There are plenty of people on the internet giving advice on how to build a DnD character. And here comes another one!

As a new DnD player, one of the first things you have to get your head around is how to build a character. You might start off by going along to a ‘how to play’ session, where the kind DM gives you an already completed character sheet but you’ll soon get tired of that, and want to start creating your own characters.

So the first thing you do is probably to search online for tips and advice, and there you’ll find post after post about the best classes and races, what not to do, how this or that does or doesn’t work. The internet is full of people telling you what you should do with your new character but don’t listen to them, listen to me telling you to do what you want to do instead! That’s much more fun.

Initially, I’d advise new players to think about the kind of player they think they will be, before they define their character. Are you confident and chatty, and looking forward to roleplaying and talking to other characters and NPCs? Or are you more reserved, and hoping for a gentle introduction to playing the game? Who are you playing with? Is it a group of strangers or people you don’t know that well, or is it a group of friends you are completely comfortable being around? How much preparation do you want to do in advance of the game?

If you’re chatty and confident and playing with old friends, you might want to consider playing as a strongly charismatic or party-leading character, like a bard or a paladin. If you want to do lots of reading and preparation beforehand, then a spellcasting class might suit you but if not, perhaps a simpler character like a rogue might be easier.

The next thing to think about is the type of character you actually want to play. Some people like to play a character that’s wildly different from their own personality, whereas others like to play an exaggerated or polished version of themselves. Either is fine and can work well but it’s worth thinking about which you’d prefer. Once you have an idea of how you want to play the game, then you can start looking at the classes and races and seeing which one fits the best.

The process of character creation can seem complicated and daunting. There are great tools available, particularly DnD Beyond, which will let you create a free account and build a character. As you select your race and class, and add your initial stats, weapons, and possessions, DnD Beyond does all the maths for you, working out each modifier and giving you a downloadable character sheet. It’s very useful, but while it does all the calculations for you, it doesn’t really tell you why certain things are as they are when you build a character. You also only have access to the basic content and options unless purchase the extras, so you can say goodbye to playing as a Tabaxi or any other more unusual race unless you’re ready to get your wallet out. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use DnD Beyond by the way, it’s a great way to quickly and easily create a character sheet. But keep in mind that you can also do it the old fashioned way, with a pencil and paper and a bit of maths.

But the ultimate thing to remember is that this is your character. No one else is going to play as this character, so do what you want to do and create the character that you want to play. Yes, if you’re a barbarian then your strength stat should be high, but perhaps you want to try being an acrobatic and stealthy barbarian, who vaults and cartwheels into combat, so you want to make your DEX higher than your STR. Go for it. Everyone will have an opinion on character building, on which classes are best to multiclass and on which level you should multiclass but do what you want to do. After all, it’s just a game!