The following page is to help guide you through creating a new character for the Last Horizons West Marches game.
Characters are created using the core rules from the 2024 Player’s Handbook, together with the changes and additional options described below.
When starting a new character the starting level is ONE, if you have a living and active character at or above level five, you may start a character at level five.
If you are looking to create a level at a higher level jump to Starting at 5th level.
After joining the campaign, the Dungeon Master will invite you to a D&D Beyond campaign containing the books and character options used in the game. Please take the time to ensure your character settings are set up accordingly:
Sources: Enable only the "5.5e Core Rules" and "5.5e Expanded Rules."
Make sure you disable the Partnered Content and "Third-Party Content" options.Dice Rolling: Only enable this if you plan on using DDB as you main character sheet.
Optional Features: We will NOT be using the Optional Class Features and Customise Your Origin rules.
Advancement Type: Must be set to XP, not milestone.
Hit Point Type: This is your choice, the fixed option is recomended. Once you have set this option it can't be changed later.
Prerequisites: Are enabled for Feats and Multiclassing.
Level-Scaled Spells: For full class options it's best to enable this.
Encumbrance: We are using encumvernace at this tabel, set it to Use Encumbrance and ensure that the Ignore Coin Weight option is off.
Ability Score Display: Is player prefrence.
Your character sheet must be public, this is to ensure the GM has access and the VTT can find it.
If you are in the DDB campign page you will have access to the permited books even if you don't own them.
When building your characters the options from the following books don't need prior approval;
Some rules need us to accesss other books. Options from the following are partly enabled:
When using any legacy content first check if it has a 2024 update, if not then ask the Dugneon Master if you can use it.
Players a free to use the Point Buy or Standard Array methoods of seting up their attributes.
A first level character may pick the starting gold set by there class and background, or the starting equipment of the class and background.
Encumbrance and Coin Weigh
Remeber this campaign is useing the standard encumbrance rules, starting gear can often push low STR characters beyond their carrying capacity!
You also need to remeber that coins have weight, 50 coins of any type weigh 1lb.
You can pick any background form the permited sources, if the background has a faction associated with it change the faction to the next best match in this world. Read the Faction Bios to get a better understanding of there goals!
When you pick any faction connected background you instantly gain five renown in that faction and a faction trinket.
Once the characters mechanics are done its time to think about there story. You need to respond to the following promps as the character and note it on your chracter sheet. It's also worth sending it to your Dungeon Master!
What does the Guild mean to me? Unless you are starting at level 5, you have only
recently joined the Guild.
Think about:
A character starting at level 5 has already been a Guild member for several years. Describe some of the work they have previously completed for the Guild.
What Drives Me Forward? Describe your character’s primary goal.
Consider:
Who are my Contacts? Everyone knows someone this is your chance to creat an NPC ally, patron, lover, or even rival!
Who was I before the Guild? What where you doing before taking on a life of adventure, what made you stop?
As part of crafting your backstory make sure you forge at elast three Knives. When one of your Knives already appears elsewhere in your backstory, repeat it on the notes for clarity, and above all tell you Dungeon Master; "This is my Knife, please stab me with it."
What is a Knife?
A Knife is a person, secret, fear, obligation, mystery, or other story element that the Dungeon Master can use to make an adventure personal to your character.
They are called Knives because players lovingly forge them and hand them to the Dungeon Master, who may then use them to stab the character and their friends repeatedly.
A Knife could be:
A good Knife should give the Dungeon Master something specific that could appear during an adventure. Instead of
"My character has enemies."
You should write,
"Captain Alrik Voss believes I murdered his son and has sworn to bring me back to Frankonia in chains."
If your just starting out this may be a good point for you to stop and come back to later. The rules up ahead cover more technical rules and systems!
When a character arrives at level five they may multiclass assuming they have the core attribute score of there main class and off class above a 13.
Example.
A Druid Barbarain must have a 13 in both Wisdome and Strength.
Multiclassing can provide additional options and unusual combinations, but it may delay or prevent access to powerful higher-level class features. Consider the decision carefully.
A Characters combined level cannot be above a 20.
You may only create a new character at level 5 after one of your existing characters has reached level 5 in any class.
Instead of the standard starting gear and gold a character starting at level five gains:
A level 5 character does not automaticly begin with a Bastion. They must establish one through the normal Bastion rules.
A character starting at level five also gain the oppitunity to pick one of the following items to start with in there gear;
A +1 weapon, armour, or shield
A +1 Rod of the Pact Keeper
A +1 Wand of the War Mage
A +1 All-Purpose Tool
A +1 Amulet of the Devout
A +1 Arcane Grimoire
A +1 Bloodwell Vial
A +1 Dragonhide Belt
A +1 Moon Sickle
A +1 Rhythm-Maker’s Instrument
A level 5 character has already served the Guild for several years. Their backstory should describe one of the following:
You may create more than one character, but all your characters must be socially connected in some way.
To unlock an additional character, one of your active characters must spend 3 downtime days introducing or establishing that character within the campaign. More information on downtime can be found in the Downtime Guide.
The Dungeon Master may reject or request changes to character lore that conflicts with the setting or established campaign events.
You are not required to continue playing a character you no longer enjoy. A character may be retired and removed from active play at any time.
When a character is retired:
Their equipment and magic items are removed from play.
Their Bastion, if they have one, falls into ruin.
They no longer participate in major campaign plots, but the Dungeon Master may allow them to appear in the background of the setting.
You may then create a replacement character at level one or level five if that option is avilable to you.
The Dungeon Master may provide pre-generated, level-appropriate characters known as Open Characters. Nomraly when the world has an influx of new players or the adventure fits spesific character traits.
You may use an Open Character when:
A player without an active character may adopt an Open Character as their permanent character.
Players may submit their own Open Characters for Dungeon Master approval. An Open Character must follow all the normal character creation rules in this guide.