Character Creation
Point Allocation Method
by Jesse E. Olsen
by
www.jeolsengaming.com
1
Character Creation
Point Allocation Method
any players of tabletop
roleplaying games enjoy
the thrill of randomized
character creation. However, there
may be groups that require more
choice. Some young players, for
example, may better learn about
equity and resource management
M
when asked to allocate points for
character creation. Virtual groups
hoping to create characters
individually (and unmonitored)
before the game may also benefit
from this method. Hopefully, this
supplement is useful for such folks
and others.
Writing, Design, and Layout: Jesse E. Olsen
Trade dress based on Shadowdark RPG’s trade dress by Brandish Gilhelm. Layout similarly based on Shadowdark RPG’s
layout by Kelsey Dionne.
Art: Tally mark design and portrait on pg. 5 by Jesse E. Olsen.
Fonts: Chosen for consistency with the Shadowdark RPG publication style. JSL Blackletter font © 2023 Jeffrey S. Lee. Old
Newspaper Types font © 2023 Manfred Klein. Montserrat font family © 2023 Julieta Ulanovsky, Sol Matas, Juan Pablo del
Peral, Jacques Le Bailly.
License: Character Creation: Point Allocation Method is an independent product published under the Shadowdark
RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library,
LLC.
Legal Information: Character Creation: Point Allocation Method is © Jesse E. Olsen.
by
www.jeolsengaming.com
2
Starting Level
0-LEVEL CHARACTERS
If you begin with a 0-level
character, start with:
• Stats and stat points, pg. 4 of
this supplement
• Choice of ancestry, pg. 16 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 16
of Player Quickstart Guide
• Hit points equal to Constitution
modifier, but minimum of 1
• Choice of (not rolled)
background, pg. 26 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 14
of Player Quickstart Guide
• Choice of alignment, pg. 27 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 28
of Player Quickstart Guide
• Choice of 2 items from starting
gear on pg. 33 of Shadowdark
RPG book or pg. 2 of Player
Quickstart Guide.
Per the official rules, 0-level
characters become 1st-level
characters once they survive their
first adventure.
1ST-LEVEL CHARACTERS
If you begin with a 1st-level
character, start with:
• Stats and stat points, pg. 4 of
this supplement
• Choice of ancestry, pg. 16 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg.
16 of Player Quickstart Guide
(Humans receive an additional
talent point, rather than an
additional talent roll, for their
“ambitious” trait.)
• Choice of class, pg. 18-24 of
Shadowdark RPG book, pg. 1825 of Player Quickstart Guide,
Bard and Ranger, Fey and Druid
Essentials, or other supplement
• 1 class talent point (2 if human),
pg. 6 of this supplement
• Hit points equal to 3 for classes
with d4 as a hit die, 4 for classes
with d6 as a hit die, and 5 for
classes with a d8 as a hit die,
plus Constitution modifier
(minimum 1)
• Choice of (not rolled)
background, pg. 26 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 14
3
of Player Quickstart Guide
• Choice of alignment, pg. 27 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 28
of Player Quickstart Guide
• Title, pg. 30 of Shadowdark
RPG book or pg. 26 of Player
Quickstart Guide
• 33 gold pieces to purchase
starting gear, pg. 35-37 of
Shadowdark RPG book or pg. 2
of Player Quickstart Guide.
Stats and Stat Points
In the point allocation method,
your stats all start at 4, and you
get 42 additional stat points to
allocate to whatever ability scores
you'd like. However, at level 0 or 1:
• None of your scores may exceed
18,
• Sample Array 2: 18, 12, 12, 10, 8, 6
• Sample Array 3: 16, 12, 10, 10, 10, 8
• Sample Array 4: 14, 14, 12, 10, 8, 8
• Sample Array 5: 14, 11, 11, 11, 11, 8
However, the following would not
be allowed by the rules here:
• No more than one score may be
greater than 15, and
• Illegal Array 1: 18, 15, 12, 12, 10, 10
(Uses more than 42 stat points)
• At least one score must be 8 or
lower.
• Illegal Array 2: 20, 12, 10, 10, 8, 6
(Has a score that exceeds 18)
In this way, you may choose which
stats to prioritize and by how
much. Five sample arrays are as
follows:
• Illegal Array 3: 18, 16, 8, 8, 8, 8
(More than one score greater
than 15)
• Sample Array 1: 18, 12, 10, 10, 8, 8
4
• Illegal Array 4: 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11
(Doesn't have at least one score
8 or lower)
Class Talent Points
After choosing your class, use your
talent point at level 1 or save it to
have 2 points to spend at level 2.
Talent points may be saved and
carried over for one level (but not
more) at any time throughout a
character’s career. Also, humans
receive an extra talent point at
level 1.
Talent points may be traded for
talents from your class's talent
table (see pgs. 18-25 of the
Shadowdark RPG book, pgs. 1825 of the Player Quickstart Guide,
or class descriptions of other
Shadowdark RPG supplements).
• Look at your chosen class's
talent table.
• Use 2 talent points to "roll" a 2 or
12. Use 1 talent point to "roll" any
other number.
In other words, the first and last
talents on the table cost 2 talent
points , while all others cost 1.
5