#soysaucednd

People have different thoughts and feelings about how to create a d&d character, and I want to preface this with the universal fact that however your group has fun playing d&d is the correct way to play d&d, and what I say here is how I and my group tend to play.

Step one: The World

When I am making a character or starting to review characters during a session zero, I consider how the concepts fit into the world of the game. I consider the setting and the tone of the game before I even start thinking of a concept, let alone a class or race.

Questions to ask your dm:

What pieces of media did you draw inspiration from for this campaign?

What is the tone of this game?

What themes will the game be exploring?

What events in the world of the game could have created an adventurer?

Step two: The Group

The second step I take is considering the group as a whole. What kind of character would fit into the group? Which group members might have a character connected with them in a way? What kind of archetype does the group need?

Questions to ask yourself:

Is my character a team player? If not, how can I justify them being in a group and not hogging attention?

What is the group missing that is integral to the game?

Is there a major theme of the campaign that is missing from the party’s motivation?

Step three: The concept

Before you assign a race and class, make a character. Give them wants, needs, and desires. Motivations for adventuring. Connections within the group. A connection to a main theme of the story and a backstory that fits within the constraints of the world. You can add in the race and class here if that helps you build a concept.

Questions to ask yourself:

What does my character want and need? What desire pushes them forward?

What would they have to achieve to stop adventuring?

What worldview does my character have that relates to a major theme the campaign explores?

Is my character value themselves over others or others over themselves?

Who will my character probably connect with in the party?

Personal freedom or structured rules?

Step four: The Mechanics

Now do all that fun character creation stuff like rolling stats and choosing a class and race.

Conclusion:

In a narrative-focused game like my group plays, having this setup for character creation will allow your DM to easily incorporate your character into major arcs of the game due to how you fit into the setting, your party will appreciate the cohesion from connecting the characters and it will make for fun roleplay encounters, Your character will have driving forces behind their decisions and the choices you make will feel more grounded in reality due to your understanding of your character’s motivations, worldview, and objectives.

P.S. NPCs

For you DMs out there, a condensed form of this formula is also helpful for making memorable NPCs. My process for making any of my NPCs is the “A DOVE” method:

Appearance: What does the character look like? Are they striking or plain? (ex: Arthur Augefort in Fantasy High is a dark skinned, bald wizard with a long white beard. He wears a purple suit that matches his eyes and carries an umbrella. In front of his left eye sits a gold monocle.)

Demeanor: What kind of personality does the character have? Usually a single adjective. (ex: Lucretia in The Adventure Zone being calm and regal.)

Objective: What does the character want from the players? (ex: Mishka in NADDPOD wants the party to rid her town of the Barbarians who have invaded.)

Voice: What sort of voice should the character have? Not necessarily an accent, but deep or high voice? Funny or grounded? How does it connect with the Demeanor? (ex: Ipskix in Escape From the Bloodkeep with his exaggerated screechy voice.)

This topic has definitely been covered before, but I am personally against character concepts where their family was killed (with exceptions, of course). Your character having a family grounds them in the world of the game and keeps them engaged with the narrative.

Engagement:

If your character has a family in the game, then it allows for more character motivation, which will make the character more interesting to play. For instance, your character could be incredibly family oriented, but has been exiled from their community until they can prove themselves. Or, you could be sending a portion of gold from every encounter back to struggling family members. Alternatively, your character could have a family who mistreated them and their story is a revenge quest to destroy their family and their reputation. It will also force your DM to create NPCs for your family, and that will tie you into the narrative and show that the DM cares about your character’s connections.

Grounding:

If your character has real connections in the world that are indirect (outside of the party), it will make them feel more real and more connected to the narrative. Any detail about the character that fits within the setting will help the illusion that this is a place that is living and breathing despite being fictional. If the player knows the name of their character’s mother and the town she is from and a few details of their childhood in the town, the character will be able to roleplay more effectively and might even be excited for when the campaign might bring them home to visit

DM Opportunity:

This should go without saying, but the DM’s opportunities with a living family are endless. I will list possible adventure hooks and concepts off the top of my head below.

The party gets a care package from the rogue’s mother.

The town where the paladin’s family lives is being attacked.

The party passes through a halfling village to visit their bard’s family.

During an encounter with the BBEG, they hold up a crystal ball that shows the homes of the party’s parents.

The party stays at a stuffy noble’s house because the fighter needs to go home for a reunion.

The cleric’s sister tracks down the party to tell them that their father is sick from a mysterious disease.

The party must choose between fighting the BBEG or leaving to save their family.

A party member’s family is working with the BBEG.

A party member has a sibling who is a slightly more successful adventurer.

A party member’s family is very worried about them and checks in magically from time to time.

A party member has to go home once a year to tell their aging father stories about their adventures.

A party member’s grandmother dies and they have to go to the funeral and attend the will reading.

I saw a wonderful post by @noodledog that was talking about the music of different d&d races, and I wanted to make a post about my own interpretation of what kinds of music the races in the Player’s Handbook would write.

Dwarves:

The race of Dwarves is known for its courageous warriors, miners, and skilled craftsmen. They live for centuries, but not as long as elves, and have an unyielding devotion to culture and tradition. Their music is inspired by the ringing of pickaxes and the drums of ancient battles and heroic deeds that have been recounted through the ages through song. Dwarven music is percussion based and built off of layers of rhythm. Craftsmanship is valued in dwarf society, and that applies to their music as well, resulting in respect from all musical communities for their complex understanding of rhythm. When Dwarves sing, they tend towards classic styles of work songs like shanties and mainly sing in unison. Ships will often hire dwarves to lead their shanties because they are masters of consistent rhythm.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Elves:

Music is of paramount importance to Elven culture, with a series of ancient ballads and choral pieces chronicling their whole recorded history. With their long lives, composers have been known to spend upwards of seventy years perfecting their symphonies. Intricacy of melody and harmony is considered the height of sophistication, and Elven choirs and orchestras are an exciting event when they pass through towns of other races. Many notable Elven composers produced fugues, a style of music with a melody that interlaces with itself as it develops creating echoes through the score.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Halflings:

Halflings value the comfort and support of a community, and while they are not listed among the greatest composers or musical artists, even the stuffiest of guests in a halfling community will find themselves stomping along with a drinking song resounding through a tavern or an impromptu jam session around a campfire. Their love of new experiences has led halflings to combine elements from many different musical cultures, and this variability has led them to develop an eclectic style of music that mirrors how bluegrass developed in our world. The most popular halfling songs are jaunty and can be sung or played in large groups easily, but during times of grief even the most stone faced adventurer will shed a tear to the mournful songs of a halfling funeral.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Humans:

Humans are known as innovators and as an ambitious creative force. The traditions of the other races are more established, so humans will often train with musicians from other races, but will always bring their own spark to the techniques and pieces they create. Human music is a blending of the different styles that other races bring, and has been widely appreciated by all the races. The songs humans write cover any and all themes imaginable. They sing and play songs about love, war, disasters, adventure, and anything else that sparks their inspiration. Human sailors are prized for their ability to bring emotion into the songs they sing to the crew, helping bind the crew together.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Dragonborn:

The strict clan structures of the Dragonborn have specific places for music. Music is the way that the Dragonborn chronicle their clan’s history, and thus it must be protected closely. Individual families in Dragonborn clans are designated lorekeepers and are the only ones allowed to practice traditional music. Songs are passed down through the generations, and the family of lorekeepers is fiercely protected by the rest of the clan. The Chronicle is generally a ballad that outlines the history of the clan and teaches important lessons to the children. When members of other races are allowed into a performance of a Dragonborn Chronicle, the reverence and honor displayed in the music is something they can feel in the air.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Gnomes:

Gnomes and humans share a love of exploration and discovery, and have been known to create new and interesting instruments to experiment with. Their music tends to be instrumental and magically infused (creating a sound similar to the electronic music of today) or performed with an instrument of the gnome’s own making. Seldom will you find a gnome tinkering without music being played in the background either by magic or by a network of clockwork machinery that plays instruments hung from the rafters.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Half-Elves:

Half-elves will generally gravitate towards whichever culture they were raised in. (See Humans and Elves)

Half-Orc / Orc:

Orcs and Half-Orcs tend towards music that has a power behind it. Choruses of voices singing about displays of power or accompanying hard work appeal to them. Orc music is loud and forceful, and can be a force of intimidation in battle. Oddly, the music written by the Orcish races has found its way into popularity among certain groups of Humans, Half-Elves, and Tieflings who feel downtrodden.

Examples: (X, X, X, X, X)

Tieflings:

Tieflings exist on the fringes of society, and are often shunned or oppressed for their heritage. Their music is reactive and electric, bolstered by their opposition of the society that hates them and tries to sweep them under the rug and their innate ability to amplify and alter the sounds they make with the Thaumaturgy spell. Tiefling concerts are rare, and when they do happen are a spectacle. Clouds of darkness, flames bursting from the stage, and every instrument and voice amplified to near deafening levels.

In my d&d games, I use a simple, three step system to maintain a cohesive plot structure. If you as a dm have been having problems with keeping your party on task or on track with your story, I would suggest giving it a try. It is most helpful when you are in the planning stages of the campaign, but you can implement it at any time to try to steer your party back on course.

Step One: The Archplot

The Archplot is your overall story. Decide what themes you want the game to explore. For instance, my game includes themes like patriotism v. idealism, war, democracy, and technological advancement. The archplot helps inform your major villains, the beats of the overall story, and what values you would like your players to hold to make a narratively satisfying game. My steps are usually: decide on a few themes that fit together along with related motifs, create major villains that fit with those themes and motifs, and decide the basic shape of the story including how the party will eventually meet each villain.

Step Two: The Arc

The arc is the next step smaller. This is the current problem that the party is attempting to solve over a series of sessions. The component parts of an arc are: a conflict of some kind, a clear goal, and some form of time limit. For example, let's set up an arc where a region is being overtaxed by corrupt government officials. The conflict is between the people and the officials who are robbing them, the goal for the party is to remove the officials in one way or another or to convince them to stop taxing the citizens so highly, and the time limit could be the law-keepers closing in on the small resistance group the party is working with. This creates a story that will capture the attention of the party (if they are open to your efforts) and give them a clear sense of direction. Usually, at the end of an arc you will give clues to the Archplot, usually in the form of hints towards the major villains.

Step Three: The Session

This is the smallest unit of measurement in the story of a d&d campaign. The session refers to each individual meeting of the party, and is set up similarly to an arc. A good session should inform the arc and be moving towards solving the conflict presented in it, while having its own conflict and problem to solve. Let's build a session in the arc we just used as an example! For the first session in the arc about the corrupt officials, let's say the party arrives at a town and witness law-keepers extorting from a man who appears to be sleeping on the street. This can be resolved by combat or by watching it happen. This will intrigue your players and they will most likely investigate further. Upon investigation, they learn about the corrupt nobles and meet an operative of the resistance. The rebel tells them about a plan they have to break into the castle and capture the noble family to give them a trial in the town, but before that can happen they need to create a major distraction for the guards at the castle so they won't be caught. They ask you to go and give out aid to the poorest citizens of the town in the meantime.

The first session should act mainly as exposition (or lore dumping) and introduces you to the arc's important NPCs and the party's goal. This will hopefully hook the party into a sense of obligation to help the people of the town. To make it feel less like lore dumping, throw in some minor combat and some fun minor NPCs to keep the party entertained.

FAQ:

My party just ignored my plot hook!

If the party ignores your plot hook, move to the next arc in the archplot, but there have to be consequences. For my previous example, if they remain unstopped, the noble family could return as a threat with now inflated wealth and influence. Perhaps gaining a coveted seat on a royal council and proposing anti-adventurer measures.

I didn't do this planning before my game, how do I weave it in?

I find the best way to weave this planning into a game is to introduce a villain with goals dependent on the players' failure. This will, in itself, create an arc where the players feel that they need to defeat the villain, and then you can plan the shape of it. Alternatively, I would also recommend using a "Gandalf" archetype NPC who can inform the party of an arc. Just be careful to make the NPC trustworthy if the integrity of your story depends on it.

How do I start off with this early in the game?

Let’s start off with a truth universally acknowledged, and an underlying assumption in D&D. It is ridiculously easy to TPK, and the party trusts the DM to not just throw Tiamat at them at level one (That definitely wasn’t a D&D tv show reference).

I often catch myself wondering whether what I am making is balanced when I am a player in a campaign (a rare occurrence). Most recently, I was having a discussion about the Dunamancy classes in the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. I love the flavor and the narrative opportunities bursting from the seams of Dunamancy, and I was discussing with a more by-the-book DM who was of the opinion that it was overpowered. I found myself defensive, and that was when I realized I shouldn’t worry about player character balance.

As long as you don’t start at level one with all 20 ability scores, classes and multiclasses are not something you should be worrying about. So what if your character has a +15 to athletics or can cause creatures to re-roll their dice or have a 0.00026% chance of rolling a natural one when you as a DM have access and agency to shape the entire world? It’s my view that balance shouldn’t be an issue because when you feel encounters are getting too easy for the party, there are no rules keeping you from tacking on some more monsters or giving the boss more hit points.

If a party member (or hell all of them) proposes a character build that is minmaxed to hell, just say yes. They’ll be happy that you allowed them to play the character, and you’ll have the chance to throw more at them and put them through more difficult challenges. If they are optimized for combat, put the party in a negotiation situation. If they are a powerful persuader and negotiator, have them be jumped in the street. Let them shine in the areas they excel in, but put in the potential for them to flounder.

Awesome! Share your art! This is going to be my little guide of recommendations as someone who used to work in radio and has been involved with a couple of radio plays and online play readings.

Step one: You are good enough.

The first step is to not get discouraged. You may not be the next Critical Role or The Adventure Zone, but you will have a podcast project. The first priority should be a philosophy of sharing rather than ambition of success. Even if you don’t amass a following, you will be sharing a piece of yourself, and that is always something to be admired.

Step two: Set clear expectations with your players.

Making a podcast of a d&d campaign is harder than running a home game. There are a lot of things that you have to take into account during a recording session that aren’t that important in your everyday game.

This is a performance. Players need to be focused on you and the game.

Eating makes sounds that can be picked up by the microphones.

Your levels may be overwhelmed by the dice, consider using dice pads.

You and your players have to be understood, and it has to be clear when they are in character and out of character.

No matter how much you think you won’t, you will have to edit some sections.

If players are talking over each other or having outside of game conversations, it will be picked up by the microphone and it will disturb the flow of the game.

Step three: The equipment and software.

As I said in the previous section, you and your players have to be heard and understood. To that end, you will need to have the right equipment to make that happen. Here is what you will need:

A microphone. Do some research on what microphone to get. It will have to be better than one that is connected on a set of headphones, but you don’t necessarily have to break the bank for a good one.

Audacity open source audio editing software.

This is the program I used to edit all of my pre-recorded radio segments and I still use it when I have to edit any kind of audio. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it it has almost unlimited potential.

(it is also super useful for untraceably pirating music)

A room with minimal background noise.

Ideally, you will want a soundproofed room with no windows, but that is not possible for most people. Record some sample audio in different rooms in your house and see what works best. You’ll be able to tell the difference.

A padded dice box or a dice mat.

You do not want to be rolling your dice straight on a table next to a microphone, it will be loud and will be jarring to people listening to the recording.

Step four: Get used to your voice on recording.

We all hate our voices on recording. I had a recurring segment on a local radio station for four years and I deeply hated the way I sounded. It is just something you need to get used to. If you are going to use a character voice, rehearse it. Troubleshoot it in the recording software. See if you can get it to sound the way you want it to. If you are dming, you have your work cut out for you. I would recommend pre-writing introductions and very important pieces of description because once you are on recording, you will forget everything you wanted to say WAY more often.

Step five: Editing

You’ve gotten your first session out of the way! Yay! You might be tempted to just upload it and be done, but that is not going to be the best decision. Here are a few things to do to make the quality just a little bit better.

Get a background noise profile.

Open the audio file in audacity and open the effects tab.

It will ask you to get a noise profile, select a section of the audio where no one is speaking. (Ideally a period of around 10 seconds where everyone is quiet.)

The program will isolate the sounds present in that 10 seconds and do its best to remove those sounds from the whole sound profile.

Normalize.

If a few of your players are slightly quieter than your louder players, there is a tool in the effects window called “Normalize.”

This will take all of the audio in the file and standardize it at a volume you choose (measured in decibels). It will boost quieter voices and bring down the volume of louder voices while keeping things like shouting distinct. Be careful, but it is fairly easy to understand.

Compress.

This effect will reduce clipping (I will explain later). It brings any very loud sounds into a safer range for the ear and brings very quiet sounds up to be audible.

Beware of clipping.

If the spikes on the audio file’s waveform go above a certain point, we call this clipping. It will distort the audio in the final product and be uncomfortable to listen to. You can sometimes fix it by using the amplify tool or the normalization and compression tools, but it is better to set a lower input level on your microphone to avoid it and amplify your volume in the editing process. It is easier to add more volume than to take away too much.

Background music.

If you are using background music, make sure it is licensed for you to use. Royalty free or self-produced music is usually best. If you drag new audio files into audacity, you can create new layers and adjust positioning by adding in silence or by manipulating the start time and end time of your background music. There is also a fade in/fade out function that you can access by selecting a piece of audio in one layer and then going into the effects tab.

Step six: Recaps and Rules

For a produced show, you should start every session with a recap both for anyone tuning in to your podcast and to remind the players of their given circumstances. Take notes during the session if you can, or listen back to the previous episode to study before your next one. This is a good way to get used to your voice, remind yourself of the voices you have given NPCs, and remember where in your story you are.

When you are running a game on stream, you will not have time to stop the game and look up a rule, so get used to problem solving as a dm. Make reminder cards, spell cards, have statblocks ready, and if you do not have a rule in front of you, make a ruling. If you are uploading a prerecorded game, you have a bit more leeway, but it depends on how much time you want to spend editing. My advice would be to get used to making rulings on the fly and confirming them later.

Step seven: General Performance tips

Players:

Stay engaged.

Not paying attention and missing the fact that it is your turn, or not understanding how your sheet works is similar to an actor forgetting their lines and stopping on stage.

Don’t fudge your dice rolls.

I know. It is tempting. No one can see them and if you got a nat 20 here it would be SO POETIC. But seriously, don’t.

Listen to your DM and try to limit off topic conversations.

Make your voice for your character distinct from your own.

DMs:

Be prepared.

Have your statblocks ready, bring any visual aids you need, have your notes opened, have a compendium of spells available, have an initiative tracker, have enough dice, know what the shape of the session will be.

Don’t bring your sourcebooks.

This seems weird, but it is a recommendation I can’t stress enough. If you have it with you, I guarantee you will flip through it to check rules and such. Don’t.

Practice your timing on certain levels of narration.

Try to figure out some fun ways to add tension through how you narrate.

Watch a LOT of liveplay d&d and study what you like about the dms.

I would recommend Dimension 20, Naddpod, Critical Role, The Adventure Zone, or any other piece of media you can find.