Depending on the level of the character (told by the GM), plan his history, current situation, personality etc. everything roleplayed.
Select a race from those available, most common ones are shown below.
As described below, characters gain free improvements from levels. Mark these to character sheet.
Characters usually gain 2 selectable improvements each level. Select these and mark them to character sheet
Attribute, magic and faith levels require further selects.
Select starting equipment for the character. Unless the GM says otherwise, you can freely choose from the normal equipment, have limited number of special stuff (like silver tipped arrows, herbs and such stuff) and can select one magic item (pick) for each level beyond 10, see treasures.
These are four basic humanoid races available to player characters. These attributes are for level 0 characters; normal humanoids usually have more HD as they already have some experience.
Move: 8
Skills: dwarf, common language
Attributes: night vision, resistant to poison, disease and aging
Notes: all spells are at least 1 min rituals
Move: 12
Skills: elf, common language
Attributes: night vision, resistant to sleep, disease, aging,
vulnerable to death, perceptive
Notes: Vulnerability can be bought off at a cost of four (4)
improvements
Move: 8
Skills: common language, survival
Attributes: resistant to poison, +1 armor unless held (up to maximum
of 5)
Notes: cannot (normally) take attribute strong, all spells are at
least 1 min rituals
Move: 10
Skills: local language, common language
Notes: gain an extra experience point for each 10 gained
Other races as agreed by the gamemaster. In normal cases, derive them from human. Other races can have different rules for health levels, skills and saves (see below).
While adventuring, the characters gain experience. This experience should be given after an episode, mission or adventure. For each full 10 experience points, the character gains a level.
For each level, the character automatically gains:
In addition, he has 2 improvement points from the following list. Each costs one or more improvement, and points can be saved to next level.
*strong, agile, mental, perceptive. Character saves cannot be improved in addition to normal level advancement, unless GM allows otherwise.
Other improvements could be available, depending on the campaign. Any initial spells are usually also in spellbooks given to character.
edd2 is mainly meant for high level (20+) characters and the system and character creation does not very well flex to allow lower level characters. Use the following modifications when creating lower level characters:
Same rules can be used for higher level characters when they get new levels but starting high level characters should not be allowed to have "partial" improvements.
These are skills that can be taken for each character level. No skill can be taken more times than current level/3, round up. So level 7 character cannot have same skill taken more than 3 times. When a skill is tested, the character has a base dice equal to skill level. This is modified by the situation and other modifiers.
The character handles climbing and rope tricks. Use this skill to climb walls, for rappelling and all similar feats. Skill level can also be used for agility and tail attack saves, instead of normal save bonuses
The character knows about lost kingdoms, lost languages, myths and gods. Use this skill to identify and evaluate artifacts and folklore things. Can sometimes be used to identify undead and their powers.
The character has knowledge about different creatures of the fantasy world. With successful skill test (modifiers based on rarity) the gamemaster can reveal various attributes and powers of the encountered creatures, excluding outer-planar creatures.
The character is well trained with reading, writing and common knowledge. Usually at least 3 levels are needed to read silently.
The character can evaluate jewelry and gems and art objects, and can distinguish various precious minerals.
The character is skilled in healing. He may heal an additional restoration for any character per day, if he has proper herbs and tools available. This is automatically successful, but requires time and nutrition, and the character can heal up to skill level creatures each day. In addition, he may try to heal diseases and poisonings. Moreover, the character may try to stop the bleed of a wounded creature. To succeed, one action must be used to bind the wounds with proper bandage, and a successful skill test is required. If the test is failed, the character may try again in the next turn.
The character can speak selected language; no need to take this more than once for each language. Available languages are common language and then big list of languages spoken by certain region or race, or some ancient languages. Some cultural information is included.
The character knows about magic items, spellwriting, mystical runes etc. and has alchemical training and can brew potions (see treasures). This skill is used to identify various magical items; their name and powers, and powers of the various magical creations.
The character knows about outer planes and inhabitants therein. The skill is used to identify demons, devils, elementals and other similar creatures and to know about their powers.
Pick pocketing, lock picking, trap setting and disabling. Normal skill check to pick a lock, with penalties from bad tools or high quality lock.
The character can swim, survive in wilderness, fish and hunt, cook etc. and track animals and identify tracks. Surviving in wilderness without food usually calls for Survival skill test, with penalties from harsh conditions.
The character is skilled in silent movement and hiding, especially in shadows and urban environment.
The character is a veteran of many battles. He knows about creature attacks, effects and warfare tactics, and knows how to fix armor and weapons and to evaluate them.
There is no carrying capacity or weight limits in edd2 per se, but common sense is required. Some containers are usually required for items, and no great horders of items can be carried without bag of holding or similar means. When running, the creature with less load usually has clear advantage.
Note: Items packed to containers should be marked to character sheet with 'x' etc. Those items cannot be normally affected by attacks but on the other hand, require an extra action to be accessed.
Axe, sword, warhammer, mace, spear... whatever is appropriate. Does 1 point of damage in combat.
Big axes, swords or hammers. Can be effectually wielded by strong characters, do 2 points of damage. If used by non-strong character, does only 1 point of damage and character loses one attack, to a minimum of 1.
Knives, axes, javelins.. does 1 point of damage when thrown, with effective range 10-20 meters. Most weapons can be used in melee, too, but GM may confer penalties for that.
Ranged weapon, doing 1 point of damage. Effective range up to 50 meters, loading uses one attack.
As bow, but uses longer arrows, and has effective range up to 100 meters.
As bow, but requires one one entire turn to reload, unless user is strong, in which case one attack is required. However, can be kept loaded for short periods more easily. Effective range about 100 meters.
As crossbow, but does 2 points of damage, and requires a winch or one entire turn if the user is strong. Effective range 150 meters.
Hard leather, scale or chain armor, with partial protection. The character has armor +1, even if held. This is not cumulative with agile-attribute, only higher bonus applies. The armor reduces stealth by 1 level and swimming is hard.
Plate armor with chain in joints. Armor +2 even if held, but not cumulative with agile. However, it makes spellcasting automatically hard, negates one agile-attribute and 2 levels of stealth and move and prevents swimming.
Big helmet reduces any perception by -1, but gives protection against certain special attacks - and of course against things falling on head (GM's discretion)
Gives +1 armor, cumulative with agile, but is not cumulative with other armor except against prepared attacks so that the character can hide behind the shield, waiting for the attack to hit. A character with (active) shield cannot use a big weapon nor 2-handed things and Spellcasting is automatically hard.
Example: A human with agile, light armor and +1 armor skill has armor 4, 3 while held (light armor effectually negates agile-attribute)
Example: An elf with heavy armor, shield and +2 armor skill has armor 5, 4 while held (the skill would rise armor to 6, but 5 is maximum)
Example: A human with agile, +2 armor skill has armor 5, 2 while held.
Characters with magic levels can cast spells, providing they have learn them first.
A character with magic levels may try to learn a spell if it is either taught at him (one week) or he reads it from spellbook (one day). The character cannot learn a spell with higher level than his magic level, divided by 3 (normal rounding). Thus, a first level magician cannot learn any spells (except little catrips, but they are not described here) unless special low level rules are used.
When a new character is created, all spells selected are automatically learned. If the character tries to learn a spell later, a mental test must succeed.
There is no limit to number of spells the character may have learned and in his mind. Note that some creatures may cause loss of memories...
Selecting spells: When a new character is created, he is normally free (check from the GM!) to select spells but must take at least 6 spells from each level (except the highest available). Thus, a level 10 mage must take 6 level 1 spells, 6 levels 2 spells and then rest from levels 1-3. Any spell can be replaced with lower level spell, if desired.
Note: A character may leave some spells unchosen, so that if new ones are added to the list, he may then take it. Or if the character finds suitable spell books, learn from them.
Followers are devoted priests, messangers or clerics of some greater power, god or deity. In exchange for character's commentment, the power grants innate power-like abilities to the characters, also known as miracles. However, the character must obey strict rules given by his deity.
Worshipers gain powers from their gods. These powers are used as any innate magic, but their use is usually limited to certain number of uses each day. All use corresponding spell effects or miracles from spells and are treated as spells in all cases.
The worshiper may pray for his god to fulfill his pleads. This is mainly dependent on how urgent the need is and how devoted the character is. Details are left to GM.
The god expect his followers to perform certain rituals and rites for his glory or otherwise do things he seems appropriate. If the follower does not performs these, he may find his powers lost.
In addition, all deities set some limits to the character, and he is expected to follow these orders. Especially higher faith level characters are expected to be devouted and do exactly what their gods want them to do, or otherwise they quickly found powers lost.
Actual miracles are dependent on god, here is some examples:
Basic powers: 'Holy' attribute, Healing Touch (5/hour), Detect Evil (as level 1 spell), Turn Undead, Evil Ward
Geas:
Additional powers: Banish Evil (2), Cure (as level 4 spell) (2), Healing touch (+5/hour) (2), Major Power* (1/day) (2)
*Major power is either Resurrect, Bless, Holy Word or Regenerate (as level 7 spell), selected when this power is taken. For one (1) extra improvement, the priest may use any major power, even if he takes the major power multiple times.
Basic powers: Healing Touch (5/hour), Gain Resistance (as level 2 spell, 3/day), Animal Ward (as evil ward, but against animals)
Geas:
Additional powers: Cure (as level 4 spell) (w), Healing touch (+5/hour) (2), Wrath Power** (1/day) (1), Major Power* (1/day) (2)
*Major power is either Petrificate (as level 6 spell), Reincarnate (as level 7 spell), Regenerate (as level 7 spell) or Metamorph (animals only), selected when this power is taken. For one (1) extra improvement, the druid may use any major power, even if he takes the major power multiple times.
**Wrath power is either Call Lightning, Wall of Fire (as level 4 spell) or Wall of Ice (as level 5 spell)