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Home | Character Creation
Character Creation
Character Creation Basics
- Check the house rules: Be sure to read the rule variations for the Hyborian Age campaign.
- Roll ability scores: Using 4d6, drop the lowest die. Roll once for each ability score.
- Choose race and class: The human races of the Hyborian Age page lists races and classes available to the various races. There are no demi-human races; elves, dwarves, halflings and other non-humans are not appropriate to the feel of Howard's novels, at least not as player characters. Still, the races are quite varied -– yellow-eyed Khitani, hawk-faced Stygians, ebon-hued Zembabweians, red-bearded Vanir, and so on. Note that all human races get, per standard rules, 4 bonus skill points at 1st level, 1 extra skill point for each additional level, and a bonus feat at first level. Kothians get an additional bonus feat at 1st level.
- Assign ability scores: Assign ability scores and calculate bonuses. Humans may have starting ability scores greater than 18 if modified by a racial ability modifier (so, for example, you could have a 1st-level Vanir warrior with Strength 20).
- Record racial and class features: Note the abilities granted to the character by the selected race and class.
- Select feats, skills and languages: You may select from a number of new feats. Pay particular attention to the languages your character knows -- in the Hyborian Age campaign there is no Common language! In addition to bonus languages based on Intelligence (if any), all 1st-level characters get their homeland's tongue for free. They also get one extra bonus language from any other nation adjacent to their homeland. (So, for example, an Argossean with Int 14 could take Argossean and Shemite as bonus languages, plus two additional languages -- perhaps Old Kushite and Aquilonian.)
- Select equipment: Use the arms and armor by tech level article to determine appropriate starting equipment.
- Review description: Select an appropriate name (look at some sample names for inspiration). Determine starting age (remember the special starting age rules for spellcasters). Complete the character survey to flesh out your character's history and motivations.
Miscellaneous
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