Basic Expert: Character Generation

Character Generation can be defined as a simple seven step process defined in the BX Rulebooks thusly:

1. Roll for ability scores.
2. Choose a class; note special abilities and spells.
3. Adjust scores as desired; note bonuses for high scores.
4. Roll hit points.
5. Roll for money; equip the character.
6. Find Armor Class, attack, and saving throw numbers.
7. Name the character

Roll for Primary Ability Scores

 

Strength

While strength can be considered a measure of your character's physical power it is in BX Dungeons & Dragons a bonus added to or penalty subtracted from the melee hit roll and melee damage inflicted in combat and a bonus added to an Open Doors dice check.

Strength 15

Strength 15 gets a +1 bonus to melee hit, melee damage, and open doors checks.

Intelligence
Intelligence is a measure of the ability to communicate. Below 9 and your character struggles increasingly to read and write and even speak.

Intelligence 10

In this case our character gets the ability to read and write in the common and alignment tongues.

Wisdom
Wisdom is about judgement and gulability. It contributes a Save vs. Magic bonus/penalty.

Wisdom 13

So we get a +1 bonus to our saves vs magic roll.

Dexterity
Dexterity is the ability to dodge damage, and achieve feats of accuracy. In this case it contributes a bonus/penalty to Armor class, and a hit roll bonus to missile weapons.

Dexterity 13

So we get a +1 to missile fire hitrolls, and an armour class bonus of -1.

Constitution
A measure of health and endurance it contributes a Penalty/Bonus to hitpoints improving or decreasing the amount of damage it takes to kill the character.

Constitution 8

This constitution is low enough to apply a -1hp penalty.

Charisma
Charisma is about your character's ability to lead others, and your character's ability to inspire friendship or hostility at face value.

Charisma 9

No reaction bonuses but the character can have up to four retainers with a Retainer Morale of seven.








Choose a class
With an above average strength, wisdom, and dexterity there are numerous character options because these are good prime requisite scores for fighters, clerics, or thieves. Likewise I could pick Magicuser or elf though the Intelligence is only 'average'... but we can adjust this score in the next step.

So lets go with Fighter.


Adjust scores as desired
To adjust primary abilities of the Fighter upward by one point (Strength) it is necessary to decrease another ability down by two points. So because we cannot lower a score below 9 and the decrease is always by two points (though we could harvest one point each from two scores), Strength increases one point by decreasing wisdom two points. We lower wisdom from 13 to 11 to 9. So we increase Strength up from 15 to 16 to 17.

The Adjusted Abilities of our Fighter are:

Strength 17

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 9

Dexterity 13

Constitution 8

Charisma 9

Experience Points
Experience begins at zero. And for the fighter the next experience level is 2000xp.

Roll Hitpoints
For a fighter hitpoints are rolled on the eight sided dice. So rolling 1d8...

4hp

This is reduced by 1hp thanks to a constitution penalty.












Select Alignment
Alignments up for grabs are Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. I select Neutral for this Character.

Neutral

Roll for Money and select equipment
To generate starting gold you are obliged to roll 3d6 and multiply the result by ten to generate your starting cash for your character.

6 × 10gp = 60gp

With cash in hand you are able to go buy equipment that your character will find vital.

Starting Equipment:

• Silver Dagger (30gp)
• Hand Axe (4gp)
• Backpack (5gp)
• Standard Rations (5gp)
• Tinder Box (3gp)
• Waterskin (1gp)
• (6) Torches (1gp)
• (2) 50' Ropes (2gp)
• Small hammer (2gp)
• (6) Iron Spikes (1gp)

Remaining coin (6gp)

Armour Class, Hit Rolls, and Saving Throws

The character doesnt wear Armour, but gets a -1AC bonus from Dexterity so AC9 reduces to AC8.

AC 8

At first level to hit AC9 you must roll 10 or greater on a 1d20.

Hit Roll Chart:

Target AC             9     8     7     6      5      4       3       2      1      0    -1  

Roll Required     10   11   12   13   14    15     16     17    18   19    20

Saving Throws:
Deathray/        Magic          Paralysis                  Dragon         Rods,
Poison              Wand          Turn to Stone         Breath           Staffs,
                                                                                                        Or Spells
       12                  13                    14                             15                16


Name Character
Usually we have a setting that affords a particular naming convention. This character's name will be Black Beth.

Black Beth: Neutral Fighter; Level 1; 3hp; AC8; THAC0 19; Save: DR/P 12, MW 13, P/TtS 14, DB 15, R/S/S 16; Str 17 (+2 to hit Melee/+2 damage melee, +2 open doors bonus), Int 10, Wis 9, Dex 13 (-1AC bonus, +1 to hit with thrown/missile), Con 8 (-1hp penalty), Cha 9 (4 Retainers max./Retainer Morale 7); Equipment: Silver Dagger (1d4),
Hand Axe (1d6), Backpack, (1 week) Standard Rations, Tinder Box, Waterskin (full), (6) Torches, (2) 50' Ropes, Small hammer, (6) Iron Spikes, 6gp;

Background: youngly widowed, her drunkard husband murdered celebrating his marriage in the village tavern rather than at home with his wife, Beth has sold her farm for a pittance and joined up with a band of adventurers;

Description: Beth has the appearance of a sickly pale young woman whose heavy black clothing conceals her true physical strength.