Simpler Character Creation in D&D5.5e

This is a simplified, (more so) narrative focused approach to character creation in the Forgotten Realms setting. Ideally, players will be unconcerned with mechanical choices or min-maxing their class/background/species combinations and the group can get to playing the game more quickly. In my opinion, everyone should just use D&D Beyond so that the machine can do the math, but the mechanical bits are all the same following these decisions.

Classes

Choose one of the four groupings, then choose one of the classes. Players can choose the same class (that is, multiple bards or rangers in a party), but each player chooses from a different grouping. The party should have no more than four player characters.

1. Cleric, Bard, or Druid (healer)
2. Fighter, Barbarian, Monk, Paladin, or Ranger (tank)
3. Rogue, Bard, or Ranger (DPS)
4. Wizard, Bard, Sorcerer, or Warlock (DPS)

Barbarians are mighty warriors who are powered by primal forces of the multiverse that manifest as a Rage. More than a mere emotion—and not limited to anger—this Rage is an incarnation of a predator’s ferocity, a storm’s fury, and a sea’s turmoil.

Invoking magic through music, dance, and verse, Bards are expert at inspiring others, soothing hurts, disheartening foes, and creating illusions. Bards believe the multiverse was spoken into existence and that remnants of its Words of Creation still resound and glimmer on every plane of existence. Bardic magic attempts to harness those words, which transcend any language.

Clerics draw power from the realms of the gods and harness it to work miracles. Blessed by a deity, a pantheon, or another immortal entity, a Cleric can reach out to the divine magic of the Outer Planes—where gods dwell—and channel it to bolster people and battle foes.

Druids belong to ancient orders that call on the forces of nature. Harnessing the magic of animals, plants, and the four elements, Druids heal, transform into animals, and wield elemental destruction.

Fighters rule many battlefields. Questing knights, royal champions, elite soldiers, and hardened mercenaries—as Fighters, they all share an unparalleled prowess with weapons and armor. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and defying it.

Monks use rigorous combat training and mental discipline to align themselves with the multiverse and focus their internal reservoirs of power. Different Monks conceptualize this power in various ways: as breath, energy, life force, essence, or self, for example. Whether channeled as a striking display of martial prowess or as a subtler manifestation of defense and speed, this power infuses all that a Monk does.

Paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of annihilation and corruption. Whether sworn before a god’s altar, in a sacred glade before nature spirits, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witnesses, a Paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devout warrior into a blessed champion.

Far from bustling cities, amid the trees of trackless forests and across wide plains, Rangers keep their unending watch in the wilderness. Rangers learn to track their quarry as a predator does, moving stealthily through the wilds and hiding themselves in brush and rubble.

Rogues rely on cunning, stealth, and their foes’ vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They have a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem. A few even learn magical tricks to supplement their other abilities. Many Rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks.

Sorcerers wield innate magic that is stamped into their being. Some Sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their personal or family history. The blessing of a dragon or a dryad at a baby’s birth or the strike of lightning from a clear sky might spark a Sorcerer’s gift. So too might the gift of a deity, exposure to the strange magic of another plane of existence, or a glimpse into the inner workings of reality. Whatever the origin, the result is an indelible mark on the Sorcerer, a churning magic that can be passed down through generations.

Warlocks quest for knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. They often begin their search for magical power by delving into tomes of forbidden lore, dabbling in invocations meant to attract the power of extraplanar beings, or seeking places of power where the influence of these beings can be felt. In no time, each Warlock is drawn into a binding pact with a powerful patron. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as angels, archfey, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, Warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.

Wizards are defined by their exhaustive study of magic’s inner workings. They cast spells of explosive fire, arcing lightning, subtle deception, and spectacular transformations. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or forms protective barriers. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call meteors from the sky, or open portals to other worlds.

Deities

Clerics (and paladins, at the player's option) must choose a deity:

Bane: Bane, a god of tyrants and ambition, has a simple ethos: the strong have the duty to rule over the weak. A tyrant who can seize power must do so; not only does the tyrant benefit, but so do those under the tyrant’s rule. When a ruler succumbs to decadence, corruption, or decrepitude, a stronger and more suitable ruler will rise.

Beshaba: Beshaba is a god of misfortune, the counterpoint to her benevolent sister, Tymora, and as frequently acknowledged in daily life. Lady Doom is a cruel and capricious god who must be placated to avoid attracting her ruinous attention and interest.

Chauntea: Chauntea is the most widely worshiped god among Faerûn’s common folk. As a god of agriculture, she is especially popular among farmers and rural communities. The hearth and home also fall under her purview, and as such, people in cities pray to her at mealtimes or before the birth of a child. Some say Chauntea blessed the world with life when it was first formed.

Gond: Whether forging a sword or tinkering with a clockwork contraption, makers of all sorts pray to Gond to guide their work. He is a god of invention and craft, and his followers are responsible for much of Faerûn’s industrial and magical innovation.

Helm: Helm is a god of vigilance and protection—the ultimate guardian, watcher, and sentinel. He is venerated by those who must remain watchful for enemies or danger. Helm is a favorite deity of those who make a living by protecting someone or something, such as bodyguards, members of the city watch, and the guards of a treasury vault.

Ilmater: Ilmater is a god of suffering, martyrdom, and perseverance, renowned for his compassion and endurance. He offers succor to those who are in pain, victimized, or in great need. He is the willing sufferer who takes the place of another to heft their burden or take their pain. He is a god of the oppressed and the unjustly treated.

Lathander: When the folk of Faerûn gaze at the pastel hues of the morning sky, they thank Lathander. He is a god of dawn and the potential that comes with new beginnings. Spring, birth, youth, creativity, and renewal fall under his domain.

Oghma: Oghma is a god of knowledge, thought, and ideas. His holy symbol, a blank scroll, is ubiquitous in places of learning. Oghma has an unbridled enthusiasm for knowledge, and he shares it with the people of Faerûn.

Tempus: Tempus is a war god concerned with brave conduct, using force to settle disputes, and encouraging bloodshed. The Foehammer is friendly with Gond for his war machines and was once Beshaba’s lover.

Torm: Those who favor Torm believe salvation is found through service. He is a god of courage and self-sacrifice, an unyielding deity who dutifully puts himself on the front line of the fight against evil and injustice. He is a patron god of many Paladins, embodying the tenets of the Oath of Devotion.

Tymora: Tymora is a bright-faced god of fortune, the patron deity of game players and gamblers. Our Smiling Lady loves those who gamble with skill and daring. She watches over all who take risks to better their fortunes. Tymora takes the form of a tall, graceful young woman with flowing platinum-blond or silver hair. She might send a faerie dragon as an emissary.

Corellon Larethian: The first elves emerged from Corellon’s shed blood, and they shared the god’s changeable and audacious nature. A being of consummate mutability and infinite grace, Corellon is a whimsical shape-shifter, able to take the form of a chuckling stream, a teasing breeze, an incandescent beam, a school of fish, or a flock of birds. Corellon’s flamboyant, mercurial personality infuses every form the god adopts. Corellon loves wholeheartedly and takes pleasure from every encounter with other divine beings of the multiverse.

Moradin: Known as Dwarf-father or All-Father, he is the god of the dwarf people as a whole, as well as the god of creation, "dwarf-crafts" (smithing and stonework), and protection.

Note

The pantheon has been reduced for ease of decision, though the other deities don't have to have disappeared. Given the prevalence of humans in Faerûn and the integration of other species into Human settlements, just using the Faerûnian pantheon is simpler and makes sense with the assimilation of beliefs in cultures. The exceptions are dwarves and wood elves, both of whom are largely insular; they have been reflavored as monotheists worshipping Moradin and Corellon, respectively. (Dwarven or wood elven clerics probably wouldn't worship another deity and clerics of other species probably wouldn't worship Moradin or Corellon.)

Backgrounds

Select any background; your choice does not have to be related to your class. These backgrounds are either flavored for the Sword Coast or easily suit one of the factions of Faerûn.

Acolyte or Spellfire Initiate: You devoted yourself to service in a temple, either nestled in a town or secluded in a sacred grove. There you performed rites in honor of a god or pantheon. You served under a priest and studied religion. Thanks to your priest’s instruction and your own devotion, you also learned how to channel a modicum of divine power in service to your place of worship and the people who prayed there.
You bear the gift of spellfire: a rare form of magic that channels the raw power of the Weave. Wielding spellfire takes a heavy toll on the body. You’ve trained both mind and body to efficiently wield this sacred power.

Criminal: You eked out a living in dark alleyways, cutting purses or burgling shops. Perhaps you were part of a small gang of like-minded wrongdoers who looked out for each other. Or maybe you were a lone wolf, fending for yourself against the local thieves’ guild and more fearsome lawbreakers.

Guard or Flaming Fist Mercenary: Your feet ache when you remember the countless hours you spent at your post in the tower. You were trained to keep one eye looking outside the wall, watching for marauders sweeping from the nearby forest, and your other eye looking inside the wall, searching for cutpurses and troublemakers.
The chief law enforcement branch of Baldur’s Gate is the Flaming Fist, a brawny mercenary guild led by the city’s grand duke. You once served as a Flaming Fist, where you learned how to preempt trouble with your intimidating stare and, when necessary, absorb deadly blows. Flaming Fist mercenaries, active or retired, are known as some of the toughest, most resilient warriors along the Sword Coast, and you seek to maintain that reputation.

Guide or Moonwell Pilgrim: You came of age outdoors, far from settled lands. Your home was anywhere you chose to spread your bedroll. There are wonders in the wilderness—strange monsters, pristine forests and streams, overgrown ruins of great halls once trod by giants—and you learned to fend for yourself as you explored them. From time to time, you guided friendly nature priests who instructed you in the fundamentals of channeling the magic of the wild.
Like many who hail from the Moonshae Isles, you grew up revering the blessed land, its unique gods, and the mysterious shrines called the moonwells. As a moonwell pilgrim, you undertook a quest to visit and commune with every moonwell on (or off) the map. Along your idyllic journeys, you collected a repertoire of Moonshavian folk songs, painted landscapes of enchanting vistas, and even learned how to wield a bit of primal magic.

Hermit or Dead Magic Dweller: You spent your early years secluded in a hut or monastery located well beyond the outskirts of the nearest settlement. In those days, your only companions were the creatures of the forest and those who would occasionally visit to bring news of the outside world and supplies. The solitude allowed you to spend many hours pondering the mysteries of creation.
The dead magic zones of the Anauroch desert are anathema to spellcasters and monsters that rely on magic—which is exactly why you made your life there. Perhaps you’re on the run from Red Wizards, or you ran afoul of a powerful djinni in Calimshan. Whatever the case, you decided that living in Anauroch was your best option. After long months or years, you’re stronger, wiser, and armed with hard-earned knowledge of desert medicine and wasteland survival.

Ice Fisher: You come from a proud line of ice fishers out of Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale. Catching knucklehead trout isn’t the most glorious trade in the North, but it’s an honest living. You’ve trained your senses for the slightest tug on the line, wrestled big trout out of ice-covered lakes, and gutted enough knucklehead trout to feed your village many times over. These experiences have toughened your body and mind for a life of adventuring.

Merchant: You were apprenticed to a trader, caravan master, or shopkeeper, learning the fundamentals of commerce. You traveled broadly, and you earned a living by buying and selling the raw materials artisans need to practice their craft or finished works from such crafters. You might have transported goods from one place to another (by ship, wagon, or caravan) or bought them from traveling traders and sold them in your own shop.

Soldier: You began training for war as soon as you reached adulthood and carry precious few memories of life before you took up arms. Battle is in your blood. Sometimes you catch yourself reflexively performing the basic fighting exercises you learned first. Eventually, you put that training to use on the battlefield, protecting the realm by waging war.

Species

Choose any species. Faerûn is mostly human, then the next most populous species are orcs and dwarves. Elves (especially wood elves) and halflings are both relatively uncommon. Other species exist in the Forgotten Realms, though they are exceedingly rare in the Sword Coast; the DM may make an exception for aasimars and tieflings, as they appear among human populations (though still rare among humans).

Dwarf

Dwarves, sometimes called the Stout Folk, built grand city-strongholds in Faerûn’s ancient past, and dwarves still live in some of these holdings today, defending them from subterranean monsters. Moradin is the god of the dwarves, and according to legend, Moradin forged the first dwarves on the Soulforge out of iron, mithral, earth, and stone.

Dwarven society is structured around clans, each of which has its own distinctive traditions and folklore. While some settlements and regions are dominated entirely by a single clan, it’s not unusual to find clans living alongside each other, especially in cities. The Dwarvish language uses a set of runes called Dethek.

Dwarves are common in the North and Sword Coast regions. Their greatest surviving city is Citadel Adbar, near Silverymoon. Dwarves have a long experience with war, which has made them slow to trust but steadfast in their loyalty. Their creations are sturdy and practical, lacking in decoration but designed for long, reliable use.

Elf

Elves of the Realms call themselves tel’quessir. The ancient realms of the elves are even older than those of the dwarves, but most faded long ago. Most elves eventually leave Faerûn behind and sail to the magical haven of Evermeet.

High elves value wandering and the discoveries of the open road, meeting strangers with open arms. They are an easygoing, fluid people who value the ability to adapt to change. Many high elves leave elven settlements for cosmopolitan cities inhabited by folk of all species.

Wood elves, known also as copper elves, are a grounded, practical people. They value the forest and uncultivated nature over the glittering spires of elven cities, and are humble about elven accomplishments.

Halfling

Halflings of Faerûn call themselves hin. Perhaps more than any other species in Faerûn, halflings integrate into multicultural communities, befriending and working alongside other species. As such, halflings can be found in virtually every settlement in Faerûn, but their ancient homeland is Luiren, south of Unther. Prominent communities exist in Amn, in Chondalwood, and along the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Halfling history is colored by the constant presence of bigger, threatening species that surround halfling communities. While some folk might turn inward in the face of constant threat, halfling tradition is to embrace the cultures of larger neighbors, befriending them and blending in. History teaches that eventually halflings become inconspicuous, and in this way halfling communities survive and thrive.

Halflings live on the move. They seek out new experiences and new company, exploring and making new friends. Halflings travel light, and they need to be resourceful and quick to adapt to changing conditions. Halflings’ legendary luck keeps many of them alive. Halflings tend to leave home as young adults, when wanderlust strikes, or when other major changes to their lives occur.

Human

The history of the Forgotten Realms has largely been written by humans. Because humans are so numerous, most settlements, factions, and institutions in Faerûn are made up mostly of humans, even if their leadership is another species. But the simple fact that humans are so numerous belies their countless cultural divisions. Human culture varies widely from one realm to another. They speak dozens of different languages and war on each other more than any other species.

Humans are unusual in that they are among the most ancient species on Faerûn, but for much of that time they went largely unnoticed and had no great influence on world affairs. No one is quite certain where they came from; one theory, based on the Common language’s origin in Sigil, is that humans came to Toril from the Outlands.

Orc

Orcs have a complicated history in Faerûn. Their myths tell of a primordial rivalry between Gruumsh, their patron deity, and Corellon, a god of the elves. Orc nations have long fought with dwarven strongholds over territory. And many orcs have been recruited or impressed into the armies of would-be conquerors. But for the most part, orcs coexist peacefully with all manner of folk, especially in difficult and dangerous environments where their natural gifts prove the difference between life and death.

Orcs first came to Toril from other worlds. Legends tell that when Faerûn was divided among the various species, dwarves claimed the mountains, elves the forests, and so on, until no land was left for orcs when they arrived. Undeterred, Gruumsh simply declared his people would live everywhere, and they’ve been a wandering people ever since.

They founded settlements in lands too inhospitable for other folk, especially in mountainous regions such as the Spine of the World and the Sword Mountains, near Waterdeep. But over the centuries, orcs have departed these homelands, individually or in bands, to travel the world and seek out new places to live.