This test of 15 questions allows you to turn your character's concept and background into the classical D&D attributes.
How does it work:
•Answer to each of the questions from the perspective of your character
•Select the choice that best describes your character's case
•If multiple choices apply, select the one with the highest point-value
•Write your answers down as you answer the questions
•Count your character's stats using the scale in the end
Extra:
The separated part presented here allows an easier comparison between various characters. You can, for example, easily compare which of five characters is physically strongest without explaining the entire character story to every fellow player of the group.
Turning your character's background into numerical form can also serve as a tool of gaining insight to your own character's qualities, his strengths and weaknesses. It can reveal if you've created a character that is "too perfect" in all ways, or help to spot faulty causal chains, such as an orphan-born character who has lived on the streets all his life, but who still seems to have lot of coin to spend and superb fighting skills without any reasonable source.
Along the questionnaire, you will find 8 extra questions that are hidden. Answer to these as well, if you wish to observe additional stats of your character, such as his Combat Rating - the general level of his combative skills.
1. Muscular structure
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Due to disability, sickness or something else, you're particularly weak
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You dislike heavy lifting and carrying weighty equiptment
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Among your own race, you would be fairly average in strength
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You're fairly well-built and have either exercised a lot or done physical labor during your life
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Like blacksmith or warrior, you exercise your muscles a lot every day
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You would be considered to be among the most physically powerful among your people
2. Health
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You're sickly and very frail by your build
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Often sick, you require a lot of sleep and dislike hard physical labor
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You're an average, healthy villager, but not above catching the common flu
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Fairly robust and strong, you enjoy outdoors life and challenges
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Quite resilient to alcohol and poisons, you don't bother to look at minor bruises or cuts either
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Never sick, you require only a couple hours of sleep a night and still have abundant energy
3. Eye-hand coordination
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Nonexistential: if you try to catch something, someone loses an eye
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Tasks requiring precision are beyond you and you're more comfortable with rougher tools
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Throwing items or archery are not too demanding to you
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You generally hit what you're aiming at and would make a good archer
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You could be a professional juggler with your quick and precise hands
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You could be a professional juggler - with flaming scimitars
4. Movement
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When you stumble, it takes a while for you to get back up
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Generally moving slowly, it is difficult for you to change direction once you've gained pace
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You stumble on occasion, but not too often, quickly getting back to your feet
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You rarely stumble and your pace is quicker than that of those around you
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There is grace in your movement: you can manage cartwheels and backflips with ease
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Flying kicks and somersaults in the air aren't that challenging
5. Age (physical perspective)
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You're very old (venerable) or very young (pre-teens)
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You're in your teens or a "veteran" (humans: 50+)
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You're in post-teens or middle-aged (humans: 40+)
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You're a young adult or a senior (humans: 35+)
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You're in your physical prime (humans: 25-30)
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You're a shining exemplar of a young hero of your race
6. Size
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Regardless of your race, you're particularly small and fragile
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You're a dwarf
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You're a human - or particularly large dwarf
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You're a particularly resilient or/and large human
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You're an orc
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You are a giant/troll or a particular large orc.
Two extra questions:
7. Weaponry
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You tend to be unarmed and unconcerned
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You're equipped with hand-held tools or improvised weapons
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You have a common self-defense weapon such as dagger, pistol, club or traveler's quarterstaff
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You have a weapon designed for serious battle, such as a broadsword or musket
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You're armed with battlefield weapons like warhammer, flamberge or sword paired with shield
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Like above, but enchanted to boot, poisoned or filled with devilish improvements
8. Armor
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You're not armored - why bother
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You have natural armor like fur, or thick winter clothes
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You have a good studded leather armor that protects most of your body
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You have a chain- or ringmail armor that protects most of your body
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You're clad basically from head-to-toe in plate armor
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Like above, but joined with large shield - or the armor is strongly magical
9. Talent, imagination, abstract thinking
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You're not sure what that is, but you probably don't have it
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Not the brightest candle, but still able to read and write
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Can do normal merchantsman's mathematics, but no abstract and philosophical concepts
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A fond friend of stories, songs, books, and a good memory to go with that
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An author of the former, constantly daydreaming, debating, making inventions
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Abstract, geometrical and even insanity-bordering concepts are just your cup of tea
10. Willpower
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You are easily discouraged and don't often initiate anything
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You tend to abandon a cause if you don't get active support
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You dislike doing something when faced with problems and hardships - better move along
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You like to stick with your stances, but not so far you could said to be stubborn
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You ARE stubborn and rarely change your mind once you've made it
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Would return back as a ghost to complete an unfinished task you set your mind into
11. Schooling
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Illiterate: you haven't been formally taught by anyone
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Received basics of formal teaching like letters and numbers in tutorship of somekind
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Had a good upbringing with a private teacher, but haven't pursued academic life since
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Have studied in an actual academy, library or monastery for years - could be called a scholar
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Held a position in such facility - you taught an art or were part of some project or experiment
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A long academic life comparable to that of a professor
12. Age (mental perspective)
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You're in your pre-teens
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You're in your teens or slightly post-teens
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You're in your physical prime or little beyond
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You're middle-aged (humans: 40+)
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You're old of age (humans: 50+)
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You're venerable (humans: 60+)
13. Mental stability
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You have a short fuse when it comes to emotions - you'd make a fine berserker
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You're fairly gullible and tend to get angry or cry often
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You're not beyond an occasional outburst, but most often hold your temper in check
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Having some sceptic tendency, you often oppose others and strive for critical thinking
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Emotions can rarely be read from your features; opposing your own friends is no problem
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You're the calm eye of the storm even in most demanding and difficult situations
14. Spirituality
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Your heart is closed to the world; you're capable of truly inhuman deeds
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Opportunist: the feelings of others are always secondary to your personal gain
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Emphasis on your own well-being, you sometimes consider the feelings of others too
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It is difficult to see the suffering of others and you often seek to help them
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Altruist: you would help them even if you disliked them personally
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Transcended: you have found your place and purpose in the world and are at peace
15. Appearance
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For a member of your race, you're ugly as a boot and know it
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Disfigured or scarred, but otherwise about average
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You blend well into the crowd with your fairly plain features
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Noticable due to your good looks, first impressions are generally good
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You stand out from the crowd for your beautiful features, inner glow or fashion style
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Regal or divine: your dazing looks stop people at their tracks
16. Influence
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You find it difficult to work with other people
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Most comfortable when working within a small local group of associates or close friends
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You rather follow than lead, but have a circle of contacts and even some friends
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People like your presence and listen to your words - they gladly do favors to you
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Natural born leader: you likely run an organization or lead a group
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Major player of high intrigue or a full-time social butterfly with infinite contacts
17. Magnetism
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Huh? What's that?
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Carefree: you're often dismissed by others and don't have much authority
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When you get serious, other people usually stop laughing as well and listen
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Your glare makes people shut up; your smile beckons
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Professional: you'd make a good stage artist - or a drill sergeant
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Whatever the emotion you want to rouse, the crowd around feels it in their bones
Six additional questions:
18. Trade, profession or position
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You don't have a trade, profession or position in the community
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Apprentice: currently learning some trade or profession, or a pending position
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Journeyman: leaning under a master and soon graduating as a free practicioner
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Master of some trade, profession or position or hold an equal status
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You have an established position of a well-known master of your trade
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Grandmaster: you've dedicated at least past 30 years to your chosen career
19. Upbringing
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Street kid: you grew up without a real upbringing
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Adopted: you received some upbringing in the orphanage or with foster parents
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Grew up in a lower class family that could provide only the rudimentary necessities
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Middle class: you likely received boons like advice, schooling, coin and contacts
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Nobility: you had private teachers, fine clothes and coin to spend
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You also inherited your family's treasures and can be considered wealthy indeed
20. Fortunes
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You haven't had any truly successful prospects in life
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Fate has not been kind - your projects haven't kicked off very well, yet
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A career of really varying success
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Be it with dice or working opportunities, sometimes the fortunes smile upon you
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Your projects have taken off very well and you're a successful practicioner of your trade
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You're among the luckiest or most professional people around - your exploits are famous
21. Combat training
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You've received no formal combat training
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Few tips of self-defense, but nothing close to formal training
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Militia training: you've received rudimentary training and can use blades and guns
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You had private lessons with a fencing master or squired a knight when you grew up
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You still practice actively at the local training grounds, daily
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Swordmaster or equivalent: dedicated to the art and been so for decades
22. Field experience
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Not counting a fist fight or two, you've stayed out of battles
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Streets: you've brawled, but nobody has died - at least on purpose
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Mean streets: you've fought with deadly intent and may have killed someone
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Skirmishes: seen actual battlefield, comrades and enemies dying, but not too often
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Veteran of at least one full-scale war campaign, you likely have injuries yourself
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Battlefield is where you are at home - you don't seem to belong to times of peace
23. Scarring and traumatic experiences
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Ordinary experience of wrong, loss and mortality
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Lingering memories of troubling things that don't bother you too often
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Noteworthy trauma in some area that causes you a lot of sleepless nights or nightmares
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Something that haunts you daily and seems impossible to discard
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Having suffered a life-altering trauma, you became a monk to find redemption
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Personality-defining trauma: "You killed my father - prepare to die!"
RESULTS
Attributes explained:
What in the stats?
The classical character attributes, derived from D&D and many other similar games represent the character's basic qualities. In pen & paper RPGs, these stats are generally randomly defined by rolling three d6 dice. Here you have already defined your character's similar stats through the background you've created, without a single roll!
Strength (STR) explains how physically strong the character is, how much he can lift and carry and generally how hard he hits. It's the primary attribute for warrior-esque characters, alongside with CON.
Dexterity (DEX) shows how quick, agile and precise a character is, and how good he's in tasks involving climbing, jumping, dodging, riding, in operations of stealth, and using light weapons. It's the primary attribute for rogue-esque characters.
Constitution (CON) defines how much punishment a character can withstand, and generally how tough and resilient he is. It is used to defend against conditions of sickness, poison, and other physical ordeals. It usually defines the character's Health Points, and is therefore important to all fighters.
Intelligence (INT) describes the character's brilliance and wits, mathematical thinking, aptitude in sorcerous magic, memory and puzzle-solving skills. It is the primary attribute for mage-esque characters.
Wisdom (WIS) goes alongside with INT, but rather describes how mature and experienced the character is - and especially how much he is likely to learn from that experience. It also shows attunement with the surrounding world and its gods, and can refer to things such as "good karma" and give spiritual resilience. It is the primary attribute for priest-esque characters.
Charisma (CHA) is dedicated to the social qualities and skills of the character, like his outwards appearance, but also gift for speaking, convincing others, intimidation or entertainment and showmanship such as telling stories, dancing or playing an instrument. It's the primary attribute for bard-esque characters.
Finally, to count your character's numerical attributes, sum up the following:
•For Strength (STR): Questionnaire results of 1 + 5 + 6
•For Dexterity (DEX): Questionnaire results of 3 + 4 + 5
•For Constitution (CON): Questionnaire results of 2 + 5 + 6
•For Intelligence (INT): Questionnaire results of 9 + 10 + 11
•For Wisdom (WIS): Questionnaire results of 12 + 13 + 14
•For Charisma (CHA): Questionnaire results of 15 + 16 + 17
You received a number ranging between 3-18 for each attribute.
And you have successfully turned your character into a numerical form!
Don't forget to post your results here for comparison and discussion.
Extra:
More stats (optional)
These following stats describe further qualities of the character:
•Combat Rating (CR): Questionnaire results of 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 21 + 22.
According to the result (6-36) the character is either a:
7-16 Novice
17-26 Journeyman
27-36 Master
•Health Points (HP): CON rating + question 10 (Willpower)
According to the result (4-24), the character has:
4-10 One health point
11-17 Two health points
18-24 Three health points
•Magical Potential (MP): INT rating + question 12 (Age: mental perspective)
According to the result (4-24), the character has:
4-9 No true potential (No spells)
10-16: Minor potential (1 spell)
16-20 Moderate potential (2 spells)
21-24 Extreme potential (3 spells)
•Sanity (Sa): WIS rating MINUS question 23 (Scarring and traumatic experiences)
The result is the character's Sanity rating. According to that, the character is either:
0 (or under): Deranged or psychotic
1-6 Disturbed, quirky or neurotic
7-12 Steady and operational
13-17 Calm and serene
•Wealth (We): Questionnaire results of 18 + 19 + 20
According to the results (3-18), the character belongs either to the:
3-8 Streets and roads: The character is likely a homeless traveler or adventurer.
9-13 Mansions and guilds: The character is likely an established inhabitant.
14-18 Courts and castles: The character ikely exists among the local movers and shakers.
Notes:
Companions, pets and magical minions: To reflect the character’s summoned familiars or animal companions (Rangers, Necromancers and Elementalists specifically), give the character a higher Weaponry rating, if she’s practically always accompanied by the companion. Rather than being an entity of its own, the companion is a part of the character’s fighting style and prowess.
Combat training vs. Field experience: Many players have gotten confused with these. Combat training refers only to the training the character has formally received, and his natural ability to learn from it. It has nothing to do with really fighting. Field experience has everything to do with being in real fights. A character who has been a warrior for 20 years could still have Combat training of 1, if nobody really taught him at any point, but he just picked it all up on the way.