually working for an organization that provides housing, meals, gear, further training, medical care, etc.)