Creating characters for the Worlds of Adventure campaign is very much like creating characters for similar games: roll ability scores, pick a race, pick a class, etc. This page details the character creation process.
The Rules page contains a rundown of the Worlds of Adventure campaign rules. The Conventions section of the Tropes page also contains guidelines and information you may find useful when creating your character. As always, talk to your DM before you finalize your character, or if you’re unsure about something.
Ability scores for Worlds of Adventure characters are generated using the following method.
At the DM’s option, players who do not wish to roll their ability scores may instead choose to take the “elite array” of ability scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. These ability scores may be arranged (i.e. assigned to the six attributes) as the player chooses.
At the DM’s option, the default method of ability score generation may be replaced with the following.
The DM generates an “ability score matrix” by generating 36 ability scores (each of which is rolled via the 4d6-drop-lowest method). These 36 scores are then arranged, in order, in a 6×6 table. From this table, a player may pick any set of six ability scores that appears in a straight line (reading left to right or right to left along the rows, up or down the columns, or along either diagonal). The chosen set of six scores must be taken in order.
Note that only one matrix is generated by the DM, and used by all players. Multiple players may select the same set of ability scores, if desired.
Your character can be a member of any of the common races (dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, half-orc, or human). See the Races page for information on the racial traits and attributes of each race.
Languages: Since characters in the Worlds of Adventure campaign may come from many different worlds, there is no single “Common” language, but rather, a Common per world—Common (Krynn), Common (Greyhawk), etc. All characters know the Common language for their world, as well as the local language of their home community (if different from Common; for non-human races, this is usually the character’s racial language).
Additionally, characters have basic proficiency with one language, selected from the bonus languages available to their race or class. Characters with an Intelligence of 14 or better have intermediate proficiency in one bonus language instead, while characters with an Intelligence of 18 or better are fluent in the bonus language of their choice.
All player characters also know gatespeak. Characters fluent in gatespeak are at an advantage when communicating with speakers of, or attempting to learn, the Common languages of other worlds.
See the Linguistics skill for more information about languages and communication.
Your character may be a member of any of the classes listed on the Classes page.
Many classes also allow you to select from several variants of the class—alternate sets of class features, that replace some default features of the class.
All characters get a number of skill points per character level equal to 4 + their Intelligence modifier (but no fewer than 2 and no more than 8, plus any extra skill points from being a human or half-elf, and/or from taking the Open Minded feat). (In the Worlds of Adventure campaign, your class does not affect the number of skill points you have. See What Level?? for details on what “character level” means.)
Be aware that the list of skills in Worlds of Adventure, and how some of those skills work, is different from similar games. See the Skills page for more about how skills work in the Worlds of Adventure campaign.
All characters start with one feat at 1st level. Human characters get one bonus feat at 1st level, which can be any feat that the character qualifies for. Some classes, such as fighters, also get a bonus feat at 1st level (which might be a specific feat, or a feat of your choice selected from a list; check your class description for details).
The feats available in the Worlds of Adventure campaign are listed on the Feats page.
All characters in the Worlds of Adventure campaign get one trait at 1st level. You can choose from the list of Campaign Traits.
Each class group has a hit die size (d6, d8, etc.), and at 1st level you get the maximum roll’s worth of hit points from that die, plus your Constitution modifier.
Your characters start with an amount of gold based on their class, as listed on Table: Starting Character Wealth on the Classes page. You can use that starting wealth to equip your character with a variety of weapons, armor, or other equipment. See the Equipment page for information on what equipment is available.
These and other character numbers work just like they do in Pathfinder.
If your character is a spellcaster, the page for the class you selected (see the Classes page) lists the commonly available spells for the class. See the Spells page for more information on spell availability.
If you have questions about any other aspects of your character, ask your DM for details.
Although the Worlds of Adventure campaign does use an alignment system, it is not quite the same as the alignment system used in recent versions of D&D (such as 3rd edition, 5th edition, or Pathfinder). There are several subtle differences (described in detail on the Alignment page), but the most important one is this:
A player does not determine their character’s alignment. Determination of a player character’s alignment is entirely in the hands of the DM.
This does not mean that the player has anything less than total control over their character’s actions, nor does it mean that the DM dictates the character’s actions or decisions to the player (e.g. “your character is Neutral Good, so you can’t do that”, or any such thing)! Rather, it simply means that a character’s actions determine his or her alignment, instead of the other way around. If the character consistently acts in a good fashion, then he is Good-aligned; if he commits evil deeds, he is Evil-aligned; and likewise for Law and Chaos. (Again, see the full details on the Alignment page.)
When a new character is created, they are assumed to be neutral on both alignment axes (Good vs. Evil and Law vs. Chaos). The character’s actions may then lead to his or her alignment being re-evaluated (or they may not). (A character who is uncertain of what one’s actions mean for one’s alignment is advised to seek out counsel on the matter, which most commonly takes the form of consulting a priest, shaman, wise man, or other sort of religious or spiritual figure.)
Whenever any of your characters gains a character level, you—the player, not the character—earn 1 level credit. When you make a new character, that character is 1st level; but you can spend level credits to create your character at a higher level than 1st (every level credit you spend adds 1 character level to the character you are creating). (See the What Level?? page for an explanation of exactly what “character level” means in the Worlds of Adventure campaign.) You cannot make a new character of a higher level than a character you already have, however. You also cannot create a character of higher than 20th level (even if you have more than 19 level credits to spend and have an existing epic character).
When you make a new character above 1st level, it’s assumed that your character is an adventurer working with the Argos Trade Consortium, and reached his or her level (and amassed his or her wealth) in the same way that “organically” leveled characters did: by adventuring for the A.T.C. Your new character has, thus far, been an adventurer of relatively little renown (even if she’s done impressive things, she’s kept “off the radar”), has amassed few worldly possessions (quite likely because she’s been eager to advance to a high level), and has no significant reputation, good or ill, beyond that which is due any adventurer of her level and alignment.
All newly-created characters with a character level above 1st level start with the amount of XP and gold listed on the table below. (For the purpose of gaining level credits, a newly-created character above 1st level is considered to be at the character level that the character is created at, even if the character level that results after the player has used the starting XP to purchase class levels is lower than that. In other words, character levels gained by spending starting XP do not count toward earning level credits.)
You can use the XP you have to purchase levels in one or more character classes. (If you choose to take levels in more than one class, make sure that you have read and understood the Worlds of Adventure rules on character advancement, especially the rules on multiclassing and cross-classing.) You can use the gold you have to buy anything that is available for purchase. Here are the usual things you might buy with your starting wealth:
You can purchase any mundane equipment, and most magic items listed in the Core Rulebook or the Advanced Player’s Guide, with some exceptions (see the Mundane & Magical Equipment? page for details, and consult with your DM; generally, you cannot start the game with magic items which are not commonly available and freely purchasable). If your character is psionic, you can also purchase psionic equipment (consult your DM to make sure the psionic items you want are available).
You will probably want to spend some gold on the various services and benefits which the Argos Trade Consortium offers to adventurers: adventurer’s commission dues; healing, resurrection, and rescue insurance; as well as adventuring guild membership fees, and various other costly intangibles. (See Adventuring with the Argos Trade Consortium for more information about all these things.)
Money can buy many things on the many worlds to which the City’s gates lead—real estate being one of the most common and most solid investments. In addition to giving your character more freedom of social and political action than being an unattached adventurer affords (and allowing you to operate without the watchful eye of the A.T.C.’s police force, the Guardians of Peace and Safety, upon you), having a base of operations beyond the City (and land or property on which to place it) is necessary if you want to establish a mage tower, thieves' guild, or other organization of followers (see Leadership For Everyone for details on player-run organizations).