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D&D 5e character creation guide

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Our recommended step-by-step Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Role-Playing Game (RPG) character creation guide for campaigns set in the: Forgotten Realms; the list is based entirely on published hardcopy materials in D&D 5e.

  1. What species/Race is your character?
    (subraces are optional)
    1. Aarakocra
    2. Aasimar
      1. Protector
      2. Scourge
      3. Fallen
    3. Bugbear
    4. Centaur
    5. Changeling
    6. Dragonborn
      1. Chromatic Dragonborn 
      2. Gem Dragonborn 
      3. Metallic Dragonborn 
    7. Dwarf
      1. Hill Dwarf
      2. Mountain Dwarf
      3. Grey Dwarves (Duergar)
    8. Elf
      1. High Elf
        1. Moon Elf (Silver)
        2. Sun Elf (Gold)
      2. Wood Elf (Copper)
      3. Dark Elf (Drow)
      4. Eladrin
      5. Avariel (Winged Elf)
      6. Lythari (Wolf Elf)
      7. Sea Elf (Water)
      8. Star Elf
      9. Wild Elf
      10. Shadar-kai (Shadowfell)
    9. Fairy
    10. Firbolg
    11. Genasi
      1. Air
      2. Earth
      3. Fire
      4. Water
    12. Gith
      1. Githyanki
      2. Githzerai
    13. Gnome
      1. Forest Gnome
      2. Rock Gnome
      3. Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin)
    14. Goblin
    15. Goliath
    16. Half-Elf
    17. Half-Orc
    18. Halfling
      1. Lightfoot
      2. Stout / Strongheart
    19. Harengon
    20. Hobgoblin
    21. Human (no stat difference):
      1. Calishite, 
      2. Chondathan, 
      3. Damaran, 
      4. Illuskan, 
      5. Mulan, 
      6. Rashemi, 
      7. Shou, 
      8. Tethyrian, 
      9. Turami.
    22. Kenku
    23. Kobold
    24. Lizardfolk
    25. Minotaur
    26. Orc
    27. Satyr
    28. Shifter
    29. Tabaxi
    30. Tiefling
      1. Asmodeus
      2. Baalzebul
      3. Dispater
      4. Fierna
      5. Glasya
      6. Levistus
      7. Mammon
      8. Mephistopheles
      9. Zariel
    31. Tortle
    32. Triton
    33. Yuan-Ti
    34. Also, see:
      1. Racial Feats (Xanathar’s Pg. 73)
      2. Demonic Boons (Mordenkainen’s pg. 30)
  2. What is your character’s name?
  3. Height? Weight? Age? Sex & Gender? 
  4. Background:
    What did your character do before they became a hero?
    1. Acolyte
    2. Charlatan
    3. City Watch
    4. Clan Crafter
    5. Cloistered Scholar
    6. Courtier
    7. Criminal
    8. Entertainer
    9. Faction Agent
      1. Harpers
      2. Order of the Gauntlet
      3. Emerald Enclave
      4. Lords’ Alliance
      5. Zhentarim
    10. Far Traveller
      1. Evermeet
      2. Halruaa
      3. Kara-Tur
      4. Mulhorand
      5. Sossal
      6. Zakhara
      7. Underdark
    11. Folk Hero
    12. Guild Artisan
    13. Hermit
    14. Inheritor
    15. Knight of the Order
      1. Unicorn
      2. Myth Drannor
      3. Silver Chalice
    16. Mercenary Veteran
    17. Noble
    18. Outlander
    19. Sage
    20. Sailor
    21. Soldier
    22. Urban Bounty Hunter
    23. Urchin
    24. Uthgardt Tribe Member
    25. Waterdhavian Noble
  5. (Refer to your background.) What are your:
    1. Personality Traits
    2. Ideals
    3. Bonds
    4. Flaws
    5. Also, see:
      1. Personal Decisions (Xanathar’s Pg. 64)
  6. Alignment: Chaotic/Neutral/Lawful – Good/Evil/Unaligned
  7. What languages can you speak/read? (check race, class, and background)
  8. What Class is your character now?
    (Class specialisations only apply after choosing your subclass)
    1. Artificer
      1. Alchemist
      2. Armourer
      3. Artillerist
      4. Battle Smith
    1. Barbarian
      1. Path of the Berserker
      2. Path of the Totem Warrior
      3. Path of the Ancestral Guardian
      4. Path of the Storm Herald
      5. Path of the Zealot
      6. Path of the Beast
      7. Path of Wilf Magic
    2. Bard
      1. College of Lore
      2. College of Valor
      3. College of Glamour
      4. College of Swords
      5. College of Whispers
      6. College of Creation
      7. College of Eloquence
    3. Cleric
      1. Knowledge Domain
      2. Life Domain
      3. Light Domain
      4. Nature Domain
      5. Tempest Domain
      6. Trickery Domain
      7. War Domain
      8. Forge Domain
      9. Grave Domain
      10. Order Domain
      11. Peace Domain
      12. Twilight Domain
    4. Druid
      1. Circle of the Land
      2. Circle of the Moon
      3. Circle of Dreams
      4. Circle of the Shepherd
      5. Circle of Spores
      6. Circle of Stars
      7. Circle of Wildfire
    5. Fighter
      1. Champion
      2. Battle Master
      3. Eldritch Knight
      4. Arcane Archer
      5. Cavalier
      6. Samurai
      7. Psi Warrior
      8. Rune Knight
    6. Monk
      1. Way of the Open Hand
      2. Way of Shadow
      3. Way of the Four Elements
      4. Way of the Drunken Master
      5. Way of the Kensei
      6. Way of the Sun Soul
      7. Way of the Ascendant Dragon
      8. Way of Mercy
      9. Way of the Astral Self
    7. Paladin
      1. Oath of Devotion
      2. Oath of the Ancients
      3. Oath of Vengeance
      4. Oath of Conquest
      5. Oath of Redemption
      6. Oath of Glory
      7. Oath of the Watchers
    8. Ranger
      1. Hunter
      2. Beast Master
      3. Gloom Stalker
      4. Horizon Walker
      5. Monster Slayer
      6. Drakewarden
      7. Fey Wanderer
      8. Swarmkeeper
    9. Rogue
      1. Thief
      2. Assassin
      3. Arcane Trickster
      4. Inquisitive
      5. Mastermind
      6. Scout
      7. Swashbuckler
      8. Phantom
      9. Soulknife
    10. Sorcerer
      1. Draconic Bloodline
      2. Wild Magic
      3. Divine Soul
      4. Shadow Magic
      5. Storm Sorcery
      6. Aberrant Mind
      7. Clockwork Soul
    11. Warlock
      1. The Archfey
      2. The Fiend
      3. The Great Old One
      4. The Celestial
      5. The Hexblade
      6. The Fathomless
      7. The Genie
    12. Wizard
      1. School of Abjuration
      2. School of Conjuration
      3. School of Divination
      4. School of Enchantment
      5. School of Evocation
      6. School of Illusion
      7. School of Necromancy
      8. School of Transmutation
      9. War Magic
      10. Bladesinging
      11. Order of the Scribes
    13. Also, see:
      1. Class training (Xanathar’s pg. 66)
  9. Also, see:
    1. Starting wealth (PHB Pg. 143)
    2. This is your life (Xanathar’s Pg. 61)

Every game is a new campaign.

If you want to actually play the Role-Playing Games, check out the fifth edition Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide. These rulebooks introduce you to the vast multiverse of D&D and invite you to create unique characters and worlds within it.

Roll for initiative, and
play Dungeons & Dragons today!