Character Creation

Overview

This is an explanation on how to create a character for use within Thrakdrak. Important to know is that not all classes and races are unlocked and the character that you build has to be approved by the GM.

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Overview of the various sites & programs the GMs allows to be used before final check:

• D20pfsrd -> Site containing almost all data on Pathfinder. If you see something you like, discuss with GM. Various links that are interesting:
  • Ability Scores and their effect on character
  • Character advancement and gold
• PCGen for generating a character
• Pathfinder Ability Score generation
• [https://roll20.net/ Roll20 -> Configuring your character sheet for online usage

PC gen

Download PCGen from their website

Add custom Homebrew Ruleset

Try to follow the quickstart, otherwise consult your GM. Ruleset can be found here: `https://github.com/tommahs/Thrakdrak_Homebrew_pcgen`

If you know how to work with Git you can also do a git clone in this directory, making updates easier.

Supported Sources

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Advanced sources to select after starting PCGEN. After selecting the rules below, please do save the rules to a custom ruleset (name=Thrakdrak?)

Advanced Class Guide
Advanced Class Origins
Advanced Player's Guide
Advanced Race Guide
Advanturer's Armory
Advanturer's Armory 2
Adventurer's Guide
Alchemy Manual
Animal Archive
Armor Master's Handbook
Bestiary
Bestiary 2 (Player Options Only)
Bestiary 3
Bestiary 4
Bestiary 5 (Player Options Only)
Bestiary 6 (Player Options Only)
Black Markets
Blood of Angels
Blood of Fiends
Blood of Shadows
Blood of the Beast
Blood of the Elements
Blood of the Moon
Blood of the Night
Champions of Balance
Champions of Corruption
Champions of Purity
Cohorts and Companions
Demon Hunter's Handbook
Dirty Tactics Toolbox 
Divine Anthology
Dragonslayer's Handbook
Dungeoneer's Handbook
Dwarves of Golarion
Elemental Master's Handbook
Evles of Golarion
Giant HUnter's Handbook
Gnomes of Golarion
Goblins of Golarion
Halflings of Golarion
Haunted Heroes Handbook
Heroes of the Streets
Heroes of the Wild
Humans of Golarion
Inner Sea World Guide
Knights of the Inner Sea
Kobolds of Golarion
Legacy of Dragons
Legacy of the First World
Magical Marketplace
Magic Tactics Toolbox
Melee Tactics Toolbox
Monster Codex (Player Options Only)
Monster Hunter's Handbook
Monster Summoner's Handbook
Mythic Adventures
Mythic Origins
Occult Adventures
Occult Origins
Orc of Golarion
Pathfinder RPG For Players
Pathfinder Unchained
Paths of the Righteous
Quests and campaigns
Ranged Tactics Toolbox
Spymaster's Handbook
The Harrow Handbook
Thrakdrak Campaign
Ultimate Campaign
Ultimate Combat
Ultimate Equipment
Ultimate Intrigue
Ultimate Magic
Ultimate Wilderness
Undead Slayer's Handbook
Weapon Master's Handbook

Focused arcane subschools

It is possible to choose a variation of Arcane Subschools. PCGEN however does not properly handle this. You can go to Feats & abilites and in the bottom left corner click on focused arcane school. You can then select a sub school in the topleft section and add it to your character. The bottom left corner does not update accordingly and can be ignored.

Writing a background

This section describes how to create a background based on character generated in PCgen

Disclaimer: A loner character makes it really hard for the GameMaster. Either come up with your own ideas and implementations to stick with the party (and get approval for these ideas /implementations from Game Master) or create a different character. If you go the route of ideas and implementations for your loner character, be prepared to weave yourself into the party.

To go from a generated character in PCgen to a solid background the following guidelines are set up:

- Your character has Feats, Traits and ranks in skills. Use your background to explain how you got these or how these were discovered. Traits can be innate abilities, feats can be mini achievements / training etc. You can write a small story about them.

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Answer the following questions about your character

- What is their name? Do they have a nickname?
- Who are your parents? Are they alive? What do they do for a living?
- What kind of family dynamic does your character come from?
- What was your family’s social status/standing?
- Do you have any other family or friends?
- What is your character’s marital status? Kids?
- How does your character feel about the government or rulers where they are from? Do they tend to follow the rules regardless of how they feel?
- How old is your character? How old do they look?
- What is your character’s basic appearance ((i.e. height, weight, skin color, eye color, hair color, physique, race, and visible equipment)?
- Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birth-marks, scars, deformities)?
- What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)?
- What is your character’s moral code?
- What are your character’s personal beliefs?
- What is your character’s alignment?
- Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. anti-social, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)?
- How does your character treat others? Do they treat some people one way and others a different way? Why?
- What personality quirks does your character have?
- Does your character have any nervous habits? Vices?
- Does your character have any hobbies or special skills?
- What is your character’s greatest strength? Their greatest weakness?
- What is your character most afraid of? Why?
- Where does your character go when they seek peace?
- Does your character follow a deity? Who? What lengths would your character go to in order to defend this deity?
- How does your character get along with others?
- Give your character a secret that they keep from everyone else. Why do they keep it?
- How does your character handle their alcohol?
- Describe your character’s first physical fight.
- What are two things someone would remember about your character after meeting them in a tavern or shop?
- If you could align your character with a Zodiac sign, what would it be? Why?
- Who trained your character?
- Who is your character’s best friend? Where are they now?
- Who is your character’s worst enemy? How did they become enemies?
- Why does your character seek adventure?
- How would your character react if they stumbled upon the dead body of someone dear to them?
- Is your character superstitious? How does this affect their adventuring?
- Does your character have any tattoos? Describe them and their origins.
- Did your character witness any historical events?
- What’s one memory from your character’s childhood that brings them joy?
- Does your character have any past trauma?
- Does your character have a criminal record?
- Does your character have a historically prominent ancestor or relative?
- Who are your character’s most valuable or important contacts? How did they meet?
- What would make your character cave in an interrogation?
- Does your character have any specific dreams or ambitions?
- How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer?
- Why does your character adventure?
- How does your character get along with others?
- What would your character like to be remembered for after their death?

Based on the answers to the questions above you can create your character's background, including an elevator pitch (~30-60 seconds) to roleplay the introduction of your character to the rest of the party.

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Tips from lit rpg reads

 Tip 1: Give your character a unique motivation

When you’re writing a D&D backstory, you need to think about what you want to achieve. Do you want to become a champion of the people, or perhaps a slayer of evil? Maybe you’re just interested in exploring the world and learning as much as you can. Or maybe, you’re just here for the gold and glory.

Whatever the case may be, you need to decide what you want your character’s motivation to be. Sure, you could just go with the default motivations that the Player’s Handbook sets out, but the interesting thing about D&D is that you can really go any direction you want. If you want your character to become a master of the arcane arts, then go for it. If you want to be the greatest treasure hunter in the world, then go for it. If you want to become a morally righteous champion of the people, then go for it. Whatever you want to be and whatever you want to accomplish, you need to decide what that is and then make sure that every action you take is in line with achieving that goal.

 Tip 2: Come up with a backstory that shows development

The last thing you want to do is have a backstory that doesn’t show any development. Not only does it make your character boring, but it also makes you look like you don’t really know D&D very well. It’s kind of like an actor who plays the same character in every movie. Sure, they can get away with it once or twice, but sooner or later people will start to get tired of seeing the same character again and again. All the focus will be on the character’s backstory, their motivations, and how they got to where they are. You don’t want to make your character a static character, the one who never changes at all. You want to show growth and allow your character to change over time.

 Tip 3: Come up with a backstory that shows the world

With a rich backstory, you need to think about the influences the world has had on your character. Sure, it’s not like you need to include every single detail, but at the very least, you need to make sure your character takes part in a few major events. Think of it as the most important turning points of your character’s life. These turning points provide the backdrop that you use to show how the world has shaped your character. Basically, if your character doesn’t have an interesting backstory, then they’re likely to feel out of place and not have any real character depth. At least, not until they start making their own decisions and shaping the world.

 Tip 4: Do Not Make Your Character Backstory Too Long

This is easy for some and hard for others. While a book-length character backstory might be fun, you don’t need something this long. In fact, all you really really need to do is write down around a hundred words or so. But, with characters, the length and depth of the backstory isn’t as important as its quality. You might not have to write a lengthy backstory, but you do have to be creative. This is especially important if you’re planning on role-playing with the character. You need something that makes your character seem like they’re actually alive.

 Tip 5: Write in First Person, Past Tense

The reason for writing your D&D backstory in the first person, past tense is to make it seem like it’s already happened. This prevents you from having to write out every movement and every action as though it was actually happening. Past tense is also used for the same reason. As you write out your character’s backstory, the reader will be able to assume that it already happened and that this is just the narrator going over the details.

 Tip 6: Make Your Character’s Backstory Believable

This is something you need to do regardless of what you decide to write. Even if you’re writing about a character with a unique backstory, it’s going to need to be believable. You don’t want to make the player feel like your character’s backstory is forced or out of place. After all, the aim of a character’s backstory is to bring them to life and to make them feel like a real person.

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Using AI to generate background for inspiration:

You can use ChatGPT to create a background. Fill in the following variables in the sentence below or think of your own sentence!

Write a dnd backstory for $CHARACTER NAME, a $RACE ($SPECIALISATION) $CLASS, $MOTIVATION $DISRUPTINGOCCURANCE $GOAL

For example: Write a dnd backstory for Alton, a male conjuration wizard who likes to read books in the magic tower of his master. One day his master mysteriously disappeared and Alton wants to find his master.

Alton was born to a family of wizards who were known for their expertise in the art of conjuration. His parents were both skilled in summoning creatures from other planes of existence and taught him everything they knew. From a young age, Alton was fascinated by the magical world and spent hours reading spell books and experimenting with his own conjurations.

As he grew older, Alton's love for magic only intensified. He was always searching for more knowledge and wanted to become the most powerful conjurer in the land. One day, he caught the attention of a powerful conjurer who recognized his talent and took him in as an apprentice.

Alton was overjoyed at the opportunity to learn from the master and was eager to prove himself worthy. He spent most of his time in the magic tower, reading and practicing conjurations. The tower was his sanctuary, and he felt at home among the ancient tomes and magical artifacts.

Under the tutelage of his master, Alton quickly became a skilled conjurer. He learned how to summon powerful creatures from other planes, create magical constructs, and even how to teleport himself and others.

However, one day, Alton's master mysteriously disappeared. No one knew where he had gone, and Alton was left without a mentor. He searched the magic tower for any clues, but found nothing. He was devastated, and felt lost without his master's guidance.

Determined to find his master, Alton set out on a journey to uncover the truth behind his disappearance. He traveled far and wide, seeking out other conjurers and wizards for any information that could lead him to his master.

Printable Charactersheet templates

Templates for Core classes and Unchained classes have been made available on and can be downloaded as a Zip from here. If you want a more specific or misses certain pages, please look through the Character Sheet Generator of the supplier of these sheets: dyslexic-charactersheets.com. The zip referenced earlier contains:

Core classes

- Barbarian
- Bard
- Cleric
- Druid_animalCompanion
- Druid_domain
- Fighter_melee
- Fighter_ranged
- Monk
- Paladin
- Ranger
- Rogue
- Sorcerer
- Wizard_bondedObject
- Wizard_familiar

Unchained classes

- Unchained Barbarian
- Unchained Monk
- Unchained Rogue
- Unchained Summoner