Character Creation: Difference between revisions
Lycanthropy (talk | contribs) (→Race: changed outdated wording) |
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Please be aware that [[nwn:Drow | drow]] '''do not exist''' on Avlis. The only dark-skinned elves on Avlis | Please be aware that [[nwn:Drow | drow]] '''do not exist''' on Avlis. The only dark-skinned elves on Avlis were [[Elf,Sereg | Sereg'wethrin]] who have gone extinct. | ||
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===[[Sorcerer]] and [[Wizard]]=== | ===[[Sorcerer]] and [[Wizard]]=== | ||
Practitioners of [[Arcane]] magic are usually accepted or tolerated, | Practitioners of [[Arcane]] magic are usually accepted or tolerated, where pay homage to the goddess of mortal magic [[Andrinor|Andria]] and are part of her [[Arcane#Andrinor's Trust |Academy of Mortal Magic]]. | ||
===[[Paladin]]=== | ===[[Paladin]]=== | ||
Latest revision as of 21:32, 6 October 2024
Basics
All of the rules that govern the classes in NWN are the same way on Avlis. The point of the world is to be as all-inclusive as possible so that everyone will have an opportunity to play the kind of character they want. The general rule is that if you want to play it, you can probably manage it on Avlis. There are only a few exceptions to this rule – for example, drow and duergar do not exist on Avlis, and half-demon characters are not allowed.
Restrictions/Considerations for Planning
As many people like to plan out their builds, check this list out to make sure you don't get caught off guard. For anything that requires an unlock, we recommend you start RPing the training as soon as you think you might want the unlock rather than wait until you mechanically qualify. This has many benefits to it RP-wise, but also has system limitations as you cannot bank multiple character levels. See the Level Banking Policy for more information. We want to make sure you're able to plan accordingly, so have compiled a list of items that may greatly impact your ability to plan and progress.
Please note that on Avlis we have the following restrictions:
- Characters cannot save more than 1 skill point per level. (No banking all of your Skill Points). See Skill Point Saving rule for additional info.
- ELC Considerations. Some races have padded levels. Please be sure to check the specific race below for additional info.
- ALL Prestige Classes Require Unlocking
- This includes all Holy Warriors PrCs besides Paladin, which is a Base Class and may be taken at first level during character creation.
- Dual PrC requires Event DM approval to unlock. This is rare so be extremely cautious "planning" for it unless you have pre-approval.
- Advanced Mage Specializations, are a soft-class but may have requirements to be eligible for the AMS. See About AMS forum discussion for more info.
Race
One the biggest decisions you will have in creating a character is choosing what race you want to play. Each race brings with it a distinct cultural attributes, abilities, advantages and disadvantages.
As a player, you can shape whatever history or education you want into your character but choosing a race tends to bring certain permanent attributes to your character. If you play a Halfling for example, you will be of shorter stature to most of the races in NWN. You can be an unusually large Halfling but you still will be seen as a Halfling by the rest of the world. Also consider some races have an irrational dislike of other races. These are things to consider when picking a race.
The particulars of the culture of each race will not be dealt with as each can be subject to interpretation by the player when creating a character. The bonuses and penalties are described as they effect your character in the game. Please review the Cheesing Rules for more information.
Note: No PC can be one of the following:
- Vampire
- Lich
- Jedi
- Sith
- Werehamster
- Your own homebrew race known only to you and your pets
- etc.,
- Ad infinitum...
Please be aware that drow do not exist on Avlis. The only dark-skinned elves on Avlis were Sereg'wethrin who have gone extinct.
As always the common sense rule is: If you have to ask if it's fine, then it probably isn't. If in doubt, refer to the Ask the Team section on the Avlis forums.
Classes
That having been said, there are a few general guidelines for some of the classes:
Fighter
Fighters are good at combat, experts with weapons and combat feats.
Barbarian
Barbarians are powerful and tough wild fighters. They can get themselves into a frenzy and cause massive damage to their opponents.
Rogue
Rogues are experts at many skills, including some stealthy and some mechanical. Rogues also study the body and are able to target critical points and cause great pain.
Bard
Bards are masters of ballads, comedy and tragedy. Through their entertainment they can inspire all manner of emotion.
Druid
Druids are essentially priests of nature. In the older editions of the D&D Player's Handbook (PHB), druids had a very hierarchical structure to their organization. This is possible on Avlis too, but it is not the only norm. Structure depends on alignment. Therefore druidic orders with neutral or lawful alignments will have more order than chaotic druidic orders. Not all gods on Avlis can produce druids. In fact relatively few can. They are: Balgar, Berryn, Cha'reth, Dagath, Dre'Ana, Dru'El, O'Ma, Pelar, Skern, Titania, Verossa, and Yeraiah.
Druidic orders are often not related organizationally to the church of the same god. However, sometimes they work together, like in the case of the Church of O'Ma and O'Ma's druidic order. Sometimes there is tension between the church and its druidic order because they do things a little differently ritualistically and they have concerns in different areas.
Monk
Monks on Avlis are varied. There are a few monk orders attached to gods, like O'Ma again for instance. About half of the monk orders are attached to some natural formation or area, such as a mountain or river, and the remaining quarter of monk orders are simply contemplative - i.e., not attached to anything except existence itself. The orders that follow a deity or a philosophy are the most likely ones to produce adventuring monks. Orders that attach themselves to a formation usually stay within the vicinity, although sometimes their members are sent on vision quests.
Orders that are attached to a god will usually be closely associated with a church if that church is of lawful alignment, much like the Catholic orders of nuns and monks are today as opposed some Zen Buddhist orders.
See also: Monk Orders.
Psion
A psion is the master of mind. Unlike a warrior or thief, a priest or mage, he is not reliant on outside entities, energies or items to pursue his art. His power is from within, and it is his mind that focuses and directs that power. Introspection and mediation, delving into the varied, perhaps fragmented, perhaps dark, corners of his own mind, to discipline and control the subconscious, is the path of the psion. Deeper understanding, greater self discipline and stronger focus unlocks more and more of the power of the mind, allowing the psion to discover a greater range of mental powers. See also: Psionics on Avlis.
Ranger
This class is as described from the rules given for it in the Player’s Handbook, together with some 3.5E powers. However, Rangers on Avlis may not only take a specific race as a hated enemy, but also a specific organization or group, such as the Green Order or the Equalizers of Mikon.
Rangers may choose any god that fits their moral alignment. That is, for example, any good ranger may follow Cha’Reth, O’Ma, or Dru’El. Any neutral ranger may follow Skern, Dagath or Yeraiah, and any evil ranger may follow Verossa.
Unlike Druids, however, Rangers' abilities are not dependent on their faith but on nature at large.
Sorcerer and Wizard
Practitioners of Arcane magic are usually accepted or tolerated, where pay homage to the goddess of mortal magic Andria and are part of her Academy of Mortal Magic.
Paladin
Paladins are the holy warriors of Gorethar, one of the nine major gods of Avlis. Thus one who plays a paladin is automatically a follower of Gorethar.
Cleric
The following is a list of suggested domains in NWN for clerics to take based on the god/goddess they worship. Please note, this is not a list of required domains, only suggestions. No one will be asked to change their domains or remake their character. If a DM sees someone playing a Cleric of Gorethar (or any other Avlis deity) with domains not listed here, they will do nothing about it. The majority of this list was written by Spell Singer, and edited, approved by the Avlis staff. Consider these the officially suggested domains. Detailed information on the deities of Avlis can be found in Culture and Religion.
Note: If you wish to choose a deity please ensure it is from the Avlis pantheon.
- When casting divine spells on Avlis, you must have a valid Avlis deity in your deity field to cast spells above 3rd level. This applies for other divine casting classes, as well as cleric (druid, ranger, paladin and blackguard).
Deities and Recommended Cleric Domains
Backgrounds
Rules regarding PC background can be found here:
Note: Any bizarre background, or any background which does ~not~ fit in with Avlis lore/norms ~must~ be cleared with the team.
Naming Conventions
Rules regarding naming conventions can be found here: PC Names
Note: A common sense rule is that if you have to ask if the name is fine then it probably isn't.
Regarding Elven skintones:
Note: The rule about skintones is a common sense rule. This applies not only to elves but also to most races. If you are unsure of what the acceptable skintones are for your PC race please consult the Avlis wikipedia or follow one of the links above.
If you have a PC with a bizarre colouring, please contact the team and we will arrange to do a rebuild.
New Character Staging
Following Player Character creation, on exiting the Start Area of each Avlis server, the PC will enter a New Character Staging area.
The area features merchants offering weapons, ammunition, armor, shields, helms, hoods, cloaks, various accessories at base prices.
- You can only enter the area once for each new PC.
- All new PCs will have 200 GP on entering the area.
- Free alterations (0 GP) are available for all items.
- You can change your PC height, head model, hair, skin and tattoo colors.
- You can convert your character to a deity and receive holy symbol and robe (plus clerical holy symbol, if applicable).
- All new PCs are given 100 XP on exiting the area.
Accidental leave of the area (eg. clicking on the door exit) is prevented by a scripted text warning. Click a second time to exit.
Note: The staging area is an OOC area. The history of your gear from an IC perspective is up to your imagination. Recall Rule 0.
Other Creation Guides
Join our Official Discord Server and head over to #character-builds for community input, bouncing around concepts, or if you have any questions!
BioWare Character Creation Guide - Internet Archive link.
IGN Walkthrough - Character Creation
FatherMatt's Musings on Character Creation - Internet Archive link.
Character Creation FAQ (BioWare) - Internet Archive link.
To make a new character, I start with: (Avlis Forum Poll and Discussion)