Editing DS Manual (section)

== Building a character ==
Besides the usual stuff, name, race, and starting equipment (which is all subject to whatever starting conditions your DM sets out), there are a few attributes you have to keep in mind. Characters all start at level 1, but there are a few base stats you get at level 0. Level 0 can be thought of as the outcome of your formative years, and Level 1 is the result of your more personally-driven early adolescence.

=== Level 0 Character Creation ===
==== HP ====
Starting HP is 10*END. Example: If my END was 4, my starting HP would be 40 (10*4), and every level I gain would add HP to my total (See sections HP in Power Levels or HP in Body Levels for more detail)

Starting HP for any character level 2 or above, things can get a tad complicated… 

<center><math>HP=10\times E+5.5\times M+E\times M+6.5\times E\times B</math></center>

Or for a slightly easier “Fill in” version:

<center><math>HP=10{\times }_{E}+5.5{\times }_{M}{+}_{E}{}_{M}+6.5{\times }_{E}{}_{B}</math></center>

Where E === Endurance Points, M === Power Levels, and B === Body Levels

==== STR, SPD, END, PWR ====
You have 10 points at level 1 to spread amongst all of your stats (except power, which always starts at 1), and there is a minimum score of one for each stat. At level 0 you have neither Body nor Power levels, but you may distribute points however you like. Your initial stat distribution should reflect your character’s backstory.

=== Guided Character Creation ===
Rather than picking and choosing character stats and a history, I recommend a guided character generation that’s more in line with A) a realistic randomness and B) complex character histories that are geared towards roleplaying and the style of gameplay that DS aspires to encourage.

==== Character History ====
History Points, what another set of stats? I thought this was roleplaying. Okay, hear me out, these points are just used for character creation. You have six history points to spend in each of four categories: 

* Family: your family life, standing, general upbringing
* Academia: how you fared in school, trade, or something similar
* Social: your social nature, circle of friendships, charismatic standings
* Flaw: a character flaw (or flawlessness) determined by the DM or a rolling table

[[Image:History_Points.png|center|800px|''Figure 1 - History Points'']]

===== Academic Specialties =====
This is typical for my own setting, but my list of specialties include:

* History & Lore
* Engineering
* Practical Magic
* Pure Magic
* Physicking (Medicine)
* Music, Culture & Languages
* Husbandry, Agriculture

I intentionally will not define the subjects further than that, but I leverage these specialties in character history to allow players to do extraordinary things they perhaps would not have thought of on their own. E.g. using their Engineering knowledge to pick a lock even though they may not be the thief-type character, their knowledge of Practical Magic to manipulate the inner workings of a magic-assisted elevator, or their Physicking prowess to make a healing spell more effective. I try to encourage and reward roleplaying and engagement wherever possible, so this whole “History Points thing” is a route that could simply end up as a footnote in someone’s character sheet, or allow a player to get more engrossed in their character. Entirely optional, but I encourage it.

==== Rolling for Stats ====
There exists a tremendous amount of options here. My recommendation is you roll 2d4-1 for Strength, Speed, and Endurance, in a fixed order and do not allow players to reposition their rolled stat points. It creates interesting dynamics and forces players to draw lines from their origin history to these rolled stats. When you have to reconcile an origin history and stats that are not in perfect alignment, you create a well-rounded and fleshed-out background. It provides the motivation to come up with a story for a character who comes from a line of blacksmiths that ultimately became a doctor. All of a sudden this character has an interesting life journey and a set of unique skills that no blacksmith or doctor would have on their own, you can already see quirks and out-of-the-box solutions coming together, and this whole process took only 20 minutes to execute. This is my preferred method for character creation, as it prevents players from “min/maxing,” and brings people just a little bit outside of their comfort zone. If the players find themselves hating their characters, they’re only level 0, and from level 1 onwards they can shape the path that their characters will walk, honing them more to their preferred set of tactics. The idea is to broaden horizons, make for a more interesting party, keep the game fresh for the battle-hardened, pile-of-dead-character-sheets veterans, and provide a much easier entry for the new-to-tabletop players.

=== Leveling Up ===
Every level gains you a few things, HP, and every ''even'' level gains you a special point. There are two kinds of levels you can take: ''Power ''levels and ''Body'' levels (Vegeta…). Power levels gain you power, and Body levels gain you extra HP and allow you to improve your Strength, Speed, or Endurance. 

==== Power Levels ====
===== HP =====
For a Power level you gain 1d10+END HP. Example: if my END was 4, taking a Power level would gain me 1d10+4 HP. If I rolled a 5, I would gain 5 (my roll) plus 4 (my END) to get 9 HP. For fast character generation you can use 5.5+END to speed up dice rolling if need be, but it is to be avoided whenever possible.

===== Stat Points =====
During a Power level you automatically gain 1 Power point.

==== Body Levels ====
===== HP =====
For Body levels you gain END d10 + END HP. Example: if my END was 4, taking a body level would gain me 4d10+4 HP. If I rolled a 5, 4, 6, and 7 on my four dice rolls, I would gain 5+4+6+7 (my dice rolls) plus 4 (my END) to get 26 HP. For fast character generation you can use END*6.5 to speed up dice rolling if need be, but it is to be avoided whenever possible.

===== Stat Points =====
During a Body level, you may choose to add a stat point to either Strength, Speed, or Endurance (any stat EXCEPT Power). 

==== Any time your Endurance (END) goes up by 1 ====
In order to eliminate the urge to front-load Endurance when building your character, and thus enabling higher HP rolls during later levels and potentially stunting your character’s usefulness early on, I’ve created a mathematical equation which would essentially “Reroll” your previous levels with your new endurance. As such, any time your endurance goes up you get to add a certain amount of HP to your character. While you can do this the old fashioned way and reroll the added HP to your previous levels, that can get cumbersome and clumsy to figure out. There’s just a couple of variables you need to figure out and input into these formulas:


{| style="border-spacing:0;"
| style="background-color:#4f81bd;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| <div align="right">'''Variables'''</div>
| style="background-color:#b8cce4;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| B === # of Body levels you have taken

M === # of Power levels you have taken

<math>{HP}_{0}</math> === Current HP

|-
| style="background-color:#4f81bd;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| <div align="right">'''Dice-Rolling Method'''</div>
| style="background-color:#dbe5f1;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| <center><math>{HP}_{1}={HP}_{0}+\left(B-1\right)d10+M+11</math></center>

Where <math>{HP}_{1}</math> is your new HP total

|-
| style="background-color:#4f81bd;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| <div align="right">'''Fast Calculation'''</div>
| style="background-color:#b8cce4;border:0.0069in solid #ffffff;padding-top:0in;padding-bottom:0in;padding-left:0.075in;padding-right:0.075in;"| <center><math>{HP}_{1}={HP}_{0}+\left(B-1\right)\times 6.5+M+10</math></center>

Where <math>{HP}_{1}</math> is your new HP total

|}
<center>'''Figure 2 - HP Formulas for END Increases'''</center>


==== Special Points ====
You gain your first special point at level 2, and 1 special point every 2 levels thereafter (4, 6, 8, etc.). Special points can be used for creating Invocations. These invocations fall into three categories, Magic Spells, Salient Attributes, or Wondrous Feats.

===== Magic Spells =====
Special points can be used to invent a Magic Spell (working with your DM), or enhance an existing Magic Spell so that it adds a multiplier—according to the DM’s discretion. A special point can also be used to enhance a school of magic. Finally, TWO special points (meaning you CAN save them up) can be used to add a new element to your belt (or a mastery)

You may not learn more than 1 element for every 10 levels you have, and any conflicting elements must have a role-playing worthy reason, generally speaking this is not something that happens easily.

For Magic Spells, you will want to explore the Invocations section, as well as the Magic Spells section. 

===== Wondrous Feats =====
Special Points can be used to establish Wondrous Feats, something more physical than magical. They fall under three foci, Strength Focus, Speed Focus, and Endurance Focus. Using your special point to create a wondrous feat might look like creating an ability to shrug off Magic Spells, let us call this feat “Shrug it Off” – this Endurance feat would allow you to shrug off 20 damage per power point invoked. 

===== Salient Attributes =====
Special Points can be used to create unique Salient Attributes for your character. As something more permanent, generally Salient Attributes come with a positive and a negative feature. As an example “Magic Resistance” – This would allow you to resist magic damage (permanently) but also inhibit magic healing. So, let us say you have Magic Resistance 1; you automatically reject the first 10 points of incoming magic ''anything'', whether it be damage, healing, or something else.