Looking for information about character modifiers

[Shedena]

Ok I'm very new to DM ing. I have a wild imagination and thought I'd give it a try. I have played many "earlier" versions. So I love this game.

My question is I have a couple of player who have made characters. One is a Leonin race, blood magic as the class and outlander as the background. In doing this the modifers are CRAZY! How am I building a starting game when the modifiers are more like.....4 or 5th level characters? How does one decide what is given based on class, background, and race or for half breeds?

I have another character who's race is half-shadar-kai and half yuan-ti. She found a website that gave her backgrounds. So this character has shadar-kai, yuan-ti, cleric and sex slave. They have taken ever aspect of each thing creating a character to which again modifiers are crazy.

Or are they adding these numbers to the wrong places? Should these numbers be in the ability scores?

I know you get modifiers based on what you know. So maybe I'm wrong in my understanding? I'm so confused now. Help anyone!!!

[LordEntrails]

Yea don't allow it. Just because it's online doesn't mean it works or is fair to other players.

You need to tell the players wat the character creation rules are. i.e. what races and classes are allowed along with what source books etc. I would suggest a standard array for ability scores.

Now, if you want to allow other stuff, then it all has to be pre-approved by you. In short, allow racial modifiers to be +2 to one ability and +1 to another. Then make sure racial features are in line with the ones from the PHB, same with background etc. Or you can also let players take an approved race and reflavor it. Call it something else, give it a different history and description, but make the mechanics the same as an existing race.

[Shedena]

Thank you very much for your help

[LordEntrails]

Sure. There are tons of opinions and blogs you can find on the topic of starting up a group. One thing to be sure to look into is have a session 0. It's important to make sure everyone is on the same page.

With the help of others, I've collected some resources here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?36014-GM-Advice

[Nyarly Dude]

FWIW, in current 5E

* most races are standardized now at +2/+1 ability scores (must be two different abilities, no +3), aside from human (+1 each), variant human (+1/+1), custom lineage (+2), half-elf... and mountain dwarf, IIRC
* don't think there are official rules for combining races (you can take the appearance of a mix if you like via custom lineage, but you only get the features of custom lineage -- you don't inherit any traits of either parent race, and you are not eligible for feats which require a specific race, like no Elven Accuracy or w/e). The "One D&D" UA has some proposed rules, but they're proposed and you still only get mechanical features from one parent.
* backgrounds determine starting gold, usually two skill proficiencies and one tool proficiency; these do not stack with class/race proficiencies to grant Expertise (e.g. if there's overlap, replace a proficiency, but not with a weapon/armor proficiency), and some non-gameplay trinkets like a gaming set
* classes, again, do not give ability score increases

Standard array will be balanced; point buy might lead to 8/8/8/15/15/15 (before racial modifiers) if they want to be extreme; if they roll, insist that they do it while connected to your host rather than "oh, yes I did roll 2 18s and nothing lower than a 14" etc.

With PHB/TCE rules and standard array or point buy, you can start with a 17 (base 15, +2 racial modifier) and a custom lineage can hit 18 (if the 'free' feat is a half-feat that boosts that attribute). But, that's basically it. And you don't have to allow custom lineage or anything else if you don't want to (even if it's WOTC published, never mind some hilariously overpowered badly-written gibberish from dndwiki).

[Shedena]

This makes a lot of since. There are a lot of things I'm trying to learn and figure out. I am having another champaign Saturday. I am now trying to learn dice rolls. I don't understand if every act needs a pass or fail. Like do I have to roll a d20 to see if the action the person takes will happen or not.

Intuitive, that's to see what order every goes in, correct, but is this during battle only?

How does one give out experience? Or how do players earn more point to level up? Upon leveling up do they get all these now skills and more modifiers etc?

When in battle, I have a monster attack and choose the attack. Do I use the dice listed on the cards how? I roll a 4d6 for this monster. Is that to determine damage and I roll a d20 to see if the attach is affective. Is this what I do for the players as well?

No when a person uses an ability. Do they always have to do an ability check? If the ability check say they can use it does a d20 have to be roll to see if it works?

Omg so many questions and I am truly blessed to have found other who have patience for my level of questions.

[Zacchaeus]

You might benefit from watching some of these videos https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/2110750737/Fantasy+Grounds+Unity+Basics+with+Zacchaeus

Some of your questions suggest that you haven't read the rulebook (Player's Handbook, SRD or, Basic Rules) for 5e, since the questions aren't really about how FGU operates but how the rules operate.. So I'd suggest that maybe you should read that as well

[LordEntrails]

I would suggest you start with the Basic Rules. Read those and have the players use those to create their characters.

Yes this is limiting! But let your players know you are new to this and you need to start with a manageable amount of info and that as you play more you will all learn and you can expand your options. You could even start with a couple of one-shots, like the Impenetrable Fortress of Dib (a favorite of mine), or Crow's Rest Island or In Vino Gigantus. Those will just last a session or three and will let players try different characters and have everyone get to know the rules. Then pick an adventure like Lost Mines of Phandelver or Dragon's of Icespire Peak, it will give you all plenty of time to play, but won't commit you to a game that last forever.

The biggest thing with rolling for checks, is only have the players roll if their is either a time limit (such as in combat) or meaningful cost of failure. If they are trying to climb a mountain and have all day and are using safety ropes etc, they will eventually get to the top and without any arm. Don't bother to have them roll, just tell them how long it takes. Remember, if you have them roll, it might mean they don't succeed and never get up the mountain, or through the door, or whatever it is they are rolling for. (Later, you can research the topic "failing forward" for more complex ways to handle such challenges.)

Initiative is what is rolled to determine the order of actions during combat. Out of combat, the players can normally just act in any order they agree to.

All the other questions are addressed in the Basic Rules and the Player's Handbook.