Making a Character:

Characters start at level 0 (-500 xp)

1. Pick a race from the available list.
2. You can roll stats 3d6 in any order, or 4d6 drop lowest in order.  If your stat bonuses of all your stats total a negative number, reroll stats.
3. Pick a background from the background list (See below).  You can either use backgrounds from the Player's Handbook or from the 5e Backgrounds document.  All characters start with the equipment and 15 gp from their background, plus 3d6 additional gp.  Roll 1 trinket on the trinket table.
4. Starting HP is d6 (+con).
5. No starting alignment is required.
6. Proficiency Bonus is +1 for 0-level characters.

Available Races:

Halfling: Both Stout and Tallfellow Halflings are common in the Empire, and are frequently members of both the middle and lower-classes.

Human (no optional humans with feats):  Humans are the most common race in the Empire, and most Rhywick are of medium height, with blond or brown hair, deeply tanned skin and flat features.

Half-Elf: Elding (Half-elves in the Empire are considered to be the equivalent of minor nobility, and are respected as being descended from the ancient Eld.  Their long lifespans make their noble clans wealthy, and they tend to hold positions as priests, bureaucrats or lawyers).

Half-Orc: Eastron  (Half-orcs in the Empire are mostly immigrants or refugees from the eastern colonies which were ravaged by wars with the Orcish hordes.  They are almost all the lowest class of the Empire, and are used as laborers or conscripted shock troops.  Many of the slums of imperial cities are filled with Eastrons.)

Other races have to be unlocked through exploration.

Currently Unlocked Races:

Gnomes

Tritons

Elves (Forest)
 

Backgrounds:

Player’s Handbook:

Acolyte

Charlatan

Criminal

Entertainer

Folk Hero

Guild Artisan

Hermit

Noble

Outlander

Sailor

Soldier

Urchin

 

5E Backgrounds:

Inventor

Torturer

Gravedigger

Farmer

Prisoner

Prostitute

Bravo

Enforcer

Winter Soldier

Musician

Feral

Smuggler

Fisherman

Gladiator

Carney

 

Classes:

Classes can only be opened by finding trainers willing to teach the PC the class.  A trainer must be higher level than the PC, and the PC must either pay their teacher (50 sp/level) or convince the teacher to train them.

Training any level takes 1 week/level (so attaining 3rd level takes 3 weeks).  Characters who are training don’t incur lifestyle costs.

Paths:

Paths can only be accessed by finding trainers willing to teach the PC the Path.  Starting a Path is otherwise the same as leveling normally.

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Character Death:

If a character dies, the player may pick from one of the following options.

1. Go to one of your other pre-generated characters (if any remain).  Keep 75% of XP.  If this puts the character over level 1, they start as a level 1 character.  If the character is higher than level 1, the character must re-do/pay for training on all levels past first.

2. Create a legacy character. Related to previous PC (same race), keep 50% of XP and any goodies the party managed to save for you.  If this puts the character over level 1, they start as a level 1 character.  If the character is higher than level 1, the character must re-do/pay for training on all levels past first.

3. Create a new level 0 with a newly unlocked race.

4. Turn a henchman/follower/friend into a new PC.  Keep 50% of xp.  If this puts the character over level 1, they start as a level 1 character.  If the character is higher than level 1, the character must re-do/pay for training on all levels past first.