This is for creating a AD&D 2nd Edition Character with Neal's Homebrew Rules. These rules are not for 5th Edition D&D.
This page will take you though the process of creating a character. You can download a 2.Neal character sheet here. Please download and open the PDF separately, or you may lose your entries.
Step 1: Ability Scores[]
The first thing you need is a set of Ability Scores, known as Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma and Perception. These range from 3 to 18.
There are various methods of rolling for the stats
- Average: 3d6, arrange as desired
- Heroic: 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired
- Point Buy System: Neal's Point Buy System - 7 stat version.
Step 2: Race[]
| Race | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Per | Racial Adjust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | 8/18 | 3/17 | 11/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/17 | 3/18 | Con +1, Cha –1 |
| Elf | 3/18 | 6/18 | 7/18 | 8/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | Dex +1, Con –1 |
| Gnome | 6/18 | 3/18 | 8/18 | 6/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | Int +1, Wis –1 |
| Half-elf | 3/18 | 6/18 | 6/18 | 4/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | No adjustments |
| Halfling | 7/18* | 7/18 | 10/18 | 6/18 | 3/17 | 3/18 | 3/18 | Dex +1, Str –1 |
| Human | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 3/18 | No adjustments |
- * Halfling Fighters cannot possess exceptional Strength scores.
Consult the Autostater or the Ability Scores Pages (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, & Perception) to record the various bonuses and penalties the character receives for having particularly high or low scores.
When creating a character, their Ability Scores have to fit inside the Ability Scores Limits of their race. If there are any ageing effects on the character, they also have to fit inside the Ability Scores Limits of their race.
The Racial Adjust is applied after the check is made and bring Ability Scores outside of the Ability Scores Racial Limits. The adjustments can also raise a score to 19 or lower it to 2. Strength however is limited to 18/100 exceptional strength and not allowed to reach 19. Exceptional strength is 18/01 to 18/100, as listed on the Strength page.
Consult the racial pages for the special racial abilities and to determine starting age, size and weight.
Roll a d10 for handedness. On a 9 the character is left handed. On a 10, the character is ambidextrous.
Aging Effects
Rather than age affecting specific physical or mental stats, the player may choose where place their bonuses and penalties:
- 1st level of aging (Middle): Players take a total penalty of 2 to their physical stats, and gain a bonus of 1 to their mental stats.
- 2nd level of aging (Old): Players take 5 more penalties to physical stats, and gain another 1 bonus to mental.
- 3rd level of aging (Venerable): Players take another 3 penalties to physical stats, and gain another bonus of 2 to mental stats.
See racial pages for each race's age categories.
Step 3: Class[]
Select a class that is available to your character's race. The below table gives the Racial Level Limits for classes:
| Race | Fighter | Paladin | Ranger | Thief | Bard | Cleric | Druid | Wizard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | 15 | X | X | 12 | X | 10 | X | X |
| Elf | 12 | X | 15 | 12 | X** | 12 | X | 15 |
| Gnome | 11 | X | X | 13 | X | 9 | X | 15 |
| Half-Elf | 14 | X | 16 | 12 | U | 14 | 9 | 12 |
| Halfling | 9 | X | X | 15 | X | 8 | X | X*** |
| Human | U | U | U | U | U | U | U | U |
- U - Unlimited class advancement for characters of those races.
- X - Not available.
- * - Player characters with less than exceptional prime requisites cannot advance beyond the listed level.
- ** - Elven Bards have appeared a few times.
- *** - Halfling Wizards have appeared a few times
Read the class description and record special class abilities and restrictions.
- Warrior - Fighter, Ranger, Paladin, Berserker
- Wizard - Mage, Specialist Wizard, Wizard Rebuild
- Priest - Cleric, Druid
- Rogue - Thief, Bard, Thief Rebuild
- Warriors
- If your character is a fighter, paladin, ranger, or berserker (and is not a Goblin, Halfling, or Kobold), and has a Strength score of 18, roll d100 to determine exceptional Strength. If your character is a rangers, they are automatically ambidextrous.
- Wizards
- If your character is a Wizard, consult the Autostater or Intelligence Ability Score Page and record their maximum spell level, chance to learn spells, and maximum number of spells per level. Ask your DM what spells the character knows.
- Typically a wizard would use spell slots to cast spells. The wizard would memorise the spells in advance. If using the optional Mana rule, the wizard will start with Mana Points equal to their willpower score, and gain 1dWillpower [1dW] up each level they again.
- Clerics
- If your character is a cleric, consult the Autostater or Wisdom Ability Score Page and record bonus spells and their chance of spell failure.
- Spell lists are determined by the God chosen to worship. The spells each god has can be found listed here by deity: https://regalgoblins.com/spells.php
- Clerics use a resource called spell slots to cast spells.
- Rogue
- If your character is a Thief, record their base thieving skill scores from Table 26. Modify these scores according to Tables 27 and Tables 28. Then distribute 60 points between those abilities, assigning no more than 30 points to any one score.
- If your character is a Thief Rebuild, record their base thieving skill scores from the table here.
- If your character is a Bard, note their thief abilities from Tables 33. Modify these percentages according to Tables 27 and Tables 28. Then distribute 20 points between these abilities.
Step 4: Bonus to Hit[]
THAC0 is removed. In its place, characters gain a bonus to hit (based on their THAC0 difference from 20).
Consult the below table for current Bonus to Hit:
Level
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Cleric | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Rogue | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Fighter | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Wizard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Step 5: Record Saving Throws[]
Consult Table 60 (or the Autostater) to determine the base saving throws for your character.
Step 6: Roll Hit Points[]
Roll the appropriate hit die for your character. If the character is multi-classed, roll all applicable hit dice and average the results.
- Warriors (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, & Berserker) 1d10
- Priests (Cleric & Druids) 1d8
- Rogues (Thief, Bard, & Thief Rebuild) 1d8
- Wizards (Mages, Specialist Wizard, Illusionists, & Wizard Rebuild) 1d6
If you are building a character using Player's Option: Skills and Power, you roll the HP from that book and not from this list.
Step 7: Record Base Movement[]
| Race | Movement |
|---|---|
| Dwarf | 6 |
| Elf | 12 |
| Halfling | 6 |
| Human | 12 |
| Gnome | 6 |
| Half-Elf | 12 |
Fine the character's base movement rate on the table or race page and record it.
Also record the encumbrance categories from Character Encumbrance Table and modified movement rates and combat abilities.
Step 8: Select Languages & Proficiencies[]
Consult the below table to determine the character's weapon and non-weapon proficiency slots:
Weapon
Proficiencies |
Non-Weapon
Proficiencies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Initial | #Levels | Penalty | Initial | #Levels |
| Cleric | 2 | 4 | -3 | 4 | 3 |
| Rogue | 2 | 4 | -3 | 3 | 4 |
| Fighter | 4 | 3 | -2 | 3 | 3 |
| Wizard | 1 | 6 | -5 | 4 | 3 |
How to Read Table 34:
- "Initial" is how may "Proficiency Slots" you get at character creation.
- "#Levels" is how often you get another Proficiency Slot.
- "Penalty" is the penalty to using a weapon you don't know how to use. For Fighters using a weapon foreign to them, they get a -2 modifier on their roll to hit. For a wizard a foreign weapon would be -5 modifier to their roll to it.
Languages[]
- Intelligence 2 to 8 = 1 Language Slot
- Intelligence 9 to 11 = 2 Language Slots
- Intelligence 12 to 13 = 3 Language Slots
- Intelligence 14 to 15 = 4 Language Slots
- Intelligence 16 = 5 Language Slots
- Intelligence 17 = 6 Language Slots
- Intelligence 18 = 7 Language Slots
Choose languages from the Language List. Unspent Slots can be used for Non-Weapon Proficiencies Slots (Fighters, paladins, rangers, and berserker may apply their bonus language slots Weapon Proficiency or Non-Weapon Proficiency Slots).
Demi-human characters who are allowed to learn extra languages still have to spend slots learning these tongues before spending any on proficiencies.
Weapon Proficiencies[]
Select weapon proficiencies. If the character is a fighter, you may select a weapon specialization.
See weapon proficiencies list.
- In 2-Neal, Bows cost 2 Weapon Proficiencies Slots to become proficient.
- In 2-Neal, Crossbows do not require a Proficiencies Slots, everyone is proficient as a baseline.
- In 2-Neal, Ambidexterity can be purchased for 1 slot by fighters or thieves. This is the exact same rule from Player's Option: Combat & Tactics.
Non-Weapon Proficiencies[]
Select non-weapon proficiencies. Record their relevant abilities and check modifiers.
Koibu's list of Non-Weapon Proficiencies | Proficiency Descriptions
- In 2-Neal, each extra slots spent on a non-weapon proficiency adds +3 to that skill
(To make a proficiency check, one rolls a d20 and adds the related skill. A 21 is needed for success. Opposed rolls are won by the highest roll (as long as one is a success)
Step 9: Equip Your Character[]
Consult the follow table to determine your character's starting funds.
Starting Funds
| |
|---|---|
| Cleric* | 3d6 × 10 gp |
| Rogue | 2d6 × 10 gp |
| Fighter | 5d4 × 10 gp |
| Wizard | (1d4+1) × 10 gp |
For 2.Neal, The cost of items is on the Economics Spreadsheet
Consult the spreadsheet to determine your character's armor class rating. Modify this base AC by their defensive adjustment. Record the weight, size, damage, rate of fire, and range information for each weapon carried. Include type and speed factors if those optional rules are in play.
See Character Encumbrance Table to see movement rate of gear held.
- * -Cleric characters can use their money only to purchase equipment and goods. Once all purchases are made, the cleric character must return all but two or three of his remaining gold pieces to his superiors (since his equipment is supplied by his organization). Clerics cannot lend any of their initial funds to other characters.
Step 10: Choosing Spells[]
- Clerics in the Arcadia Setting get a spell list determined by which god they worship, as listed here: https://regalgoblins.com/spells.php
- Wizards starting at level 1 get Read Magic, Detect Magic. Then they either get 3 spells, or roll spell learning chance on 5 spells. The spells have to be of those allowed by the wizard's specialisation, if they have one.
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