Religion

Most people just see their character’s religion/ patron deity as just another space to fill out on the character sheet. For some characters, it doesn’t really matter much (my character is Pastafaerian, but he’s an odd character). For certain classes or races, religion does have an impact. For example, a bard who worships Nerull will seduce his victims before slitting their throats and steeling their pocket money. Alright, here’s all the deities listed in the PH, page 106:

Wands: Fancy Magic-Shooters FTW!

“Anything else?”

“Yeah, there’s a small, smooth stick in a back pocket of the adept’s robes.”

“What the f**k am I supposed to do with that? I’m calling the DM being an asshole.”

“*sigh*…”

Wands are overlooked. Wands always are overlooked. By reading this article, you will learn the way of the wand.

The Bard Class

Alright, don’t laugh. A bard can be a fun character to play, and can be very useful to your party. A bard is someone who gathers information from all over, then sings songs about them for all to hear. What a bard does depends greatly on their alignment. A good bard will inspire confidence and hope with their songs, and spends much time escaping evil lords or other enemies. An evil bard uses his skills to sway the opinion of simpleminded townsfolk, and even steal things from them (some people will “willingly” give a bard items). Bards love to explore what’s been long forgotten. They usually will travel with great heroes or villains. Bards tell great stories of their experiences firsthand, and gain more fame this way. After tagging along on such great adventures, they may become great heroes themselves.

Introduction to Weapons

This is more for players who are just starting, to more experienced players this might seem a little obvious. I just wanted to clear up anything about weapons new players might be wondering. This is just a general overview of weapons, nothing specific.

A character is almost nothing without weapons. Wizards, Sorcerers, etc. might not rely on them as much, but they are still important. Your weapons determine the outcome of a battle. Having a weapon is the difference between being mauled by an ogre, and wiping its blood from your sword. The first thing any player needs to understand is weapon categories. Each weapon falls under several categories of which there are many.

Choosing a Class

This post goes along with my article about “Choosing a Race.”

When creating a new character, the first thing you should do (after rolling your ability scores) is to choose a class. There are many to choose from, and will ultimately effect everything your character does. When you have chosen your desired class, you should assign your ability scores according to what your class specializes in. Put higher scores where your class and race have bonuses or where it would prevent a penalty. Your race should also support your class, so you have the best character possible.