Every class provides a base attack bonus. This bonus improves as a charac-ter gains levels in a particular class. The combat-oriented classes (including the fighter) have a better base attack bonus than more cerebral classes (such as the sorcerer). Find your character’s base attack bonus on the appropriate class table in Chapter 3 of the D&D Player’s Handbookand record it in this section of your character sheet.
Attacks
Your character sheet provides space to record a number of different attack options for your character. This allows you to list a few different melee weapons and ranged weapons, depending on what your character is carrying and what he or she has trained to use. Record the attack bonus for each type of attack you might make. Remember that, when attacking, you make an attack roll with a d20 and add your attack bonus to try to get a result that’s equal to or greater than your target’s AC.
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Attack bonus (melee weapon) = base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier + weapon bonus
Note that not every character will have a weapon bonus. Any bonus provided by the weapon is due to using a magical weapon or because of a feat.
For example, Regdar’s attack bonus with his greatsword is +4 — base attack bonus +1, Strength modifier +2, and +1 for taking the Weapon Focus
(greatsword) feat.
Your character’s attack bonus with a ranged weapon is calculated as follows:
Attack bonus (ranged weapon) = base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier + weapon bonus – range penalty
Again, note that any bonus provided by the weapon is due to using a magical weapon or because of a feat. The range penaltyexists only when your charac-ter is far away from the target. At great distances, the target is harder to hit, thus the range penalty. (Check the “Range Increment” description on page 114 of the Player’s Handbookfor more information; also see the weapons tables on pages 116–117 to find the range increment for each weapon.)
For example, Lidda’s attack bonus with her shortbow is +4 — base attack +0, Dexterity modifier +3, and size modifier +1. The shortbow has a range incre-ment of 60 feet. Each full range increincre-ment (every 60 feet between Lidda and her target, in this case) imposes a cumulative –2 penalty on the attack roll.
So, if Lidda fires her shortbow at an orc that’s 70 feet away, she takes –2 to her attack roll (lowering her attack bonus to +2) because the orc is farther than one range increment away.
Every weapon brings its own statistics to the table, and these should be recorded on your character sheet as well. A weapon has a damage rating that tells you what to roll to deal damage after a successful attack. A weapon also has a critical attack range, a number or series of numbers you roll on the d20 to determine if your attack is a critical attack (or a crit). You can find these details on the weapons tables in Chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook. When you attack with a melee weapon, you deal extra damage equal to your Strength bonus (or 1.5 times your Strength bonus if it’s a weapon you wield with two hands, such as a greatsword).
Skills
Every character has skills that represent a variety of training and experience in different areas. Your character receives a number of skill points at each level based on class and Intelligence modifier. See Chapter 11 for more details on skill points per class per level.
Skills are divided into two categories: class skills and cross-class skills. Class skillsare skills that members of your character’s class might learn in the course of their training. Spend 1 skill point on a class skill and you get 1 rank in the skill. Cross-class skillsare skills that are not class skills for your character class, and so they are harder to learn. Spend 1 skill point on a cross-class skill and you get 1⁄2rank in the skill. (In other words, it takes 2 skill points to buy 1 rank in a cross-class skill.)
Every skill has a key ability. For example, the key ability for the Climb skill is Strength. You apply the modifier for a skill’s key ability to determine your skill modifier. You also apply your ranks in the skill and any other modifiers that may by applicable, such as modifiers provided by feats. On your character sheet, record all these numbers in the appropriate sections and total them to get each skill modifier.
For example, take a look at Lidda the rogue’s Move Silently skill. Her Dexterity modifier, the key ability for the skill, is +3. She buys 2 ranks in the skill, spend-ing 2 skill points (Move Silently is a class skill for rogues). She also has a mis-cellaneous modifier, in this case a +2 racial bonus that all halflings receive for this skill. That gives her a Move Silently skill modifier of +7 (3+2+2 = 7).
To use a skill, you make a skill check. A skill checkis a d20 roll to which you add your skill modifier. So, when Lidda makes a Move Silently check to quietly cross the chamber full of sleeping kobolds, she rolls d20+7.
For more information on skills, see Chapter 15.
Feats
Feats provide characters with new capabilities or improve existing abilities in meaningful ways. A character either has a feat or not; you don’t buy them with points and you don’t improve them with ranks. A character gains a feat at 1st level and at other levels as he or she advances. Human characters gain a bonus feat at 1st level, so they get to select two feats during character cre-ation. In addition, certain classes gain bonus feats at different levels. A fighter, for example, gains a bonus feat at 1st level. So, Regdar the human fighter starts play with three feats — one that every character gets, one bonus feat for being human, and one bonus feat for being a fighter.
Jot down the name of the feat or feats you select on the back of your charac-ter sheet, as well as a brief description of the benefit it provides or the page number of the Player’s Handbookwhere you can look up the details when you need to.
For more details about feats, see Chapter 14.
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Special abilities
Your character’s race and class provide certain special abilites. Record these in the section on the back of the character sheet.
For more information on race abilities, see Chapter 13. For more information about class abilities, see Chapter 11.
Spells
Characters who have spellcasting classes choose a selection of spells. For example, clerics and sorcerers are spellcasters and have spells. If you’re playing a sorcerer, record your character’s known spells in the spaces on the back of the character sheet. If you’re playing a cleric, you may want to write down your character’s prepared spells for that day on a piece of scrap paper, especially if you expect to prepare different spells during the course of the adventure.
For more information on spells, see Chapter 17.
Gear
Characters need equipment, and all kinds of adventuring gear is available to get your character through the toughest dungeons. List the equipment your character hauls around in the spaces provided on the character sheet.
For more information about adventuring gear, see Chapter 16.