I'll answer with a generalized, "No." For all intents and purposes, stick to what the handbook allows for your character generation.
However - it has been known that if your character background is lush and warrants it, certain DMs will make allowances for additional customization outside of cookie cutter character builds. Give them a chat and see how it fares - items are usually easier than proficiencies to squeeze under the radar.
Your starting equipment from your class usually offers and either or option in a lot of cases. So if it says pick a Martial Weapon that's a pretty broad choice. If you don't like all of the items in the Kits + starting gold each of the backgrounds offer there is an option to roll your own gold and go shopping for your own signal whistles and what not. As for proficiencies, as Sedge has noted, those are usually set. Now let's say you have Fighter + Soldier and have Athletics as skill you can just pick something else from their starting skill list. It doesn't negate out or double up, you just pick something else. There's also variants already listed that gives great examples of cool alterations. Like Sailor in the PHB has a Pirate variant. A recent Barbarian I rolled up is using the Gladiator variant of Entertainer.
Did you have a specific situation WITHERSHEEPY that you were considering?
Build your character by picking your race, a background, then your class. Through the whole process know what skill proficiency you gain in the class so you can pick unique options through your background. If you find that you really want a skill, say Medicine, and have a good in-character/story reason why your character should have, ask your DM if you can trade out a standard background/class skill for the Medicine skill. The most plausible way to get the build you want is working the background aspect of the character build. The backgrounds that are published are a good framework to base other backgrounds that make logical sense. For example, "farmer" seems like a no-brainer background but is there an existing background that truly captures an agrarian lifestyle? Nope. So build one or better yet, put the Google/Yahoo/Whatever search engine to work and you'll find other home-brew/3rd Party backgrounds that should get you close to your vision of your character. Run any non-PH material by your DM ahead of time though!!! As long as the background isn't overly "munckin", you should be good to go. Good luck and have fun!
Can you start with items and proficiencies that weren't granted by your race or class? Thank you for answering!
I think the best answer for this is talk to your DM about what you are trying to do.
Generally, during the character creation process, I ask my players to tell me about their character's past. If it's something that fits into one of the backgrounds provided in the PHB I'll just tell them to use that. Sometimes I might combine/replace features (items, proficiencies, etc) from multiple backgrounds. If it's something more complex, I'll work with them to make the background (while attempting to maintain balance with the other backgrounds).
Overall, it's up to the DM to decide what they will allow. But, a good DM should be fine with letting you swap something out if it makes sense for your character and doesn't affect the gameplay (starting off with full plate instead of chainmail, or having a weapon or armor proficiency for a class that normally doesn't have it, might affect the game too much).
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
Thanks for answering! I was just wandering, because it would take a lot of gold pieces to buy all the useful stuff, such as food, a basic weapon, a majestic donkey, ect.
It appears most people missed the sentence at the beginning of the backgrounds section that said if you didn't find what you wanted mix and match from the backgrounds. In D&D worlds it's not uncommon to start life here and end there, an urchin child learns pickpocket but gets taken in by a sailor to give survival and water vehicles. Then they ditch the ship in a port town and impress the local blacksmith so now I get proficiency in BS tools and rustic hospitality feature. On page 125 of the PHB it states you can simply pick any feature you like, two skills and two tools, languages. Vehicles never came up but I'd hazard they count with tools, evidenced by land vehicles in Folk Hero.
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For my attack I will throw my spear...two handed...for 1d8...
Can you start with items and proficiencies that weren't granted by your race or class? Thank you for answering!
I'm 100% okay with switching a weapon with an equal or lesser stat one without much complaint. But that isn't in the rules.
Technically the rules allow for rolling for gold or taking the starting equipment. Which I think has been determined that the starting equipment is the better option.
As a dm I would understand if you wanted to use a particular weapon.
Proficiences are tougher. First of all every class has a useful save prof. and a barley used one. So absolutely no, you are not going to switch your int save dc for a dex save prof. But do you want to switch your dex for con? Maybe if you have a good reason.
For other skills id ask if we could pick a background that would have that covered or maybe adopt a background and restyle it.
I'd probably not allow a mass change of every skill though and would certainly look at what you are giving up for what you want.
If you are trying to get insight, perception, investigation, deception, persuasion (all of them not just one) I would learn more toward no.
Beyond that just talk to your dm and see what you guys can work out.
Talk with your DM about it, as a background could grant some proficiencies that aren't specified in race or class bonuses. But beyond that, I'd advise against it. A large part of DnD is working within your character to figure out how to do what you want, instead of making this god-like character who is good at everything.
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Can you start with items and proficiencies that weren't granted by your race or class? Thank you for answering!
I'll answer with a generalized, "No." For all intents and purposes, stick to what the handbook allows for your character generation.
However - it has been known that if your character background is lush and warrants it, certain DMs will make allowances for additional customization outside of cookie cutter character builds. Give them a chat and see how it fares - items are usually easier than proficiencies to squeeze under the radar.
Your starting equipment from your class usually offers and either or option in a lot of cases. So if it says pick a Martial Weapon that's a pretty broad choice. If you don't like all of the items in the Kits + starting gold each of the backgrounds offer there is an option to roll your own gold and go shopping for your own signal whistles and what not. As for proficiencies, as Sedge has noted, those are usually set. Now let's say you have Fighter + Soldier and have Athletics as skill you can just pick something else from their starting skill list. It doesn't negate out or double up, you just pick something else. There's also variants already listed that gives great examples of cool alterations. Like Sailor in the PHB has a Pirate variant. A recent Barbarian I rolled up is using the Gladiator variant of Entertainer.
Did you have a specific situation WITHERSHEEPY that you were considering?
Build your character by picking your race, a background, then your class. Through the whole process know what skill proficiency you gain in the class so you can pick unique options through your background. If you find that you really want a skill, say Medicine, and have a good in-character/story reason why your character should have, ask your DM if you can trade out a standard background/class skill for the Medicine skill. The most plausible way to get the build you want is working the background aspect of the character build. The backgrounds that are published are a good framework to base other backgrounds that make logical sense. For example, "farmer" seems like a no-brainer background but is there an existing background that truly captures an agrarian lifestyle? Nope. So build one or better yet, put the Google/Yahoo/Whatever search engine to work and you'll find other home-brew/3rd Party backgrounds that should get you close to your vision of your character. Run any non-PH material by your DM ahead of time though!!! As long as the background isn't overly "munckin", you should be good to go. Good luck and have fun!
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“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
Thanks for answering! I was just wandering, because it would take a lot of gold pieces to buy all the useful stuff, such as food, a basic weapon, a majestic donkey, ect.
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It appears most people missed the sentence at the beginning of the backgrounds section that said if you didn't find what you wanted mix and match from the backgrounds. In D&D worlds it's not uncommon to start life here and end there, an urchin child learns pickpocket but gets taken in by a sailor to give survival and water vehicles. Then they ditch the ship in a port town and impress the local blacksmith so now I get proficiency in BS tools and rustic hospitality feature. On page 125 of the PHB it states you can simply pick any feature you like, two skills and two tools, languages. Vehicles never came up but I'd hazard they count with tools, evidenced by land vehicles in Folk Hero.
For my attack I will throw my spear...two handed...for 1d8...
Backgrounds, sure. But the thread was about proficiencies given by the race and the class.
Yeah specifically getting them outside race/class. That's either DM fiat or background customization IMO
For my attack I will throw my spear...two handed...for 1d8...
Talk with your DM about it, as a background could grant some proficiencies that aren't specified in race or class bonuses. But beyond that, I'd advise against it. A large part of DnD is working within your character to figure out how to do what you want, instead of making this god-like character who is good at everything.