Character Creation Guide

Beholder's Grove is a living community.

Creating a character means inserting yourself into a world that is shared by potentially hundreds of players. While this provides a vibrant place to dive into the medieval-fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons, it also means we have to take special care in curating our rules.

Consistency and structure mean that you can be guaranteed that a character will play the same on any table no matter the GM, and it means that our GMs can rest easy knowing that all characters are on even footing and don't have game-breaking flaws.

To you, a new player, this means that character creation may be a little more limiting than you might be used to. So as you dive into creation, please understand that some parts of the game are locked or altered to bring a sense of balance into the living community. Remember too, that if you ever get stuck or just want someone to talk to, we have a whole team of volunteer moderators who would be happy to help you. Join our Discord server and just ask. We are a friendly community.

Step 1: Read the Rules
The Dungeons and Dragons Basic Rulebook have most of the rules you will need to get started. If you're going to play Dungeons and Dragons, this is where you should start reading. In addition, The Grove has implemented a few custom rules and banned or modified game elements in order to make the community play easier.


 * Player Rules explains changes to game mechanics.

It's okay if you don't read through everything. Part of the rationale of having your character submissions set to review is to let experienced players help newer players create characters that are legal and play well so everyone enjoys the game a little more.

Step 2: Generating a Character
Generating a character in Dungeons and Dragons can be a little overwhelming, but luckily, there are many tools at our disposal. These tools avoid a lot of the simple arithmetic and legality mistakes, so we ask that you use them to create your character. This will also allow successful integration with the bot Avrae which is also linkable to your D&DBeyond Account. This is thus the recommended method of generating a character. Avrae the Discord bot used on the server accepts the following formats for play.


 * D&DBeyond
 * Google Sheets
 * PDF Sheet
 * Dice Cloud

Setting Up D&DBeyond
This is a semi in-depth guide on how to configure your character for use with the D&DBeyond website and Avrae for use within our server. Once you have an account on D&DBeyond you can click one of the links below to join one of our many content shared campaigns. Meaning you will not need to pay for all the sourcebooks to play within The Grove like you would at a regular table.

These campaigns are cleaned out regularly, so if you find you can't add something, simply rejoin the campaign with your character.

Once you have clicked on one of the links above, you will be presented with an option to make a new character provided you are logged into the website.

Once you have started the new character creation, select the standard setup. You will be presented with a selection of toggle options and drop-down boxes. You will need to make sure you have the following options enabled to assist you in making a legal character. These options can be found on the HOME page of your character builder pages.

Sources


 * Homebrew Content - Enabled
 * Critical Role Content - Disabled
 * Playtest Content - Disabled
 * Magic: The Gathering Content - Enabled
 * Eberron Content - Disabled
 * Rick and Morty Content - Disabled
 * Noncore D&D Content - Disabled

Optional Features


 * Optional Class Features - Disabled
 * Customize Your Origin - Enabled

Advancement Type - Milestone

Hit Point Type - Manual

Use Prerequisites


 * Feats - Enabled
 * Multiclass Requirements - Enabled

Encumbrance Type - Variant Encumbrance

Ignore Coin Weight - Disabled

Character Privacy - Public

Getting Started
The best place to start is to follow the guidelines within the Basic Handbook entitled "Part 1: Character Creation" starting on page 8. You can follow this on the D&DBeyond website.

Races
When selecting your race this can seem a bit daunting, especially with all the options available. If you are not sure about what you should go with, look more at the features the particular race will give you. We allow for custom origin of all races to eliminate the need of picking a race for its ability score increases, allowing for more fluidity to a player's desire.

There are however a few banned Race options, so keep this in mind when selecting a Race to play. You can find more details about these changes within Player Rules.

Classes
Classes much like within any game are the flavor of your character and how they will play. Each level players will gain an additional level in their desired class or have the ability to choose another class, which is considered multi-classing. Choosing a class here is more about what you would like to do within the game and realm of The Grove. For instance, if you would like to be skilled with a bow you might opt to take Ranger or Fighter.

Look through the classes, and their subsequent "subclasses" and pick something that would best fit what you desire within combat scenarios. As with Races, however, there are some banned or modified subclasses and features which you can find within Player Rules.

All new characters onto the server will be starting at level 1.

''If you are unhappy with your class choice or build path, later on, we do offer the option to change your character build for an in game cost in gold. But this is very expensive and will mean you must put your character back in for review before you can play with them again.''

Abilities
Within The Grove, we only allow for Standard Array. That is to say that you have six numbers to assign to each attribute before considering bonuses from Racial traits. “Standard array” means that there are no variables in character creation. No randomness, no change. You have 6 numbers that you slot into your character sheet before you add your racial bonuses. The numbers are as follows;

15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8

You can place these numbers wherever you’d like; 15 can go into Strength just as easily as Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You have to use all of these numbers, as well. You cannot intentionally lower the stats, even if it would work better for your character. These numbers represent your effective innate ability within a given trait and can be roughly translated into english.

Character Health
Here in The Grove we do something very different for health. All characters will have 5HP for each point of CONSTITUTION they have, then they add their CON Score. So a Character with 10 CON score will have 60 Maximum Hit Points ((5x10)+10). If your Constitution score increased, so to would your health score.

For purposes of tracking the 5 hitpoints per point would be considered your "rolled health".

Description
Similar to Races, when you get to this option it can seem a little overwhelming due to the sheer amount of options available to you. But as with Races, look primarily at the features each background feature has to offer. Even if it does not match the world exactly, these features are used and modified to work within the server. Once you have selected a background feature. Simply add the background to your sheet, and proceed to your equipment. This will allow the Equipment section to operate correctly.

''If you are unhappy with the skills, languages, or proficiencies given by the background. You can come back after Equipment has been added and changed to a custom background, which will allow you to pick your own with the feature of the background you desire.''

Equipment
On The Grove, we use Standard Equipment as your starting gear. This means that equipment will be based on your starting base class, and background. Players can feel free to roll for trinkets if they so wish, but these will always hold no value within the game. They are purely for roleplay aesthetics.

For those that are using custom background, it is advised to get your equipment from the original background before choosing your custom background with the background feature you have chosen.

This will likely encumber a lot of players, but do not worry. It is assumed when combat starts that characters drop their backpacks in combat, and there are storage options available within the server.

Rule of Cool
The Grove uses 5th Edition as a backing to bring structure to the chaotic environment that is roleplaying. But if you wish to modify the appearance of a race because thematically it fits your character's abilities better, but have them look like a completely different creature, this is fine. Same as you can always roleplay a Longsword as a Katana for the purposes of roleplay. Functionally so long as the ability exists on your sheet, or the item exists you are free to roleplay said item in any way you see fit within the scope of the rules.

Pre-Review Checklist
Before you can actually sign up for a game or roleplay your character, you will need to get your character reviewed and approved by a member of the moderation team. Please remember that these members are human beings and volunteers. They are doing this to help the community, so please be polite and patient. If you want the review to go quicker, the best thing to do is ensure that you've done your part in getting the character ready. The most common reason for a delay in a review is that the character sheet isn't available for public viewing.


 * I've created a character within D&DBeyond or other methods
 * My Character is set to PUBLIC access
 * My Ability Scores are clearly defined and filled in
 * I have added all the necessary equipment and checked them to make sure they are within my attacks.
 * I have filled out my background options completely

All set? Let's submit your character for review.

Uploading To Avrae
In order to play, you will need to add the character to Avrae within the server. For this, you will need a link to your character sheet from D&D beyond and have the character set to public. It is advised to keep all your potential weapons on your character equipped so Avrae can see the full list of possible attacks while in play.

This link is the share link generated by the website. You will need to then go to one of our command channels and input the command for importing a character.

!beyond ddb.ac/characters/#######/######

Avrae will direct you on what to do if the address or the character has issues.

Create A Patrons Page
The Grove has a character listing which will act as a small catalogue of Player Characters who are either in the server or have been within the server and is the primary mechanism for exchanging information on the character who populates our living world. It gives DMs a sense of who they are running with and players a closer connection to their fellow adventurers. It represents an important part of what The Grove is.

As a result, all PCs on The Grove must have a wiki pages for their character. We ask that you limit the creation of pages for your characters that have been approved on the server instead of ideas that you wish to bring into the server, and follow the format shown in the Character Template so that it's easier for members of the community to find what they're looking for when reading the many different characters' posts. It's alright if you don't have everything filled out right away, you can add to it and modify the post as many times as you wish.

If you need help with this, our World Builders and Staff members would be happy to assist. But otherwise you can check out our brief guide on how to edit the wiki.

Character Review
The Grove requires that every character be approved by a member of the staff team. This serves two purposes. First, it will guarantee to DM's and other players that the characters they meet and interact with on a table are all playing by the same rules.

Broken or invalid characters means problems for everyone. Secondly, it gives players a second pair of eyes on their characters. This can be useful for new and old players alike. Nobody likes being surprised by an accidental oversight in their character or a misunderstood mechanic, and character reviews catch most of these before they bite back.

Posting a Review
To submit a character for review, you'll need to create a post on The Grove's Character Submission channel here: Character Submission Channel

When you post the link, you must include the following info clearly: Adventurer name, Beyond or GSheets or Dicecloud, Class and Background. The order doesn't matter but these must be within the post.

"If this is your first character, it is helpful to add [First Character] at the start of the post, so we know to prioritise you."

After you have submitted your character for review, a member of the staff team will volunteer to review it. The status will usually be marked with an hourglass ⏳ reaction indicating that it is being reviewed, and then to a check ✅ when it is accepted.

Handling your Review
Please be patient. We all know the anticipation and excitement that comes while waiting for a character to be approved for play. You want to get out there and play with friends and meet people within the realm, and we want you out there. But remember, the staff are volunteers and real people with their own lives. If you want your character approved faster, the best thing you can do is respond promptly to any questions asked to you directly by a member of The Grove team. Remember that this is a two-way street too. If you have questions, concerns, or just want to try and improve your character further, it's okay to ask your reviewer for help.

The reviewer conducting your character review may ask you to make changes to correct illegalities on your sheet. These must be corrected before your character will be approved. If you have concerns or difficulties, talk to your reviewer. Often times they can help you fix them in a way that suits your goals.

You may be given recommendations on how to make your character better fit the realm. You are not required to make these changes, but our staff are here to help you. Generally, they are trying to help make your character play better on a table. Again, if you have questions or feel a recommendation isn't quite right for your character, talk to them. There's usually a variety of ways to make something better.

Approval for Play
Your character is not approved for play until a reviewer says so. This is important. If you submit the character, receive a review and make changes, you still need to let your reviewer approve it. This is to make sure, for instance, that one illegality isn't traded for another. A second look at the sheet usually takes far less time than the first, as most of the ground has been covered and the reviewer is familiar with the character. It isn't unusual to go back and forth several times to refine a character.

After you and your reviewer are both satisfied with your character, they will approve your character for play.

Tracking Your Progress
Congratulations! Your character is ready to go!

Update your character sheets
It's useful to keep your sheet at the same address and to update it. As you make changes on your sheet, adding rewards from adventures or purchases made with your hard-earned coins, you will need to alert Avrae of the changes. You can do this by using the command !update within any of our command channels.

''Note: You may want to save a copy of the character sheet that was approved for play. Sometimes this comes in handy later, especially if you decide that you want to resubmit the character.''

Storing Equipment
After your character has been approved, you are able to roleplay within any channel that is dedicated to roleplaying. Part of this is likely obtaining a place to stay within the realm while you do not have your own personal home. The inn provides all players with a storage space of 500lbs that they can use freely. It is recommended that you make sure to manage this separate to your character sheet, perhaps in a Google Sheets document with a link on your character page to view in case of conflicts arising.

Make a Roll20 account
Many DM's use the virtual tabletop site Roll 20 for their games. Ultimately, whether a game uses it or not is up to the DM, but if you apply for a game that uses it, you should either have an account before the game starts or let the DM know that you are unable to use it. Some DMs may choose to make special arrangements so that you can play, but they are by no means required to do so.

To make an account, visit this page and click on Create an Account.

Applying for Quests
In the in-character world, adventurers are hired-hands who make their living by completing dangerous jobs. The Grove is a loosely-knit organization of like minded adventurers who have banded together to take on tasks they might not otherwise get. These quests are collected and tracked on The Grove's host. In the out-of-character world, this job board is represented by a few channels within the server under the "Quests and Jobs" category.

When an adventurer sees a quest they want, they simply offer their name up. The person or organisation offering the job selects a team they feel is suited for the quest and invites them for a meet. Out of character, this all plays out on the general chat or via direct messages. When you see an open job (marked with the tag [open]) that fits your schedule, you sign your character up by responding to the quest directly. Normally, a DM may ask for information about your character or your character's response when they post the job.

When you sign up for a quest, please read the quest carefully, and make sure to respond to any DM requests.

At some point before the game starts (some DM's prefer lots of lead time, others less), the DM will select a team of adventurer's that signed up and respond to them to let them know they have been accepted. Sometimes you get picked, sometimes you don't. This is normal. Not everyone can go on an adventure, and ultimately it's the DM's call on who should go. There's plenty of tasks for a budding adventurer.

Quest Star System
The Grove uses a star based system to group players together for quests. This is so that players within a similar range of power can feel like they still contribute to the fight.

If you are accepting a quest, please make sure that the star rating system is displayed, and select according to your character level. While you can join higher star quests, Dungeon Masters will likely reject you if you fall too far from the star rating base level.


 * ✭☆☆☆☆ - Designed for players between levels 1 - 4.
 * ✭✭☆☆☆ - Designed for players between levels 5 - 8.
 * ✭✭✭☆☆ - Designed for players between levels 9 - 12.
 * ✭✭✭✭☆ - Designed for players between levels 13 - 15.
 * ✭✭✭✭✭ - Designed for players between levels 16+.

Pre Game Checks
If you're part of the team chosen for a quest, great! Before you step out into the field, there's a couple of things you can do as a courtesy to the DM and your fellow players.


 * Make sure you're in Discord on time. This is common table etiquette. If you are just waking up, make sure you have an alarm. Don't be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.
 * If an emergency comes up that will make you late or miss the game, do try to let either the DM or another player know. The best way is to ping in discord in the #general-conversation channel. There are always times where real life takes you by surprise. If a player on your table doesn't show for a run, be understanding - the next time it might be you. We're all in this together.
 * Make sure you have whatever notepads or resources you want ready before the game starts. If you want to contribute to an After-Action Report (a recap of the quest to share the story with other players), take notes!
 * Finally, when you get in to the discord channel, for voice games it can't hurt to make sure your microphone is ready and working. Say hi and check.

Understanding Avrae Commands
Avrae is a very diverse bot that we use throughout our server that integrates directly into D&D Beyond. It can be a little hard for newer members to navigate all the "Dream Destroyer's" commands. Thankfully the Avrae team has provided players with a simple cheat sheet that covers the absolute basics to play.

Additionally, common commands that will come are below:


 * !check  - This is used to roll any skill checks, for instance !c survival will roll a survival based check.
 * !save  - This is used when a save of any kind is called. Dexterity save would be !s Dex for instance.
 * !g lr - This is used after all encounters, this is to follow a house rule within the server to aid the players.
 * !exhaust <#> - This is used to track and update exhaustion tokens on a character.
 * !lr / sr - These are used once per day to enact long and short rests that affect the character's exhaustion and warlock spell slots.
 * !xp - Used to keep track of experience gained within the server to save you jumping back to D&DBeyond to keep track of Experience.
 * !coins - Similarly used to keep track of coins, to save players jumping back to D&D Beyond for coin management.
 * !deathreset - When you get at least 1 hitpoint after making deathsaves, you will need to run this command to reset the death counters.

There are many other commands to be found within the server, but these are just the basics to get you started.

Roleplaying in and outside Games
Once your character is approved, you may participate in any of the in-character chat rooms on discord. Roleplaying is also usually encouraged during quests.

Roleplaying is built around trust and a common goal of having fun with the game. Please read up our Community Expectations and Roleplaying Rules and follow them to the best of your ability to ensure an enjoyable experience for you and your fellow adventurers. If something goes horribly wrong, let someone know. You can talk to any one of the Moderation staff on Discord or submit a Community Integrity Feedback form.

For newer players to D&D 5th, or even D&D in general there is a very handy cheat sheet that will show you just how many options you truly have in combat.

You're part of this community now. Let's have some fun.