Making your CoS Character 101
Part A: Setting Up
1. Roll your stats by typing !rr 6 (4d6kh3) in #dice within the Discord server. Assign them anywhere. You can reroll your lowest stat with !r 4d6kh3 but you MUST take the new roll.
2. All characters start at Level 1.
3. You must take class and background starting gear. You cannot purchase or sell stuff pre-campaign.
4. You get an extra 1d10 gold on top of background gold. !r 1d10
5. Check all of the guidelines and allowed material written below.
6. Fill in your character's personality (traits, ideals, bonds, flaws) on your sheet, and write your character's backstory (see below for ideas/examples, recommended length is 500-1000 words).
Note: This is a Play by Post server and forum, you are going to be writing a LOT - if you don't like it, this isn't the campaign for you.
Part B: Getting Accepted [THIS IS IMPORTANT]
7. Create a new thread in the Character Sheets section, including an online link to your character sheet in any digital format (pdf, Google Doc, etc.), your backstory in plain text, and your expected posting activity (e.g. "all the time" or "only on weeknights").
8. One or more of the Knights will check it for obvious mechanical errors / writing flaws and give you feedback in your thread. Discuss / ask for help in #character-help.
9. Once a Knight thinks your character looks alright, they'll send it over to the admins (Stone and Neph) for final approval. If we think you're good to go, we'll mark your thread [Accepted], lock it, and give you a fancy blue role!
10. Change your nickname to the following format: character-name (username/preferred-name)
11. Sit tight while we find you a party. Once you're assigned to one, you'll see your party channels - link your sheet in your roster and say hi! Your DM will get you up to speed.
Character Guidelines
- Names must be reasonable, with both a first and last name.
- Age must be over 21. (Or, if you're playing a longer-lived race, their respective age of adulthood.)
- Make your backstory realistic (for a fantasy campaign). We're looking for Level 1 average joes - no "elite guards" or "trapped angels in disguise" or any of that.
- Please don't include any world-shifting events, e.g. the extinction of a race or a Tarrasque attack. Destroying your tiny village is okay though!
- Your character should be able and willing to verbally communicate with your party. Don't make them mute and/or a loner that completely avoids social interaction.
- Choose your alignment according to these definitions: Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons) - Wikipedia
- No troll characters will be accepted. Period.
CoStrahd-specific:
- The module starts with the party in Daggerford, on the Sword Coast. Do not involve Ravenloft or Strahd or anything related to the module in your backstory.
- Once you get into a party, talk with them to figure out how you all met. You will have been together for a while, as an adventuring group or similar.
- Please don't make an evil character. You're going up against the embodiment of pure evil - ya gotta start good or neutral, at least.
Allowed Material
Races: PHB races only - dwarf, elf, halfling, human, gnome, half-elf, half-orc, dragonborn, and tiefling. No variant feat humans (or any other race variants), no exotic or monstrous races. Drow elves are allowed if you make them appropriate to the FR lore.
Classes: Anything published (PHB, XgtE, SCAG, etc.) is fine. Reflavoring can be discussed if it fits your character. No UA, no homebrew.
Spells: Published material only.
On Backgrounds
- In most cases, we just want you to be an average joe adventurer. Published backgrounds only - no custom backgrounds. You want to be something weird, discuss with one of the Knights in our help channels first.
- No major guild/organization affiliations.
Tentative approval (definitely talk to a mod before using):
- Folk Hero (known locally / around the village, should be minor event)
- Guild Artisan/Merchant (solo craftsman/merchant yes, guild affiliations no)
- Knight (no using squires + low ranking)
- Noble (low ranking / no longer affiliated)
- Soldier (low ranking / rookie)
Disallowed:
- Blackfist Doubt Argent
- Caravan Specialist
- Cormanthor Refugee
- Dragon Casualty
- Faction Agent
- Haunted One
- Heretic
- Inheritor
- Iron Route Bandit
- Knight of the Order
- Mercenary Veteran
- Phlan Insurgent
- Tickleberry Nomad
Other stuff
- No multi-classing unless you have a really good RP reason to do so during the campaign.
- In general, don't be a min-maxer. It usually makes for some shitty roleplay.
- Regardless of what is written here or said by other people, the admins have final say on what is allowed and what isn't.
Good examples of character sheets
Google Sheet 1
Google Sheet 2
Official WoTC Sheet .pdfs
Thanks for reading! If you have any other questions, don't be afraid to drop by our help channels in Discord!
Part A: Setting Up
1. Roll your stats by typing !rr 6 (4d6kh3) in #dice within the Discord server. Assign them anywhere. You can reroll your lowest stat with !r 4d6kh3 but you MUST take the new roll.
2. All characters start at Level 1.
3. You must take class and background starting gear. You cannot purchase or sell stuff pre-campaign.
4. You get an extra 1d10 gold on top of background gold. !r 1d10
5. Check all of the guidelines and allowed material written below.
6. Fill in your character's personality (traits, ideals, bonds, flaws) on your sheet, and write your character's backstory (see below for ideas/examples, recommended length is 500-1000 words).
Note: This is a Play by Post server and forum, you are going to be writing a LOT - if you don't like it, this isn't the campaign for you.
Part B: Getting Accepted [THIS IS IMPORTANT]
7. Create a new thread in the Character Sheets section, including an online link to your character sheet in any digital format (pdf, Google Doc, etc.), your backstory in plain text, and your expected posting activity (e.g. "all the time" or "only on weeknights").
8. One or more of the Knights will check it for obvious mechanical errors / writing flaws and give you feedback in your thread. Discuss / ask for help in #character-help.
9. Once a Knight thinks your character looks alright, they'll send it over to the admins (Stone and Neph) for final approval. If we think you're good to go, we'll mark your thread [Accepted], lock it, and give you a fancy blue role!
10. Change your nickname to the following format: character-name (username/preferred-name)
11. Sit tight while we find you a party. Once you're assigned to one, you'll see your party channels - link your sheet in your roster and say hi! Your DM will get you up to speed.
Character Guidelines
- Names must be reasonable, with both a first and last name.
- Age must be over 21. (Or, if you're playing a longer-lived race, their respective age of adulthood.)
- Make your backstory realistic (for a fantasy campaign). We're looking for Level 1 average joes - no "elite guards" or "trapped angels in disguise" or any of that.
- Please don't include any world-shifting events, e.g. the extinction of a race or a Tarrasque attack. Destroying your tiny village is okay though!
- Your character should be able and willing to verbally communicate with your party. Don't make them mute and/or a loner that completely avoids social interaction.
- Choose your alignment according to these definitions: Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons) - Wikipedia
- No troll characters will be accepted. Period.
CoStrahd-specific:
- The module starts with the party in Daggerford, on the Sword Coast. Do not involve Ravenloft or Strahd or anything related to the module in your backstory.
- Once you get into a party, talk with them to figure out how you all met. You will have been together for a while, as an adventuring group or similar.
- Please don't make an evil character. You're going up against the embodiment of pure evil - ya gotta start good or neutral, at least.
Allowed Material
Races: PHB races only - dwarf, elf, halfling, human, gnome, half-elf, half-orc, dragonborn, and tiefling. No variant feat humans (or any other race variants), no exotic or monstrous races. Drow elves are allowed if you make them appropriate to the FR lore.
Classes: Anything published (PHB, XgtE, SCAG, etc.) is fine. Reflavoring can be discussed if it fits your character. No UA, no homebrew.
Spells: Published material only.
On Backgrounds
- In most cases, we just want you to be an average joe adventurer. Published backgrounds only - no custom backgrounds. You want to be something weird, discuss with one of the Knights in our help channels first.
- No major guild/organization affiliations.
Tentative approval (definitely talk to a mod before using):
- Folk Hero (known locally / around the village, should be minor event)
- Guild Artisan/Merchant (solo craftsman/merchant yes, guild affiliations no)
- Knight (no using squires + low ranking)
- Noble (low ranking / no longer affiliated)
- Soldier (low ranking / rookie)
Disallowed:
- Blackfist Doubt Argent
- Caravan Specialist
- Cormanthor Refugee
- Dragon Casualty
- Faction Agent
- Haunted One
- Heretic
- Inheritor
- Iron Route Bandit
- Knight of the Order
- Mercenary Veteran
- Phlan Insurgent
- Tickleberry Nomad
Other stuff
- No multi-classing unless you have a really good RP reason to do so during the campaign.
- In general, don't be a min-maxer. It usually makes for some shitty roleplay.
- Regardless of what is written here or said by other people, the admins have final say on what is allowed and what isn't.
Good examples of character sheets
Google Sheet 1
Google Sheet 2
Official WoTC Sheet .pdfs
Thanks for reading! If you have any other questions, don't be afraid to drop by our help channels in Discord!