Stats:

FORCEFUL:
AGILE:
INSIGHTFUL:
CHARMING:

You get 14 points. Distribute them as you wish between the four stats. Each stat has to have at least one point, and a maximum of 5.


SPECIES AND CLASS:

Each player creates his character's Species and Class at this point by simply creating a name for it. A Species and/or Class may be anything one likes, given that the GM deems it suitable for the campaign. A Class or Species may have a simple name, like "Thief" or "Elf," or a more complex name, like "Knight of the Silver Lance," or "Granite-Bone Troll."

Examples of Species: Arctic-Dwelling Human, Tunnel Gnome, Sentient Forest Ape, Red-Nose Goblin, Mountain Ogre, Snap-Tooth Dragon-Kin

Examples of Classes: Mercenary, Archaeologist, Purple-Robed Sorcerer, Wilderness Scout, Tinkerer


No two players within the same group should create characters of the same Species and Class. Party diversity is important in Donjon.



All characters start the game at Level 1. Mark this on your character sheet.


ABILITIES:

The last and most important thing you have to do to create a character is determine their Abilities. Abilities are what make a Species and Class unique-- things they can do that not everyone else can. In Donjon, you invent your character's Abilities.

You must choose one Main Ability, and four Supporting Abilities. A Main Ability is what defines your character's Species or Class: it is a broad Ability that they are renowned for. A Main Ability should be very versatile.

Supporting Abilities are tangential to the definition of the Species/Class combo. They are Abilities that help the Species or Class, but are much more specific in nature. Examples of some Species and Classes to illustrate, with each one's Main Ability listed first:

Elven Mercenary: Hit People With Weapons, Run and Charge, Intimidate, Withstand Damage in Melee Combat, Cast Nature Spells

Dwarven Purple-Robed Sorcerer: Cast Spells, Wield Hammer, Avoid Enemy Spells, Bluff Convincingly, Damage Magical Beings

Granite-Bone Troll Barbarian: Withstand All Sorts of Damage, Play Dumb, Eat Rocks and other Hard Things, Leap Across Chasms, Fist-Smash

Human Noble: Influence People, Dodge in Melee, Bargain with Authorities, Ride Horses, Knowledge of Heraldic Symbols

Note, from the above examples, the difference between Main Abilities and Supporting Abilities. The Mercenary can use any weapon at their disposal, but the Dwarf's ability specifically involves using a hammer. (Either of them can use any weapon, but the Dwarf's Ability is only for being used with a hammer.)

The Granite-Bone Troll Barbarian can absorb damage from any source, be it a weapon, a falling rock, fire, or magic. The Elven Mercenary can take more damage than the average character, but only in combat. Traps, backstabs, and falling would hurt him like normal.

The Human Noble can use his Main Ability in any social situation. The Dwarven Purple-Robed Sorcerer is extra-useful in social situations as well, but only if he is lying.

The constraint on a Supporting Ability can be equipment-based, opponent-based, or any other sort of constraint. Note that the Dwarven Purple-Robed Sorcerer, and the Granite-Bone Troll Barbarian both have Abilities that let them increase their damage. ("Hand-smash" is used to do more damage when hitting things.) The Dwarven Purple-Robed Sorcerer can use his Ability whether attacking with magic or a hammer. The Granite-Bone Troll, on the other hand, can hurt anything, but he can only use his ability if he smashes it with his fist.

Because you can invent any Ability you want, you may need to stop here with the GM and define what your Abilities do. If you wanted to backstab, for example, you'd make a "Backstab" Ability. How does Backstab work, though? Your GM will be familiar with these rules, and can help you out with these questions now. (Backstab could add to your damage roll whenever you hit an opponent that's facing away from you. Alternatively, it could add to your attack roll whenever an opponent is facing away from you. It couldn't do both, however. This is why it's important to make sure your Abilities are well-defined before play.)


Remember that successful actions will let you narrate what happens in the game, and plan your Abilities around that.

If you chose an Ability like "Hear Noise," you could use this at any time, not just when your GM called for a roll. A successful roll would allow you to create an encounter by saying that your character hears footsteps behind him, or the sound of a giant eagle in the trees, or the scraping of a huge worm ahead in a tunnel.

If you chose an Ability like "Find Secret Doors," you could use this to try to find a short-cut around big trouble in a dungeon, or even use it to try to find a way out of a combat that's not going in your character's favor. IF YOU ROLL WITH AN ABILITY, AND IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, THEN WHAT YOU ROLLED FOR WILL HAPPEN IN YOUR FAVOR. (Although if you roll and you're NOT successful, it might happen, but NOT in your favor.)



Also keep in mind: successes can be used for bonus dice on your NEXT roll, so you could choose Abilities that can be used as "combos."

If you chose Abilities like "Run and Charge" and "Strike with Broadsword," you could run at an opponent, and use part of your successes to add to your ability to hit him.

If you chose Abilities like "Find Treasure" and "Evaluate Worth," you could search for treasure, then evaluate the worth of it, and then make a roll to loot, using your successes from the rolls in a chain to build up a very large pool of dice...



Magic Abilities:

You've probably noticed above that the Dwarven Purple-Robed Sorcerer has "Cast Spells" as his Main Ability, and the Elven Mercenary has "Cast Nature Spells" as a Supporting Ability. A general Ability to do magic-- Cast Spells, Magic-Slinging, or whatever--- must be taken as a Main Ability.

If you want a very specific type of magic, you may take it as a Supporting Ability. Examples would be Cast Nature Spells, Mystical Stealth, Create Illusions, or Psychokinesis.

All these Abilities are spell-based magic, and use the magic system outlined down below. If you make a character that uses spell-based magic, you should read that part before play. It tells you how to define your magical style and choose your Magic Words, which you'll have to do to finish making your character.

You do not, however, have to have spell-based magic at all to have a Ability that is magical in nature. For example, if you want to create a spritely little creature whose only magical talent is making light, you could choose "Making Light" as an Ability. If you wanted to have your hands burst into flame in combat, you could choose "Hands of Flame," and define it as adding to your damage when punching. Since all Abilities use the same resolution system, and are rated identically, these sorts of Abilities are not overpowering even if they're magical in nature.


OKAY SO HAVING SAID ALL THAT:

Now you have 1 Main Ability and 4 Supporting Abilities.

Allocate 14 points between them.