Character creation is the process by which a player can generate a player character for use in play. Choices made during character creation largely determine a character's abilities in and out of combat.
Character attributes[]
During character creation, a player will select the following:
- The character's class. If a player wishes to make a hybrid character with features from two different classes, this must at this step.
- The character's race.
- The character's ability scores. This is either done by standard array, custom point-buy, or by random roll.
- Character's powers at level 1.
- Trained skills
- The first level feat (or two feats if a human)
- Equipment (purchased from 100 gp)
- A theme (optional, may be selected later)
- A background benefit (optional)
- And depending on the campaign, any setting-specific options.
Players may also invent character details unrelated to game mechanics, such as a character's name, appearance, background, or personality.
Typically, players begin a character at 1st level with 0 experience points. At 1st level, player characters receive a number of maximum hit points, daily healing surges, defense bonuses, weapon, implement, and armor proficiencies, training in class skills, and class features as specified in their class description.
Strategies[]
| Role | Classes |
|---|---|
| defender | barbarian (berserker), battlemind, fighter, fighter (knight), paladin, paladin (cavalier), swordmage, warden |
| striker | assassin, avenger, barbarian, fighter (slayer), monk, paladin (blackguard), ranger, ranger (scout), rogue, rogue (thief), sorcerer, sorcerer (elementalist), vampire, warlock, warlock (hexblade) |
| controller | druid, druid (protector), invoker, psion, ranger (hunter), seeker, warlock (binder), wizard, wizard (bladesinger), wizard (mage), wizard (sha'ir), wizard (witch) |
| leader | ardent, artificer, bard, bard (skald), cleric, cleric (warpriest), druid (sentinel), runepriest, shaman, warlord |
Groups are advised to create a balanced mix of roles. A party of four allows for one controller, one defender, one leader, and one striker. With a fifth player, an extra defender is recommended. With a sixth player, an extra striker is recommended.
| Class | Str | Con | Dex | Int | Wis | Cha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ardent | + | + | + | ✸ | ||
| artificer | + | ✸ | + | |||
| assassin | + | ✸ | + | |||
| avenger | + | + | ✸ | |||
| barbarian | ✸ | + | + | + | ||
| bard | + | + | + | ✸ | ||
| battlemind | ✸ | + | + | + | ||
| cleric | ✸/+ | +/✸ | + | |||
| cleric (warpriest) | + | ✸ | ||||
| druid | + | + | ✸ | |||
| druid (sentinel) | + | ✸ | ||||
| fighter | ✸ | + | + | + | ||
| fighter (knight) | ✸ | + | ||||
| fighter (slayer) | ✸ | + | ||||
| invoker | + | + | ✸ | |||
| monk | + | + | ✸ | + | ||
| paladin | ✸/+ | + | +/✸ | |||
| paladin (cavalier) | ✸ | + | ||||
| psion | + | ✸ | + | + | ||
| ranger | ✸/+ | +/✸ | + | |||
| ranger (hunter) | ✸ | + | ||||
| ranger (scout) | ✸ | + | ||||
| rogue | + | ✸ | + | + | ||
| rogue (thief) | + | ✸ | + | |||
| runepriest | ✸ | + | + | |||
| seeker | + | + | ✸ | |||
| shaman | + | + | + | ✸ | ||
| sorcerer | + | + | ✸ | |||
| swordmage | + | + | ✸ | |||
| warden | ✸ | + | + | |||
| warlock | ✸/+ | + | +/✸ | |||
| warlock (hexblade) | + | + | ✸ | |||
| warlord | ✸ | + | + | + | ||
| wizard | + | + | ✸ | + | + | |
| wizard (mage) | + | ✸ | + | + |
It is advantageous to assign ability scores after class is chosen, placing high scores in the class's key abilities and low scores in the class's dump stats. It can also be advantageous to choose a race with a bonus to a class's key abilities.
✸ Star glyphs indicate the primary key ability for a class.
+ Plus signs indicate build dependent key abilities for a class.
Pregenerated characters[]
Players may also choose to forgo character creation, and instead play as a pregenerated character. This allows less customization, but faster play. Pregenerated characters are available from various sources, including published in adventure guides.