Building Your West Marches Character
There are some slight changes when building a character for a West Marches campaign. Certain feats, spells, and abilities may differ slightly to suit the gritty, exploration based style of the game.
Each player can have up to three characters in existence at any given time. New characters are always built at the lowest level of the tier of the highest level character.
1. Roll Ability Scores
Character ability scores can be generated by roll 4d6 and dropping the lowest or taking a standard array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
All scores must be rolled in Foundry or Discord. You cannot roll on D&D Beyond or in a third-party app.
To roll ability scores on Discord, paste the following into the bot-nonsense channel: !roll 6 4d6d1
You cannot choose to take the standard array after rolling your scores unless your total unmodified ability scores total 59 or less.
Starting scores cannot be higher than 18 in any one score. This is after racial and feat ability modifiers. Ability scores can increase up to 20 from level 4 onwards
You may 'burn' a stat down to increase another at a cost of 2 for 1. For example, you could turn a 17 into a 15 in order to put a +1 to a score elsewhere.
Going 'Down the Line'
Alternatively, a player may wish to challenge themselves with a Down the Line character. To do this, follow the following steps:
1. In the bot-nonsense channel on Discord, tag me and let me know you're rolling.
2. Type the command !roll 6 3d6
3. The abilities generated are your ability scores. They must be used in the order rolled (first is strength, second is dex etc.)
4. You cannot use the Tasha's Custom Lineage feature. This means racial ability modifiers must be placed 'as written'
5. When selection your class, you must meet the minimum multiclass requirement for said class. For example, a fighter needs to have a strength or dexterity of 13.
6. You may take a single feat at 1st level.
2. Select Race
Any race from a licensed Wizards of the Coast book may be used.
Races from third party supplements - even those in the Google Drive - require prior DM approval.
When assigning racial ability modifiers, you may assign these to whatever ability you like, although the +2 and +1 both need to go to different abilities. Characters rolling 'down the line' (see above) cannot use this feature.
A Note on Darkvision
D&D 5e's hard-on for giving everybody darkvision doesn't exactly jive with the old-school feel of a West Marches campaign.
With that in mind, races with darkvision will now have low-light vision (see below), while races with superior darkvision will have darkvision.
Goblins, kobolds, rock gnomes, drow elves, tiefling, dwarves, and other subterranean creatures retain darkvision.
Low Light Vision: A character with low-light vision sees in low light as if it were bright light.
Specific Racial Changes
You can find a working document of racial changes for West Marches here. This document will be updated periodically to include more races.
These changes do not impact characters made using the LevelUp 5e resources.
In addition, those shown below also apply.
- Kobold: Kobold's retain their -2 to Strength, although those using Tasha's Custom Lineage may move this -2 to another score of their choice.
- Lizardfolk: Your Hungry Jaws trait is changed as below:
As a bonus action, or as one of the attacks during your attack action, you can make a bite attack against a creature within 5-feet. If the attack hits, it deals 1d6 + STR piercing damage. If the creature is a humanoid, beast, monstrosity, fey, or aberration, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.
The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level. After you use Hungry Jaws, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest. - Yuan-Ti Pureblood: Your Magic Resistance feature is changed to only provide advantage on saving throws against Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
In addition, your poison immunity is reduced to poison resistance and advantage on saving throws against poison.
3. Select Class
Any class from a licensed Wizards of the Coast product may be used.
Unearthed Arcana and classes from other third party supplements - even those in the Google drive - require prior DM approval.
Multi-classing will be allowed, but the following classes cannot be taken at later levels without a well-established in-game reason: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard.
Bear this in mind when choosing your character class, as trainers for these classes (or opportunities to gain patrons/innate powers) are incredibly rare in the Savage Frontier.
Rangers and Getting Lost
The rangers' Natural Explorer ability has been tweaked somewhat as below:
When you are in the wilderness, you can at any time retrace your steps exactly the way you came, until you return to the Town. Once you return to the Town, this ability resets.
Rogues, Artificers, & Trapfinding
In addition to their thieves' tools proficiency, all rogues also begin with trap-finder's tools proficiency. This set of tools can be used in place of Perception or Investigation when searching for traps or signs up traps, but cannot be used passively.
Artificers may choose trap-finder's tools as their tool proficiency during character creation.
Each rogue begins play with a free set of trap-finder's tools. These tools can be used with either Wisdom, Dexterity, or Intelligence.
All existing rogues may also add trap-finder's tools to their inventory, and may change where their Expertise is placed if they so desire.Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Class Features
The following features from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything are permitted:
- Barbarian - Primal Knowledge
- Barbarian - Instinctive Pounce
- Bard - Additional Bard Spells
- Bard - Magical Inspiration
- Bard - Bardic Versatility
- Cleric - Additional Cleric Spells
- Cleric - Harness Divine Power
- Cleric - Cantrip Versatility
- Cleric - Blessed Strikes
- Druid - Additional Druid Spells
- Druid - Wild Companion
- Druid - Cantrip Versatility
- Fighter - Additional fighting styles
- Fighter - Martial Versatility
- Fighter - Additional manoeuvre options
- Monk - Dedicated Weapon
- Monk - Ki-Fueled Attack
- Monk - Quickened Healing
- Monk - Focused Aim
- Paladin - Additional paladin spells
- Paladin - Additional fighting styles
- Paladin - Harness Divine Power
- Paladin - Martial Versatility
- Ranger - Deft Explorer (always replaces Natural Explorer)
- Ranger - Favored Foe (either this or the Unearthed Arcana Favored Enemy can be used)
- Ranger - Additional ranger spells
- Ranger - Additional fighting styles
- Ranger - Spellcasting focus
- Ranger - Primal Awareness (always replaces Primeval Awareness)
- Ranger - Martial Versatility
- Ranger - Nature's Veil (always replaces Hide in Plain Sight)
- Rogue - Steady Aim
- Sorcerer - Additional sorcerer spells
- Sorcerer - Additional metamagic options
- Sorcerer - Magical Guidance
- Warlock - Additional warlock spells
- Warlock - Pact of the Talisman
- Warlock - Eldritch Versatility
- Wizard - Additional wizard spells
Specific Class & Subclass Changes
- A Battlemaster fighter may change one of its manoeuvres on a long rest.
- All sorcerers may change one of their metamagic options on a long rest.
- The Twilight Domain Twilight Sanctuary feature requires concentration.
- The Peace Domain Emboldening Bond feature requires concentration.
- Sorcerer subclasses gain bonus spells known as below:
Divine Soul Sorcerer
- Level 1: Choose one additional spell from the Divine Magic feature.
- Level 3: Lesser Restoration & Prayer of Healing
- Level 5: Beacon of Hope & Revivify
- Level 7: Aura of Life & Guardian of the Faith
- Level 9: Raise Dead & Summon Celestial
Draconic Bloodline
- Level 1: Absorb Elements & Chromatic Orb
- Level 3: Alter Self & Dragon's Breath
- Level 5: Fear & Incite Greed
- Level 7: Elemental Bane & Leomund's Secret Chest
- Level 9: Summon Draconic Spirit & Geas
Phoenix Sorcerer (UA)
- Level 1: Hellish Rebuke & Searing Smite
- Level 3: Flame Blade & Scorching Ray
- Level 5: Fireball & Revivify
- Level 7: Fire Shield & Wall of Fire
- Level 9: Flame Strike & Immolation
Sea Sorcery (UA)
- Level 1: Armor of Agathys & Create or Destroy Water
- Level 3: Misty Step & Gust of Wind
- Level 5: Thunderstep & Tidal Wave
- Level 7: Control Water & Summon Elemental (Water or Air only)
- Level 9: Cone of Cold & Maelstrom
Shadow Magic
- Level 1: Hex & Cause Fear
- Level 3: Darkness & Silence
- Level 5: Summon Shadowspawn & Fear
- Level 7: Dimension Door & Shadow of Moil
- Level 9: Enervation & Negative Energy Flood
Stone Sorcery (UA)
- Level 1: Earth Tremor & Thunderous Smite
- Level 3: Earth Grasp & Spike Growth
- Level 5: Erupting Earth & Meld into Stone
- Level 7: Stoneskin & Staggering Smite
- Level 9: Transmute Rock & Wall of Stone
Storm Sorcery
- Level 1: Fog Cloud & Thunderwave
- Level 3: Shatter & Gust of Wind
- Level 5: Call Lightning & Fly
- Level 7: Storm Sphere & Conjure Minor Elementals
- Level 9: Control Winds & Destructive Wave
Wild Magic
- Level 1: Chaos Bolt & Color Spray
- Level 3: Blur & Levitate
- Level 5: Blink & Enemies Abound
- Level 7: Confusion & Polymorph
- Level 9: Mislead & Reincarnate
Dual-Class (Gestalt) Characters
We will be experimenting with gestalt/dual class characters in this campaign. As this is experimental, the DM reserves the right to end said experiment if it is proving troublesome, so be forewarned that any dual-class characters are subject to change.
You can read more about creating dual-class characters here.
4. Select Background
Any background from a licensed Wizards of the Coast product may be used.
Unearthed Arcana and classes from other third party supplements - even those in the Google drive - require prior DM approval.
- Acolyte: Skilled or Healer.
- Archaeologist: Dungeon Delver or Skill Expert.
- Archivist: Observant or Skilled.
- Azorius Functionary: Observant or Skill Expert.
- Bandit Defector: Acrobat or Skulker.
- Blacksmith Apprentice: Athlete or Skill Expert.
- Boros Legionnaire: Athlete or any Armor or Weapon feat.
- Charlatan: Actor or Skill Expert.
- City Watch/Investigator: Alert or Observant.
- Clan Crafter: Artificer Initiate or Skill Expert.
- Cloistered Scholar: Linguist or Observant.
- Courtier: Keen Mind or Linguist.
- Criminal/Spy: Dungeon Delver or Skulker (Poison Expert or Skulker for Spy)
- Dimir Operative: Actor or Poison Expert.
- Entertainer: Inspiring Leader or Skilled.
- Exile of the Black City: Eldritch Adept or Shadow Touched.
- Faceless: Eldritch Adept or Shadow Touched.
- Faction Agent: Any feat (requires DM approval)
- Far Traveller: Alert or Keen Mind
- Feylost: Fey Touched or Metamagic Adept.
- Fisher: Chef or Inspiring Leader.
- Folk Hero: Inspiring Leader or Tavern Brawler.
- Forest Dweller: Fey Touched or Keen Mind.
- Gladiator: Actor or Mobile.
- Golgari Agent: Poison Expert or any spellcasting feat.
- Gruul Anarch: Alert or Keen Mind.
- Guild Artisan/Guild Merchant: Artificer Initiate or Skill Expert.
- Haunted One: Alert or Eldritch Adept.
- Hermit: Healer or Keen Mind.
- Inheritor: Alert or Durable
- Izzet Engineer: Artificer initiate or any spellcasting feat.
- Knight/Knight of the Order: Inspiring Leader or any Weapon or Armor feat.
- Last Survivor: Durable or Tough.
- Marine: Mobile or any Armor feat
- Mercenary Veteran: Dungeon Delver or Any Weapon or Armor feat
- Miner: Durable or Tough.
- Nanny: Cook or Healer.
- Neurian Theurge: Shadow Touched or any spellcasting feat.
- Nomad: Alert or Keen Mind.
- Noble: Inspiring Leader or bonus 900 gp starting gold
- Outlander: Alert or Keen Mind.
- Orzhov Representative: Actor or Skill Expert.
- Pirate: Defensive Duelist or Tavern Brawler.
- Prostitute: Actor or Observant.
- Rakdos Cultist: Actor or Eldritch Adept.
- Sage: Keen Mind or Linguist.
- Sailor: Athlete or Keen Mind
- Selesnya Initiate: Healer or any spellcasting feat.
- Shipwright: Durable or Resilient.
- Simic Scientist: Tough or any spellcasting feat.
- Siwali Embalmer: Healer or Shadow Touched.
- Smuggler: Actor or Skulker
- Soldier: Athlete or any Weapon or Armor feat
- Transformed Familiar: Fey Touched or Magic Initiate.
- Urban Bounty Hunter: Mobile or Skulker.
- Urchin: Observant or Skulker
- Uthgardt Tribe Member: Durable or Tough.
- Waterdhavian Noble: Inspiring leader or bonus 900 gp starting gold.
- Witchlight Hand: Fey Touched or Lucky.
- Blade Mastery (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Crossbow Expert
- Crusher
- Dual Wielder
- Duelist (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Flail Mastery (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Great Weapon Master
- Gunner
- Gunslinger (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Knife Master (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Marksman (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Piercer
- Polearm Master
- Power Attack (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Rapid Shot (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Sharpshooter
- Slasher
- Versatile Weapon Master (18 + 1 Feats)
- Weapon Master
- Whip Master (18 + 1 Feats or Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
Armor Feats
- Blocking Expertise (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Heavily Armored
- Heavy Armor Master
- Lightly Armored
- Light Armor Mastery (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Medium Armor Master
- Moderately Armored
- Shield Bash (18 + 1 Feats)
- Shield Brawler (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Shield Master
- Spear and Pike Mastery (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Swordmaster (Martial Arts Feats)
Spellcasting Feats
- Arcane Pioneer (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Arcane Shield (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Artificer Initiate
- Blood Magic (18 + 1 feats)
- Eldritch Adept
- Eldritch Connoisseur (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Elemental Focus (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Enhanced Spellcasting (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Magic Initiate
- Ritual Caster
- Spell Duelist (Wardlow's Feat Compendium)
- Spell Focus (Fifth Edition Feats)
- Spell Sniper
- War Caster
Racial Feats
- Angelic Protection (Aasimar) See notes on magic resistance for other races (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Bountiful Luck (Halfling)
- Dao Heritage (Earth Genasi) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Djinn Heritage (Air Genasi) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Dragon Fear (Dragonborn)
- Dragon Hide (Dragonborn)
- Drow High Magic (Drow Elf or Half-Drow)
- Dwarf Fortitude (Dwarf)
- Efreet Heritage (Fire Genasi) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Elven Accuracy (Elf or Half-Elf)
- Fade Away (Gnome)
- Feline Grace (Tabaxi) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Fey Teleportation (High Elf)
- Firbolg Beast Magic (Firbolg) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Flames of Phlegethos (Tiefling)
- Fortuitous (Halfling)
- Giant Slayer (Dwarf)
- Infernal Constitution (Tiefling)
- Like a Boss (Goblin) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Marid Heritage (Water Genasi) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Master of Mimicry (Kenku) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Mixed Bloodlines (Human)
- Mountain's Endurance (Goliath) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Orcish Fury (Half-Orc)
- Prodigy (Half-Elf, Half-Orc, or Human)
- Razortooth (Half-Orc)
- Second Chance (Halfling)
- Serpent Form (Yuan-Ti Pureblood) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Sky Warden (Aarakocra) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Squat Nimbleness (Dwarf or any small race)
- Steel Soul (Dwarf)
- Tanarukk Blood (Orc) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Tortle Protector (Tortle) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Touch of Sess'inek (Lizardfolk) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Triton Deep Magic (Triton) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Uphold the Legion (Hobgoblin) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Urd Wings (Kobold) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Well Rested (Bugbear) (Expanded Racial Feats)
- Wood Elf Magic (Wood Elf or Half-Wood Elf)
5. Select Alignment & Deity
You must select an alignment at character creation. This is an important decision, as certain spells (such as Protection from Evil & Good) will have an in-game effect based on your alignment.
For religious characters (clerics and paladins) and warlocks, your alignment must be no more than one step from the alignment of your chosen deity/patron.
Clerics and paladins require a deity, while other characters can opt to make note of one.
Evil alignments are not allowed.
6. Equipment
You may start with your choice of character equipment or you may roll for starting wealth.
Equipment outside of starting equipment provided by a character class or background must be purchased from the stock available in Hope.
All players may also start with a trinket of their choosing from the Player's Handbook (pg. 160).
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Additional equipment may be purchased between or during sessions from the inventory listed under Services Available in Hope in the Journal tab.
Any purchases made need to be posted in the most recent Purchases thread. One is always pinned on Roll20.
7. Level
All starting characters begin at level 2.
A player may have up to five characters in the Savage Frontier.
When a character dies, one of two things happens:
- If the character is one of up to three characters at a higher tier, their replacement is rolled at the start of the tier.
- If the character is one of more than three characters at a higher tier, their replacement is rolled at level 2.
For example, if a player has three tier-two characters and one dies, the new character will be rolled at level five. If they have a four tier-two characters, the new character would be made at level one, as they have three other tier two characters.
- Tier 1: 1 - 4
- Tier 2: 5 - 10
- Tier 3: 11 - 15
- Tier 4: 16 - 20
- Tier 5: 20+
Creating New Characters
When you have a character die at a higher tier, the new character must be rolled fresh. You cannot 'bank' a character and immediately advance them to the new level the moment a higher level character dies.
Equipment at Higher Levels
Characters created at higher levels begin play with greater gold to reflect their prior adventuring experience as per the below:
- Level 5-10: Standard starting equipment (or gold) + 500 gold pieces;
- Level 11-15: 5,000 gold pieces + standard starting equipment + 1 uncommon magic item (decided by DM)
- Level 16+: 15,000 gold pieces + standard starting equipment + 1 common magic item (player's choice) + 2 uncommon magic items (decided by DM)
Level Cap
At this stage, characters can advance no higher than 8th level.
At a certain point - attached to an in-game narrative - the level cap will be lifted, changing the entry level for characters to 3 and lifting the cap on character level to 9.
8. Why Are You Here?
Your character should have a reason for being in the Savage Frontier and a reason why they would want to work with others.
Edgy loners will not work in a campaign built around cooperative exploration, nor will characters with no reason to remain indefinitely in these dangerous lands.
Beyond that, be as descriptive with your backstory as you like. While I cannot guarantee I can weave it in (as all action is player driven), I will do my best to weave in elements where I can.
9. Feats & Idle Talents
Feats and flaws will not be used in this game, but feats may be taken in place of an Ability Score Increase starting at level 4.
This is based on your combined level and not your level in any given class.
You can find Daerdan's Class Feats (1 & 2), Feats Don't Fail Me Now, and a variety of other feats online. The Enchiridion of the West Marches also has feats specific to the style of game.
All feat selections require DM approval.
Each character should also select an idle Talent from the Rest for the Weary document in the Google Drive. You receive additional idle talents at level 2 and level 4. As we are using Gritty Realism, these will be vital to ensure you are able to survive the adventuring experience.
Lastly, we will also be using the optional Talents system (as seen in Character Options Talents I, II, and III). Talents are earned at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter. Talents, like feats, require DM approval.
Catch-Up Feats
Characters with combined ability scores of 69 or lower may take both a feat and an ASI when given the choice at 4th level and beyond. This is designed to help catch up the characters who have fallen behind due to bad luck when rolling.
10. Character Art
Character art for tokens can be posted here.
11. Retirement
If you decide you wish to retire a character, you may do so by informing the DM. However, the replacement for this character must start at level one.
You cannot retire a level 5 character and then reroll a fresh level 5.
12. Any Questions?
Ask away!