Character Creation

Adventurers of all shapes and sizes

No matter what continent your character hails from in the world of Altoras, we want to make sure you’ve got the resources to build that murder happy Dragonborn or the Orc with a deep passion for baking. Below you’ll find both an Approved and Banned list of content available to you as you’re crafting your next (Or first) Altoras adventurer as well as some setting-specific backgrounds to get those creative juices flowing!

Approved List
Banned List
Altoras Backgrounds

Create - a - Character

Characters exclusively use the 27 point buy system and take average HP when they level up. While creating a new character to play in Altoras you may use all published content from Wizards of the Coast. All Magic the Gathering: Planeshift books with the exception of ‘Guildmasters Guide to Ravinica’, as well as all Unearthed Arcana material may be approved on a case-by-case basis with the following condition:

  • If you are approved to use content that subsequently gets published in an official sourcebook, your character MUST be updated to reflect the changes if any. The previous version of that content is immediately void, no exceptions.

Approved List

If you want to play something that doesn’t appear on this list or on the Banned List, reach out to the team at the DM Help Desk and we’ll approve content on a case-by-case basis. Should your request be approved, we will update this list. In the meantime, The following content is pre-approved for use:

Banned List

  • Spell: Silvery Barbs
  • Spell: Dream of the Blue Veil
  • Feat: Lucky
  • Equipment: All Firearms (No Gunner Feat either)
  • Backgrounds: Strixhaven & Ravinica backgrounds
  • Ebberon: Dragonmarks
  • Book: Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
  • Book: Compendium of Forgotten Secrets
  • Starting with a Dark or Supernatural Gift (you may still get them over the course of play but you wont begin with one at character creation)

From Unearthed Arcana:

  • No Legends of Runeterra content
  • No School of Theurgy Wizard
  • No Oath of Heroism Paladin
  • No Stone Sorcery Bloodline
  • No Class Feature Variants of any kind (This does not affect optional class features from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

The following races are banned:

  • Yuan-ti
  • Satyr
  • Hollow One
  • No races that have an innate fly speed not granted by a limited-use ability (No Aarakocra, no Owlin, no Winged Tieflings, no Avariel, but the Protector Aasimar for example is still allowed)
  • No Warforged (for now!)

The following Classes/Subclasses are banned:

  • Blood Hunter
  • Twilight Cleric
  • Rune Knight Fighter
  • Echo Knight Fighter
  • Gloomstalker Ranger/Assassin Rogue Multiclass
  • (Hexadins) Paladin/Hexblade Warlock Multiclass
  • Coffeelocks (Sorcerer Warlock Multiclass with Flexible Casting/No Sleep/ Greater Restoration cheese to get infinite spell slots)

NOTE: Gloomstalker Rangers, Assassin Rogues, Paladins, Hexblades, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and even multiclassing Sorcerer and Warlock are all still allowed. What is banned is the specific combination of classes and/or abilities listed above.

Ambiguous Rulings:

  • Effects that double a creatures proficiency bonus on a skill check and effects that grant Expertise are the same thing and do not stack with each other.
  • Each creature healed can only benefite from the Life Cleric’s Disciple of Life ability once per casting. This means the ability on spells like Aura of Vitality only trigger once per casting.
  • When Disciple of Life is used with Goodberry only 1 Goodberry gets the additional healing
  • The Peace Cleric’s Emboldening Bond feature no longer stacks with the Bless spell.

Altoras Backgrounds

Being born and raised here means you pick up a thing or two from your home. The following backgrounds are available to choose from in addition to the ones found in the Player’s Handbook and other core material. You can also click on each title to be taken to each background in D&D Beyond. you’ll need to enable homebrew content in character preferences to add them to your character sheet.

Dwarven Glassblower

“It’s barely seen in the light of day – just a single sunbeam shows it’s all there at all, but it will cut as well as any steel blade.”

You are either a dwarf or through long study of their craft have become familiar with their arts. Your reputation for crafting finery, be it glassteel made for weaponry or jewels fit for kings, precedes you. Artist or artisan, you bring forth wonders with your hands.

Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Investigation
Tool Proficieny: Glassblower’s Tools, Jeweler’s Tools
Languages: Dwarvish; One language of your choice
Equipment: Fine Clothers, a purse containing 15 gp, five small examples of your craft, and a set of Jeweler’s tools

Feature: Artisan’s Appraisal
You have advantage on Investigation checks made to evaluate the worth of minerals and objects crafted from them (this includes jewelry, weapons, and practical, household objects), and on History checks regarding their origin and manufacture.

Fearsome Raider

“You feast, while people starve around you?! You and your warriors will learn to live like the rest of us, or you will become food for crows”

You grew up among the Orcs of Cennverai and learned to sail and plunder with the best of them. Notorious for the speed and ferocity of their attacks, the orcs have a love for battle and glory.

Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Perception
Tool Proficieny: Vehicles (water), Navigator’s Tools
Languages: Orcish
Equipment: A pouch with 10 gp, a set of common clothes, 50 feet of hempen rope with a grappling hook, 2 thrown weapons, a leather bound trophy from a kill.

Feature: Bad Reputation
You may roll Intimidation checks using your Strength score in place of Charisma.

Golden Courtier

“I thought I was a knight of the highest skill and grace when I received the royal invitation. I soon learned I was both a weakling and a novice…”

A native of a long-time dignitary of Muhana’s Golden Court, you have balanced the art of courtly graces with the court’s demands for displays of military prowess from all its guests and residents.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Persuasion
Tool Proficieny: None
Languages: Draconic; one language of your choice
Equipment: Fine clothes, a velvet purse containing 25 gp, a trophy from a royal contest, and a letter of recommendation from the Golden Court.

Feature: Regal Flex
You may roll Performance and Persuasion checks using your Athletics modifier when the check involves physical contest or a display of sporting ability.

Master of the Sea

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor!”

You were taught ro sail by the Hobgoblins of Kamiralik, widely known to be the best sailors in the world. They imparted upon you the importance of discipline and the will to explore, and by doing so, to better oneself.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficieny: Vehicles (water), Navigator’s Tools
Languages: None
Equipment: A pouch with 10 gp, a set of common clothes, 50 feet of rope, a compass, a bottle of strong alcohol

Feature: Well-Weathered
Naturally-occuring weather does not impose disadvantage on skill checks or cause you to gain exhaustion.

Quill Training

“Every court in the world has a Quill.”

You have been trained from a young age to infiltrate society and steal information. The Quills are an elven organization of scribes who record the world’s history. Many are also spies, who pass along important information to the elves of Telberec.

Skill Proficiencies: Deception, History
Tool Proficieny: Disguise Kit
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A pouch with 15 gp, a set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, a scroll case with ten rolled sheets of parchment, a quill, an ink bottle
Cantrip: You learn the Message cantrip

Feature: A Quill in Every Court
You can use your reputation to gain access to any noble court in Altoras. You may not be welcome at said court, but you can get inside.

Raised Wild

“It appeared in the trees one night. I thought it was an animal until it spoke.”

You were raised by Halflings in the wilds of Altoras. Your kind shun all of civilization, and are more at hime in the canopy of the forest than in the confines of the city.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Perception
Tool Proficiency: Woodcarver’s Tools
Languages: You gain no additional languages from this background. Instead, you can speak fluently with one type of animal of your choice.
Equipment: A quarterstaff or club, a pouch containing 8 gp, a set of traveler’s clothes, a blanket woven in forest camouflage, and the seeds of the tree you were born in.

Feature: Arboreal Aptitude
You ignore difficult terrain imposed by non-magical plants, and can climb trees using your walking speed.

Root Sea Diplomat

“Are we not all citizens of these resplendent shores?”

Though often found in the human city states around the northern fringes of the Root Sea, many nations send delegations of diplomats to avert war with their neighbors-and sometimes, instigate it.

Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Religion
Tool Proficiency: None
Languages: Any four languages of your choice
Equipment: Fine clothes, a coin purse with 15 gp, 10 sheets of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill, a diary, and the contact details of a local dignitary.

Feature: Addressing the Audience
You have made an art of delivering speeches to a crowd. When addressing a crowd of a dozen or more, you roll Persuasion checks with advantage. Additionally, if you have had at least ten minutes to prepare such a speech, you may instead use your Wisdom or Intelligence for your Persuasion checks instead of Charisma.

Uprising Survivor

“Freedom was never worth it if it wasn’t true for everybody. None of us expected the rest of Altoras to take this slight lying down.”

You have been in Salvation long enough to remember when it was ruled by the Circle of Equals. You either remember that time as the glory days or when Salvations image was more important than its people. Either way, you have a dream of what the city could become in the future and have stuck around to help rebuild it from the ashes.

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, History
Tool Proficiency: Mason’s Tools
Languages: Any two languages of your choice
Equipment: A belt pouch containing 10 gp, a set of Mason’s tools, a set of common clothes, a memento from your former life, a map of Salvation from before the uprising marked with the changes to the city as it’s been rebuilt.

Feature: Locals Know Best
You ignore difficult terrain imposed by crowds or walking through rubble. You have proficiency on any skill check related to navigating through Salvations streets, or expertise if you already have proficiency with that skill. You have advantage on History checks to recall information about Salvations past.