Chacter Creation

[Renthallin]

Hey guys. I thought I had made a profile here before, but guess I was wrong. So I have been pouring over the boards and have yet to find anything resembling character creation. Is Stix still at the point of character description? I was thinking about an Earth Genasi Paladin, if that's still needed.

[TheGratefulNed]

Welcome Renthallin!

Stix used to have a nice, comprehensive character creation page when this was 3.5ish. Now he's using a sort of amalgam of standard 2e PHB and Player's Option books with a few house rules tossed in. You get both your normal proficiencies based on class and character points to either buy/enhance your proficiencies, buy/enhance class abilities or save to use to affect die rolls during adventures. Stix (if he hasn't done so already) will create a private board that only you and he can see. This is where he keeps all character sheets, non-public dice rolls (secret actions, solitary actions, hit dice, etc.)

According to the news fader (though I don't know how up-to-date that is):
Looking for new characters of the following aspects/affiliations:
Race: Genasi, Half-elf, Half-orc, Rogue Modron
Faction: Doomguard, Dustmen, Free League, Sign of One
Class: Paladin, Elementalist, Bard, Ninja

The standard allowed races, classes, proficiencies, kits, and dual/multi-class rules are under the 2e Rules board.

Your stats (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha) are alloted however you wish based on the following chart:

Total points	Highest Stat
89	16 x1
88	16 x2
87	16 x3+
86	17 x1
85	17 x2
84	17 x3+
83	18 x1 (18/01)
82	18 x2 (18/51)
81	18 x3 (18/76)
80	19 x1 (18/91)
79	19 x2 (18/00)
78	19 x2 (19)

Parenthetical values are the limit of a warrior's strength score; moving up one category costs an ability score point.

Every four levels (multi/dual-classing characters use their highest level class) you get a stat point to spend wherever you would like.

At character creation you get a number of CPs based on your race (enumerated under each race) and intelligence (#CPs = #bonus languages/proficiencies according to PHB Int chart; raising Int with bonus stat points immediately grants you additional CP(s) and proficiency(ies) as appropriate). Some races have optional drawbacks that you can take to increase your starting CPs. There are also traits and disadvantages (listed under the Proficiencies sub-board) that cost or grant you more CPs respectively.

Your class(es) have a standard set of abilities/powers/etc. that you get at 1st level and most (maybe all) have optional drawbacks you can take for bonus CPs. Some abilities are only available to take at character creation/1st level in that class, others you can pick up whenever.

Multiclass PCs gain 5 CPs per level with their fastest-advancing class and 2 per level for their second-fastest (if they have three classes, the slowest class gives 1 per level). Dual-classers gain 5 per "new" level (the highest out of any of their classes), and 1 CP per level after 1st in subsequent classes. Single-classed PCs get 5 bonus points at creation and 5 every level.

CPs can be spent for:

• Racial Abilities (by cost)
  
• Class Abilities (by cost)
  
• Advantages (by cost)
  
• Weapon Proficiencies (2 for warriors, 3 for others)
  
• Nonweapon Proficiencies (3 for a 1-slot proficiency, 5 for a 2-slot, 6 for a 3-slot)
  
• Languages (2)
  
• Permanently improving a proficiency score by 1 (1)
  
• Permanently improving a psionic power score by 1 (2)
  
• Adjusting the result of one of your attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, or proficiency checks by 1d6 (1)

[Shadow]

What's this now about CPs from your Int bonus? Didn't know that... well now, I have more to spend that I thought.

So, just a heads up, making a char right now myself (have been for over a month actually... heh), Free League Half-Elf, of the spell casting variety.

Maybe we help breathe some more life into this game? The more I read the more interested I am.

[Stix]

Ned, my backup DM. He's known me and my gaming style long enough that he can speak with authority on the subject.

Essentially, character creation (apart from choosing your own ability scores) is a matter straight out of the PHB and the Planewalker's Handbook. Rather than go for the complete customization of the Player's Option rules, I just use the standard races and classes. The character point mechanics are added on over top of this, to allow for a little added customization.

The only exceptions to this rule are the divine classes; the Cleric and Paladin as written just don't cut it for all deities, pantheons, and other objects of worship (certainly, in the case of paladins, for those deities who aren't LG). I determine some of the class features based on what I know about the deity/pantheon/force in question, and the places they occur in source material. I work with the player to determine the rest, allowing for some variation between religious orders.

Renthallin, if you're interested in a genasi paladin, I'd welcome it... I've been looking for an excuse to touch on some inner-planar plot, so if you'd like to tie him into the archomental war between Sunnis and Ogremoch, I'd be happy to throw an XP incentive at you.

[Renthallin]

So the traits/disadvantages etc are those used in the Players Option: Skills and Powers book?

[Stix]

May 4, 2009 12:57:09 GMT -5 Renthallin said:

So the traits/disadvantages etc are those used in the Players Option: Skills and Powers book?

Yes indeed.

Edit: I've put together your private board (when on the main page, it should be at the very bottom). Post there at your leisure with any questions, your sheet so far, et cetera.

[Renthallin]

May 4, 2009 15:05:50 GMT -5 Stix said:

May 4, 2009 12:57:09 GMT -5 Renthallin said:

So the traits/disadvantages etc are those used in the Players Option: Skills and Powers book?

Yes indeed.

Edit: I've put together your private board (when on the main page, it should be at the very bottom). Post there at your leisure with any questions, your sheet so far, et cetera.

Ok cool. Will begin fleshing him out tonight. I posted in the character description thread with my vision of Azrak so far.

[Renthallin]

Using the point allocation system listed above, are the max attribute scores before applying racial modifiers or after?

[TheGratefulNed]

There are no racial modifiers...you get those points. If you look at each race you'll see a min and max score for each attribute for that race. However you can exceed those maxes with the bonus attribute points you get at every 4th level or there are some CP abilities (usually cost about 20 CPs) that raise an attribute by 1.

For instance:
Earth Genasi have the following constraints at character creation
Strength: 10 to 19
Dexterity: 7 to 18
Constitution: 10 to 19
Intelligence: 7 to 18
Wisdom: 6 to 17
Charisma: 6 to 17

But they also have these two optional abilities
Constitution bonus (20): The PC gains +1 to Constitution.
Strength bonus (20): The PC gains +1 to Strength.

[goatunit]

Oh man. I just stumbled across you guys.

I actually run a small Planescape PbP, but I've got an itch to play. I'm so excited to find you guys!

Unfortunately, I don't have the Player's Option books. Will I still be able to create a functional character with just the PHB and Planescape materials?

[TheGratefulNed]

Welcome, goatunit! Between the information posted in this thread and 2e Rules board you shouldn't need the Player's Option books for anything except specific wording/effect of some of the Traits/Disadvantages (listed under the Proficiencies sub-board of 2e Rules). In Stix's system, we use both the CPs as well as the standard proficiency system.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop them here. I usually check in a couple of times a day and can answer most things that might come up.

[goatunit]

Do I roll my own dice or will Stix roll for me?

[TheGratefulNed]

Once Stix makes a private board for you (if he hasn't already) you can roll your own HP, etc. Ability points are determined based off of the chart at the top of this thread. Keep in mind, that depending on your race there are max and min values for each ability that take into account the stat adjustments you would get if you were rolling dice for your stats.

[Stix]

Jun 21, 2009 22:45:57 GMT -5 goatunit said:

Oh man. I just stumbled across you guys.

I actually run a small Planescape PbP, but I've got an itch to play. I'm so excited to find you guys!

Unfortunately, I don't have the Player's Option books. Will I still be able to create a functional character with just the PHB and Planescape materials?

Basically, you'd create a normal 2e PC. From there, you have a number of character points, which can be used for the following:

• Racial Abilities (by cost)
  
• Class Abilities (by cost)
  
• Advantages (by cost)
  
• Weapon Proficiencies (2 for warriors, 3 for others)
  
• Nonweapon Proficiencies (3 for a 1-slot proficiency, 5 for a 2-slot, 6 for a 3-slot)
  
• Languages (2)
  
• to improve a proficiency score by 1 (1)
  
• to improve a psionic power score by 1 (2)
  
• to adjust the result of one of your attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, or proficiency checks by 1d6 (1)

I haven't been using the means of constructing classes from the ground up, for many reasons (not the least of which is that it's overly complicated to those unfamiliar with the system). The various racial and class abilities are all displayed with their respective races and classes.

Jun 22, 2009 16:22:51 GMT -5 TheGratefulNed said:

Once Stix makes a private board for you (if he hasn't already) you can roll your own HP, etc. Ability points are determined based off of the chart at the top of this thread. Keep in mind, that depending on your race there are max and min values for each ability that take into account the stat adjustments you would get if you were rolling dice for your stats.

You can also roll dice to generate your ability scores, in which case the normal modifiers for stats are provided. The dice code is just dice=X, in brackets.

If you were to roll an ability score using Method II-B (3d6 six times, arrange the stats how you like), the code would look like this, without the extra space before the close bracket...

[dice=6 ]
[dice=6 ]
[dice=6 ]

...giving a result like this.
[dice=6]
[dice=6]
[dice=6]

[rand=724279431698423627017417482474193114788195407592665490957307130184]

[goatunit]

The dice methods that involve rolling 4d6 and 5d6 don't mention dropping the lowest dice. I assume this is an accidental omission?

[Stix]

Jun 23, 2009 14:19:38 GMT -5 goatunit said:

The dice methods that involve rolling 4d6 and 5d6 don't mention dropping the lowest dice. I assume this is an accidental omission?

You are correct; I was typing that in quite a hurry.