Making A PC

"Heroes are good, I tell you! What's the use of a tragedy without one?"
- Gerlos, gnome bard, in conversation

First off, please read the stuff on rules changes and the like on the intro page.

Make your PC using stats(5) with Sparkie. Roll 3 times, then take the one you like the most. All PCs begin at level 1 unless the player has a good in game reason to begin at a higher level.

Basic race and class information is below. (More detailed information, especially about magic, can be found on the world page)

Races

The elves don't like the dwarves
The dwarves dislike the gnomes
The gnomes tolerate the humans
The humans don't like kender
No one else likes kender either
And everyone likes halflings
And everyone hates orcs.
- Ios Proverb

Keep in mind that racism ("We're better than you") is common here. Members of other races will most likely have to earn your respect rather than have it given to them.
If you decide you want to be a race, email Alcar and he'll send you more detailed information on the race, information that isn't known to outsiders.

Dwelling in the northern mountains, the dwarves are a mining race known for being literal-minded (which is rather necessary underground, people who say "AVALANCHE!!! Hah! Just kidding! You should have seen your face!" don't make it into the gene pool). They tend to consume copious amounts of ale whenever they can, and the dwarven liver is reputed to be harder than diamond. Dwarves are very good fighters, often stubborn and loyal to a fault to any friends they make. Most of them tend to get angry quickly and deal with insults in a forthright manner involving their axe and whoever ticked them off meeting it very quickly.
Dwarves live in the Fastness of Stormhold for the most part, though many have migrated south to Burnhelm or further following the need for competent smiths and perhaps a chance for their children to learn more of the world than they have.

Elves are one of the oldest races and are almost always invariably beautiful. Elves live until slain and ignore many diseases better than other races. Most older elves never adventure since they have no desire to die and most problems can simply be outlived. Younger elves tend to be more voracious and are encountered on the odd occasion, but are still rare enough in most places to be considered a novelty. In their often absent minded (or arrogant) disdain for others, elves seem to have a lot in common with Victorian nobility.
All elves come from the Deep Wood, their homeland. Elves can be found in Lorai and Xarien as well but seldom in many other places. No elf children have ever been seen by other races.

Gnomes, a race resulting from the offspring of elves and dwarves, are a friendly and care-free race for the most part. They like to invent new things in the world and firmly believe that laughter not only helps the world go round but is a cure for most ills. They tend to live longer than dwarves but take pains to revel in their long lives rather than hide from death. They also have some innate magical abilities that often lead to others fearing gnomes. Most of them try and hide how this fear hurts them with varying success.
Gnomes are native to the hills and woods of the North Reach. They can he found almost anywhere, but anti-magic feelings have led them to become uncommon outside of Quan and their homeland.

Halfings are quite simply a race of people half the size of a human. No one is quite sure about their origin, but legends say the deity Wyli made them come about by sleeping with some humans. They are very friendly and seem to get along with anyone, being found in any location and among any peoples. Even orcs are said to like halflings (and not just to eat), being very friendly with them for the most part.
Halflings have no homeland.

Humans can be found in most places of the world and are notable for having very short lives. This often leads to them wanting their lives to mean something. The end result tends to be a lot of hurry, some amazing art (thought not long lasting, from the stand point of many other races) and, strangely, a lot of wars. Even with other humans. Some elves seriously thing that the reality of death is so oppressive that humans want to throw their lives away, as if death is the only thing that can give meaning to their lives.
About half the humans live in Talkani or have family descended from that Empire. The others can be found practically anywhere.

Half orcs are pariahs, proof that some orc conquered the female of another species (half orcs can be half human/elf/dwarf/gnome etc. If the player wants this to lead to stat changes from the half orc in the PHB, talk to me.) They tend to be mocked a lot and often grow up bitter and hating their parents. There are no half orcs with the half orc being a female - any orc woman raped by some male would kill themself and their child. While it is theoretically possible for a orc woman to fall in love with a non orc, it would be a thing of (often mocking) song by bards.

Half elves are almost non existent. Elves pity them and humans hate them for their long lives.

Kender are kender. What more can I say? They're very rare (there are only about a thousand in the world at moist given times), but do travel from time to time - travel often leading to anti-kender killing sprees that help keep their population down. They're known to be the most common thieves around but people tend to travel with them in a state of bemused horror, just waiting to see what a kender will do next to solve a problem. They seem utterly incapable of fear in most situations and are almost relentlessly cheerful, especially in the morning. It also tends to be the time most Kender die, often due to a very grumpy human or dwarf who is not a morning person. They also tend to have no fear of death in a personal sense, but will grieve the deaths of others.
Almost all kender live in Manake but small communities can be found in other locations from time to time. Kender cities are unknown and a kender village is terrifying enough to lead to it being burned down by horrified architects, any neighbours with a modicum of common sense and the gods (in no particular order).

Classes

There is nothing to be feared more than an honest man.
- Drake, according to legend

Detailed class information can be found in the classes section. Keep in mind that a starting character class will say a lot about a PCs mentality/temperment/goals in life to others, no matter what class(es) the PC multi-classes to eventually. (As well, there is no exp penalty for multi-classing for PCs.)

Barbarians are very common in the North Lands and less common further south of Quan, except for rare emigrations in quest of a better life, glory and adventure. Since they seem immune to frostbite, most barbarians wear next to nothing, and most of that tends to be very provocative. Or, as a rather grumpy Talkani soldier once put it, "Their thongs aren't large enough to make into slings." A few of them do pirate raiding as a result of having stolen some Quan ships over the years but such raids - dubbed Viking raids by Quan because they're done by (order of the) king - tend to be infrequent since the Vikings know that Quan could come down hard on them.
Unless your PC is from the North Land or was taught the Viking way of life by a northlander (likely because one of them is a parent or uncle or aunt), they cannot become one. Most of them tend to be humans.

Bards are fairly common in all the lands, serving as chroniclers and historians for everyone. They keep record to births and deaths and know all the stories and legends of the area they grew up, and many famous ones from all over. Most of them know a variety of languages and their lore, while often a combination of hearsay, rumour and myth, tends to be respected. In almost all lands, bards are gifted with the ability to tell "truthful lies" - essentially to tell stories without worrying too much about fact - and, most importantly, the Singer's Law. This law prohibits the punishing of bards for any song they sing, which often leads to people hiring bards to write or sing satires about certain people. However, even bards know when they're pushing their luck.
Very few bards ever learn they can do magic and most just tend to cast their spells subconsciously while playing rather than deliberately. The fact that they do both magic and have access to the healing powers said to come from the gods and/or the world makes the few who do know very quiet about it, as they are not sure why they can access both parts, or what allows them to do so.

Clerics are not too common - you can generally find one or two and an apprentice in a good 5 village radius - but are highly respected and accorded honour. While there are no set religions, laws, or temples, various clerical orders dedicated to different tasks have sprung up over the years. Almost all male clerics serve the God and the female ones the Goddess. The other deities are given homage too as well but generally only men call upon the male and women the female. This is more tradition that law. Few clerics choose to serve one specific deity over the exclusion of others (the illegal and rumoued worship of the Unnamed being the one large exception) but the God and Goddess are paramount over the other deities when asking for aid..
Keep in mind that clerical prayer and powers come from their gods: it is not considered magic.

Druids are a relatively new group and rather rare, having begun as a religion/theology about 300 years ago. They tend to live apart from others and their basic beliefs seem to be that everything costs and the world itself is alive and a higher god than the gods themselves, having given birth to them. Or perhaps that everyone is the gods. The actual beliefs vary from druid to druid, but the end result seems to be that they do gain their power by praying to the world. This doesn't stop clerics from calling it magic, however, and most of them dislike druids intently.

Fighters can be found anywhere, among any race. Fighters for the Quan or Talkani Empire can be knights if they wish. (They gain a suit of plate mail that's likely rather worn, a mount, and a sword along with the knightly oaths.) Most others tend to be warriors or mercenaries, the difference being that warriors fight for higher causes, while mercenaries fight for money, and maybe higher causes too. A PC could play a fighter specialised in one specific weapon as well (blade masters tend to become people of legend). In general, a PC fighter must be trained by another fighter to get the kind of formal training they need.

Monks are rare, and all monks are taught their arts by the King in Yellow, an ancient and powerful monk. Little is known of this being. A monk can begin the teaching of a new one, but only the King can formalise and finish the teaching. Only he can teach them how to find their ki. Most monks tend to travel the world on quests for the King or just wander for the sake of wandering. They tend to be peaceful and only fight when they see no other option to avoid it.
Any race can become monks.

Paladins are very, very, very, rare. Clerics give up something of their own free will for the power of the gods, but paladins give up almost everything, becoming tools of the gods. Stories of their vengeance are things of legend and no one in their right mind angers one without cause. They are given high honours wherever they go and feared by all evil people, but loved by all good.
All paladins begin with a +2 holy sword and must be good, i.e. act with honour. If they do what the gods think to be evil, or misuse their power and position, they die instantly. No paladin serves the Unnamed. There are no elven paladins (unless a player makes one).

Rangers tend to be scouts, explorers and woodsmen more at home in the country than the cities. They can be found anywhere and among all peoples and tend to be respected for their lore of the woods and herbs.

Rogues can be found everywhere, as well. While most lands have thieving as a crime, many rogues are simply people living on the streets, or those who've learned to make use of sneakiness in combat. Most fighters call it being a coward, most rogues point out that they're not built like fighters and for them it's practical. While mercenaries get along with rogues, they have more trouble with knights and warriors. I leave their relationship with paladins for your imagination. :)

Sorcerers are people with an inborn connection to the OtherWorld. They bring magic into this one by existing and their magic is as much a part of them as breathing. While magic is feared, people tend to pity sorcerers more because they have no choice but to use their magic. They tend to be very different folks and are often set apart from others by their magic even if they don't want to be.
A PC must begin the game as a sorcerer to be able to become one. This is an innate power. If the player wants to ever multi=-class into sorcerer, this must be declared during character creation since their untapped magic will manifest itself around them from time to time.

Wizards are evil. Well, not necessarily, but after the wizard war anyone who deliberately sets out to become one is seen as a power hungry person with dark goals. Most of them tend to be lonely, solitary sorts who have moved away from others into a world of rituals and incantations, where the brief moments they draw up the energy of the otherworld and cast a spell becoming the only things in their lives worth living for. None of them seek any kind of normal power like thrones, and what they seek and hunger for tends to be seldom spoken by the bards.

NOTE: This game will enforce the use of material components for spells, though sorcerers can spend one HP per level of a spell instead of using the components to cast a spell. Clerics and Paladins just need faith and bards just their music (and instrument, most of the time)..Druids merely need to be in touch with the land. Most bards don't know they can work magic. Few in any other class (such as rangers) learn they can, and most of those see magic as evil and refuse to use it.

Homeland

A patriot is someone who puts his homeland above his principles.
- Jeril Grassblade, halfling cleric

The land a PC comes from says a lot about them, and can even give them certain benefits. These are abilities given to those from the various lands listed generally. (A player can ask for something different for their PC is they want. This is just the common ones.)

Nation Summary Benefits

Aendar Merchant Empire In The Making +3 Appraise; +1 Hide

Bakar Orc City +2 Intimidation; +2 Wilderness Lore

Deep Wood Elven Homeland +2 Knowledge(Deep Wood); +2 Knowledge(Elven Lore)

Elanadai Democracy +2 Diplomacy, +1 Innuendo; +1 Knowledge(Bureaucracy)

Fastness of Stormhold Dwarven Lands +2 Climbing; +2 Knowledge(Mountains)

Handarun Plains Plainsfolk +2 Handle Animal, +1 Ride, Track feat

Maneke Weird City +2 Bluff; +1 Knowledge(Arcane); +1 Sense Motive

North Reach Gnome Homeland +1 Knowledge(Arcane); +2 Spellcraft; +1 Wilderness Lore

Quan Empire Vestigial Empire +2 Etiquette; +2 Seamanship

Namat Villages Villages +2 Craft(Pick One); +1 Listen; +1 Spot

Talkani Empire Military Dictatorship +1 to Attack; +1 Knowledge(Tactics); +1 Knowledge(Military)

Skills, Feats, Weapons

A coward now is better than dead forever.
- Rogue Proverb

Skills, feats, weapons and the like are chosen by normal. Assume that the "starting gold" is basically what PCs bartered with and worked for people in order to get the supplies they begin with. Most of these will be gained probably when the PCs flee the area and be more stolen than anything, but still bought in game terms. Armour better than studded leather would be rather rare (Sha'kay is a village, after all) but is possible if the PC bought it from a traveler, inherited it, or is not native to the area.

Languages

There is nothing wrong with pejudice - it saves time.
- Harendriel, elven warrior

Elvish, the oldest written language. Dwarvish is a dialect of elvish developed for dealing with specific concepts and the underground. Elvish is basically common.
Human: the language of the humans. Not used except by them, and it's becoming rare except in writing, where it is much easier than elvish. Most scholars can read human even if they can't speak it.
Orcish: the language of all the monsters. It has many dialects and regional variations for differing races - sort of like English in London, really. There are few written dialects of orcish.

Dragons have their own language, but do not share or speak it to others. They use elven most of the time.

Arcane: the language of the OtherWorld, from which mages derive their magic. Sorcerers use a purer form than wizards and tend to pronounce it better just because they're more in tune with the OtherWorld.
Divine: The language of Invocation, used to gain strength (spells) from the gods. As they advance in understanding of this language clerics gain more spells.
The Forbidden Tongue: Language used by those Serving the Shadow King. Little is known of this language but it is very powerful and feared by all. Speaking it is punishable by death in most places.

Background - Stereotypes

What you are is never as painful as what you don't become.
- Izayus, human druid

This is where things get fun. As this is The Perfect Fantasy Setting(TM) each PC should begin with one (or more) of the stereotypes listed below:

Blessed.
Child of a god (a Sadhya) - Good, but can be bad (or at least very embarrassing).
Chosen of a deity (for clerics)
Cursed.
Dark Secret (PCs, or families or something they know).
Descendant of a dragon or elf or whatnot.
Disguised as the Opposite Sex.
Fated to do something.
Geased to some Quest (If the PC is male, this quest must have claimed his 2 older brothers and they failed/died in it. The PC must be the youngest son and preferably last child. By all the laws of literature, this means they can't fail :p).
Has a special Destiny (likely involving Empires and Saving The World).
Has some strange Talent/Ability/Gift.
Have a Talisman/Amulet/Ring etc..
Heir to a Throne.
Inherited Spell book (for wizards).
Inherited Sword.
Magical Sword (even better - maybe).
Magically Gifted (for sorcerers).
Nobility (likely local, often a first son who doesn't want to take over and wants to run away and become a belly dancer or something or a younger son who won't inherit much of anything).
No Memory - PC arrives in the starting village with no idea who s/he/it is. [DM's note: Do it. I dare you *evil laughter*]
Odd Appearance.
One of the PCs parents isn't really their parent.
Orphan.
Own a Family Heirloom.
Plagued by Strange Dreams.
Reincarnation of Someone (in)Famous.
Seer.
Someone owe the PC (Or PCs family) a big debt.
There are prophecies about your PC.

These are just basic ones I've come up with. You can easily add to it ("Magical mentor" or "sees ghosts" or "has an invisible friend - that's really a tame Invisible Stalker.") as clich�s or ideas. They should be listed before the actual background so the DM has an easy reference to the ones you picked, and explained in the background somewhere, if the PC is aware of them at all.

Background - Some Questions To Answer

The gods lead the willing - the unwilling they drag with chains of duty and guilt.
- Ural the pious, human cleric.

Normally I don't put guidelines to such things (I just insist they be done) but for this game, things are different. Each PCs background should answer the following questions and it will be an important part of the game.

Who is your father? What is he like? What do you like/hate about him? Do you love and/or respect him? Why?
Who is your mother? What is she like? What do you like/hate about her? Do you love and/or respect her? Why?
How many siblings do you have? What's your relationship to them?
Do you have/have you had a girl/boy friend? Why or why not? If you have, describe them.
Do you have any pets - would you like leaving them? Did you have any pets die on you in the past?
Have you ever killed someone? Why? Would you do so again, or even kill? When is it right to kill?
Why did you decide to become [PC's class]?
Do you like living in this village? Do you want to leave home? Why or why not?

That's the basic questions each PC should have answered somewhere in their background. The family information needs to include the names for said NPCs. While it might seem like a lot of work since the PCs will most likely be leaving home in a hurry in the first few sessions it is invaluable for the game itself and events that will occur in the future. Not only that, but it gives your PC a past, friends, family - people she will miss when she's forced to run away or leaves on some quest or returns home to find butchered with archaic runes carved onto the bridge of their noses.
Plus, your background can warrant a PC gaining skills or things s/he normally wouldn't (Pa gives you a horse when you go, uncle Joe a sword etc.). This allows your PCs to start off a bit better than they normally would and gives a tangible reward for making this stuff up.

PC Personality

First impressions are often misconceptions. But it's amazing how often we wish for them again after we get to know people better.
- Wayland, human rogue, on kender

You should create a section labeled "personality". This can be jot notes before the campaign on how you'd like the PC to play, then be fleshed out based on how you do play him or her. This will be given to whomever plays your PC when you miss a session as a guideline for RPing your PC.

Stuff To Keep In Mind

You cannot catch all the snowflakes that fall from the sky.
- Hermis the drunken, Barstool Philosophies For The Sober p. 34

(a) The DM is always right.
(b) If I'm wrong, show me where I'm wrong in the rules after the game - if it's important. I detest nit picking of rules and rule-lawyering in general. Rules lawyers are basically an advanced form of munchkin in 90% of cases. If the situation in question is really, really important, msg me during the game but don't expect a happy response :)
(c) If I agree, I'm right. If I disagree, I'm also right.
(d) If there is any confusion, see (a).

With that out of the way (altered from a house rules list on a site - I thought it was cute) most of you should know how I run games and what I expect from players. If you're unsure, as a rough guideline my games are PC driven rather than plot driven. You want something to happen, you go out and do something. Your must involve your PC in the game for the PC to be involved.

I don't like combat in D&D simply because it takes up too much time and is generally boring for those waiting their turn. As a result, combat will be quick. I expect you to either describe your PCs actions, roll, then RP the result, or just roll then RP it all after and quickly. (Yes. I know RPing combat makes it longer, but if it's just number crunching I see no point to it at all even if it does go against my desire for faster combat.) Know when your turn is. If you don't do something quickly (30 seconds or so) your PC most likely does nothing. Roll your attack and damage at the same time, applying the damage if they hit. If you have spells, know what they do and have the information on hand.

If your character dies and you make up a new one you must figure out how the PC will integrate into the party. The other PCs are under no obligation at all to accept the PC or reveal things to him or her just because. While I'd like there to be less inter-party strife than most of my games seem to engender, if a PC does something really stupid that would obviously anger another PC the other PCs may kill them. I won't try and stop it unless I deem it very unheroic or the PC had valid reasons and, if so, I'll give them time to say them before the other PCs react. Keep in mind that PCs are honest-to-gods heroes for this game, so they shouldn't want to kill each other too much (which doesn't mean they need to like each other. Ask Baliadoc and Keith about Drake and K sometime :)).

Finally, I run games so players can have fun. If you're not having fun with the game, say so. Maybe you don't think your PC has been involved enough or is being neglected or needs to be changed. I'd prefer players not kill their PC and make a new one, but that is a viable option and a good recipe for heroic death RP if nothing else. If it's the game itself, bow out and find a new one. If it's the DM, hire Sparkie to lynch me. Actually, talk to me. Seriously. If you don't like what I (or another player) is doing, let me (and maybe them) know. I can't get better if no one offers criticism. Oh, and if the complaints are about Sparkie, he doesn't care :p