The player characters of Neverwinter are heroes who seek to defend the rebuilt city of Neverwinter from the forces that threaten it.
Characters are defined according to a modified version of rules from the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, which is also the source of the game's setting.
Every account starts with two free character slots: more can be purchased by spending Zen. The maximum number of character slots that can be unlocked on one account is 51.
Character Creation[ | ]
Before Patch NW.5.20130923b.9, when creating a character you first had to choose between one of the three Shards. Since the patch, all characters are on the Dragon shard.
Race Selection[ | ]
The Race Selection screen
In Step I you select your Gender (Male or Female) and your Race between:
- Aasimar
- Dragonborn
- Drow
- Dwarf
- Gith
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Halfling
- Human
- Menzoberranzan Renegade
- Metallic Ancestry Dragonborn
- Moon Elf
- Sun Elf
- Tiefling
- Wood Elf
More races are to come. Note that each race gives your character different Racial Traits.
Class Selection[ | ]
The Class Selection screen
In Step II you select your Character's Class, which will determine your role as an adventurer. Currently available classes are:
Ability Scores[ | ]
The Ability Scores screen
In Step III you can choose how to use your racial ability bonus.
This means adding 2 points to one of two ability scores for most races except for Humans, Dragonborn and Metallic Ancestry Dragonborn.
Appearance[ | ]
The Appearance Selection screen
In Step IV choose your character's appearance.
You can select from a number of presets or you can create a custom appearance by adjusting the following features (not all of the following apply to all races): Head Shape, Hair, Eyes, Eyebrows, Facial Hair, Complexion, Horns, Tattoos, Scars, Face Scaling, Body Shape, Body Scaling
Background[ | ]
The Background Selection screen
In Step V select the Character Origin and his or her Deity Affiliation: these do not affect gameplay and are only provided for flavor.
Overview[ | ]
The Character Overview screen
In the last step you give a name to your character. You are also allowed to add a final piece of background called Biography. By clicking Begin Adventure you reach Neverwinter Fields, which is the first tutorial zone.
Names *can* have spaces, a rarity in today's MMO's. Make good use of this and create a unique character.
Names are not unique across the Shard, but only within your account, another uniqueness feature.
Character Sheet[ | ]
You can open your Character Sheet by pressing 'C'.
The character sheet contains six tabs: Character, History, Appearance, Powers, Boons, Companions, and Mounts.
In the Character Tab you see your Character and your equipped items, as well as your current Ability Scores, ratings, loadouts, and Base character.