So, you’re finally playing Dungeons & Dragons - congratulations! However, if you’re not familiar with D&D or tabletop RPGs in general, you might have no idea how to create a D&D character. If so, then we’re here to help guide you through the process of making a Dungeons & Dragons character. In this case, we’re using the most recent version of the Player’s Handbook released for the 2024 edition of D&D. However, if you’re playing Dungeons & Dragons 5E, then we do have a page for creating characters for that version too. 

What kind of character do you want to make?

The first thing you should consider when creating your Dungeons & Dragons character, is what kind of character do you want to make? This can apply both in terms of the abilities you want your character to have, alongside the kind of person you imagine them to be. 

• Do you envision your character as a heavy-built melee attacker or a utilitarian spellcaster or a ranged hunter?
• Do you see your character as a gentle giant, a brilliant inventor or the mysterious, stoic type? Think about your favourite kinds of characters from books, shows, films and more - do you want to make a version of them for your D&D game?

Choosing your character class

Selecting your character’s class is probably the most important decision you’ll make when creating your character. In D&D, character class decides what kind of playstyle you’ll specialize in, which abilities you’ll have access to, what subclasses you can pick and how your character develops throughout the game. 

• This decision could be driven by the type of gameplay you think you’ll most enjoy. For example, if you like the idea of getting stuck into the heart of any fight, then a Barbarian or a Fighter might be a good choice. Alternatively, you might prefer the idea of a ranged attacker like a Ranger or a Sorcerer. If combat isn’t the thing you’re most anticipating, then consider choosing a more utilitarian class like a Bard or a Wizard. 
• Alternatively, you might be influenced by the desire to be prepared for the various challenges or dangers your party might face during their journey. Ensuring that your party of adventurers is well-balanced with a defensive melee fighter, a powerful ranged attacker, a supportive character and a close-ranged attacker.
• You might even pick a certain class because of their level of complexity - which is outlined in the D&D (2024) Player’s Handbook - with some classes like the Fighter being low complexity to play, whereas others, like the Druid or Warlock, being high complexity. 

Selecting an origin for your character

Your D&D character origin is made up of their background, their species and two chosen languages. 

• Choosing your background will depend on which advantages you want for your character and what you imagine their life was like before joining the adventuring party. Backgrounds can provide bonuses to your character’s main stats, additional skills, tools and a particular set of starting equipment. Selecting a background with certain bonuses could either help you to lean into a particular gameplay style even more or help balance your characters’ weaknesses. Alternatively, you might have simply imagined your character to have a certain background that matches one of the available options - like the Noble or the Entertainer. 
• Your character’s species will directly affect what kinds of abilities they could gain access to and who they are as a person. Whilst ability score increases have been removed from species in this edition of the Player’s Handbook, you can still unlock several unique abilities by choosing a certain species for your character. For instance, if you were planning on playing a Paladin or Cleric, then you might pick an Aasimar because their celestial abilities fit the role in terms of both gameplay and vibes.  

How do you create your ability scores?

There are multiple ways to determine your characters’ ability scores - which make up the very core of your character’s capabilities. These ability scores are split into Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, with every one being associated with a different kind of action and reaction: more specifically on certain skill checks and saving throws. For example, Dexterity is often used for actions around dodging, jumping and speed. 

• One method of creating your character’s ability scores is to assign a standard array of numbers to them: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
• You could do a random number generation by rolling four D6 dice and adding the top three highest numbers together, before doing this five more times to get the six numbers you need. Alternatively, you could use a random ability score number generator, like this one: (could we make this ourselves?).
• Another method is to use the ability score point table found in the Player’s Handbook (2024), where you can spend a total of 27 points to buy various numbers to make up your ability scores.
• Alternatively, you could take the standard array of ability scores recommended for your class by the Player’s Handbook (2024), for the fastest and easiest option. 

Once you have your number array, you’ll want to decide which number to assign to which ability score. The higher the number, the better the modifier will be for that particular ability score, and the more likely your character will succeed at skill checks and saving throws associated with it. Consider what kind of things you want your character to be more accomplished at: perhaps raw Strength for grappling and throwing? Or maybe Constitution for surviving certain debilitating spells or poisons? Another aspect to consider is which ability score your character uses to cast spells with - for example, whilst Sorcerers use their Charisma modifier, Druids use their Wisdom modifier. 

Giving your character feats

Feats are special abilities that provide D&D characters with a variety of advantages: both passive and active. In the Player’s Handbook (2024) feats are categorized into Origin, General, Fighting Style or Epic Boon. Some classes’ level up instructions will see characters gaining specific feats, whilst others will allow you to choose from a certain category/categories. Feats will also sometimes require your character to have fulfilled particular prerequisites before you’re able to take them. 

When you select your character’s class and origin, they’ll gain certain feats from level 1. For instance, Barbarians acquire Rage, Unarmoured Defense and Weapon Mastery at level 1, whereas Bards are gifted Bardic Inspiration and Spellcasting. Feats may affect which class you choose for your character, both at the very beginning - as these feats often define your class’s playstyle - and later on when you unlock more powerful feats. 

Choosing your character’s moral alignment

Moral alignments are broad descriptions of your character’s moral attitudes and ideals, consider them a rough compass to base your general roleplaying on. D&D’s moral alignments are made up of two core sides - the morality and the order - which, when put into different combinations, provide various kinds of moral alignment. The moralities include: good, evil and neutral, whilst the orders are: order, chaos and neutral. 

Each combination results in a decidedly different approach to roleplaying and decision making: for example - whilst a lawful good character will attempt to do moral good according to the laws of the land, a lawful evil character will use the traditions and authorities of a place for selfish or even cruel means. Both of these characters are adhering to the rules, but they’re doing so for entirely different reasons. It also means that both of these characters are capable of doing wrong - with the lawful good character potentially upholding unfair laws and the lawful evil character taking advantage of systematic issues for their own gain.

Consider what kind of character you want to play - are they someone who cares about order or even someone who actively rejects it? Evil doesn’t have to equal a cackling supervillain, it could also result in a character who ignores injustices for their own safety or always prioritizes themselves. Another thing to think about is their background, their personality and how they relate to their fellow party members - is there potential for their alignment to change throughout the journey? Alternatively, you could opt out of alignment entirely and just follow your nose when it comes to decision making and roleplaying. 

Finalizing the details 

This last section is all about dotting the Is and crossing the Ts with your D&D character. 

• You’ll need to work out your character’s proficiency bonus, with different classes starting out with different proficiency bonuses, which will affect your saving throws, skill checks and your passive perception: which is made up of 10 + your wisdom modifier + any perception proficiency.
• Hit points are different depending on your chosen class and your constitution modifier. For instance, paladins get 10 + their constitution modifier. You’ll also get access to a different type of dice that you roll when recovering health during a short rest (or hit point dice), based on your chosen class.
• Your initiative - which determines when your character is able to act during combat and other select scenarios - is a d20 plus your dexterity modifier.
• Armour class is always 10 + your dexterity modifier, with a shield adding a +2 and any armour your character is wearing providing a bonus depending on its type - see the Player’s Handbook (2024) for more.
• How you determine your character’s attack stat will depend on which weapon they start with: with melee attack being based on their Strength modifier + their weapon proficiency modifier and ranged equaling Dexterity modifier + their weapon proficiency modifier. How much damage they deal per hit depends on the weapon they have equipped, so see the Player’s Handbook (2024) for that too.
• If your character uses spellcasting, their spellcasting ability modifier will depend on their chosen class. To create their spell save DC - which can impact the effectiveness of their spells - you add 8 to their spellcasting ability modifier and their proficiency modifier.
• Depending on your chosen class, your character will have access to a certain number of spell slots, cantrips and prepared spells. When choosing your class, you’ll probably be instructed to select a certain number of spells from a particular level or category, with the number of spell slots determining how many spells you can cast per long rest/short rest.

All that’s left is to pick a name and perhaps write a description of your character’s appearance, personality and general backstory - if you want. You can even create or find an image of your newly-made character, for that extra bit of flair.