At the heart of any good campaign are the heroes whose deeds become things of legend. When building new characters for a campaign in The Kyngdoms, we suggest you read the following guidelines to help you produce characters in keeping with the concepts and flavor of the setting. The following guide is here only as a preview and links are provided to more detailed explanations as required.

Action Points: In The Kyngdoms, heroes are the stuff of legends, whose tales and deeds are sung of and their stories told by the greatest bards in the land. To underline this sense of the heroic, all characters in The Kyngdoms begin life with action points, which they can use when a moment of inspiration is required, or when a great deed must be done. All 1st level characters start out with 5 action points. For a full outline of the action point system, see the section on Action Points.

Character Traits: From birth and throughout life, an individual's personality is distinct and unique, a complex mosaic of good and bad traits. For some, these traits are the very motivation for their great deeds, as they dare to prove their worth to themselves or are driven by a sense of doubt or greatness that is inherent to them. In The Kyngdoms, all characters begin life with a number of character traits, which will have a minor impact on them in one way or another, bringing a new dimension of characterization and roleplaying to your campaign. For a full outline of the Character Traits system, see the section on Character Traits.

Region of Birth: Even great heroes cannot escape their history and many are actively driven by it. From the humblest of surroundings, to the greatest palaces, all characters must be born somewhere. The place of their birth will have a great bearing on them, for it will dictate their mother tongue and, usually, the deity they will follow. Players should be free to choose the locality of their characters birth, but it should be in keeping with the general area of your campaign. In most cases, this is likely to be Karnish, whose language, culture and religion will offer most flexibility when traveling to foreign lands.

Languages: In The Kyngdoms, different nations speak different languages and no single tongue is common to them all. It is highly likely that there will be times in an adventurers career when she will found herself unable to easily communicate with those around her and, in certain circumstances, her language of birth may make a pariah of her. Every character starts life with at least 1 language, which will normally be the mother tongue of their nation of birth. However, Karnish is widely spoken, so it is possible that some characters will speak Karnish, even if they were not born there. For a full list of the different national languages, see the Languages section. All other languages, such as racial languages and those learnt through the Speak Language skill, are unaffected.

Reputation: From the humblest of beginnings emerge the greatest of heroes. Some seek to be great within their own community, while others seek greater and wider recognition. And for many, fame comes as an undesired byproduct of their renown. Reputation plays an important role in how people interact with each other in The Kyngdoms. Sometimes, reputation can open doors that would otherwise remain closed - sometimes, it is the reason why the doors are never opened. Every character in a Kyngdoms campaign will have a Reputation that will grow and change as they grow and change. Sometimes characters will go to efforts to hide their reputation, while at other times they will use it to gain favor. For a full outline of the Reputation system, see the section on Reputation.

Deities: The Aslah, as the gods are otherwise known, have played a seminal role in shaping both the nature and history of Arrasia. Not only are they the creators of all the beasts that walk there (and everywhere), they have all too often interfered in the affairs of mortals for their own end. As such, the mortal races hold the Aslah in great esteem, whether good or bad, and many look to them as guides and protectors.

Excluding clerics, no character is required to follow a particular religion or be restricted to a single deity, though most will follow the path of the religion that is most common to their place of birth. Indeed, it is common for people to follow many, as their needs require. Clerics, on the other hand, have no such freedom, as they are representatives and vassals of their chosen master. In The Kyngdoms, all clerics must serve one deity alone. A godless cleric losses access to all spells, domains and special abilities. Clerics are born to serve and serve they must. See the section on Religion for more details on the Aslah and religion in The Kyngdoms.

Background: Players are encouraged to explore and expand upon the richness and depth of The Kyngdoms when building their own character backgrounds, from which good and consistent roleplay can emerge. We offer no hard and fast rules, as the scope of possibility is way beyond the scope of this website. Explore the maps, histories and adventures for ideas and create three-dimensional heroes whose exploits will become known throughout the nations and peoples of Arrasia. Feel free to explore and share your ideas on the Messageboards.