Character Creation

The best place to start in The World of Idoria is to make a character! There's a lot of lore, stories, characters, places, events, etc... It's easy to get lost, but by making a character you will be exposed to the bare minimum as to not get overwhelmed but still have enough to easily introduce you to more if you so desire!

For newer players, a 'Difficulty Rating' has been provided to ease the decision making process. This is determined by: how easy Role Play is with that class or race, how easy the spells are to use in that class, how often a race's ability will assist the player, and how well a race plays when used with its suggested class. These rating are entirely subjective, and relative to each other for the most part.

Race Selection

The first step in character creation is to pick a race! The World of Idoria is full of countless intelligent races of beings who all play significant roles in the world at-large, although players are limited to the Playable Races. While you, as a player, are not forced to play a class that goes well with a specific race, for newer players there is built-in synergies with at least one class for most of the races.

Automaton

A marvelous race of machines! Built by an unknown collective of people, the Automatons serve as final remnants of an ancient civilization. Often seen as a rare curiosity, the Automatons are not an incredibly common race on Idoria, though legends about them are as widespread as can be.

The Automatons are quite the peculiar race due to their lack of a need to eat, drink, or sleep. They must still rest on occasion, as rest is good for any entity; but they do not need to sleep.

This race pairs nicely with the Tinkerer class and can make for some interesting role play opportunities if your character wishes to inquire about their creation or to gain 'humanity'.

Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Airenians

With a human-like stature, elf-like ears, and draconic-eyes, this race could be mistaken at a glance for either a Human or a short Elf unless one spots their unmistakable & vibrant cracks all over their skin that glow the same colour as their eyes. Seen as a disgrace by the Humans and the Elves, the Airenians are often the target of blind discrimination due to an ancient legend about them bringing forth the original downfall of huamnity.

Due to their draconic-eyes, the Airenians excel at exploring dark or poorly lit places, often making them a must-pick for adventuring groups, despite the legends.

The Airenian is a good all-around choice for most classes and is a wonderful choice for basic roleplay & dungeon-crawling.

Difficulty Rating: 2/10.

Dwarves

Short & stout humanoids, a Dwarf is most recognizable by their beards, their craftsmanship, and their ability to drink you under the table. Viewed by most races as artisans of smithing & tinkering, a Dwarf is only viewed poorly by the Elves... And barkeeps who don't keep an adequate stock of ale.

Thanks to their thrifty use of materials and astounding patience, Dwarves can sometimes squeeze out an additional trinket or item every time they craft something!

Pairing nicely with either the Tinkerer or Pit-Fighter classes, the Dwarf is a resiliant race that can easily fill the role of either the gadgeteer or the front-liner.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10.

Elves

One of the oldest races of intelligent beings on Idoria, the Elves are exceptionally talented at magic from a young age and live to be quite old. Their mastery over magic is one of the few things that keeps them from extinction. Commonly viewed as 'stuck-up', 'snobby', or 'aggressively elitist' by the other races, it is quite common for an Elf to think they're the best of the gods' creations.

One of the main benefits of playing an Elf is their ability to notice things others likely wouldn't with minimal effort. A great tool for spotting traps, tracking beasts, or anticipating an ambush.

Typically paired with the Slinger or Etherial classes, Elves are excellent for the noble, 'better than you', characters or those who are so long-lived that their sense of connection to the other races is seen as "just another passing season" to them.

Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Ents

Rare and mysterious, this race of sentient-tree-like beings seek to return balance to nature and are at constant war with the more technological civilizations. Being viewed as odd & out of place in any urban environment, Ent are regularly passed by without notice in the wilderness, often being mistaken for a normal tree due to their sedentary nature.

Due to their connection with nature, casting nature-magic regularly restores a portion of their magical abilities. Done at a slight-loss, it helps them to keep going for longer periods without proper rest.

Most often chosen with the Naturian class, the Ents excel at casting natural magics and are quite hardy; however one may get unwanted attention if in the wrong setting.

Difficulty Rating: 6/10.

Gnomes

Usually found in magical forests within the trunks of the giant Myanic trees, members of this race are fantastic story tellers, performers, and quite the charmers! Something about a Gnome's small size & whimsical nature is just so alluring. Most Humans actually don't believe gnomes exist, rather that they're just something along the lines of a 'pygmy-human'; but to the other races, they're viewed quite fondly, like silly little puppets being pulled on by some mystical invisible strings to bring joy to Idoria.

Due to their innate whimsy & knack for performing, a Gnome can easily be seen making a side-hustle from their performances & story-telling when in front of a small crowd!

Most often paired with Performer or Slit-Throat, the Gnome's whimsy and charm can just as easily get them into trouble as it can out.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10.

Humans

"Idor's best creation", Humanity proves itself time and time again as they use their ability to learn, think outside the box, and use tools other races deem 'barbaric' to accomplish feats never thought possible before! Viewed by the Elves as a hate-filled race, while also being seen as a relatively-new wonder by the rest, this race has spread across the globe; settling new places & conquering old ones.

The main appeal of playing a Human, to most people, is their ability to learn anything. Spells that would normally be restricted to a specific class are fair game making Humans the most desirable for multi-classing!

Intended for those who wish to multi-class without limitations and blend in with the crowd, humans offer the best customization options at the cost of a real racial ability.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10.

Hum'Dovas

Strength, power, MIGHT. The Hum'Dova is a powerful race of warriors who thirst for battle. While their intellect may be lacking, their muscular physique finds no equal. Often discriminated against for nonsensical reasons, the Hum'Dova struggle to fit into a society of Elves, Humans, or Dwarfs; though if they take a physically-demanding job, the other races seem to tolerate them.

Due to their blood lust & frenzy in battle, defeating an enemy makes a Hum'Dova feel refreshed & ready to take on another challenger. This makes them the perfect front-liner, as if they can keep getting take-downs, they can keep fighting.

Best suited for the Pit-Fighter class, a Hum'dova cleaves through enemies and makes for the perfect "I just want to hit things" racial choice!

Difficulty Rating: 2/10.

Myceliae

Unfathomably ancient, the Myceliae have been known to exist since before even the earliest written records. While their origin is a mystery, it is certain that they predate at least one of the Gods or Goddesses. Feared by the other races, a Mycelia is often seen as a harbinger of ruin, as they spread their fungal network everywhere they go and are neigh-unkillable. To an untrained eye, a Mycelia looks almost identical to a Null; this only adds fuel to the fiery hatred towards them.

Due to being a type of sentient fungus, a Mycelia is near-impossible to truly kill or destroy; as when their health drops low enough they just reform their fungal mass from the spores dispersed upon 'death'.

The Myceliae are a wonderful choice for players newer to TTRPG's or those who get too attached to their characters! As they are very difficult to kill off. They pair well with any class!

Difficulty Rating: 1/10.

Nek'Kos

Quiet, agile, & deadly! A Nek'ko is damn-near identical to a typical house cat, but with the exception that they can speak, wield tools & weapons, and prefer to wear clothes! Viewed by the other races as mysterious & quirky, a Nek'ko is beloved by all who interact with them! Their origin remains a mystery, although it is quite common to find a plethora of Nek'kos in The Vas'kii Deserts.

Due to their mysterious nature, excelling at any task set in front of them causes them to gain a burst of magical energy from their pure excitement and joy!

What's better than a burglar? A cat-burglar! The Nek'ko is purrfect for either a Slit-Throat for their stealth and cat-like reflexes, or an Arcanist for their magical & eldritch background!

Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Pixies

Small and magical creatures from the lands of the fae; these beings are incredibly powerful, despite their tiny size, but they prefer to play pranks on people rather than to terrorize nations. Commonly thought to be a good omen by Humans or a chaotic nuisance by the Elves, a Pixie is thought to be a bringer of change and excitement where ever they go!

Due to their tiny size & magical connections, a Pixie can feel fully magically-rejuvenated with just a short nap instead of a long-night's rest like the other races! This lets them cause the most amount of mayhem with minimal downtime!

Excellent for any caster build, a Pixie regains its ability to cast spells very frequently making it great for an Arcanist, Etherial, Naturian, or Oath-Sworn.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10.

Sly'Lecs

Cunning & devious, the Sly'Lec are a half-breed of humans and an ancient-snake species! Fierce like their distant cousins, the Hum'Dova, they thirst for battle but are far less careless in their attacks. Occasionally viewed by the other races as a 'mutt' or 'impure breed' due to their heritage along with their unique physique, Sly'Lec struggle to fit into Humanoid societies.

Their large, snake-like, form is energy intensive at times; though through some unimaginable biological adaptation, a Sly'Lec can quickly regenerate & heal just by eating... Although a Sly'Lec's meal is often a lot more than a simple bowl of porridge; instead opting to devour the bodies of those they defeat in combat.

Their ability to heal after defeating a target in combat makes them a wonderful choice for Pit-Fighter or Martialist.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10.

Zoi

With skin that has an appearance of glass, no facial features a human would recognize, and being extremely religious, the Zoi prefer to keep to themselves in their monasteries and worship than to socialize with the other races. Due to this, not much is known about them, save for the occasional Priest being sent out of the monastery to proselyte. They're viewed quite neutrally by most.

A Zoi's presence in a party, while rare, has been seen to cause an increase survival rate amongst the part members. Some say this is due to the Zoi being more calm & less likely to start a fight; but according to the Zoi, it is because their deity watches over them and is actively protecting them.

Being incredibly religious by nature, a Zoi's best class pairings tend to be the Champion, Martialist, or Priest.

Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Once you select your character's race, be sure to write down any bonuses they get to things like: Health, Defense, Spell Castings, movement, To-Hit, Damage, etc... These are crucial to the gameplay of your character! Along with their bonuses, make sure to keep track of their racial abilities, as some races can do things that others cannot.

Class Selection

The next step in realizing your character is figuring out what they do! Classes in The World of Idoria are often nicknames for groups of people based on their actions, occupation, or skill-set. As mentioned in the race selection portion, some classes fit some races better than others, but don't let that limit your creativity & who your character is! Make an Automaton Naturian, an Ent Tinkerer, a Zoi Arcanist, etc...!

Arcanist

An entity as old as time, an Arcanist's consciousness is thrust into the body of a mortal by one of The Nine Divines to ensure that the Deity's work can be accomplished. Sometimes the mortal vessel given to an Arcanist isn't new or original, but rather that of an existing individual who is essentially cast out of their own body.

Utilizing ancient divine magic, an Arcanist specializes in Chronomancy & Astromancy (Time & Space magic, appropriately)!

Overall, the Arcanist is a relatively easy class to play as, as they are self-sufficient and pack quite the punch. An Arcanist, however, will likely struggle with role play opportunities, as their kit is primarily comprised of damaging spells. Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Champion

Chosen by The Ritual of Champions, a Champion is an individual that is chosen by a Deity to become their hand in accelerating or finishing tasks that require direct and immediate involvement. Guided by their Deity's will & gifted with a sliver of their divine power, a Champion acts in place of their Deity.

A Champion utilizes a mix of holy magic & swift melee damage; a hybrid of tank & light caster. Champions offer a wide range of combat-focused spells as well as plenty of spells suited for role play! This makes a Champion extremely useful and capable of adapting to any team.

Overall, the Champion has the capability to be more on the difficult side to play, as a lot of their spells/abilities require coordinating with other players and making open-ended decisions.

Difficulty Rating: 6.5/10.

Etherial

A master of the arcane magical arts, an Etherial organizes the existing magical energy around them to cast their spells. An Etherial gains their power through rigorous study and discipline, though it is not unheard of for an Etherial to be born capable of casting more advanced spells & rituals.

Etherials are one of several caster-classes in The World of Idoria, as such they are quite fragile but pack a mean punch. Etherials, specifically, offer a variety of utility spells including teleportation, rune & scroll creation, and various everyday-use spells!

Overall, Etherials offer a low skill floor, but have plenty of room for mastery with the availability of a high skill ceiling making them perfect for new players & veterans alike!

Difficulty Rating: 5/10.

Martialist

Toned & well-trained, a Martialist is the pinnacle of unarmed combat! Through rigorous training of the mind, body, and soul, a Martialist has honed in their skills to excel in combat without the use of weapons or even proper armour!

This class excels on the battlefield as a one-man army whose ability to combo a flurry of punches & kicks triumphs above even the greatest foes! Offering a wide variety of combos & stacking abilities, a Martialist is the perfect class for those seeking that fighting-game style of combat in a Table Top Role Play Game (TTRPG) setting.

Due to the nature of the combos, resource management, and timings, the Martialist is not advised for newer players as the skill floor is a lot higher than most other classes'.

Difficulty Rating: 9/10.

Naturian

One with the natural world, a Naturian is the key to bringing balance between nature & the ever-encroaching advances of the growing world. A Naturian utilizes the magic found in nature to heal, protect, and grow plants & their allies.

Offering a unique mix of druid-adjacent & necromancer spells, the Naturian is the master of life-magic and a wonderful choice for any adventurer who wishes to command a small army or just wants to be a fuzzy little critter!

Overall, the Naturian can be a pretty simple class to play, but the ability to have many minions under your control can be a lot to track & manage for some players.

Difficulty Rating: 4/10.

Oath-Sworn

An unfortunate soul who has entered into a pact with an unknowable entity or force, the Oath-Sworn is a victim of circumstance & poor decision-making. Forced to make a decision they'd soon regret, the Oath-Sworn is the errand boy of their patron; fulfilling their end of the bargain in exchange for powers that are mostly-unique to their class.

The Oath-Sworn offers a wide variety of offensive, defensive, supporting, and utility spells; from exponentially-increasing damage to healing them & their allies, to summoning an inter-dimensional shopkeeper to sell their loot to. They are a caster with more role-play elements built-in than the others.

Requiring decent positioning & teamwork, as well as being able to role-play a bit more than most of the other classes, the Oath-Sworn offers a unique difficulty that is easy to overcome with communication & creativity.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10.

Performer

The singer, the poet, the scholar; a Performer is always the one in the room with the biggest ego and the best illusion-magic! It's rare to find a Performer who isn't being constantly harassed by fans or sleeping with the tavern-keeper.

Utilizing mostly illusion magic, a Performer is a caster who operates on being the face of the party. Charming & pretty, they can often weasel their way out of tricky situations with their words or by using their clever performances.

Capable of being the most role-play-heavy of the classes as well as having minimal direct-damage spells, the Performer is the perfect support!

Difficulty Rating: 4/10.

Pit-Fighter

Strength, might, and power. A Pit-Fighter gets its name from The Pits, a series of underground fighting arenas where the strongest of the strong compete for money, fame, and most importantly power.

Straight-forward & head-strong, a Pit-Fighter relies on melee combat to solve their problems and if that doesn't work then they clearly didn't hit hard enough. Frequently the tank of the party, the Pit-Fighter is on the front-lines keeping the rest of the party safe while tearing their opponents apart with their weapon.

The Pit-Fighter, while they can make combos with their attacks, are no where near the same level as the Martialist. They are perfect for a new player who just wishes to "hit man with sword" and or do minimal role-play while still being incredibly relevant in combat.

Difficulty Rating: 1/10.

Priest

Chosen by their deity to preach their gospel & spread their good name, a Priest can often be seen preaching or dispatching Undead from an area. Unlike the Champion, who is the direct hand of their deity, the Priest is the deity's mouthpiece. Spreading their good word & wisdom.

The perfect counter to Undead enemies while also being an amazing choice as a support, the Priest primarily offers plenty of utility & defensive spells and saves their wrath for the Undead.

Overall, the Priest is a pretty simple caster-fighter hybrid perfect for a campaign with plenty of Undead or heretics to bring to repentance.

Difficulty Rating: 3/10.

Slinger

Pinpoint accuracy, speed, and range are what defines the Slinger. Capable of unleashing great firepower in the form of physical ranged attacks from a great distance, Slingers are the ranged-equivalent of the Pit-Fighter.

Straight-forward & thinking with their quiver, the Slinger relies on keeping their distance & never losing sight of their target(s). Slingers are the ranged physical DPS ("damage per second" aka consistent damage) option with plenty of chances at bursting a target down.

Similar to the Pit-Fighter, who can combo or stack their abilities, the Slinger is for those who want to excel in combat, but from a distance and to keep a low profile in role-play.

Difficulty Rating: 1/10.

Slit-Throat

Hidden in the shadows, the Slit-Throat is the master of stealth and burst damage. Utilizing the darkness and their sleigh of hand, they are capable of breaking into- or out of- anywhere to take out their target.

Masters of the "1v1" & capable of dealing incredible damage quickly to a single target, the Slit-Throat offers a fantastic outlet for the 'edge-lords', 'stealth-archers', and rogues alike to be their devious selves.

Due to their need to stay hidden, their inability to handle multiple foes at once, and a heavier focus on role-play, the Slit-Throat is not advised for players who have not played a TTRPG before. Those that have played similar classes of other TTRPG's may find it much more manageable, however.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10.

Tinkerer

The innovator, the smart-guy, 'the one with the plan' are all words that accurately describe a Tinkerer. Being a newer class to the world with the advent of steam power & its integration with magic, the Tinkerer is seen as a novelty and a marvel amongst those on Idoria.

This class specializes in crafting unique trinkets & contraptions to accomplish their goals instead of spells & techniques like any of the other classes.

Combining their unique take on abilities/spells with their own unique resource to manage, and you get a class that can be a bit tricky for a newer player to pick up. That said, this class is incredibly attractive for those who are the creative type, as it is the easiest to think of trinkets for.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10.

Once you've selected a class, write down the class' starting gear; you should have:

• A set of armour- this gives you your Defense stat.
• A primary weapon- this can be a wand, a crossbow, a staff, a claymore, etc...
• A secondary weapon- this is typically a dagger, though it can be something else depending on the class.
• Others- this isn't as common, but can include things like a shield, a holy symbol, or other piece of equipment.

Alignment

Like other Role Play Games, The World of Idoria has an alignment system. Alignments are entirely optional, as alignments are often difficult to work with for most players. Many GM's will likely ignore this section of Character Creation, and that is okay. It is simply a tool for those who wish to use it and for those who can use it. Below is a chart that is likely all-too-familiar to anyone who's had internet access:

Oathful: Characters of the Oathful alignments tend to operate based on promises, oaths, codes, or contractual obligations. They do things because they must, less-so than because they wish to do so of their own volition. This alignment can be fairly easy to play as if you set up- either with yourself &/or your GM- a list of restrictions, promises, or an oath for your character to follow.

Disorderly: Characters of the Disorderly alignments tend to function on whims & desires rather than codes & oaths. They do things because they want to, not-so-much because they've been told to or promised to do so. These alignments are fairly simple to role play as, as they're a lot less predictable than an Oathful character and thus allow for more wiggle-room for the player.

Pure: Characters of the Pure alignments typically act out of the goodness of their hearts and understand that their actions can have a significant positive influence on those around them. These characters acknowledge that good deeds are more than just an action, but that it tends to improve the lives of those around them; often at the expense of the actor's own safety. These alignments are typically the default in most games; as most protagonists are "good"; generally speaking: heroes & heroines are defaulted into this alignment.

Spiteful: Characters of the Spiteful alignments are the types of folks who, as the name suggests, act out of spite, malice, and selfishness. These characters typically know that what they do may be morally or socially wrong, but have decided not to care or that their own motives are beyond that of kindness. These alignments are the trickiest to pull off well, as poorly executing them can usually result in a poor gameplay experience for the whole group and as such are not recommended for newer players. If you find yourself attracted to these alignments anyways try avoiding these phrases when role playing: "It's what my character would do" (said after being an ass to the other players), "I am playing a spiteful character..." (said after killing an innocent character for no reason), etc...

Balanced: Characters of the Balanced alignments are typically more nuanced and level-headed compared to the other alignments. They understand that no one is perfect, mistakes are made, people can be redeemed, promises get broken, and that there's always an option in every situation. Most players will likely default into these alignments due to their flexibility & lack of true-restraints.

Backstory

Arguably one of the most important features in a Role Play Game is the characters' backstories! With these, a good GM can weave the party's characters together to enhance the story-telling experience as well as give unique opportunities to each character based on what they chose!

Make sure to communicate the specific setting of the campaign with the GM; as where in the world of Idoria a campaign takes place can cause characters from certain places or backgrounds to feel out-of-place or themetically-wrong.

Questions to think about regarding backstories can include, but are not limited to:

• "What country/kingdom/city-state is my character from?"
• "What region of that country/kingdom/city-state do they originate from?"
• "Why did they leave the safety of their home to come out and adventure?"
• "What brought them to <campaign setting> specifically?"
• "What drives your character?" / "What does your character want out of this adventure?"
• "What does 'end game' or 'peak-<character name here>' look like to you?"
• "What are some flaws about your character?"
• "What are some of their quirks & personality traits?"
• "What made them become the class they are?"
• "Did they have any close friends or relatives before they head out for adventure?"
• "What are they too scared to admit in the company of others?"
• "What's their deepest fear?"
• "What inspires the character beyond their desires?"
• "What kind of character growth do you want to see them achieve?"
• "Do they have any heroes?"

Not all of the above-mentioned questions must be answered, but they're often a good start to allow a GM to really help flush out a character to their maximum potential.

Work with your GM to iron out any kinks in your character's backstory. Some GM's prefer less-details, others prefer more; some have very strict world-building that they want their players to follow, and others are pretty 'loose-y goose-y' about it.

Beliefs

Many people have many different beliefs; whether they're about what happens when someone dies, what deity one worships, how one must act in their everyday life, etc... Many of these beliefs are frequently tied to a specific deity in The World of Idora (See The Divines for more information). For the most part, having a deity that your character worships is optional. The only exceptions are the Arcanist, Champion, & Priest classes as their powers & direction originate from their chosen deity; although Arcanists can easily get away without needing one if truly need-be.

Each of The Nine Divines are tied to one of the Alignments (mentioned above). This is done to make the decision process easier; although each of these deities is tied to an alignment, they & their followers are not always constrained to act in that fashion.

• Mora: Oathful Pure
• Korain: Balanced Pure
• Po'oraat: Disorderly Pure
• Sunbawn: Oathful Balanced
• Idor: Truly Balanced
• Dairek: Disorderly Balanced
• Ver'na: Oathful Spiteful
• Naar'dyk: Balanced Spiteful
• Naw'K'Krot: Disorderly Spiteful

Personal Traits

Every character has several traits about them that are mostly not-important to gameplay or role play; but are typically used to give others (and even the character's owner, themselves) a better understanding of the character that is being played & interacted with. These traits typically include:

• Name
• Age
• Gender
• Height
• Weight

In The World of Idoria, names tend to be extravagant or 'bizarre' if they were to be used in real life, as most High Fantasy names tend to be. The only exception to this is if one were to play a Nek'ko. Nek'kos have very bland, normal, and human-sounding names (think something you'd see on a sitcom like "James", "Lisa", "Phil", "Cassandra", "Kevin", etc...).

Age, gender, height, and weight are very loosely-defined in your chosen race's article sidebar. They aren't hard-set and strict, but are there to guide players to what is considered 'typical' in The World of Idoria.

Title

Finally, one may desire their character to have what's called a 'Title'. Titles aren't a common thing for lower leveled characters to have, as they have just begun their adventuring life, but can be quite common for those who have a couple of levels under their belt! Titles are a way to easily identify a character beyond their name based on their achievement(s). Examples of Titles are:

• "Savior of The City"
• "Demon Killer"
• "God Slayer"
• "Entrepreneur"
• "Null-ifier"

Talk with the GM to see if you can start with a Title or if you can achieve one within your campaign.

And just like that, a new character is born! Head back to Getting Started to finish setting up!