Character creation for Ravenloft functions the same as normal. This guide exists to help walk you through the process as well as clarify new options available to characters in the Realm of Dread.

Players are welcome to use http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/ to help create their characters.

Base Creation

1. Pick a race. "Common" races of Ravenloft are listed here; https://rpgpad.com/c/ravenloft/setting/__index__/race but anyone can be drawn into the Realm of Dread from other worlds. Note any Outcast Rating (OR).

2. Choose a class. Be aware that some class features and spells function differently in Ravenloft. See Altered Magic for a general how-to on magic.

3. Beginning characters in Ravenloft are level 1.

4. Hit points and hit dice. At 1st level, you receive the maximum possible hit points plus your Constitution modifier.

5. Proficiency bonus. This adds to attacks with weapons you're proficient in as well as skills you're trained in.

6. Determine ability scores. In Ravenloft, you have a 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 to assign as you see fit. Remember to add racial modifiers to the final scores.

7. Describe your character. See further below for suggestions on this part. This is also where you'll pick your characters Background and assign traits from that.

8. Choose equipment. This is by class and background. Characters from a Culture Level 8 and higher domain may also begin with proficiency in blackpowder weapons, which includes firearms and bombs. Characters from domains Culture Level 7 and lower must learn this in-game.

9. Put it all together. Note your Armor Class, skill bonuses, etc. Establish ties to other characters, if desired.

10. Final Thoughts. Protagonists of Gothic tales often encounter villains or creatures representing their own inner demons made manifest. By providing your hero with vibrant characterization, you offer greater opportunities for the DM to engage your hero with adventures tailored to their interests. Consider the following questions;

• What do you look like? Are you alluring? Plain? Grotesque? Do you dress in finery or tattered rags? Do you have any scars or distinguishing features? Your appearance may hint at your past. A fighter, for example, hunting the werewolf that infected a family member might still bear scars from the attack.
• Where is your family? Where is your homeland? Are you native to Ravenloft or were you drawn into it from elsewhere? Do you have a cozy cottager you call home, or have you been banished from your ancestral estate? Some players believe loved ones can't be threatened if they don't exist, but consider this: a hero with no one to lose also has no one to turn to in times of need.
• What is your greatest love? For what or whom would you make sacrifices? A romantic interest? A family member? Yourself? Your god? Magic? Youth? Knowledge? Power? Would you make a personal sacrifice or sacrifice someone else?
• What is your greatest regret? Do you have any memories that haunt you at night? Were you unable to prevent a death? Do you have a mental or physical trait that you despise? Did you betray a friend in a time of weakness?
• What makes your skin crawl? What are your hates or fears? Many elves are disgusted by the scent of gunpowder and dwarves are said to dislike the sea. Do you dislike the smell of livestock, or do you hate the sweltering heat of summer? Does witnessing an injustice set your teeth to grinding, or does the sight of spiders send you into shivers? Do you find a race, culture, religion, or form of magic primitive or unnatural?
• What fascinates you? What topics draw your interest? Do you attend operas, or do you read tawdry novels? Would you pore over the intricate patterns of a magic scroll, the strands of a cobweb, or the gears of a clock tower? Do you have a weakness for riddles? Do you live your life in search of new sensations?
• What are your habits? Do you have any patterns in your life? A sorcerer might twist their beard when lost in thought, a hexblood might collect "trophies" from slain foes, a bard might practice nightly to hone her musical skills.
• What are your secrets? Do you hide anything from the outside world? Are you disguising a trait, or have you buried an event from your past? Why do you keep this secret? If your secret was revealed, would you merely be embarrassed, or might you face persecution or place someone at risk?
• Are you rational or passionate? Do you pride yourself on following your head before your heart, or are you a true romantic? Characters with chaotic alignments tend to be more comfortable with their emotions, but lawful characters are certainly capable of passionate outbursts.
• Are you sophisticated or superstitious? Were you educated at the finest boarding schools, or were you raised by tanners who left their farmstead only to check their traps? A cosmopolitan character might be experienced in the skills of etiquette, while an unrefined peasant might know countless folktales about the fey.
• How strong is your faith? Many denizens of the Land of Mists scoff at religion, believing that the gods have long since ceased to care about mortal concerns. If religious, do your worship the prevalent religion of your homeland, or have you adopted a foreign creed? Are you pious or zealous?
• How self-confident are you? Do you continually question your own motives? Do you struggle with an inner darkness? Or do you stride boldly forth, knowing in your heart that your actions are correct?
• What drives you to adventure? Why have you taken up the dangerous life of an adventurer? Are you simply mercenary, seeking treasure? Are you on a hunt for vengeance? Do you believe you have a destiny to fulfill? Are you trying to reclaim a stolen birthright? Are you struggling to be reunited with a lost love?

New Uses for Old Skills

New Skills

• Intelligence (Ravenloft): This is a specialized form of knowledge that represents an understanding of the planar fabric of the Realm of Dread, including the Mists, the nature of domains, closed borders, darklords, and so on. This is an extremely rare skill known only by a handful of scholars, most of whom are darklords. Outsiders to Ravenloft cannot begin play with proficiency in this skill.
• Charisma (Hypnosis): You have studied the hidden workings of the mind and can unlock its secrets.
  • Check: You can use hypnosis to induce a deep, calming trance in your subject. The effects of a hypnotic trance are identical to being charmed, save the affected creature is incapacitated and their speed becomes 0. You can affect only one target at a time and unwilling targets can resist with a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + Charisma modifier). If the target is unwilling, you can disguise your attempt via a Deception check. Each attempt to use hypnosis requires 1 hour. A loud or distracting environment grants the target advantage on their saving throw. Willing targets can choose to not make a save. Once the target is hypnotized, you can either plant a suggestion or aid the recovery of someone who suffers from the effects of a failed Madness save.
  • Retry: You generally can't retry a Hypnosis check against an unwilling target; they become too suspicious to cooperate. If attempting to hypnotize a willing target, you may retry freely. In fact, retries are a vital component in the process of helping a victim recover from Madness effects.

Existing Skills

• Alchemists Supplies (Tool): A character with this tool proficiency can create gunpowder with a DC 15 check. Creating gunpowder costs 1 gp to prepare 2 ounces. You can save time by creating multiple ounces in a single batch (each 2 ounces increases the DC by +1), but if you fail the check by 5 or more, you accidentally ignite the entire batch. It explodes in a 5 foot radius, dealing 1 point of fire damage per ounce. Anyone caught in the blast radius can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
• Charisma (Deception)
  • Telling Fortunes: This is the skill of inventing plausible fortunes from thin air. It's the art of picking up clues about a target and telling them what they want to hear. It doesn't include the ability to actually peer into the future. This skill is commonly the tool of charlatans, false prophets, and Vistani seers who decide not to tax their Sight. If your prediction is vague and common, make the check with no modifier versus the target's Sense Motive. An outrageous or easily refuted prediction grants the target advantage on their Sense Motive check. The use of creative props like a crystal ball or tarokka/ deck can grant you advantage on the initial check.
• Charisma (Persuasion)
  • Seduction: Most commonly associated with an act of physical seduction, this skill can also include a carnival barker delivering a spiel to draw patrons into her tent or a crime boss trying to lure a constable onto her payroll. Seduction is the art of manipulating a target by sensing their desires and promising to deliver on them. With a successful roll, you can convince a target to perform a small service for you - perhaps following you to a secluded location or paying a few coins. This is opposed by the target's Sense Motive check. Circumstances may make an offer more or less attractive; an impoverished family man may be resistant to physical enticement (disadvantage) but willing to accept a few coins, for example (advantage). A randy sailor may respond well to the attentions of a woman (advantage), but might balk if asked to follow her into an acrid-smelling, web-choked cellar (disadvantage). Seduction can't rob a target of their free will; if the check fails, the target realizes the seducer is attempting to manipulate them, but in the right circumstances, may still find the offer appealing.
• Tinker's Tools (Tool): This allows clockmaking and gunsmithing. Clockmaking is uncommon in domains below CL 7 and gunsmithing first appears in CL 8 domains. If you fail by 5 or more to create a bomb, it explodes.
• Wisdom (Animal Handling): If you attempt to influence an animal under the influence of a darklord, your check is made with disadvantage.