BUILDING BRUENOR, STEP 5
Bob writes down the starting equipment from the
fighter c1ass and the folk hero background. His starting
equipment includes chain mail and a shield, which
combine to give Bruenor an Armor Class of 18.
For Bruenor's weapons, Bob chooses a battleaxe
and two handaxes. His battleaxe is a melee weapon,
so Bruenor uses his Strength modifier for his attacks
and damage. His attack bonus is his Strength modifier
(+3)plus his proficiency bonus (+2),for a total of +5.
The battleaxe deals ld8 slashing damage, and Bruenor
adds his Strength modifier to the damage when he
hits, for a total of ld8 + 3 slashing damage. When
throwing a handaxe, Bruenor has the same attack bonus
(handaxes, as thrown weapons, use Strength for attacks
and damage), and the weapon deals ld6 + 3 slashing
damage when it hits.
6.COME TOGETHER
Most0&0characters don't work alone. Each character
plays a role within a party, a group of adventurers
working together for a common purpose. Teamwork
and cooperation greatly improve your party's chances
to survive the many perils in lhe worlds of OUNGEONS
&ORAGONS.TaIk to your fellow players and your OM
lo decide whether your characlers know one another,
how they mel, and what sorls of quesls lhe group
might undertake.
BEYOND 1ST LEVEL
As your characler goes on adventures and overcomes
challenges, he or she gains experience, represenled by
experience poinls. A character who reaches a specified
experience poinl tolal advances in capabilily. This
advancemenl is called gaining a leveI.
When your characler gains a leveI, his or her c1ass
often granls addilional features, as delailed in the
c1ass description. Some of these fealures allow you
lo increase your abilily scores, eilher increasing lwo
scores by I each or increasing one score by 2. You can't
increase an ability score above 20. In addilion, every
characler's proficiency bonus increases at certain leveIs.
Each time you gain a leveI,you gain I additional Hit
Oie. Roll lhal Hit Oie, add your Conslitulion modifier
to lhe roll, and add the total to your hit point maximum.
Alternatively, you can use lhe fixed value shown in your
c1ass enlry, which is the average resull of lhe die roll
(rounded up).
When your Conslilution modifier increases by I, your
hit poinl maximum increases by I for each leve!you have
allained. For exampIe, when Bruenor reaches 81h leveI
as a fighter, he increases his Conslilution score from 17
to 18, lhus increasing his Conslilulion modifier from +
to +4. His hil point maximum lhen increases by 8.
The Character Advancement lable summarizes the
XP you need to advance in leveIs from leveI 1 lhrough
leveI 20, and lhe proficiency bonus for a characler of thal
leveI. Consull the informalion in your character's c1ass
description to see what olher improvements you gain
at each leveI.
TIERS OF PLAY
The shading in the Character Advancement (able shows
lhe four tiers of play.The tiers don't have any rules
associated wilh them; they are a general descriplion ofhow
the play experience changes as characters gain leveIs.
In lhe first lier (leveIs 1-4), characters are effeclively
apprentice adventurers. They are learning lhe features
that define lhem as members of parlicular classes,
including lhe major choices that flavor their c1ass
features as lhey advance (such as a wizard's Arcane
Tradition or a fighter's Marlial Archetype). The threats
they face are re!ative!y minor, usually posing a nanger lo
local farmsleads or villages.
In the second tier (leveIs 5-10), characlers come into
lheir own. Many spellcaslers gain access to 3rd-Ievel
spells aI lhe start of this tier, crossing a new threshold of
magical power with spells such asfireballandlightning
bolt.At lhis lier, many weapon-using classes gain the
abilily lOmake mulliple attacks in one round. These
charac(ers have become imporlanl, facing dangers thal
lhrealen cities and kingdoms.
In the third lier (leveIs 11-16), characlers have
reached a leveI of power that seIs lhem high ahove
the ordinary populace and makes them special even
among advenlurers. At 11 th leveI, many spellcasters
gain access lo 6th-leveI spells, some of which create
effects previously impossible for player characters to
achieve. Olher characters gain fealures (hat allow (hem
lo make more attacks or do more impressive things with
those attacks. These mighty adventurers oflen confront
threals to whole regions and conlinents.
AI lhe fourth tier (leveIs 17-20), characters achieve
the pinnacle of lheir c1ass features, becoming heroic (or
villainous) archetypes in lheir own right. The fate of the
world or even lhe fundamental order of lhe multiverse
might hang in the balance during their adventures.CHARACTER AOVANCEMENT
Experience Po;nts Levei Proficiency Bonus
O 1 +(^3002) +
900 3 +
2,700 4 +
6,500 (^5) +
14,000 (^6) +
23,000 (^7) +
34.000 8 +
48,000 9 +
64,000 10 +
85,000 11 +
100,000 (^12) +
120,000 (^13) +
140,000 (^14) +
165,000 15 +
195,000 16 +
225,000 17 +
265,000 (^18) +
305,000 (^19) +
355,000 (^20) +
PART 1 STEP-BY-STEP {;HARA(TERS
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