How to Make a Character in Dungeons & Dragons

For new D&D players, making a character can be complicated. Madeline tries to simplify what you need to know.

Dungeons and Dragons is a game all about telling stories, becoming a character, and having fun with your friends. It’s set in a fantasy world of swords and sorcery, but whether you want to join a pirate gang, explore a jungle, or take part in a political plot is entirely up to you. Everything is your decision, from what you look like, to how you act, to what happens next. The dice just help you along. Most of all though, it’s about spending time with your nearest and dearest, sharing dwarven ales, and making memories.

Some Recommended links:

#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons

Written and presented by Madeline Cullen, @notthevampire
Edit and grade by Kieran Galaska
Motion Graphics by Ciaran Askew
Creative Direction by Chris Imlay
Exec. Produced by David Boddington

[treemanthegreat]

I always start making a character thinking "It's going to be different" but it always ends up as a dwarven bard.

[BrendanDonnelly]

Probably one of the quickest videos explaining how to make a character sheet! I'm so happy I dont need to share an intimidating 30+ minute video

[peterpoulsen]

Since I lost my girlfriend to cancer last year... It pretty much brok me and life nearly a year after her death is still covered in pain, grief and darkness...

Luckly I have found D&D, painting minis, makeing a world for my players, when we need a new dm, it stress me less doing this and let me get a break from everything.
Since my girlfriend death have I always played Dungeons and Dragons with a female hero, that shows my lovely sweet girlfriend ideals.
- Keep fighting, even when death knocks on the door.
- Animal rights and love for nature.
- Treat others with respect and help, when you can.
I made her into my homebrew character as a half human and half dryad, Beastmaster, who always have her animal companions with her and used the power of both beasts and nature.

[michaelburran]

I’m now just getting into D&D after being hounded by my brother for about 4 years now. You’re video was very great in explaining the character sheet. Thanks so much for all the information!

[benjaminjones]

Dear God, thank you so much I've gone through almost forty videos just to get the simple introduction you just gave me here. THANK YOU!!!

[Wan_Chai_the_Taiwano]

They don’t tell how many dice, but it’s 4D6. Than just take away the lowest number, & add them all up; You’d do that 6 times for attributes.

For skills it’s adding your modifiers from your attributes, with proficiencies if you have any.

For Proficiency Bonus, your class has a table that tells you what it is.

[chippichawa]

a quick and ez-ier way to explain saving throws and other little details, Thanks :)

[daviddirksen]

I've been playing for years and this was STILL incredibly helpful!

[nerdzhul]

Wait... are the modifiers in the big boxes? Oh noes...

[bAdcheZ]

I really like the premade characters and the quick build suggestions in the Player Handbook!
This video really helps out. I'm going to save it for next character creation.

[sageidieh]

Thank you for this video! This was exactly what I wanted to just get a start! My grandson is coming over to help me learn to play, but this was great for getting started before he gets here!

[kylereynhart]

I've watched three 30+ minute videos and this is by far the most in depth and best at explaining what is going on!

[narrativenoob]

I was never into D&D because it seemed like there was too much going on for me to process. Until I started watching Stranger Things, and it seemed very interesting. This helps me a lot! Hopefully I can find people who might want to play someday

[dravenhuffman]

I have an idea: the character, or characters, are a pair of twins, Ethan "gold" and Tessa "copper" they share stats and status effects, gold is the strength and copper us the brains, they have a deck of cosmic cards that can use mana for a chance to change anything in and out of battle

[Wrldcorpss]

Man I have been waiting to play this so thank you

[HURRICNEyt]

I have two stories to share here:
When I was in 3rd grade at school, our teacher made up a game he called "Storskog" which means litterally just "Big Forest" in Norwegian and it was basically D&D but we did not even know what that was at all. We had no clue none of us what that game was but it was like another version of D&D. It had Pokemons as pets for example. We were in groups and I remember my character name was something weird. Idk what but it was a cringey name lol. I also remember someone on my group was granted a Snorlax pet which everyone was so jealous of and I got a green emrald amulet necklace that let me speak to animals and I got a lot of coins which was the Currency there. Nobody else in the entire school had played "Storskog" when they had that teacher and were in 3rd grade. Years later in 7th grade, we had another teacher and she randomly decided to show us the D&D part of S1 E1 Of stranger things and only that part. We were all so excited because we knew this meant something good. She then started a game which was also like D&D but I dont remember what we called it. I think we actually just called it Dungeons and Dragons. We were more realistic and I was DM one time. I remember we changed groups like every 3rd week or so and changed characters too. I still have my character sheet at home rn right beside me. Yesterday was the last day of 8th grade for me. So in about 2 months, im a 9th grader. I really like how simple this video is by the way. Im glad I got to share my little D&D story if that makes sense. I have never played like an "American" version of D&D before but its my favorite memories from all my school years. The character sheet I have beside me right now has name and everything but its not the same character sheet as in other D&D games tho. It was printed out from a website that was made for our school. My last character was named Eleven because when I got home the day our teacher started the dungeons and dragons game in 7th grade, I watched the rest of episode 1 stranger things and ep 2 and then I just stopped watching for so long. Only a few days ago I decided to watch a little bit of it again and ended up finishing the whole thing so far in like 2 and half day non stop watching. Im the biggest stranger things fan now just because of that.

[HowtoRPG]

A good video. It took 6 years for Wizards of the Coast to start making these types of videos, Finally.

[crazyhercules]

Someone is going to need to teach me😂🤷🏽‍♂️There’s so much that goes into this… man.

[IamGragon]

Excelent way to show my friends !!! Thanks

[zaynzombie]

my friends just finished their last campaign, and now im joining them. this is really helpful!! :3