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CONSTRUCTING YOUR CHARACTER: STAT ROLLING, ALIGNMENT, AGE, HIT POINTS, AND SAVING THROWS

Contrary to what you might have heard about AD&D amidst the OSR games, it does not require "3d6 in order" to be rolled for stats. Consulting the Dungeon Masters Guide, we see that suggested methods are much more forgiving for creating a character in AD&D, as they are expected to be somewhat above average in at least some of their stats.

Rolling Methods from the Dungeon Master Guide (DMG):

1. Method I: All scores are recorded and arranged in the order the player desires. 4d6 are rolled, and the lowest die (or one of the lower) is discarded.
2. Method II: All scores are recorded and arranged as in Method I. 3d6 are rolled 12 times and the highest 6 scores are retained.
3. Method III: Scores rolled are according to each ability category, in order, STRENGTH, INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, DEXTERITY, CONSTITUTION, CHARISMA. 3d6 are rolled 6 times for each ability, and the highest score in each category is retained for that category.
4. Method IV: 3d6 are rolled sufficient times to generate the 6 ability scores, in order, for 12 characters, The player then selects the single set of scores which he or she finds most desirable and these scores are noted on the character record sheet.

Design a character for a specific class

• Your DM will have methods to generate specific classes of higher level than 1st should you need them. Method II or Method III might be used, rather than Method I.
• Typically, these characters might be created for a one-shot adventure of higher level than your characters in the primary campaign.

Creating a Player Character with the Stats You Rolled

Alignment
This can be thought of as your outlook on Life, the Universe, and Everything.  Your alignment may limit what character classs you can choose. Alignment is made up of two parts: Ethics (Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic) and Morality (Good, Neutral, Evil). Some characters, such as paladins, cannot or will not adventure with Evil NPCs and may only adventure with Neutral ones on a singular quest. The nine alignments are shown below:

• Lawful Good: Good deeds are paramount, and obedience to a heirarchy of beneficial laws is the best way to accomplish this goal.
• Neutral Good: Good deeds are paramount, and balancing of law and order with personal freedom is the way to achieve the goal.
• Chaotic Good: Good deeds are paramount, and maximizing personal freedom and choice is the best way to achieve the goal.
• Lawful Neutral: Good and Evil are less important than obdience to law & order.
• True Neutral: Good and Evil are sides of the same coin, as are law & order versus personal freedom. Life is balance in all things.
• Chaotic Neutral: Good and Evil are not considerations, unless they restrict maximum personal freedom. Then they are both Evil.
• Lawful Evil: The strong make up the heierarchy of laws and use it for their benefit against the weak, who should learn their place and be content with it.
• Neutral Evil: Maximizing power is all there is, whether through law or through freedom, and those who stand in the way should be crushed.
• Chaotic Evil: Others exist as playthings for those who wish to dominate them, and nothing should stand in the way of that.

Once your Player Character has Stats and a Class, determine age and alignment of your character, then adjust stats as needed.

Character Age and Alignment for Humans

Age Categories

Determine your Character's Hit Points
Roll the following die (or dice) for your character after you have chosen his class.

• Cleric: d8 hp per level
• Fighter: d10 hp per level
• Magic User: d4 hp per level
• Thief: d6 hp per level

Determine Saving Throws
Saving Throws are primarily used for exceptional attacks directed against characters and monsters. These dice rolls represent the characters' and monsters' uncanny abilities to evade or withstand harm due to various threats.

Difference Between Saving Throws and Ability Checks

• Saving Throws are official rules within the AD&D system that give a character or monster the ability to evade harm from some external effects
• Ability Checks are primarily implied rules that will likely need to be made into various rulings by your DM. These checks give the characters' or monsters' a chance to accomplish a task based on their innate abilities.
• In the case of PCs and NPCs, that would be their six Ability Scores determined at the time of creation of the character.

Rolling the Checks
For Saving Throw checks, roll a d20, add any applicable bonuses to the ROLL, then compare that modified roll to the Saving Throw value for your character.  A modified roll that is EQUAL OR ABOVE the stated value for your Saving Throw is successful.
For Ability Checks, add any applicable modifiers to the ABILITY SCORE, then roll a d20.  If the roll is EQUAL OR BELOW the modified Ability Score, then that check is successful.

Chose a Name for Your Character

You can make up a name, choose a name from a favorite book or video, or use a name generator to help you, such as this one.

What is Your Character's Background?

• Character background is something that is developed primarily during the AD&D game, not prior to it.
• You get one (1) sentence of no more than twenty-five (25) words per level of character to describe your character's background.