Introduction to Gygaxian Character Creation

The game begins with character creation. The most important part of your character is the idea — the central concept behind him which makes him fun to play. To come up with a character concept, you don't need to mess with experience points or numbers; just use your imagination. This section is dedicated to helping you generate interesting character concepts.

Your character may be as generic or as colorful as you like, but it's impossible not to be a member of a race. The eight common player-character races in Gygaxia and brief highly sterotypical descriptions of them follow:

• Dwarves: Gruff, bearded mechanics with long memories, a constant urge to mine, and a way of waving an axe which makes most other races nervous.

• Elves: A tall race of lighthearted lovers and merrymakers who are alsosometimes paradoxically aloof.

• Hobbits: Short, fuzzy-footed creatures with a love of the domestic and a tendency to indulge, hobbits are excellent scouts and trackers, though they are sometimes dismissed as thieves.

• Humans: A populous and highly adaptable species with a great deal of diversity, humans are a good choice for the starting player who probably is one.

• Orcs: A greenish race of violent (yet potentially whimsical) people who are, to put it nicely, very much “in touch” with their negative emotions.

• Sprites: Small, mischievous winged beings with a tendency to take things lightly and play practical jokes.

• Dryads: Treelike beings who are normally stoic and rational, but fearsome or at least highly emotional when roused.

• Trolls: Large beings with great strength and will coupled with the intelligence of children.

More detailed information about the races can be found in the chapter on Race.

The race you choose will affect some of your abilities. Use the multipliers in the following chart to determine your Attributes, as described in Story Arc.

Gygaxia Racial Multipliers Chart

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