Character Creation Rules Starting Level: Characters in the Legends of Woodhill campaign start at 5th level (or the equivalent level for more powerful races). Once the game is in progress, new characters entering the game will start with experience equal to that of the lowest-level character in the group (9th level as of September 2003). Ability Scores: Character stats are generated by spending a set amount of points. Each character receives 36 points, which can be spent on ability scores. At the DM's option, players may use some of these points to buy special perks for their character. Ability Score Point Cost   Ability Score Point Cost 9 1   14 6 10 2   15 8 11 3   16 10 12 4   17 13 13 5   18 16 Races: Players may choose from a wide variety of races. In addition to the standard races listed in the Player's Handbook and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, players have the option to choose a non-standard race. Characters also have the option of choosing a template (celestial, half-dragon, etc), though any non-standard race or template may have a level-equivalent applied (making them lower level than a standard character). Due to the power of some templates, certain abilities (such as a half-dragon's breath weapon) may be given based on the character level. Players wishing to play a race or template that has a level equivalent equal to or greater than the starting character level requires special attention. The DM may choose to adjust their starting hit dice, remove some special abilities (that may return at higher levels), or take other steps to balance the character for play. The WotC book Savage Species may be used for such a purpose. Players can find level equivalents on page 22 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, or page 288 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. Classes: All standard classes from the Player's Handbook are available. In addition, players can propose variants of current classes. An example of a minor variant would be a desert paladin with no animal skills or special mount, instead gaining Wilderness Lore, bonuses on heat/fire saves, and other abilities dealing with desert survival. An example of a major variant would be a complete rewrite of a class, such as the Ranger Variant located elsewhere on my website. All such variants require special DM approval, and may be voted on by the entire group. Alignment: Although most alignments are allowed, Legends of Woodhill is a heroic campaign. Neutral and evil characters will require a motivation to act heroically, though it is certainly possible. (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an example of an evil character motivated to do good) Hit Points: At 1st and 2nd level, assign your character maximum hit points for its class, including any Constitution bonuses. For each additional character level or hit dice, assign hit points according to the new class by 75% of the maximum value for the class, then adding any Constitution bonus. Keep track of fractional hit points for future levels, but round down for purposes of how many hit points are currently available to the character. Skills and Feats: Skills and feats may be chosen from the Player's Handbook, and from other suppliments with DM approval. Players should follow the guidelines in the Player's Handbook with regards to calculating and choosing skills and feats. Equipment and Money: Characters may start with up to 1000 gold worth of mundane equipment. The amount of money a character has at the beginning of the game can vary based on their background, but will not exceed 1000 gold. They also receive magic items based on their level, with a total worth equal to the values listed on page 145 of the DMG (the Character Wealth By Level table). If they choose, they can forgo other magic items to gain a single magic item with unique powers. The latter is usually a level-based item, that gain in power as the character gains experience. Patron Deity: In the Forgotten Realms, deities are fact, not a matter of faith. Twenty years ago, during the Time of Troubles, the gods were exiled from their divine abodes, and dwelled upon Faerun for nearly a year. Those who refuse to believe (or worse, who betray their faith) are punished severely in the afterlife. See page 290 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting for details. © 2002 Casey McGirt Home