In Dungeons & Dragons, the character you create to play as is limited only by your imagination. If you want to play a corrupt aristocratic elven swordsman or a whimsical former pirate that casts spells with the power of nature, y'all can!

However, figuring out how to fill in a D&D graphic symbol canvas can exist a daunting task, especially for those that have never done information technology before. So today, nosotros're going to assistance those looking to make their offset character canvas with a pace-by-footstep guide of how to fill 1 out.

Updated on February 22, 2022, by Paul DiSalvo: With the recent press of Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, many playable races within D&D received diverse updates including potent buffs to various abilities. While these racial updates are squeamish, the book actually alters a stride within character creation regardless of what race a player chooses to select for their character. Additionally, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything offers an alternative to traditional race options, providing players with countless options when creating a D&D character.

For the sake of this guide, we'll be creating the renowned Wood Elf Magician, Sample the Character!

Curl Your Power Scores

ability scores

Oft the commencement step to creating a new character is to roll one's ability scores. The six power scores - strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma - are the backbone of any D&D character, equally they are each used in a variety of means both in and out of gainsay.

There are many ways for one to curlicue their stats and a player should always ask their DM their preferred method. Some of the nigh popular methods are:

  • Roll three d6'due south six times and apply these six totals for your power scores
  • Signal buy, a method that provides players with a set amount of points that they tin distribute among their scores as they see fit
  • Manual Array is a method in which players allocate six predetermined numbers to their ability scores.
  • For some unorthodox players, the d20 method has players curl seven d20s, dropping the lowest number rolled.

Once these scores accept been rolled, they can be recorded in the proper area on ane's sheet. In the case of our heroic Sample, nosotros used the d6 method, rolling two 8s, a 12, two 14s, and a fifteen.

Select Your Race

dnd character sheet race

Secondly you should make up one's mind which race you will be playing. There are a wide range of races in D&D, each bringing their ain unique season and abilities to the table.

When looking at the information detailing each race, y'all will see that they are stated to augment character's ability scores to some degree, increasing specific stats while also providing racial abilities. For example, Sample here is a Wood Elf, so he gets +two to his rolled dexterity, dark vision, proficiency in perception (we'll explain what that means soon), and a couple of other useful traits in Trance and Mask of the Wild.

Even so, with the recent changes made in Monsters of the Multiverse, players now accept additional flexibility when allocating their stats when they create a character

Flexibility In Monsters Of The Multiverse

monsters of the multiverse mordenkainen and astral drednaut
Monsters of the Multiverse by Grzegorz Rutkowski

While the majority of races in D&D initially were printed with pre-determined ability score improvements, with the press of Monsters of the Multiverse, Wizards of the Declension wanted players not to feel inclined to need to pick a race that provided optimal ability score improvements for their chosen form. So now rather than a race providing predetermined ability score improvements, a player can choose any 1 score to increase by +two and i score to increase past +1, or they can choose to increase three of that character's power scores by +1.

Additionally, while most races were initially printed stating that the given race gained a predetermined language, a role player can now choose whatever additional language that the player and DM agree fits that character. For example, if a Dwarven character was raised by Gnomes, they may know Gnomish rather than Dwarvish.

As our humble Sample was raised in the Elven village of Tutorialandia, in addition to speaking common, he will be fluent in Elvish.

Custom Lineage

D&D Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Alternate Cover
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Wylie Beckert

While Sample is a traditional Elf, some players may not be satisfied with race options available in D&D or find that the features for a race they're looking to play may not fit that role player's paradigm of their character. Luckily, the Custom Lineage choice available in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has yous covered.

In addition to allowing a character to accept a visual appearance that fits the player'southward description, rather than gaining traditional racial features, that graphic symbol tin gain the role player's option of 1 gratis feat as well as that player's choice of Darkvision or an boosted skill proficiency. This can allow for limitless builds and character possibilities that aren't necessarily detailed inside current published D&D books.

Calculate Your Modifiers

dnd character sheet modifiers

One time you've rolled your power scores and selected your race, information technology'due south time to calculate your modifiers for these scores. This is quite straightforward once you know how. For each ability score, the modifier in that stat is +1 for every two numbers above x, and -1 for every two numbers below x.

For example, when making Sample, we'd rolled a 14 in decided to put that curl into his dexterity. Because he's a Wood Elf, his dexterity was increased by ii, making it sixteen. This would give Sample a dexterity modifier of +3.

Cull Your Course

dnd character sheet class

The next footstep in character creation is to choose a character's class. A character's class determines the majority of their abilities, how they fight, if they tin can utilize magic, what kind of spells they can cast, and even how much HP that character gets.

There are currently twelve classes bachelor in the Player's Handbook with a thirteenth class, the Artificer, recently added within Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Additionally, while non an official class, the Blood Hunter is a popular alternative class option created by Disquisitional Role DM, Matt Mercer, with the class existence fully supported and available inside D&D Beyond.

In the case of Sample, we decided to make him a Sorcerer.

Calculate Your Skills

dnd character sheet skills

When looking at your grapheme sheet, you may take noticed the long list of skills that span from "arcana" to "survival." Each of these skills correlates to a different ability score that a character uses if they are making a gyre that relates to a skill at hand.

Based on a graphic symbol'due south class, that character can be proficient in some of these skills, adding their proficiency modifier to that curlicue too as their ability modifier.

The proficiency modifier is based on a character's level, and is +2 for a level one character. As Sample is proficient in Investigation and has a +2 intelligence modifier, he adds +4 to all Investigation checks.

Calculate Your Saving Throws And HP

dnd character sheet saves and hp

Similar to calculating proficiencies, saving throws and HP take 1's ability scores and form into account. Each are incredibly straightforward to calculate every bit long every bit y'all have the proper data.

First, to summate your saving throws, all you need to do is take your ability modifiers for the six corresponding ability scores, and add together their proficiency bonus to the ii specified stats for a given form.

For example, all Wizards such equally Sample add their proficiency modifiers to their intelligence and wisdom saving throws. Similarly, to find out a character'due south starting HP, all you need to practice is that the number of their starting hit die (a d6 in the example of wizards similar Sample) and add together their constitution modifier to it.

As Sample has a +2 constitution modifier, he starts with 8 HP.

Proceed Track Of Your Abilities

abilities

Now that you've selected your race and course, it's a very practiced idea to proceed track of which abilities your character has access to.

While a level i graphic symbol doesn't have too many abilities to go along rails of, as a character levels up, they volition gain more and more useful and powerful tricks based on their grade.

Select Your Starting Equipment and Calculate Your Armor Class

dnd character sheet items

Side by side, cull your starting equipment and calculate your Armor Class. Each class has dictated starting equipment options to choose from, so this is not a complicated pace. Once you lot accept your equipment and armor (if your course gets any), you lot can determine your Armor Course — the minimum roll that must be met to hit your character.

An unarmored grapheme has a default AC of 10. Equally long as a character is non wearing heavy armor, they add their dexterity modifier to this number. They and then add whatever additional Air-conditioning is provided past any armor they're wearing. Every bit Sample is an unarmored Magician with a +3 dexterity modifier, his Ac is 13.

Select Your Spells (If Applicative)

dnd character sheet spells

This is one of the terminal steps for character creation. If a character is capable of casting spells, you lot can cull which spells you are able to cast. Each class has its own list of spells that class tin can learn and at what levels. Simply refer to the Player'south Handbook and see which spells you tin learn and how many you can for a character of your level, and accept the spells that appeal to you.

Every bit a level one wizard, Sample knows 3 cantrips from the wizard spell list, three offset-level spells from that list, and has 2 beginning-level spell slots , meaning he can cast two first level spells every 24-hour interval. (If y'all're making a non-magical grade, this footstep can be skipped.)

Choose a Background And Write A Backstory

dnd character sheet backstory

Lastly, all you need to do is mankind out your graphic symbol's backstory and personality. This is the footstep that lets players exist the most creative with their characters, and the sky is truly the limit when writing a backstory.

D&D offers unique backgrounds that players can choose to requite their characters that offer minor yet flavorful perks based on their background.

We decided to requite Sample the Noble background, which provides him with proficiency with playing cards, an additional language, and a coin purse containing 25 gilded.

Spell Slots

druid leveling page d&d players handbook

If you're playing a magical class such equally a wizard or a magician, you need to keep track of your spell slots which rails how many spells you can all the same cast.

The number of spells you lot tin cast of each level is based not simply on how many spell slots you have, but what level those slots are. While most classes recover their spell slots by completing long rests, Warlocks regain their spell slots on a short rest. For example, a level three druid would have access to four level-one spell slots and two level-two spell slots, all of which would exist recovered upon finishing a long rest.

As each class handles spell slots differently, to effigy out how many spell slots your grapheme has, you can simply check your class's corresponding level-upwards nautical chart in the Thespian's Handbook. These charts are also available for gratis online.

It is important to note that an exception to spell slots are cantrips, which can be cast equally many times you want per day.

Tracking Spells

d&d character sheet spell page

While these pages are oftentimes completely unused by those playing martial classes, D&D character sheets come with entire pages defended to tracking spell information. While spell cards tin be handy, this infinite is perfect for keeping track of which spells your characters knows.

Some classes such as Warlock and Wizard are locked in, permanently learning their spells, while classes similar Cleric and Druid are really capable of choosing new spells from their respective spell lists every time they end a long rest.

Similar to how you lot figure out how many spell slots you have, the Player's Handbook and D&D Beyond each contain your class and level's information for how many spells you should know, based on which spells your character is capable of learning.

Multiclassing (Optional)

players handbook
Dungeons & Dragons Thespian'due south Handbook by Tyler Jacobson

players handbook encompass

While each form in D&D offers its own benefits and utility, sometimes you may want to dabble in ii or more classes simultaneously. Thanks to the D&D organization of multiclassing, this is quite possible. In order to multiclass, all you need to do when leveling up is gain one level of a different course than the one you started with.

For example, Subsequently a level two rogue levels upwards to level iii, they could opt to proceeds 1 level of fighter rather than a third level of rogue. This character would proceed every bit a level three graphic symbol, but would simultaneously be a level two rogue and a level i fighter. It is important that every form in the game has an ability score prerequisite if a graphic symbol wants to start gaining levels in a given class.

For your convenience, these requirements are:

  • Barbarian: Forcefulness 13
  • Bard: Charisma 13
  • Cleric: Wisdom 13
  • Druid: Wisdom 13
  • Fighter: Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
  • Monk: Dexterity xiii and Wisdom 13
  • Paladin: Strength 13 and Charisma xiii
  • Ranger: Dexterity 13 and Wisdom thirteen
  • Rogue: Dexterity 13
  • Sorcerer: Charisma 13
  • Warlock: Charisma xiii
  • Magician: Intelligence 13

If a character is to start taking one or more levels of another form, the new information of their abilities is kept aslope their other form information, spells, etc. on their D&D character sheet.

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