Creating a Character

 This is the second in a series of posts that have sections of the Crimson Reach Player's Guide that I am working on. When I have a few more sections completed I'll create hyper-linked pages of the guide in progress for ease of use.

Creating a Character

Creating a character for a campaign in the Crimson Reach is quick and straightforward. Grab a pencil, paper, and some dice, and let’s get started.

 

• Generate Ability Scores. Roll 4d6 discarding the lowest die roll. Total the remaining three dice and jot down the result. Do this six times. If at least one of the scores is not 15 or higher, or if there are three scores lower than 9, then discard the scores and re-roll.
• Pick a Lineage. Read through Peoples of the Reach and choose one of the described lineages. Record the lineage features associated with your choice.
• Choose a Class. Read the section Classes in the Crimson Reach and pick a class. You may also want to read Multi-classing in the Crimson Reach. You can only choose to multi-class at character creation. Please be aware this is a complex option.
• Arrange your Ability Scores. Assign your six rolled ability scores to one of Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Charisma. The class descriptions include recommendations for which abilities are most important for that class.
• Adjust your Ability Scores. Player Characters can add +1 to two different ability scores. You may want to look at Table 1 – Ability Score Adjustments, to see which of your scores may get an adjustment improvement from the +1.
• Write down Ability Adjustments. For each of your six abilities, consult Table 1 and note the Adjustment for its score next to the Ability Score.
• Write down Class Features. Jot down the Level 1 features for your chosen class. Some of these may be affected by one of your Ability Adjustments. If spellcasting is one of your 1st level features, you select a spell or spells as directed in the class feature.
• Choose a Background. Read through Backgrounds in the Crimson Reach and choose one of the Backgrounds. Table nn – Random Backgrounds by Lineage, shows the typical backgrounds found in each lineage. Note the Background Feature on your character sheet.
• Pick starting equipment. You start with the equipment listed for both your class and your background. Some listed equipment requires you to make a choice. For example, Fighters choose a martial weapon. Consult the equipment tables to make this choice. Your background will also have a random amount of starting money. Roll for that money and buy additional equipment from the equipment tables. Record any unspent starting money.
• Calculate additional Scores. Roll the Hit Points (HP), adjusted for CON, listed in your class description. Write the Armor Class (AC) from your starting armor, modified by your DEX. Write down your bonuses to hit and damage next to each of your starting weapons. Write down your Saving Throws from Table nn – Saving Throws by Class and Level.
• Pick an Alignment. Read the alignment descriptions in Alignment and choose an alignment that appeals to you. Some classes have constraints on their alignment choice. Be aware of them when making your choice.
• Choose a Deity. Look through the section Deities of the Reach. Spell-casting classes that get their spells from a deity must choose an appropriate god to follow. Other characters may select a god if they wish.
• Give your Character a Name. Note down a name and as much of a description as you wish. Lineage descriptions can help with things like height, weight, and coloration.

Lineage Design

One of the things that have a lot of grognards and folks on the anti-woke right argleing and bargleing is the choice Wizards of the Coast has made to do away with the term race and get rid of (to the best of their ability) legacy lore that has an aroma of racism or other distasteful -isms. Things like the rapey origins of Half-Orcs and the always evil nature of the only Elves of Color in the game. You know, small things like that.

 

As you should have gathered from the tone of my opening paragraph, I think this is a good idea, despite my age and grognard credentials. 

 

I have been fortunate through the years to have played with a pretty diverse bunch of gamers, and these issues that are being addressed, finally, by the publisher of the most popular RPG on the market have been topics of concern and discussion for decades.

 

With that in mind, I am personally going to replace the word race with lineage in my campaign rules. I am also going to re-assess one of the oldest core assumptions in D&D that the game world, and therefore the game is human-centric. This is an assumption with several intersection points with the rules on character creation and almost no intersection points with gameplay mechanics. 

 

The most important re-assessment, in my mind, is that other lineages should be described in terms of differences from humans, especially in ability score generation. If humans are no longer the baseline that other lineage's ability scores are measured against, does having ability score adjustments for any lineage make sense anymore? I don't believe they do. I'm getting rid of them.

 

Characters are exceptionable individuals with potential beyond that of most, regardless of lineage. 

 

I want the choice of class to carry the heaviest load of mechanics in character creation, followed by ability scores. Players want their ability scores to be conformant to their class choice with the best scores assigned to the ability scores that offer the best mechanical advantage to the chosen class. 

 

So with doing away with human centrism and elevating class to mechanical preeminence, I will have players assign two +1 ability bonuses to their scores after choosing a class and arranging their rolled ability score set.

 

What role does this leave for lineage, especially for humans who are no longer the center of the universe? 

A small number of lineage features for each lineage. Said features will be small, useful talents with nice-to-have but not major mechanical effects.

 

I am going for a grittier, zero-to-hero, old-school style of a game rather than the fantasy superhero feel of 5e.

 

Here is my first pass at the Human Lineage

Humans

By far the most populous lineage in the lands of the Crimson Reach. There are three sub-lineages of humans in the Reach. In order of population found, they are, the Tuari, the Sea People, and the Cyrenican. 

 

While there are some differences in the sub-lineages in appearance and typical classes and backgrounds found among them, they are of one lineage and share the same Lineage Features. 

 

It is not unusual to find humans of mixed sub-lineages, especially in the bigger cities; so when creating a character of human lineage do not hesitate to choose physical characteristics from different sub-lineages.

 

Human Traits

Age. Humans reach physical maturity in their late teens to early twenties. Among the poorer strata of society, it is not uncommon to see humans as young as 12 or 13 following a profession, including adventurers. If fortune favors them, humans commonly reach the age of 70, with some very few seeing 100 years.

 

Alignment. Humans run the full spectrum of alignments, slightly favoring the collective efforts of Law.

 

Size. Humans average around 5 ½ feet tall though they range from under 5 feet tall to 7 feet tall. Most individuals will be between 5 feet and 6 feet. Their average weight is 140 pounds; like height, the range is quite variable. Humans are size Medium.

 

Speed. The base walking speed is 30 feet.

 

Hardy. Humans are a hardy race, able to toil for long hours even in adverse conditions. When they are affected by Exhaustion, they suffer the effects of the next lower level. Humans also have Advantage on any check to resist the effects of extended effort or adverse conditions such as starvation, thirst, or exposure to harsh weather conditions. This does not apply to magical effects.

 

Polyglot. Humans are good with languages and may start with additional languages known equal to their INT bonus, or one additional language if their INT adjustment is not a bonus. This feature also increases the maximum number of languages a character can learn by the same amount.

 

Skilled. Most Humans specialize in a chosen field. For any class ability that gets a bonus to a check based on the character’s level, a Human character determines that bonus as if they are one level higher. For example, Thieves add half their level, rounded down, to their check to Open Locks; a Human Thief of 3rd level would calculate this bonus as if they are 4th level getting a +2 to the check instead of the +1 a 3rd level Thief would normally receive.

 

Languages. All humans speak, read, and write Common and the native tongue of their sub-lineage. This is in addition to the languages they learn from the Polyglot feature.

 

Sub-lineage. There are three common sub-lineages of Humans in the Crimson Reach. A character’s choice of sub-lineage influences their background and helps anchor them in the world. There are no mechanical differences from the choice of sub-lineage.

 

Other lineages will follow this pattern with a few features based on lore for the lineage.

 

If anyone reads this, I would love to know what you think.

Ability Scores

 My first couple of posts were sort of rambling attempts to get what I've been kicking around in my own head down. I'll be referring back to them and refining my thoughts as I work on this. It is important to have some goals written and the actual design work regularly evaluated against those goals.

Now it is time to get some actual rules on paper.

Ability scores are fairly straight forward. This is going to be D&D, even if Hasbro disagrees, and the long standing scores are going to be my starting point. There is a been some pretty consistent usage of the scores through the various versions. AD&D was the first to expand their usage and add some mechanical weight to the scores and not simply as prerequisites for classes. 5e puts a massive load on the ability scores with every major mechanical system being affected by them. I'm going to land somewhere in the middle.

So what should be the mechanical functions of ability scores?

• Bonus or Penalties to combat, both attack roles and damage rolls.
• Adjustments to some class features, Thief skills, et. al.
• Adjustments to common actions, searching, opening doors, etc.
• Bonuses to some racial features, Dwarven poison saves, for example.
• Encumbrance and lifting and carrying.
  
• Target number for ad-hoc adjudication.

What are some of the things ability scores have been used for that I don't want to carry forward?

• Racial or gender minimums or maximums.
• Blanket adjustments to Saving Throws.
• Bonuses to experience earned.
• Adjustments to number of spells known.
• Chance to survive certain spell effects.
• Skill use.
• Number of uses of a class feature.

So looking at the list, I'll need both a score and a set of adjustments tied to the score. I'll stick to the 3-18 traditional score range. Generated using 4d6 drop the lowest. Arrange as the player wants. For the bonuses, I like the consistency of 5e but I like a more bell curve approach to how they tie to the ability scores.

Score	Adjustment
3	-4
4	-3
5	-2
6	-2
7	-1
8	-1
9	0
10	0
11	0
12	0
13	1
14	1
15	2
16	2
17	3
18	4

 Scores above and below this range are possible in play, through magic items, wishes, etc. Scores above 18 get an additional +1 per point above 18. Scores below 3 get an additional -1 adjustment per point below 3.

The Abilities

Strength is the most important ability for melee combat. Attack rolls with melee weapons use the Strength adjustment. Damage rolls with melee weapons and thrown weapons are also adjusted by strength. How much a character can lift and carry is based on the Strength score. Certain weapons and armor will need a high Strength score to access their full benefit. There are a wide range of physical tasks that may require a strength roll.

Dexterity affects a characters armor class. The Dexterity adjustment is added or subtracted from AC. Attack rolls with missile weapons and some melee weapons use the Dexterity adjustment. Thieves class skill rolls are adjusted by Dexterity.

Intelligence determines the maximum number of languages a character can know. The roll for a spell caster to attempt to learn a spell from a found scroll or book is adjusted by Intelligence. Making out ancient carved texts and archaic books is affected by the characters Intelligence. Arcane spell casting is enhanced by Intelligence.

Wisdom affects Divine and Primal spell casting. Characters likelihood of spotting hazards they are not actively searching for is adjusted by Wisdom. Chance for being surprised when entering combat is affected by a characters Wisdom.

Constitution is an important attribute for all characters as Hit Points per level are adjusted by Constitution. How well a character handles adverse terrain and weather is also affected by their Constitution score.

Charisma affects characters in two key ways. First, the maximum number of Henchmen and the loyalty of those henchman is based on the Charisma adjustment. Second, how NPCs and monsters react to a character who is trying to engage them socially is adjusted by the character's Charisma.